Pellet Boilers.... Where are you????

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I bought unit at stove keepers in amherst n.h. it was $5700 plus about 4-5 hundred for fluepiping. 603-672-1280. As far as I know they have two in stock. Mark was very helpful on info and such.
 
Just a note of caution to folks out there looking for to purchase the Harman PB105, or others even. Like many, I shopped around for a good price, and availability. I ended up purchasing from a dealer in NH (no Tax) and they had one in stock. That 3 year warranty is great, but I have already been told by the local Harman Dealer that they will not service my unit since I did not buy it from him.
Frankly, all I want is my parts since I know more about the unit then the service folks at the local shop, but it's still a issue.
 
I put a down payment on the floor model at my local dealer in early May and when I picked it up last week the dealer told me he could have sold it at least ten times.

He also said he has ordered 4 more for other people but Harman is telling him that he won't get them until December.
 
nmerrill said:
Just a note of caution to folks out there looking for to purchase the Harman PB105, or others even. Like many, I shopped around for a good price, and availability. I ended up purchasing from a dealer in NH (no Tax) and they had one in stock. That 3 year warranty is great, but I have already been told by the local Harman Dealer that they will not service my unit since I did not buy it from him.
Frankly, all I want is my parts since I know more about the unit then the service folks at the local shop, but it's still a issue.

Of greater concern than the local yokel not servicing it would be the fact that many manufacturers will deny any warranty claims if the unit is not installed by an authorized dealer or professional installer. Lot's of companies in the gas/oil fired end of things are doing this due to internet sales resulting in less than spectacular installations by unknowing and untrained persons. Read through the fine print in you warranty coverage statement carefully. You may be surprised at what you find.
 
fr8tdog said:
I just talked to my local Harman dealer looking for the pb105 boiler and they said the earliest they could get one was December or January!! Has anyone else heard of this long of a delay or is it just here around northern Maine?
Hi, I am new to this forum and we have a Harman Pellet boiler on order and were also told that delivery is estimated at February 2009. The company was sold and production was halted due to problems with the computer automated production line[as told to me by the sales reps.] We have called several dealers in central Ma. and northern Ct. and all are saying this will not be available as well as most of the Harman pellet stoves until Feb 2009. Tarm is also experiencing prolonged delays in equipment delivery as well. We are considering purchasing a small amount of pellets with the hope that the boiler will be available for winter use. Pellets are now ranging in price from $260. per ton to $275.
Sharon
 
Hello All...
The New England summer (of constant rain this year) is quickly passing and decisions need to be made. Where are the pellet boilers we heard about back in the Spring? Harman units (lowest price) are getting terrible reviews and are way back ordered. Traeger units are back ordered as well. Where are the European units? Where are other American made units? I rolled the dice and placed a deposit on the Maine Energy Systems unit. These guys have seemingly gone into this venture prepared and with the right attitude and convictions. Are there other manufacturer's that are going to compete? I have 1/4 tank of oil that I anticipate burning off before the end of October. My pellets have already been ordered and are awaiting delivery. All indications are that this seems to be an exploding market and none of the world's manufacturers are prepared. Perhaps U.S. manufacturers should build and market their units much like electronic and toy manufacturers do every year in preparation for Christmas delivery. Maybe Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler should retool. There's money to be made and they wouldn't have to use the UAW. Ok... I'm getting synical.
Enjoy the rest of the summer everyone!
 
Mack The Knife said:
Hello All...
The New England summer (of constant rain this year) is quickly passing and decisions need to be made. Where are the pellet boilers we heard about back in the Spring? Harman units (lowest price) are getting terrible reviews and are way back ordered. Traeger units are back ordered as well. Where are the European units? Where are other American made units? I rolled the dice and placed a deposit on the Maine Energy Systems unit. These guys have seemingly gone into this venture prepared and with the right attitude and convictions. Are there other manufacturer's that are going to compete? I have 1/4 tank of oil that I anticipate burning off before the end of October. My pellets have already been ordered and are awaiting delivery. All indications are that this seems to be an exploding market and none of the world's manufacturers are prepared. Perhaps U.S. manufacturers should build and market their units much like electronic and toy manufacturers do every year in preparation for Christmas delivery. Maybe Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler should retool. There's money to be made and they wouldn't have to use the UAW. Ok... I'm getting synical.
Enjoy the rest of the summer everyone!

