Harman XXV Design Updates in Production?

[MikeG]

I am looking to purchase a Harman XXV, and I was looking to see if Harman has put any of their prototype design updates into production yet or if they are still in the process of monitoring their prototypes before they make a final decision. I know PJPellet had gotten a new prototype burn pot from Harman to test out to see if it eliminated his subwoofer / woofing sounds, and I know bcb1 had gotten a new auger motor installed to see if it corrected his whistling / squealing / grinding noises, but I have not heard if these corrections have been a success and finally put into the production models, or if Harman is still trying to work out the bugs. Also, any news on if Harman was able to produce an ignitor that lasts longer then say 2 years? Most everyone I have heard from has had to replace about 3 ignitors within a 6 year time frame. If I were to purchase an XXV today, are all the parts the same as say an XXV that was produced and sold in 2005? If not, what differences are in todays production run then a production run back in 2005? I really like the XXV, but I can wait another year or two if need be until they correct their issues before making this purchase. If all of the bugs are worked out now, then I can make the purchase today. I just figured there is no need to rush into this and have the same issues as I have seen here on the forum if there are still problems with the design of the XXV. But once all of the problems are corrected and put into production, then it makes sense to me to move forward with this purchase. Thanks!

 

[gbreda]

First off, welcome to the forum !

I dont know if these changes have been made in production other than the 15 fin ignitor, but I dont think that would stop from buying now. IMHO

You are bound to see more of the negative on a forum like this than the positive. Solving problems is much of what these forums are for, so it is the nature of the beast. I have 3 full seasons on my stove without a hiccup. A close friend as 2 full years on an XXV with no issues. Both units are the primary source of heat, so they run alot. I dont know if either stove has the newer 15 fin ignitor, most likely her XXV does. Obviously both of these stoves do not have burn pot or auger motor upgrades. I tend to use less ignitor as my stove stays on 24/7 once the cold gets in full force. Hers is on auto for the season and she just lets it do its thing. No issues so far.

Do whatever is best for you, but it is kind of like waiting for the next processor to buy your new computer. There will always be something different on the horizon that includes improvements to current issues.

 

[MikeG]

Thank you! Yes you are absolutely right about forums having negative comments since people are looking for fixes, I just wasn't sure if everyone was having these issues, or if it was like 1 in 5 people are having these issues, or if it was more like 1 in 100. Hard to tell on a forum. From reading a lot of these comments, it just seemed like a lot of people were having these same issues and with Harman re-designing a burn pot for PJPellet to try out in his XXV, I just thought there must be a lot of people experiencing the same issues or Harman wouldn't spend the money and time to try and come up with a repair. But who knows. Maybe Harman's customer support is really that great that if only a hand full of people are having these issues, they would take on the burden to make these few customers happy. From what you have explained though, it seems like it should be a safe bet for me to purchase one.

Just curious, if the ignitor is now a 15 fin ignitor, what did it use to be? Thanks again for your comments!

 

[gbreda]

Hi Mike

Unfortunately Harman customer support is non existent to the end user. It is a dealer support only, so I would say that it is when they are getting documented issues for the dealers that they might respond.

Regarding the ignitor, the old version was13 fin. I dont know what else is different, but we are seeing alot of posative from the 15 fin ones.

Good luck and don't be a stranger. Although, being strange is perfectly OK in this looney bin

There is a wealth of info and folks that will help out !

 

[tsmith]

I would not be hesitant to by the XXV, Harman makes a great stove and all manufacturers have their issues. If you get one, use it hard and call the dealer if any issues arise to have it taken care of under warranty.

 

[MikeG]

Perfect. Thanks guys for the help. I will let you know how things are going after the purchase is made and once it is up and running.

 

[swalz]

I would never buy a Harman stove again, after what I went through getting the weldment replaced and costing me close to $500. I bought my stove and after a few months Harman decided to not let the dealer (under new ownership) sell them anymore. I had a stove just over a year old that I had to pay for service, parts were covered. Harman gave me a little back to cover warranty work but it still cost me close to $500. If Harman is going to take away from the dealer to sell they need to make sure you are still covered for service.

 

[MikeG]

Sorry to hear about that swalz. Hopefully the same does not happen with me. The owner of the company where I plan to buy my stove is probably getting close to 65 years old. So I hope he doesn't end up retiring within the next year or so causing me to end up with your same situation once a new owner takes over. The next closest Harman dealer is 45 miles away. So I am sort of forced to go through him because of the distance. But I agree with you that they should still make sure the customers are covered for service.

