MY EXPERIENCE SHOPPING FOR STOVES TODAY!

Hey guys:

Little history first. I posted yesterday about deciding between a harman p68 and quadrafire mt vernon ae. Anyway, I went to both places and the service between the two stores was night and day. The Harman dealer was very knowledgable and helpful but the quad gentlemen, while being friendly, was clueless when it came to the mt vernon ae. I must admit I much prefer the look of the mt vernon to the p68 though. BUT, while the dealer was showing me the mt. vernon, I started hearing these loud vibration noises coming from the stove. They told me they are still trying to work out the kinks. So, I'm at a loss. I am seeing quite a few negative reports on the mt vernon, but is this only a few or do we have a big issue here? The dealer told me if I bought the mt. vernon that quadrifire told him that the boards (?) would have to be replaced with the newer versions before he sold it to me. Anyway, I loved the Harman dealer but just do not like the looks of the stove. Personal preference I guess. I tend to enjoy the cast iron look so I'm wondering if there are other companies you guys would recommend that have big powerful units that can heat 3000 sq ft comfortably. And you guys were right, dealers really make a big difference. Thanks!

Theres several I seen here and I know a few Mt. Vernon AE owners.....and those are the models they had the problems early on with control boards.....but from what I have seen and understand they have come good and people seem to be fine with the boards.

I was also interested in the mount vernon. I went to 2 different stores and niether store was too eager to sell a mt vernon. Both stores told me their having issues. I'm in the same boat as you I don't like the way the p68 looks. My stove is in the living room so I want something that's nice to look at.

I did a lot of research & shopping before I bought my stove & I had settled on the Quad Castile, which seemed great as the dealer is right here in town; but I couldn't get any service & they kept blowing me off on a site survey so I wound up going with another brand & another store. I have to say, though, while I am very happy with the stove, I am less than thrilled with the installation & neither of these two dealers really seem to be impressively knowledgeable about the details involved with installing these stoves for best function. I have a through the wall installation that will be difficult to change at this point. I should have gone with vertical rise, probably inside. My point is, you are likely not to get the best advise from many dealers. I wish i'd found this forum before I bought.

I did zero research and didn't know about this site before purchasing my Quad CB1200i. Turned out well for me though. Stove is wonderful. Jury is out on my dealer though. Oh well. Good luck to you!

Jim

Its a wood burner but The best of both worlds cast iron and soapstone. Equinox Woodstove
Model #8000 from Hearthstone is a big one.
http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/images/lgequinox.jpg


Heats up to: 3,500 sq. ft.

Burn Time: Up to 12 hours

Heat Life: Up to 16 hours

Size:120,000 BTUs

Maximum Log Length: 25"

EPA Rating: 3.0 grams per hour

Efficiency: 78%

The powerhouse built to warm your home - the Equinox.


http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/wood_stoves/equinox/

If your dealer doesn't know the Mt. Vernon AE I would suggest you stay away from it. I have the AE and love it but I did have numerous start up problems and had it not been for my dealer I don't know what I would have done. I have heard of many dissatisfied AE customers mainly due to the fact their dealers were clueless as to servicing it. If you find a dealer that knows the stove then go for it.

They just need to upgrade their display model. We had to order an air intake restrictor for ours which I have not put on yet. Ours does the same rumbling on startup right now. The new units all come with the newest control boards and the intake restrictor.

The Harman XXV is an attractive alternative to the Mt Vernon (50k BTU). It is a quality product and may be a possible alternative to the P68 or Mt Vernon AE. One other but potentially rare alternative would be the older version of the Mt Vernon (non AE version). There is a slim possibility that some stove shops have these as new old stock and these models did not have the issues that the AE seems to have.

Why not consider Enviro. I have an insert, and I love it...

I have the old Mt Vernon, installed 12/2005, and no there are no fancy control panels and such but under normal circumstances, the stove works well and will put out alot of heat. If you could find an older one, you would not have to worry about the issues with the new Mt Vernon's. Also, I may be in the minority here, but I like the looks of the old Mt. Vernon to the new AE!


Old Mt. Vernon



New Mt. Vernon AE