Harman old style (chain driven) feed assy. vs new style feed assy.

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
I have the opportunity to buy a 2006 Harman Advance for 500 dollars. It has the older chain driven feed assembly. My question for all you Harman experts is......did Harman update the feed assy because the chain drive unit was unreliable? Should the chain drive sway me away from buying this?
 
I had a 2004 P61A that served as my sole source of heat for five years, burning about 4-6 tons per year. No issues with the feeder mechanism. 500 bucks for a 2006 Advance sounds like a sweet deal.
 
I think they did away with the chain so they could use less parts. I wouldn't say that the chain drive is unreliable. Only problems I've ever really seen with the chain come from removing the chain and not replacing it in the correct alignment. $500 is a steal for that unit.
 
homeskillet said:
I have the opportunity to buy a 2006 Harman Advance for 500 dollars. It has the older chain driven feed assembly. My question for all you Harman experts is......did Harman update the feed assy because the chain drive unit was unreliable? Should the chain drive sway me away from buying this?

The unit isnt THAT old, $500 is a good price. They werent unreliable, but the sprockets can wear out, causing chain jumbs, etc...there is a sprocket reolacement kit available from harman dealers as well......I'd suggest replacing that, but otherwise, it seems a good deal.

The new feeders are called Ultralight, and are now pervasive trhoughout the line...just an update,....
 
What kind of condition is it in? That is a great price for that stove.
I just bought a used 2006 Advance last summer for $1250.00 with pipe and
could not be more pleased with it.
 
tinkabranc said:
What kind of condition is it in? That is a great price for that stove.
I just bought a used 2006 Advance last summer for $1250.00 with pipe and
could not be more pleased with it.

Ditto, I bought my 2002 Advance for $1,100 this January and had to clean it and get pipe. My chain is fine I wouldn't replace the sprocket unless it gives you trouble. It is built like a tank. Most stove owners don't burn as many hours as we firebugs do. ;) Even if your prospective Advance has burned more hours than most $500 is a great price.

Any of you experts know when my Advance GL-0004350 was made? I expect it was 2001 The UL tested date is 1999 for the Advance model.

Jay :coolsmirk:
Fresh new ton downstairs to burn.
 
the new feeders operate fine, as did the old chain feeders. When HHT acquired harman stove co, the put thru a bunch of cost cutting measures: smaller feeders, smaller motors without the cooling fans attached, new ignitors no longer come pre assembled in the bracket, etc. Thats why you see the differences between new and old stoves now, not due to any kind of extra performance.
 
summit said:
the new feeders operate fine, as did the old chain feeders. When HHT acquired harman stove co, the put thru a bunch of cost cutting measures...

That is good to know. I do wish I could remove the front baffle plates for the heat exchangers like the newer ones though. It's a pain pushing a bottle brush up there every cleaning. That is one improvement. Mine has no center lock or removable baffle plates.

Jay
Harman Advance, ol' style.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.