New stove dealer for Lowes? No more Englander?

[EatenByLimestone]

Just took another trip to finish the plumbing job and they had a stove out. It was made by Pleasant Hearth. Their website doesn't show the stoves listed, only fireplaces:

http://www.ghpgroupinc.com/default.asp


Matt

 

[BrotherBart]

Lowe's carries Pleasant Hearth glass doors and grates for fireplaces. Did you stop there before or after stopping at the bar? ;-P

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I was on my third trip to find parts for a kitchen sink trap replacement. And they were out of 1 1/2 ro 1 1/4 Fernco couplers... Should have gone to the bar. More fun.... and better stories! :lol"

Matt

 

[mellow]

I noticed the new stove yesterday to, I don't know if they had it assembled wrong but the door handle pointed down when closed instead of up, thought that was really strange. I didn't think it looked like an englander so I checked out the backside sure enough not an englander.

edit: I had to pickup yet another chain for my craftsman chainsaw, good ol Oregon quality so I had to walk past it, your couplers are on the other side of the store!

 

[BrotherBart]

If it looks like this it is a Forester stove that they brought in to replace the CFM line when VC bellied up.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

lowes is not carrying our wood line as "stock" this year but they are carrying our pellet line as well as the wood furnace. however , if you prefer our Summers Heat woodstoves to what they have in stock, Lowes CAN special order any unit we manufacture at any time.

 

[FireAnt]

Mike, I love my SH 13.

Sorry had to throw that in there!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I got a chance to look around a bit at the stove they had out.

It's rated to 1200 sq ft, but is smaaaaaaaaaallll. I'd cut that 1200 number down quite a bit. I liked how it had firebricks along the top though. To me, they appear more durable than a fiber board. It also had a box secondary chamber like the Centuries did. Truth be told, it reminded me of the middle Century (300 size?) in a much smaller package. It came with a blower included. The step top didn't have the large flat, sharp rise, large flat thing going. More like short flat, low angle rise, long flat pattern. Not unattractive, but certainly less space to set pots/mittens, etc.

I'd like to see larger sizes in the line.

Matt

 

[IndianaTech]

My Englander 30nc came in yesterday from www.overstockstoves.com with no problems. Best price around as far as I could find for $980 shipped to a local freight depot. Can't wait to get it up, and running

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I think you'll be happy with it. The stove throws some heat!

Matt

 

[FireAnt]

I hearth mounted my 13, the 30 wouldn't fit. The 13 throws out great heat in my house. That 30 will be awsome! Enjoy!!

 

[summit]

lowes is not carrying our wood line as "stock" this year but they are carrying our pellet line as well as the wood furnace. however , if you prefer our Summers Heat woodstoves to what they have in stock, Lowes CAN special order any unit we manufacture at any time.

whats up w/ that, mike?

 

[webbie]

I assume it's always about price and margin......a guess, anyway! These big boxes are tough, tough, tough.

Not sure, but that other company might be making stuff in China, so they have more margin?? Again, just a guess. I don't think Mike should always share Englander biz details here - but these are the type of stories I hear often at our inventors club where a number of people sell to big boxes. I also heard it from my dad, as he sold to Sears.

 

[summit]

To be honest, Englander has enough of a reputation that I thx they should pursue more pure dealer sales as a price point unit. Many dealers won't touch them (even for a cleaning service) because they are a "big box" unit, but they are what they are, and do alright. If they went away from selling out to every tom, dick and harry, as well as net, and provided a little more dealer incentive it could work: that is if the big box IS starting to bail for cheaper units.

 

[summit]

And I am not saying that to be a dick about it, Mike, just how I see (and many of my customers) see it.

 

[PapaDave]

BrotherBart seems to have forgotten to give IndianaTech his t-shirt. :ahhh:

 

[BrotherBart]

My Englander 30nc came in yesterday from www.overstockstoves.com with no problems. Best price around as far as I could find for $980 shipped to a local freight depot. Can't wait to get it up, and running

Here's yer shirt.

 

[IndianaTech]

Ha, thats great Hopefully I made the right choice with the 30. My house is 1350 square with vaulted ceilings in the great room where the stove will be. I just finished my hearth frame, and will be covering it with 2 layers of Micore 160 this weekend

 

[BrotherBart]

In that size house if you turn that bad boy loose you will be sleeping in the garage.

 

[IndianaTech]

I guess I should have mentioned that my concern with the 30 was over heatin, not it's ability to keep us warm. It will be a corner install next to a window so I am hoping it's not going to be to much heat ? I don't know if it matters, but I also have a full basement that is also another 1350 sq ft.

 

[BrotherBart]

The basement won't even enter into the equation if the stove is on the main floor. What you will probably end up doing is warming the stove up and letting it burn down The mass of the stove radiates heat a long time after it burns down.

I heat a 2500 sq. ft. center hall colonial with the sucker half in and half out of a fireplace. And since I got over the idea that the stove has to keep burning all of the time I keep the joint around seventy to seventy most of the time in below freezing weather with a couple of fires a day. Get up in the morning and burn till noon or so and then start it back up around sundown and load it for the night around ten.

Give some thought to Super Cedar fire starters. I never used anything but kindling my whole life and after I got some of those things the whole plan changed. I can have the thing cruising at 600 in no time flat with medium and large splits. My kindling hatchet is starting to look neglected. And I don't worry about "Oh dear I have to have a bed of coals left over.".

With a big stove trying to keep a fire all of the time just overheats the joint and wastes wood. Which you will do the first season. We all do with a new stove. The second season you will use less wood.

 

[DBoon]

I was on my third trip to find parts for a kitchen sink trap replacement.

A friend I know who worked at a hardware store once told me that all do-it-yourself plumbing jobs require three tips to the store...

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Ha! Last one I did only required 2!


Matt

 

[albertj03]

I saw those stoves at Lowes as well. The one I saw was larger and had a price of $999 on it. The legs looked very cheesy.

Tractory Suppy seems to have the same exact stoves and it says they are made by United States Stove Company. The prices are right and they look nice.

Here is the one I saw at Lowes for $100 less:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/home-i...states-stove-2012-magnolia-wood-stove-3173129

Here is one posted above for $699: 2,000 sqft stove that will take a 21" split seems like a steal.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/home-i...states-stove-2000-pedestal-wood-stove-1098917

 

[begreen]

Not sure about the 2000, but I think the Magnolia is made in China. Given that you can get a heavier duty stove made in the US by Englander or Canada by Drolet for the same price range, I would think about service, longevity and the jobs connected with the stove.