Why XXV?

bobforsaken · Oct 13, 2009

I'm in process of getting an XXV... its set to be installed next Thursday. I'm looking for XXV owners to tell me why I should expect spending so much more for an XXV than I would for other pellet stoves. $500 more than a Castile... $700 more than a P43. Etc.. I'm not really looking for why it cost more,as much as why its worth it to pay more. (Ie best stove in the galaxy.. or it will burn anything ; even burn water etc)

The buyers remorse is creeping in and I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Can anyone offer a pep talk?

PS. yes.. this is an indulgent and selfish post... I'm suffering from Pellet Stove OCD so if I can't have my stove for another 9 days, I want to talk about it.. LOL

Delta-T · Oct 13, 2009

well, not to sound "snarky" but the reason you'd pay more is because it costs more to make than something like the P43. Its quieter than the P43 but other than that its mechanically extremely similar. Neither burns water.....yet :cheese: . The top of the machine stays relatively cool all the time. If you own a cat he/she may find the top a nice place for a nap. The mirror glass if cool and the 450 lbs of iron is not very likely to get up and run away on you. Enjoy!

LIpelletpig · Oct 13, 2009

I'm not an XXV owner but a Harman owner. If I had the choice I would of purchased the XXV. But, I needed an insert for my fireplace. But to help your thought process it is a fantastic looking stove...it puts out great heat from what I hear from other forum members and it's a Harman !!!

! So join the Harman family and you'll be a happy stove owner.

P.S. There are not many people that own an XXV on this forum that dislike them so your choice is simple....and who never said looks don't matter!

hossthehermit · Oct 13, 2009

Bobforsaken said:
I'm in process of getting an XXV... its set to be installed next Thursday. I'm looking for XXV owners to tell me why I should expect spending so much more for an XXV than I would for other pellet stoves. $500 more than a Castile... $700 more than a P43. Etc.. I'm not really looking for why it cost more,as much as why its worth it to pay more. (Ie best stove in the galaxy.. or it will burn anything ; even burn water etc)

The buyers remorse is creeping in and I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Can anyone offer a pep talk?

PS. yes.. this is an indulgent and selfish post... I'm suffering from Pellet Stove OCD so if I can't have my stove for another 9 days, I want to talk about it.. LOL

You're paying more for the same reason people buy whatever trendy thing is out there. "Harman is the best". "If you ain't got Harman, you ain't got what bears do in the woods". Harman makes a nice stove, other companies do, also. If you gotta have a Mercedes, you probably need a Harman.

bobforsaken · Oct 13, 2009

hossthehermit said:
Bobforsaken said:

I'm in process of getting an XXV... its set to be installed next Thursday. I'm looking for XXV owners to tell me why I should expect spending so much more for an XXV than I would for other pellet stoves. $500 more than a Castile... $700 more than a P43. Etc.. I'm not really looking for why it cost more,as much as why its worth it to pay more. (Ie best stove in the galaxy.. or it will burn anything ; even burn water etc)

The buyers remorse is creeping in and I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Can anyone offer a pep talk?

PS. yes.. this is an indulgent and selfish post... I'm suffering from Pellet Stove OCD so if I can't have my stove for another 9 days, I want to talk about it.. LOL

Click to expand...

You're paying more for the same reason people buy whatever trendy thing is out there. "Harman is the best". "If you ain't got Harman, you ain't got what bears do in the woods". Harman makes a nice stove, other companies do, also. If you gotta have a Mercedes, you probably need a Harman.

Well I definitely don't need to have a Mercedes. I'm basically a practical person.. I looked at the St. Croix Hastings but it was more expensive than the XXV. I guess after a certain point with a long term Item I can justify spending more to get something a little less practical that I want more; especially when its an item there is not trade-up program for or something you don't buy again in another 3-5 years.

amick780 · Oct 13, 2009

You will not be dissapointed with the XXV, it does cost more then other stoves, but IMO it is a great stove. Extreamly quiet running, tons of heat (with deicent pellets of course). It is also very easy to keep clean, simple design inside that works great. Oh and the best part; it looks great. Enjoy it!!

bobforsaken · Oct 13, 2009

amick780 said:
You will not be dissapointed with the XXV, it does cost more then other stoves, but IMO it is a great stove. Extreamly quiet running, tons of heat (with deicent pellets of course). It is also very easy to keep clean, simple design inside that works great. Oh and the best part; it looks great. Enjoy it!!

