Seeking a good online hearth product retailer?

[chad101]

Can anyone suggest a good online retailer for purchasing stove pipe? I’m looking for 30 degree or 45 degree elbows (6 inch diameter). My stove pipe was made by Simpson? So it has to be compatible with this brand.

Has anyone ordered stovepipe from an online retailer? How was your experience them?

 

[webbie]

One good source of this stuff is Northline Express.....
http://www.northlineexpress.com/multiple_items.asp?cc=6SPDuraPlus

I have done biz with them in three ways - as a vendor, as a customer and them as a client. They have always paid me, shipped goods to me, etc.
They are pretty close to you also, so shipping and returning should not be difficult.

But you have to make sure that YOU know about the compatibility with your existing chimney. Some of these brands have been changed over the years, and it might be difficult for them or any other vendor to sort that out exactly without seeing yours.

 

[gasavage]

I went through www.dynamitebuys.com for Simpson DVL & Duratech. Best pricing I found shipped. Easy to work with. Send an email with your requirements for a current quote. Prices shown online are probably higher than actual.

 

[begreen]

I've also done well with a couple orders from dynamitebuys.com. There was a real human being to answer questions and follow through on orders. All pipe arrived in good condition and dent free.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

I ordered ours from Northern Tool. They had the best, to my door price, that I found. I have ordered other stuff from Northlineexpress, and was/am happy.

 

[chad101]

dynamitebuys.com didn't list any prices (i.e. "Email us for price").

I'm was looking to place my order asap so I went Northline Express. I ordered 2 double walled, 45 degree elbows from Northline Express http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5SP-8645.

$101 (including shipping); not a bad deal considering the fact my local $dealer$ wanted $140.00 for the same purchase....

 

[Fsappo]

The nerve of that retailer charging an extra 39 bucks. In an effort to try to support your local dealer, did you try to see if they would match the online price, keep the business local?

I should just not read any threads that have to do with online hearth retailers. I never have anything positive to contribute to them. I am basicly a troll. I should be stopped

 

[webbie]

Franks, local hearth dealers usually have only one brand - and often not the right one to match up.
We, and probably you, were an exception to the rule in that we would either order what they need or might even have had it in the far reaches of the warehouse. However, I have heard enough stories from folks who visited the other hearth shops in our area.....and been treated quite nastily when then only needed something small.

It's not a matter of supporting your local shop (although Northline IS a little guy like you or I and is local in MI), but more a matter of getting what you need in the easiest way possible....time is the most valuable thing these days.!

Hah - this reminds me - my own wife was a bit of snob in this fashion. She enjoyed selling stoves, but got MUCH LESS enjoyment from helping folks out with those little details of parts and service! She had a unique method of dealing with this when she came into the shop on crowded Sat. and Sundays. She would tell the customers on the phone or even in person "The parts department is not open today - call back on monday and ask for Ken".

Shudder......

Me? I always enjoyed the challenge of trying to help out each and every person with those strange requests. We pretty much never told a customer "oh, we can't get that or can't fix that", and kept many old stoves going for 20 years plus.

 

[Fsappo]

I know Craig. I know your right. You also know that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. As one of those retailers who will do anything for a customer to help them, even if it is directing them to my competition, I just wonder sometimes if its a wasted effort. I wonder, then I realize it isnt. Just a touchy subject for me. Also, even though I am broke, I always tried to support my local retailers, farmers, etc. I dont wanna get up on a soapbox.

Now that story about your wife, that just about makes me cringe. But not as much as the other wife story you tell about what happened to her when she became an elected official. Almost makes me want to run for office, simply to dare the good old boys (Grand Old Party) to tell me how I should be playing ball.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

I know Craig. I know your right. You also know that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. As one of those retailers who will do anything for a customer to help them, even if it is directing them to my competition, I just wonder sometimes if its a wasted effort. I wonder, then I realize it isnt. Just a touchy subject for me. Also, even though I am broke, I always tried to support my local retailers, farmers, etc. I dont wanna get up on a soapbox.

I seriously doubt your effort is wasted. Many people out there who WANT to work local, if they can. I do my best to use local on everything, but sometimes it can't be helped. Sometimes the local guys just aren't any good. Sometimes they just don't seem to want to work with you. sometimes they don't carry what you need.

Because they are good to work with, I pay about 15% more than I have to for small engine parts and stuff from the local farm and feed, even though I could go 15 minutes and be at TSC, Lowes, and Home Depot. The local stove shop is run by people that mean well, but if it's not in stock, it takes a LOT of badgering to get it. That forces me to go elsewhere, and truthfully, in today's world, if it has to be tracked down and ordered..