Nice to see you again Mack. I would be interested in knowing if you got your final quote for product(s) AND installation from MES. From everyone I have talked to their final price has been between 15k and 18k. On a positive note though, rumor has it their shipment of the first 100 arrived today.

I actually just had my Pinnacle/Traeger delivered this afternoon and will be fully functional next week ;-)
 
sinnian said:
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I actually just had my Pinnacle/Traeger delivered this afternoon and will be fully functional next week ;-)

Congrats on the new addition to the family

applause-1.gif
 
sinnian said:
Nice to see you again Mack. I would be interested in knowing if you got your final quote for product(s) AND installation from MES. From everyone I have talked to their final price has been between 15k and 18k. On a positive note though, rumor has it their shipment of the first 100 arrived today.

I actually just had my Pinnacle/Traeger delivered this afternoon and will be fully functional next week ;-)

Our boilers are being offloaded now. They need to undergo some basic tests before we can distribute them.

Our storage solutions have been in flux for a little while, but we anticipate receiving enough storage containers within the next few weeks to cover all of our current customer reservations with extra left over for future demand, and the option of buying more (more than enough for our current demand) storage containers every few weeks afterward.

Unfortunately, quite a few people are having to put in a new chimney, liner, remove the old oil boiler and tanks (labor $ and disposal $), or rework a significant portion of their zones + piping. This is dramatically increasing the quotes folks have been seeing due to labor costs and materials costs. We also did not anticipate our bins taking nearly as long to assemble as most of our contractors are saying they take, so we admit there is a bit of a discrepancy between our anticipated labor costs and our actual labor costs. A recent installation was quoted (the highest quote i've seen) at $19k, but they required removal of their old boiler, a dramatic reworking of their zone piping and pumps, and hazardous waste disposal for two 300+ gallon oil tanks and the boiler. Most of our installations do not require this sort of labor, materials, and disposal costs, so we do anticipate that our average quote will be significantly less than that.


We apologize for any stress this has caused any of our customers, and we are taking every step we can to provide the public with an accurate predicted price. Our prices may change as we proceed forward with our storage options, given the changing costs of steel, diesel fuel, and the relationship between the US dollar and other currencies.
 
Wow.... $15K - $18K is scary! Scary enough to chase someone away....really quick. The Traeger unit was on my short list too. I really enjoyed speaking with Joe Brownian at length. I was hoping that he might pick up the MES line. It's even nice to see MES making posts on this forum. At least MES is not hiding like some other distributor that I read about in Maine. They will probably find that guy in the Kennebec. The Reservation Agreement that you sign with MES also allows you to change your mind "at any time" without any penalty. The $500.00 deposit will be immediatelty refunded.
In an earlier post I mentioned that I had turned down the opportunity to have a new Tarm MH installed for about $12K. I prayed a lot before I declined that option. I haven't gotten my MES price quotes yet, but am anxiously waiting with optimism. I'm really high on their waiting list, so I won't have to wait too long once the units pass their initial checks. I've kept abreast of the MES training, boiler delivery, bin and silo sizing, and other miscellaneous updates too, including their sales going to PA and Alaska. You've got to feel some sympathy for folks that are needing excessive repairs to their homes including those chimney issues. It can drive the price up quick. I too wish the MES unit could be direct vented and although the MES web says that their unit can be power vented, it is not recommended. Fortunately, MES has already made arrangements with lending institutions to help ease the burden on the great folks of Maine. Heck our home was built in the early 1800's so I may need some help too. I think most lending institutions in other states would get behind this program too. I think the U.S. government (and state governments too) also passed a bill that allows a considerable amount to be taken as a tax deduction for a number of years as well. There must be other Hearth.com Forums detailing the language of those pieces of legislation.
The citizens of the United States are the reason that solar systems or these alternative fuel systems will thrive and survive. Recently there was a hybrid Toyota driving around the Nashua NH area. It's license plate said FUOPEC. Perhaps the thought will catch on more this time than it did in the 70's.
Hey MES.... Don't forget all the nice things that I've said.
 
Any new updates on available pellet boilers and manufacturer's meeting the ramped up demand? I've recently heard of the Irish Woodpecker unit now available in New England. How is Harman, Tarm and Traeger doing with meeting consumer demand? Any comments on the associated installation costs for pellet boilers being kept reasonable?
 