Thanks.. any long term savings to speak of? More heat from pellets? Ability to run cheaper with cheaper pellets.. slower pellet consumption with ESP vs standard Tstat?

Feeling better.. thanks folks.

hossthehermit · Oct 13, 2009

amick780 said:
You will not be dissapointed with the XXV, it does cost more then other stoves, but IMO it is a great stove. Extreamly quiet running, tons of heat (with deicent pellets of course). It is also very easy to keep clean, simple design inside that works great. Oh and the best part; it looks great. Enjoy it!!

Well, there ya go, Bob. "Oh and the best part; it looks great"
I vote for warm and ugly

amick780 · Oct 13, 2009

hossthehermit said:
amick780 said:

You will not be dissapointed with the XXV, it does cost more then other stoves, but IMO it is a great stove. Extreamly quiet running, tons of heat (with deicent pellets of course). It is also very easy to keep clean, simple design inside that works great. Oh and the best part; it looks great. Enjoy it!!

Click to expand...

Well, there ya go, Bob. "Oh and the best part; it looks great"
I vote for warm and ugly

There is always one in the bunch....

tinkabranc · Oct 13, 2009

Here are my top 10 reasons I went with an XXV....no particular order

1. Made in USA
2. Harman reputation for Quality
3. Classic wood stove look
4. Built solid
5. Auto ignite
6. Big ash pan
7. Burn any grade of pellets
8. Easy to clean
9. Has the BTUs I was looking for
10. Good Warranty

Yeah, this stove was more $$ than some of the others I looked at, but this model
had all the specs I was looking for. Now going into the 4th winter with it and still don't
regret it for a minute. You will love this stove

amick780 · Oct 13, 2009

tinkabranc said:
Here are my top 10 reasons I went with an XXV....no particular order

1. Made in USA
2. Harman reputation for Quality
3. Classic wood stove look
4. Built solid
5. Auto ignite
6. Big ash pan
7. Burn any grade of pellets
8. Easy to clean
9. Has the BTUs I was looking for
10. Good Warranty

Yeah, this stove was more $$ than some of the others I looked at, but this model
had all the specs I was looking for. Now going into the 4th winter with it and still don't
regret it for a minute. You will love this stove

Finally someone who gets it. Amen

photogame · Oct 14, 2009

I agree with the top 10 list of tinkabranc
I am going on my 5th winter of my original XXV , other than normal short cleaning during the season, and at least 1 good cleaning off season, i have the pleasure of not having a problem with mine. last yr i put a englander pellet stove in front of our house, its a long ranch style house, sure it kicked out heat , but all the little bells and whistles that the xxv has was nice. was more cleaning , could not control heat and pellet feed to as low a point as i can with xxv, so i was either wasting pellets or not using stove. a month ago saw a xxv for sale on craigs list and jumped on it. enjoy yours its a great stove.

goatman-68 · Oct 14, 2009

I think you will really like your XXV. I had some problems with my first one, but the dealer finally swapped it out for a new one and all is good. I am on my second season with it and love the look and the heat. It is also very easy to clean. Although it will burn any pellet, I choose to burn top quality pellets so I only have to clean it once a week. I recently bought another XXV (painted version) that was two years old for 1000.00 and will be using it on our lower level, however I don't think I will burn it this year since propane is cheap around here right now.

bobforsaken · Oct 14, 2009

tinkabranc said:
Here are my top 10 reasons I went with an XXV....no particular order

