Harmon Oakwood Chamber

[T@LFarms]

I just replaced the combustion chamber in my three year old oakwood. The dealer said that it was only guaranteed 2 years. Funny thing is that the new chamber is made out of a new material because the original didn't hold up.Have any of you had this problem? The way the warantee works (Which is to cover materials and workmanship for 6 years) is you contact the dealer and they contact Harmon. The dealer said Harmon won't cover the chamber. Any suggestions of what to do. It seems to me that if Harmon changed the materials used to make the chamber that the workmanship was inferior.

 

[branchburner]

I think you just have to hope the new one holds up. Companies are always improving their products, but that doesn't make them liable for the older models being inferior. If Harman was a better company, they would say "our fault, this one is on us." But legally, the warranty says they don't have to do that.

I think your only recourse is to give them bad word of mouth and to vote with your feet next time you buy a stove. If you want to get a stove based on both quality of product and quality of company, get a Woodstock.

 

[Light in the Dark]

I just replaced the combustion chamber in my three year old oakwood. The dealer said that it was only guaranteed 2 years. Funny thing is that the new chamber is made out of a new material because the original didn't hold up.Have any of you had this problem? The way the warantee works (Which is to cover materials and workmanship for 6 years) is you contact the dealer and they contact Harmon. The dealer said Harmon won't cover the chamber. Any suggestions of what to do. It seems to me that if Harmon changed the materials used to make the chamber that the workmanship was inferior.

Not to stick up for them, but did you read the fine print on the warranty? I bet its worded that they do not cover the combustion components for a very simple fact... they are put in a very harsh environment, and the manufacturer has no way of knowing how well you run your stove. You could overfire the stove for a week straight, and say its junk. Does that mean it was the companies fault? Of course not... its on the operator that they dont know how to run their stove properly. I am not saying this is you, or that you run your stove incorrectly... but you have to see it from their perspective.

I am an American manufacturer too (not of stoves... lighting products), and you have to design for the masses and 'typical use and abuse'. Certain things will never be covered on certain products.

As for the change of materials... if the company either found a better way to manufacture the product, or a better material for its use, that does not mean they are liable to 'upgrade' customers to the new designs on their dime. 'Continuous improvement' is the duty of the manufacturer (especially an American manufacturer... we have to strive to outdesign and outpeform our foreign counterparts). That is part of the inherent value of buying American.

 

[Light in the Dark]

I think you just have to hope the new one holds up. Companies are always improving their products, but that doesn't make them liable for the older models being inferior. If Harman was a better company, they would say "our fault, this one is on us." But legally, the warranty says they don't have to do that.

I think your only recourse is to give them bad word of mouth and to vote with your feet next time you buy a stove. If you want to get a stove based on both quality of product and quality of company, get a Woodstock.

Who says its a fault? Again, I am not sticking up for these guys.... but continuous improvement is made for the better of the company, and for the better enjoyment by the end user. Why would you run their name through the mud? You need to see what exactly the warranty card says it will cover, and will not cover. If they are being pricks, and simply not honoring a part that should be covered.. by all means, begin the dredging. If not, well thats up to the purchaser to be knowledgeable before hand on what exactly they are buying, and what will be covered going forward. Not to sound abrasive, but I know I made decisions with the best information available to me (which typically needs a little bit of research to make sure I have all the facts first).

Your mileage may vary.

 

[branchburner]

I think you just have to hope the new one holds up. Companies are always improving their products, but that doesn't make them liable for the older models being inferior. If Harman was a better company, they would say "our fault, this one is on us." But legally, the warranty says they don't have to do that.

I think your only recourse is to give them bad word of mouth and to vote with your feet next time you buy a stove. If you want to get a stove based on both quality of product and quality of company, get a Woodstock.

Who says its a fault? Again, I am not sticking up for these guys.... but continuous improvement is made for the better of the company, and for the better enjoyment by the end user. Why would you run their name through the mud? You need to see what exactly the warranty card says it will cover, and will not cover. If they are being pricks, and simply not honoring a part that should be covered.. by all means, begin the dredging. If not, well thats up to the purchaser to be knowledgeable before hand on what exactly they are buying, and what will be covered going forward. Not to sound abrasive, but I know I made decisions with the best information available to me (which typically needs a little bit of research to make sure I have all the facts first).

Your mileage may vary.

Who says its a fault? I do. Every indication from my stove (and others') is that this particular part was poorly-designed and could have easily (if slightly more expensively) been made more durable. But the rest of the stove is solid, and I don't hesitate to recommend it but always with a few caveats. In other words, my running their name through the mud is exactly what enables YOU to be able to do research and make an informed decision. And my opinion of the company is based on multiple issues by multiple users, not just this one. They are by no means what I'd call a "bad" company, just could be better (Woodstock being the model of near-perfection).

It's not that they're not honoring a part that is covered, it's that they're not covering a part that should be made to last, in my opinion. A $300 part should not degrade in 3 years as this one does, under normal use. So they have the option of selling that part to the customer or giving it to him on a case by case basis, and I have the option of judging them. Continuous improvement is great for the new buyer, but not so much for the guy stuck with the inferior original.

To their credit, they have changed the manual to describe the fragility of the part and how to care for it. I do agree with most everything you discuss in your posts. And as an American manufacturer, I thank you for your service!

 

[begreen]

Last decade I think we all discovered that a refractory assembly can be the Achilles heel of a woodstove, especially in afterburning down or sidedraft stoves. They would often fail after just a few years of use. Vermont Castings has revamped their design and we are hoping it works. Good to hear that Harman is also beefing their's up too. Will this be the end of problems with this system? Hard to say. Ask us in 2015.