Harman Accentra vs Quad Fire Santa Fe: free standing pellet stoves

[ejames]

I have read a lot, but still can’t decide…
Harman Accentra $3800

Quad Fire Santa Fe $2150

Want to heat large beam ceiling family room/kitchen fairly open floor plan, around 1400 sqft (bedrooms added gets up to 2000 upstairs). Have existing wood stove that takes forever to get started + too much hassle with wood. The postings are mixed on the Santa Fe ability to heat and efficiency. Is the Harman that much quieter? More reliable? Easier to take care of?

Am I foolish to not want to heat the bedrooms so much (we do have propane forced air)?

Thanks!

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Those two units are great in their own way but it is kinda like apples to oranges when comparing them. The Santa Fe is a great unit but it is not a Harman for workmanship and quality.

Eric

 

[Bank]

Can't speak directly to the Santa Fe, but my Harman Accentra FS has been the cat's pajamas, going on four flawless winters.

 

[DexterDay]

Two different animals. For the price difference. Have you looked at the Classic Bay 1200 (Quad). Its probably a better match square footage wise.

Although the Harman is the Caddy, if you were gonna try and heat the whole house with a Quad. I would look into the Classic Bay or Mt. Vernon (pricey).

The Harman has a lot more Bells and Whistles and has the BTU's to get it done.

All in what your after???? Are you a tinkerer? Harman has lots of user adjustability. Quad is High, Med, pr Low. Very easy to operate. One of the easiest stoves on the market to operate. Set the stat and your done.

They are 2 totally different beasts.... Depends on your lifestyle. But having more BTU's to take some of the slack off your furnace (or all the slack) is always an added bonus. Better to get a bigger stove and run it in its Mid-Range. Then to get a little stove (BTU) and run it Full Bore. IMO

 

[movemaine]

Better to get a bigger stove and run it in its Mid-Range. Then to get a little stove (BTU) and run it Full Bore. IMO

I completely agree. I see a lot of posts about saving a few bucks and getting stove that matches the square footage exactly. I think running on full bore all the time will increase your maintenance costs (worn out parts) faster than a larger stove.

I love my Harman, and as a first time pellet burner, it's a set and forget. I like that it runs based on temp, not feed rate. So it will keep everything as warm and cozy as I want it to be.

 

[ejames]

You folks are awesome! That give's me more to consider.

 

[Lineman30]

I owned a Classic bay 1200 for about 5 years and sold it and bought a Accentra. Both stoves have a rating of 40000 btus. I will say the Harman Accentra out performs the classic bay 1200 by far. I'm not dogging the cb 1200, it was a realiable and ease of use but when it comes to heat output it can't compare. Ive really enjoyed the Harman over the Quadrafire and would recommend the Harman Since I've owned both

 

[naehring2000]

Having owned only the Harman, I can't speak for the Quad, but the Harman is awesome, it really is set and forget for me, minus added the occasional bag of pellets or scraping the burn pot.

 

[Dinger]

I have the Santa Fe and love it. I'm sure there are much more sophisticated units out there, perhaps quieter (mines fine to me), more bells and whistles, but im heating 2000 ft two stories almost solely on pellet heat.

I would also have to say $2100 vs $3800 would have been a deal buster, for me personally, or at least put me into debt for two years paying for it. My current usage has my payback for my stove and install in two years. I was spending $2200-2500/year on propane. BTU's all equal, close to four years @$3800, again, a little tougher to swallow. Adding venting, the remodel I went through to create a space for my stove etc, $3800 is really more like $5000 all said and done. I know some were fixed expenses, but working within a budget, $3000 total to install was sure nicer to look at then $5000.

If money is not an issue, get the Cadillac. Why not? If budget is a concern, I feel the SantaFe is worthy of consideration.

You asked about maintenance, and I can only speak for mine. I spend 5-15 minutes everyday. Brush the ash down, scrape the burn pot (usually very little), a quick vac, clean glass, back in biz. It runs 23/7 if cold, usually not above medium. The coldest I've seen this winter was -4, medium was fine then too, but if needed I have another gear. the days are getting a little warmer and I am using the tstat more, and see myself using it a lot through our longish shoulder seasons.

 

[ejames]

I guess the idea of having to turn it off and clean it makes me think I wouldn't use it, thus wasteing money. I need to look at the cost savings vs propane to rationalize it.

 

[tonyd]

I sold my Quad Castile to purchase my Accentra. They are not in the same league. You only need to worry about how much ash a pellet produces when it has nowhere to go. The Accentra burn pot wins hands down. Ash gets pushed out of the burn pot and is never an issue. Hooking up an oak on the Quad was( is or almost) a waste of time. The Quad worked as is should, but if money isn't an issue, get the Accentra and don't look back.

 

[slls]

I guess the idea of having to turn it off and clean it makes me think I wouldn't use it, thus wasteing money. I need to look at the cost savings vs propane to rationalize it.

If you are not a hands on person, don't buy a pellet stove. Going for pellets or ordering them, what kind to buy, are they good or bad.
Loading the stove very often. During season cleaning, after season cleaning. Ash to to store and get rid off.
Not at all like my oil furnace, set it and forget it.

 

[movemaine]

I guess the idea of having to turn it off and clean it makes me think I wouldn't use it, thus wasteing money. I need to look at the cost savings vs propane to rationalize it.

A clean stove burns better and is more efficient.

So you have motivation to clean it once a week (and you can feel a difference after cleaning)

 

[ejames]

I appreciate that Pyro, good input, but I'm used to the hands on. I've been buying pellets for my horse stalls for many years. Lots of hands on work around here ;-) Just trying to not add on unnecessarily.

Latest is Harman's website has the Accentra MSRP at $3509 plus $100 rebate + 1 ton (up to $200) free pellets. I told the local dealer to match it or I'm going to the place 50 miles away who will.

 

[slls]

First thing I thought of is too bad you can't burn manure.

 

[movemaine]

First thing I thought of is too bad you can't burn manure.

you can:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWvoTzLzLwU

Common practice in India, flatten out the patties and let them dry. Would probably burn great in a wood stove.

Or create biofuel, and use it to power natural gas with methane capabilities appliances/heat source:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4504933_make-biodiesel-fuel-out-horse.html

 

[ejames]

That's WAY to hands on! Thanks again everyone!