1. Made in USA
2. Harman reputation for Quality
3. Classic wood stove look
4. Built solid
5. Auto ignite
6. Big ash pan
7. Burn any grade of pellets
8. Easy to clean
9. Has the BTUs I was looking for
10. Good Warranty

Yeah, this stove was more $$ than some of the others I looked at, but this model
had all the specs I was looking for. Now going into the 4th winter with it and still don't
regret it for a minute. You will love this stove

Great list... Items 1,3 7, 8, 9, and 10 were all direct reasons for me choosing the XXV. I'm also glad to hear in another post that it more efficiently ,than some other stoves, will work on very low. There will be quite a few times where I'll be asking the stove to only heat about 500 square feet.. and others I'll ask it to heat 1000-1500 as much as is reasonable given my layout. I'm so excited.

Did anyone have to reinforce their floor before installation of the stove? Getting it up the stairs will be interesting.

acowherd · Oct 14, 2009

I love my xxv. I wish the insert was more like the xxv. Besides how great this stove looks, I love how easy it is to clean,how great it heats, and it is quieter than my insert. :coolsmile:

GVA · Oct 17, 2009

goatman-68 said:
I think you will really like your XXV. I had some problems with my first one, but the dealer finally swapped it out for a new one and all is good. I am on my second season with it and love the look and the heat. It is also very easy to clean. Although it will burn any pellet, I choose to burn top quality pellets so I only have to clean it once a week. I recently bought another XXV (painted version) that was two years old for 1000.00 and will be using it on our lower level, however I don't think I will burn it this year since propane is cheap around here right now.

What ended up being the source of the noise?
There is another member here with the same sort of issue?

goatman-68 · Oct 18, 2009

GVA said:
goatman-68 said:

I think you will really like your XXV. I had some problems with my first one, but the dealer finally swapped it out for a new one and all is good. I am on my second season with it and love the look and the heat. It is also very easy to clean. Although it will burn any pellet, I choose to burn top quality pellets so I only have to clean it once a week. I recently bought another XXV (painted version) that was two years old for 1000.00 and will be using it on our lower level, however I don't think I will burn it this year since propane is cheap around here right now.

Click to expand...

What ended up being the source of the noise?
There is another member here with the same sort of issue?

Well, after they came out 6 or 7 times, they still didn't know. We think the bracket for the auger motor was bent or defective. Went through several gearmotors in less than 6 months and had to leave one bolt out of the bracket to take the stress off the gearbox, since one gearbox had the bushing out of it in a couple weeks. I never did ask what they found with it or if Harman got it back. Could have even been something welded wrong on the structure itself. What I did get was a new (chain drive) stove that they still had in stock at the time, and have been very happy with that unit. I am guessing I had a bad apple since many people have the new direct drive models and aren't experiencing too many problems..........

Vermont-XXV · Oct 18, 2009

Bobf,

Ours is now running almost 24 hours a day (the last 8 days). We love it. It beats the furnace in the basement, below the bedrooms, starting up with a roar every couple hours, the gurgle of water and air all around the perimeter of the room, the sudden blast of heat rising up the wall - just past the pillow, or under the drapes, the occasional clanking, and then, oddly, the abrupt shut down and quiet for 2 hours. Then start up with a roar, etc etc. The stove is quiet and gentle and the heat just is there. We just went out to see a play, set the stove to run on the lowest setting, without going out. Got home - the house was warm. Was on all day and evening and didn't use two dollars worth of pellets. It was 23 degrees last night, never got above 39 today. I think your winters feel colder than ours in Vt. Maybe even are colder - you should love the stove. Don't worry about it.

clifford

krooser · Oct 18, 2009

tinkabranc said:
Here are my top 10 reasons I went with an XXV....no particular order

1. Made in USA
2. Harman reputation for Quality
3. Classic wood stove look
4. Built solid
5. Auto ignite
6. Big ash pan
7. Burn any grade of pellets
8. Easy to clean
9. Has the BTUs I was looking for
10. Good Warranty

Yeah, this stove was more $$ than some of the others I looked at, but this model
had all the specs I was looking for. Now going into the 4th winter with it and still don't
regret it for a minute. You will love this stove

Actually these are pretty much why I bought a St. Croix except for #2 and #10 since I bought my stove used.