I gots da interwebz..

now, I freely admit, many people only care about paying the lowest price, no matter what, even if it's for a lesser quality item, and they WILL gladly pay less, somewhere else, after picking your brain. It happens. But good customers happen too.

Don't get me started on bike shops.

 

[Fsappo]

Ok guys, thanks for talking me offa the ledge

 

[daveswoodhauler]

It's not a matter of supporting your local shop (although Northline IS a little guy like you or I and is local in MI), but more a matter of getting what you need in the easiest way possible....time is the most valuable thing these days.!

Hah - this reminds me - my own wife was a bit of snob in this fashion. She enjoyed selling stoves, but got MUCH LESS enjoyment from helping folks out with those little details of parts and service! She had a unique method of dealing with this when she came into the shop on crowded Sat. and Sundays. She would tell the customers on the phone or even in person "The parts department is not open today - call back on monday and ask for Ken".

Shudder......

I hear what Frank is saying on this one, but I gotta agree with Craig, and I don't think this is just related to the hearth industry....most retailers want you to make the big purchase, and then they really lack on the service of the small DIY type items. (I wish Craig and Franks worked in the stove shop I go to)

Perfect example is that they have no problem selling you a $3500 install, but when you need to replace a gasket on your stove thats 2 years old (thanks LOPI) you need to go to the dealer and they can't even tell you if they have the part in stock.....nothing like driving 45 minutes each way, and they say...yup, we'll need to order one as we don't have it in stock.
Honestly, I think there would be a lot more LOPI dealers happy if folks could get replacement parts online vs going to the dealer for everything.
Sorry for the hijack.

 

[Slow1]

I know Craig. I know your right. You also know that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. As one of those retailers who will do anything for a customer to help them, even if it is directing them to my competition, I just wonder sometimes if its a wasted effort. I wonder, then I realize it isnt. Just a touchy subject for me. Also, even though I am broke, I always tried to support my local retailers, farmers, etc. I dont wanna get up on a soapbox.

Now that story about your wife, that just about makes me cringe. But not as much as the other wife story you tell about what happened to her when she became an elected official. Almost makes me want to run for office, simply to dare the good old boys (Grand Old Party) to tell me how I should be playing ball.

I'm with you on wanting to support local businesses - IF they are worthy of support. Not every dealer is willing to provide good service. Many simply want to be a 'box in - box out" operation and collect a markup.

It frustrates me to no end when I go in someplace (such as when I was first buying my stove) expecting to get expert advice and guidance and am presented with a few floor models and asked "so which one do you like best" - well, they are all quite pretty so tell me what the differences are, then they go on to point out obvious cosmetic things. No discussion about functional differences at all. I went to three different stove shops (including one that did at least have stoves burning in the shop - you would think that might imply they know something?) and walked away under the impression that all stoves are basically the same except for the way the outside is decorated.

Then to start to talk about installation with each shop and the numbers varied tremendously - without even looking at so much as a picture or drawing of where it is going to be installed.

Is it any wonder that I chose to look around and find a sweep who came to my house and looked at the install, gave me advice on where to put it (turned out to be great advice in retrospect) and then gave me a price for the install "regardless of which stove as long as it takes 6" pipe", then go online and buy the stove at the best price I could find? I just couldn't see what any of the three dealers locally were offering me other than a showroom with significant markup. Not only did I save money in the deal but I have greater confidence in the sweep I found than in any of the shops I visited... so perhaps I am actually supporting a local business in the end eh?

On the flip side - I have a local hardware store that is actually about 25 minutes from my house that I will go to for anything they carry. They aren't the least expensive (Lowes that is 5 minutes away can beat their prices on just about anything) but I can walk in there and describe my project in vague terms and get solid suggestions, advice, and walk out with everything I need (or go in, get directed to whatever isle the XYZ is in and get out in 3 minutes when I need something in particular). They are part of the community - little league, schools, whatnot. Doesn't hurt that they are also an authorized Stihl dealer/service shop too

 

[westside]

Another vote for northlineexpress ! The sales lady i ordered from was very polite and knowledgeable and the parts i needed to do a chimney install arrived with in a few days at a great price.

 

[chad101]

My shipment arrived (by FedEx) at 9:00AM this morning (less than 36 hours after purchase). Awesome!!

 

[BrotherBart]

For posterity, Hart's Hearth is a great outfit too. They will ask you the hard questions to determine if you know what you are talking about and if what you are doing makes sense before they will sell stuff to ya. Veronica gave me the third degree to make sure that the nutty thing I wanted to do would work before she would take the order. And she knew what she was talking about. Very friendly and nice and after she figured out I knew what I was talking about it was here the next afternoon.

A good thing.

Brian at Rockford is a whole nother issue. The fool does your thinking for you. And you open a box and ask "What the hell is this?".