Help! What stove do I choose?

[prplhrlygrl]

Hi, my husband and I would like to purchase a pellet or multi-fuel stove and can't decide which one to choose. We have looked at Enviro, Harman, Lopi, Avalon, Quadra-fire etc. Every time we go to make a choice we see lots of complaints about each stove online. Are these the owner;s mistakes not installing properly or using cheap pellets? I really need some advice here? I don't want to pay $4000 for something that is going to have constant problems. We need to heat 2000 SF.
Thank you for any feedback you can provide.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. You are looking at good brands for pellet stoves. Often issues are with either poor quality pellets or poor maintenance. This forum is a good place to ask users about the daily operation and cleaning requirements for their stoves. Some pellet stoves need daily cleaning and others weekly. This is something that is often just discussed in the documentation or showroom floor. You'll also find the folks here keep a pretty good record of what pellets are performing the best for them.

 

[jtakeman]

My thoughts are not a lot of people go out of there way to say how good something is. They only speak up once they are PO'd about it.

Picking the right dealer is just as hard as picking the stove. A good dealer will help you through the issues and be your first line of defence!

My Enviro Omega multifueler has been really good for me overall. Its a heat cranking monster! :cheese:

 

[imacman]

I'll keep my comments limited to the stoves I've used. The others you mentioned are all good too.

I used to have an Avalon Astoria and can honestly say that I NEVER had a problem with it during the year I used it. Kept it clean, and it kept me very warm. Lopi & Avalon are the same stoves, so it's just a matter of "looks" which one you might pick.

In general, good quality pellets and a good cleaning regimen will make all the difference. A GOOD dealer is invaluable too. You might want to list some dealers in your area for comments from the members here.

 

[geek]

out of the ones you listed i think they only brands that have a true multi fuel are Enviro and Harman, if i'm not mistaken. The other brands can burn a mix of 50/50 but they don't have a true MF ? I think ?

 

[richkorn]

We need to heat 2000 SF.
Thank you for any feedback you can provide.

There's loads of guys here that know much more than i do about pellet stoves, but remember that these things are really BIG space heaters and not necessarily designed to heat the whole house. Although, depending on your home layout and the stove, you can heat the entire house. I heat 1650 ft3 2-story cape with a Lopi Leyden and can keep the house at 68-70 running at medium setting except for the ridiculously cold (<teens) temps where I have to crank it a bit.

 

[tinkabranc]

No matter what product you research, you are bound to find someone complaining about it.
There are alot of good brands out there and it doesn't necessarily mean you will have the
same problems.

Have you narrowed down which stoves you are interested in?
Post them here and I bet the members that have the same stove will tell you their thoughts and
experience.

I can tell ya to go for the Harman, but I am a bit biased because that is all I have ever owned.

 

[prplhrlygrl]

Ok, we are looking at the following:

Quadra Fire Mt. Vernon AE
Avalon Arbor
Hartman XXV
Leyden Lopi
Enviro M55 Cast Iron

Thanks for any feedback you can provide.

 

[krooser]

Whichever stove you choose be sure the dealer is well stocked with parts and has a good service department. If you know others with pellet stoves ask them how their dealer service has been... I've said it before that I'd buy an ugly stove from a good dealer rather tha buy a pretty stove from a guy who doesn't have decent parts and service.

Clean your stove every week... do a thorough cleaning after every ton or so... buy good quality pellets (not always the cheapest!)... you should have good luck.

My St. Croix is ten years old this season... I've owned it for 5 years... it's been very good for the time I've owned it.

 

[imacman]

Whichever stove you choose be sure the dealer is well stocked with parts and has a good service department........ I've said it before that I'd buy an ugly stove from a good dealer rather than buy a pretty stove from a guy who doesn't have decent parts and service.

Clean your stove every week... do a thorough cleaning after every ton or so... buy good quality pellets (not always the cheapest!)... you should have good luck......

I agree 1000%

 

[Nevada]

You would be hard to go wrong with the stoves you have listed. I have been researching inserts for over a month now and some of the horror stories are scary, but mostly due to poor or NO maintenance/cleaning. These stoves have moving parts, thus need to be maintained. I too will be buying one this month, prolly a Harman Accentra, but the Quadra line was a close second. I have read hundreds of reviews and feel comfortable with these two brands, not say some others are not as reliable, but these are my personal picks. Good luck and folks round here are very friendly and helpful. ;-) BTW if the M55 Cast would fit in the opening I have to work with I would seriously consider it also, as it is multi fuel and puts out some serious heat, with a agitating burn pot !

