25 yr woodburner girl switching to pellets

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+1 to what Jay is saying.

tjnamtiw, there is no sense in most of what is done in the US unless you follow the money and who is behind it.

It doesn't have thing one to do with anything other than complete control of folks.
 
Get a Pellet stove. Just make sure someone teaches you how and when to clean it and you'll be just fine. I have many out there that shouldn't and they get along just fine.

Gary
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
+1 to what Jay is saying.

tjnamtiw, there is no sense in most of what is done in the US unless you follow the money and who is behind it.

It doesn't have thing one to do with anything other than complete control of folks.

Exactly! Follow the money trail, and it will make sense. It may enrage you, but it will make sense.

Golden Rule II - He who has the gold, makes the rules.
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
+1 to what Jay is saying.

tjnamtiw, there is no sense in most of what is done in the US unless you follow the money and who is behind it.

It doesn't have thing one to do with anything other than complete control of folks.

You are absolutely, positively, unfortunately correct, Smokey!!!! :cheese:
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
+1 to what Jay is saying.

tjnamtiw, there is no sense in most of what is done in the US unless you follow the money and who is behind it.

It doesn't have thing one to do with anything other than complete control of folks.

Was tired in Europe and failed over and over. Now has moved on to here following the same path.
 
save$ said:
SmokeyTheBear said:
+1 to what Jay is saying.

tjnamtiw, there is no sense in most of what is done in the US unless you follow the money and who is behind it.

It doesn't have thing one to do with anything other than complete control of folks.

Was tired in Europe and failed over and over. Now has moved on to here following the same path.

Now, now as for whether or not it worked or is working in Europe it depends upon who's wallet you ask.

You must agree it has been an excellent money pump, unfortunately the consumer and taxpayer have been severely depleted of funds and the various projects have failed to deliver. In the wind farming arena Spain is a prime example of total stupidity.
 
ashesbynow said:
I can do little things if someone talks
me through but don't have the confidence you boys have-

Welcome to the forum!
Not all of us are boys and we maintain and do much of
the repairs on our stoves - just sayin. You will learn
how to do it all if you are persistent. :p

About the Dealers - Eric Kinsman (Kinsman Stoves) is
in Ohio. Is he close enough? Not all Dealers will restrict
service for 30 miles. I'd check around.
 
Thanks Xena for the WELCOME! I know I will learn much over time. I like to save $$$ but I also value my sanity!!! Seriously I don't scare too easily--except trying to learn EXCEL! Not in this lifetime... Your Ohio referral dealer is probably about 3 1/2 hours away.


AN UPDATE-- I'm researching Pacific Energy WARMLAND PS 45. AR GLOCK ,J-takeman I've got a few questions. This stove's been out about a year. May have a problem finding a really good installer. 4 PE Dealers--- One won't service 30 miles away. One dealer owns 2 locations wants to sell Quadrafire and Harman to me(obviously), and a 4th an hour away. I haven't talked with him yet. Spoke with Ian at Pacific Energy--putting me in touch with distributor. So in process.

My other 2 contenders not in any order--LENNOX MONTAGE AND ENVIRO M55 STEEL. Both of these fit my needs and wants.
 
IMHO, find a dealer who will sell you what you want AND service the unit! Im figuring about half the purchase importance is the dealer! good luck!
 
I assisted with installing a PE Warmland PS 45. It was priced less than the M55 steel(about $800 cheapier) and the owner wanted the leg kit version. Stove is doing a fantastic job of heating 1500 sqft. No issues in 3 months of running. The owner is frugal and has run some cheap brands of fuel thru it(Instant Heat and Michigan). It hasn't missed a beat. Goes the whole week without cleaning anything. Overall the owner is very happy so far!

Only thing is its a bit noisy compared to the M55 steel. Second is the glass gets dirty pretty quick. I don't think it's airwash design is as good as the Enviro M55 steel either. I can't compair it to the M55 cast as I still haven't seen one first hand.
 
TOTALLY AGREE...DEALER SUPPORT & INSTALL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!!!! THEN COMES CLEAN-CLEAN-CLEAN!!! What I've learned so far!!!
THE 45 impresses me... 87% efficiency and the leg kit would be the easiest install as my pad as previously mentioned is uneven fake rock except for the 4 square tiles the existing Buck woodburner sits upon. Yes I was told the 45 might be as loud as a refrigerator (2 fans I believe) so I know the Enviro is the quietest. Since I'm used to glass being dirty with wood that's sort of a non issue in the long run. The efficency and mechanics are more important to me.

The ENVIRO cast stove can have issues(internet) and one of the dealer's that came to my house has had problems more than once. He just pulled out a new one from a recent purchaser as there was problem after problem. I realize this isn't true for all but they want their customers happy. He was going to tear down piece by piece & find solution to whatever ailed this particular unit.

PS After I make decision we'll talk pellets. My take is that even pellets that are suppose to be high quality may not always be..soft woods leave less ash. I generally opt for "quality" over bargain.
 
ashesbynow said:
TOTALLY AGREE...DEALER SUPPORT & INSTALL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!!!! THEN COMES CLEAN-CLEAN-CLEAN!!! What I've learned so far!!!
THE 45 impresses me... 87% efficiency and the leg kit would be the easiest install as my pad as previously mentioned is uneven fake rock except for the 4 square tiles the existing Buck woodburner sits upon. Yes I was told the 45 might be as loud as a refrigerator (2 fans I believe) so I know the Enviro is the quietest. Since I'm used to glass being dirty with wood that's sort of a non issue in the long run. The efficency and mechanics are more important to me.