Mack The Knife said:
How is Harman, Tarm and Traeger doing with meeting consumer demand? Any comments on the associated installation costs for pellet boilers being kept reasonable?

Tarm and Traeger are both into November for availability right now, last I checked.

I suppose we could raise installation prices on them, given demand, but I'm of the opinion that alienating the public now is a bad idea - making a few thousand extra now is silly, if it costs me tens of thousands in lost business over the next decade.

Joe
 
Thats usually about what we charge. Most PB150 installs are 10K-11K complete. The problem around here is that we have a Harman dealer telling people that he will install his boilers for $800 total then when he goes and installs the boiler he doesn't do any of the piping.
And last week I called Traeger and they were telling me early January. Im glad I still have a few in stock.
 
I'm patiently waiting to receive an affordable installation quote from MES. The local certified installers are still limited. I still have oil in the tank and those continued reports of the price coming down may slow the jump to pellets. I'm sure the first frost will fix that!
I spoke with the distributor of the "Woodpecker" unit today. Cost of the unit is $12,500.00 with the same training/installation requirement that MES is requiring. These new units may have difficulty catching on if they are not affordable to the masses as stated in the response above.
I think there have been over 6000 hits on this string, but only a handful of respondents. What are other consumers learning and hearing in their searches? What is the status of the U.S. manufactured Genesis II pellet boiler and the foreign Froeling unit et all? What is the current purchase, delivery, installation and costs status of Harmon, Traeger, Tarms (units mostly referred to here)? Am I correct in thinking that this is the limit of indoor pellet boilers available on the market today?
We need to help each other with the best information available.
 
Harman is approx. $6000 plus $500-$700 installed for exhaust and combustion air (done by dealer) and anywhere from $1200-$2500 for piping. I believe that the Traeger is in the ball park. The Harman also has a 1500 lbs. Hopper for approx. $1500. Does anyone know a the ecodynamic pellet boiler? I believe they are being distributed out of Colorado. There are limited US options. At least to my knowledge.
 
Mack The Knife said:
What is the status of the ... Froeling unit et all?

Should be here next summer.

It's a very nice unit, and a proper "standalone" central heating system which can operate year-round without backup. However, the price is expected to be commensurate with the quality and performance.

Mack The Knife said:
What is the current purchase, delivery, installation and costs status of Harmon, Traeger, Tarms (units mostly referred to here)?

Traeger PB150's are nearly always in the $10k-15k range, installed. Tarms are typically in the $15k-20k range, installed. At least, that's my experience with the units, based upon typical installations. Start adding other things like automatic feeding systems, and the prices go up, depending upon how fancy the system is and what other options you are adding.

My concern with things like the MES boiler and the Woodpecker are that they will fall into the gap between affordable boilers like the Traeger and Harmon, and the high-end stuff like the Froeling. Many folks who are interested in the added features of those boilers will be willing to shell out a bit more for the Froeling, leaving the potential open for the mid-range boilers to lose out. I like the idea of mid-range boilers being out there, but the market doesn't really care what I like or dislike, and the mid-range for pellet systems may end up as small as the mid-range for conventional equipment.

I hope that does not end up being the case, because I really like the notion of a solid line-up of products being available to give many options to those who are interested in biomass fuels. Taking this mainstream requires that there be demand, and if we can only hit the "affordable" and "Cadillac" crowds, demand will not be what it can be if there is a wider variety of offerings.

Joe
 
See .....now I do regret not getting the Tarm installed for $12,500.00 when I had the chance.
Maybe with the price of oil dropping as much as it has recently, these units and pellets will come down also.
I can already hear you laughing!!! It's ok.... so am I.
 
Well look who is carrying the Froling boiler! It's nice to see some other quality indoor pellet boilers hitting our shores......Finally.
I've asked countless times about the Genesis II (Made in America) an outdoor model and gotten no response. And where did the Harman's go? It seems that there are very few people talking about getting indoor pellet boilers installed. What gives??
 
Mack The Knife said:
Well look who is carrying the Froling boiler! It's nice to see some other quality indoor pellet boilers hitting our shores......Finally.
I've asked countless times about the Genesis II (Made in America) an outdoor model and gotten no response. And where did the Harman's go? It seems that there are very few people talking about getting indoor pellet boilers installed. What gives??

Who?
 
TARM USA or now to be known as BIOHEATUSA. Nice changes/updates to the company web site also. I wonder when/if they will be carrying the full Froling product line?
 
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