 

[woodsman23]

Whichever stove you choose be sure the dealer is well stocked with parts and has a good service department. If you know others with pellet stoves ask them how their dealer service has been... I've said it before that I'd buy an ugly stove from a good dealer rather tha buy a pretty stove from a guy who doesn't have decent parts and service.

Clean your stove every week... do a thorough cleaning after every ton or so... buy good quality pellets (not always the cheapest!)... you should have good luck.

My St. Croix is ten years old this season... I've owned it for 5 years... it's been very good for the time I've owned it.

I 2nd the St. Croix, i have a Afton Bay and love it.

 

[Buck Hunter]

I also have an Enviro Omega multifule and love it so far, lots of heat.

 

[slls]

Every stove you listed has had problems posted here, just buy the one you like the looks of.

 

[krooser]

Whichever stove you choose be sure the dealer is well stocked with parts and has a good service department........ I've said it before that I'd buy an ugly stove from a good dealer rather than buy a pretty stove from a guy who doesn't have decent parts and service.

Clean your stove every week... do a thorough cleaning after every ton or so... buy good quality pellets (not always the cheapest!)... you should have good luck......

I agree 1000%

Having someone agree with me is getting me skeered....

 

[hossthehermit]

First, decide what's important to YOU, in order of priority; Looks, Dependability, Heating capacity, or, Least amount of bother. Then check reviews for those factors. Do you want something real pretty if you have to spend an hour a day cleaning it? Things like that. Good luck.

 

[prplhrlygrl]

Thank you everyone!

 

[defield]

prplhrlygrl,

Please be sure to let us know what brand you finally purchase, and remember, we love pictures.

Ranger

 

[hossthehermit]

First, decide what's important to YOU, in order of priority; Looks, Dependability, Heating capacity, or, Least amount of bother. Then check reviews for those factors. Do you want something real pretty if you have to spend an hour a day cleaning it? Things like that. Good luck.

One more thing I forgot to mention is the noise factor.

 

[geek]

First, decide what's important to YOU, in order of priority; Looks, Dependability, Heating capacity, or, Least amount of bother. Then check reviews for those factors. Do you want something real pretty if you have to spend an hour a day cleaning it? Things like that. Good luck.

One more thing I forgot to mention is the noise factor.

oh yeah, noise factor is very important, at least for me...

Based on the brands he posted i think the consensus says that harman are just a tad noisier than the others, but just a bit, is that correct?

..

 

[jtakeman]

First, decide what's important to YOU, in order of priority; Looks, Dependability, Heating capacity, or, Least amount of bother. Then check reviews for those factors. Do you want something real pretty if you have to spend an hour a day cleaning it? Things like that. Good luck.

One more thing I forgot to mention is the noise factor.

oh yeah, noise factor is very important, at least for me...

Based on the brands he posted i think the consensus says that harman are just a tad noisier than the others, but just a bit, is that correct?

..

I have heard the quadrafire AE owners saying there a bit noisey too!

 

[newf lover]

Since you've already narrowed it down to some very good brands, I think you should now investigate the reputation of dealers in your area. No matter how good a stove brand is, things can go wrong. If your dealer ignores your request for service etc. you will be very frustrated and unhappy. I would go with the best dealer of one of those brands. The only way to do this is to talk to people in your area who bought a stove from them, or ask on the forum for people to PM you on a particular dealer.

 

[prplhrlygrl]

We have chosen the Harman XXV. The coal would take up to much of the room we are putting it in. I will send picks once installed. Thanks everyone for the info.

 

[lessoil]

We have chosen the Harman XXV. The coal would take up to much of the room we are putting it in. I will send picks once installed. Thanks everyone for the info.

I know 2 people who have the XXV and are very happy with that stove.
I am happy with the P61 also. (Only brand we have owned so limited knowledge base)
Love the heat and lack of oil deliveries!!
Our oil consumption dropped from 925 to 425 gal.
This is a great forum with a lot of helpful Folks!!

 

[mischinski]

Not sure if you purchased yet. One to consider:

Breckwell Big - E

Square and a bit ugly - but not that expensive $1,300 at Rural King.com
High fan noise
Good heat output
Big hopper capacity
Built in igniter and can be put on thermostat
Used for 2 seasons - no performance issues
Last year never ran above setting #2 out of 5.
Good plant stand during the off season