The ENVIRO cast stove can have issues(internet) and one of the dealer's that came to my house has had problems more than once. He just pulled out a new one from a recent purchaser as there was problem after problem. I realize this isn't true for all but they want their customers happy. He was going to tear down piece by piece & find solution to whatever ailed this particular unit.

PS After I make decision we'll talk pellets. My take is that even pellets that are suppose to be high quality may not always be..soft woods leave less ash. I generally opt for "quality" over bargain.

Depending on where you live in Ohio,our pellet selection can be somewhat limited. A lot of Dealers around me carry just American Wood Fibers. They are a good pellet but the last ton I bought had some that were 3" long. Before I ever buy a ton again, I will have to test the batch. That was the 1st and last time that happens. Because your pretty close to Kentucky, You should be able to get your hands on some Somersets. They are a Great pellet and normally found at Menards for a Great price. If they go back on sale to $3.49 a bag. I will grab a few more tons. The Cheapest and Best pellet I have burned. Period. For $175 a ton. Its hard to beat it. Always test a few bags before you buy a large quantity. Member j-takeman does a great job with testing and giving us a general idea on heat and ash content. But still try before you buy. Every stove, home, and application is different. Good luck in the purchase.
 
x2 on the Englander great little stove with the best customer service.
 
ashesbynow said:
TOTALLY AGREE...DEALER SUPPORT & INSTALL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!!!! THEN COMES CLEAN-CLEAN-CLEAN!!! What I've learned so far!!!
THE 45 impresses me... 87% efficiency and the leg kit would be the easiest install as my pad as previously mentioned is uneven fake rock except for the 4 square tiles the existing Buck woodburner sits upon. Yes I was told the 45 might be as loud as a refrigerator (2 fans I believe) so I know the Enviro is the quietest. Since I'm used to glass being dirty with wood that's sort of a non issue in the long run. The efficency and mechanics are more important to me.

The ENVIRO cast stove can have issues(internet) and one of the dealer's that came to my house has had problems more than once. He just pulled out a new one from a recent purchaser as there was problem after problem. I realize this isn't true for all but they want their customers happy. He was going to tear down piece by piece & find solution to whatever ailed this particular unit.

PS After I make decision we'll talk pellets. My take is that even pellets that are suppose to be high quality may not always be..soft woods leave less ash. I generally opt for "quality" over bargain.

well, Ashes, I applaud the fact you are doing your homework BEFORE jumping in with both feet.....too few do that
 
After running a PS45 Warmland after two seasons and three additional months, I can report that it is a decent model that puts out quite a lot of heat! We are replacing an ignitor currently and also the agitator in the burn pot. These would be considered consumables so no big surprise here.

AR
 
Having mentioned you are short on funds I`d highly recommend a used Englander pellet stove from (Craigslist) or a refurbed one (Ebay or surf for AM/FM stove sales) . You can rely on their excellent free over the phone service (lifetime) and say goodby to paying anyone for service. (If you are reasonably handy with tools)
 
pb, glad to see you doing your homework ... welcome to the forum. When looking into dealers make sure they pass a longevity factor and check on the internet for BBB comments and customer reviews. We bought our Ecoteck from the distributor and by the next year he was gone - along with easy access to parts. Most stoves have decent manuals for cleaning and the folks on the forum, that have the stove you finally settle on, will chime in when you have questions.

Can't help you with the stove choice due to limited experience. Pellets are far easier than wood though.

Be forwarned threads can run off the rails pretty easy (notice the car conversation) especially if you mention beer;lol
 
Having mentioned you are short on funds I`d highly recommend a used Englander pellet stove from (Craigslist) or a refurbed one (Ebay or surf for AM/FM stove sales) . You can rely on their excellent free over the phone service (lifetime) and say goodby to paying anyone for service. (If you are reasonably handy with tools)

I decided on Pellets over wood as I am quickly approaching 50 and did not want to be cutting/splitting/stacking and moving wood in 10 20 or 30 years.
I installed my stove myself, which saved a ton of cash, but getting a 350 Lb. stove in the house was tough.

Repair statistics on Pellet Stoves, good information here.
http://www.forgreenheat.org/consumer_resources/reliablepellet.html

England's Stove Works is a great manufacturer with outstanding support!

Best of Luck to you.

Bill
 
Welcome to the forum, ashesbynow. I've owned a Travis Indust. stove (Astoria) and highly recommend them. They make 2 stoves that have legs, the Avalon Arbor, and Lopi Leyden.....same stove with minor differences in appearance. Many happy owners on this forum, and few problems/complaints:

www.avalonfirestyles.com/product_guide/detail.aspx?id=264

www.lopistoves.com/product_guide/detail.aspx?id=249

As I own an older Lopi model (now retired and stored in my basement) and last spring replaced it with a Harman P61A (Which so far I'm extremely happy with), I can tell you that both brands are an excellent choice. I would, however, say that my Harman is much easier to clean than my Lopi given it doesn't have the weirdly located plates and whatnot to remove that Lopi's seem to still incorporate in their designs.
 
I think we will put this one to bed since the OP hasn't signed on since Aug. of 2011.
 
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