My dealer sells lots of brands... Harman, Lopi, Thelen, St. Croix and several others. When looking for a new stove I didn't ask the sales guy about the stoves... I asked the service techs. I was sold on buying a Harman but they recommended a St. Croix. They like the Versa-Grate system saying it makes keeps the stove cleaner. And they liked the simpler top feed system over the Harmans.... less likely to jam (I understand the Harmans are bottom fed... am I right?).

The coup-de-grais was finding a used St. Croix (with the dealers one year warranty) for $1200.00 with 20 bags of pellets thrown in gratis.

I certainly am not knocking the Harmans... but my old (now about 6-8 years old or so) has been bulletproof with only a rattle coming from the hopper extension the only real complaint.

mgambuzza · Oct 18, 2009

Bobforsaken said:
I'm in process of getting an XXV... its set to be installed next Thursday. I'm looking for XXV owners to tell me why I should expect spending so much more for an XXV than I would for other pellet stoves. $500 more than a Castile... $700 more than a P43. Etc.. I'm not really looking for why it cost more,as much as why its worth it to pay more. (Ie best stove in the galaxy.. or it will burn anything ; even burn water etc)

The buyers remorse is creeping in and I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Can anyone offer a pep talk?

PS. yes.. this is an indulgent and selfish post... I'm suffering from Pellet Stove OCD so if I can't have my stove for another 9 days, I want to talk about it.. LOL

Believe me you got a DEAL!! Only $500 more than a Castile?? There should be NO buyers remorse. I have the Castile (30kBTU) and I wish I had the XXV for the look, heat output, and dependability. The price difference in Syracuse was $2200 for the Castile - $3200 for the XXV. After the first truly cold February day, and the Castile couldn't keep up (I've got a 1910 home - insulation but original windows), and the Harman P61A in my basement could, I was sold on BTUs and the Harman name.

My Castile interior rusts every off season. This involves me having to sand and repaint every season. The Harman I have in the basement has never done that in 3 years. Harman makes a GREAT stove and I highly recommend them to anyone making a decision.

bobforsaken · Oct 18, 2009

tinkabranc said:
Here are my top 10 reasons I went with an XXV....no particular order

Actually these are pretty much why I bought a St. Croix except for #2 and #10 since I bought my stove used.

My dealer sells lots of brands... Harman, Lopi, Thelen, St. Croix and several others. When looking for a new stove I didn't ask the sales guy about the stoves... I asked the service techs. I was sold on buying a Harman but they recommended a St. Croix. They like the Versa-Grate system saying it makes keeps the stove cleaner. And they liked the simpler top feed system over the Harmans.... less likely to jam (I understand the Harmans are bottom fed... am I right?).

The coup-de-grais was finding a used St. Croix (with the dealers one year warranty) for $1200.00 with 20 bags of pellets thrown in gratis.

I certainly am not knocking the Harmans... but my old (now about 6-8 years old or so) has been bulletproof with only a rattle coming from the hopper extension the only real complaint.

I was seriously considering the St. Croix Hastings. I heard a LOT of great things about them and had thought the Hastings was going to be much cheaper than the XXV. Unfortunately, the only dealer around for St. Croix had it priced about the same as what I got the XXV for. I had to stop and ask "is that matte black? Is that installed"

The Harman is bottom feed and based on my research, the bottom feed was a plus for me.

The only thing I'm not so sure I like about the Harman is how high up the burn pot is in relation to the window. I don't like seeing the burn pot so prevalent in the window.

jtakeman · Oct 18, 2009

Bobforsaken said:
The only thing I'm not so sure I like about the Harman is how high up the burn pot is in relation to the window. I don't like seeing the burn pot so prevalent in the window.

Some of the Harmons have log kits for a real fire look, It will hid the burnpot as well. Just a pain to deal with and clean. They will brake if you drop them too!

jay

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