 

[tsmith]

Sorry to hear about that swalz. Hopefully the same does not happen with me. The owner of the company where I plan to buy my stove is probably getting close to 65 years old. So I hope he doesn't end up retiring within the next year or so causing me to end up with your same situation once a new owner takes over. The next closest Harman dealer is 45 miles away. So I am sort of forced to go through him because of the distance. But I agree with you that they should still make sure the customers are covered for service.

Mike, where are you purchasing yours? I got mine at K.C. Stoves in Alburtis. I am sure if you are worried about your dealer, that K.C. would come to Nazareth.

 

[MikeG]

I am planning on getting my stove at Cozy Barn in Wind Gap. George the owner there is a personal friend of mine, so I am getting a really great price on it plus installation. But not sure what is going to happen once George retires. I am thinking his son will take over, but who knows if that change is business status is enough to make Harman drop them as a dealer. If it wasn't for knowing George, I might still go to Cozy Barn because of the distance, but K.C. Stoves might have also been an option. But thanks for the recommendation!

 

[will711]

I am planning on getting my stove at Cozy Barn in Wind Gap. George the owner there is a personal friend of mine, so I am getting a really great price on it plus installation. But not sure what is going to happen once George retires. I am thinking his son will take over, but who knows if that change is business status is enough to make Harman drop them as a dealer. If it wasn't for knowing George, I might still go to Cozy Barn because of the distance, but K.C. Stoves might have also been an option. But thanks for the recommendation!

Hey Mike, Welcome to the forum.

The folks at Cozy Barn are great I get 95% of my pellets from them try to support them any way I can.

 

[gbreda]

Mike whatever you do, if you dont post a pic after install, it didnt happen.
We love pictures

 

[MikeG]

Oh absolutely. Install date has been scheduled for 10/23/2012, so as long as everything goes well, I should have some pictures for you all on the 24th!

 

[MikeG]

Hey Mike, Welcome to the forum.

The folks at Cozy Barn are great I get 95% of my pellets from them try to support them any way I can.

Hi Will! The folks at Cozy Barn are great. I am also getting 3 tons of Turman's from them as well as the stove. Just hope 3 tons will be enough for this winter or else I will be searching for another ton in March. If this winter is anything like last winter, 3 tons would be overkill.

 

[tsmith]

Turmans are great pellets, you will like them and so will your stove

 

[will711]

Hi Will! The folks at Cozy Barn are great. I am also getting 3 tons of Turman's from them as well as the stove. Just hope 3 tons will be enough for this winter or else I will be searching for another ton in March. If this winter is anything like last winter, 3 tons would be overkill.

Hey Mike, Sounds like a sweet deal 3 ton of Turman's nice pellet that should be enough,but the beauty of it all is if need more in March the Cozy Barn will have them!! The big Box stores will be out in early Feb. ,but they will have plenty of grass seed & fertilizer

 

[MikeG]

Isn't that the truth. Just the other week, I went to purchase a yard sprinkler at a big box store to help grow some more grass in the bare spots of my yard (since the summer heat is over and before the cold gets here), and their whole gardening department is cleared out and filled with Christmas stuff. They always seem to be one step too far in front of us. That is what makes the Mom and Pop shops still a preference in my book as well as probably a lot of other people's book which keeps them still in business. After figuring this out and then driving to the local hardware store to buy the sprinkler which they had, I almost kicked myself for not going there to start with. Got to support the locals who support us in times of need.

 

[MikeG]

One more question for you Harman owners. Since the XXV being installed next Tuesday at my home will be my first pellet stove, should I consider also purchasing any spare gaskets? I am use to performing maintenance on vehicles, but not pellet stoves, and usually on a vehicle, anything that is disassembled that has a gasket seal in place needs to be replace every time you disassemble that part (valve covers, transmission pan, etc.) before you put it back together. Are pellet stoves similar in that nature? Why I am asking this is because once I perform my first seasonal tear down of the combustion blower, the burn pot, feeder body cover, etc., do I need to have spare gaskets on hand before I reassemble everything back on the stove after cleaning the whole unit for the first time, or are these gaskets reusable until they are noticeably worn out or have been observed to be leaking in some way? If these gaskets do not need to be replaced every time a seasonal tear down is performed, are there any gaskets that seem to fail quite often that you would just recommend having a spare or 2 on hand for the unknown?

I always live by the motto of "Always be prepared", so I want to make sure if there is anything extra that I should have on hand to make any emergency repairs, that I have these on stock within my home so I am not sitting without heat for a day or 2, and also so I do not have to run out in the middle of a snow storm to try and locate a part, or run to a dealer and find out he has to order it for me and could be a few days until it comes in. Just want to be sure I have everything that might be needed on hand so I am ready for the winter. Thanks!!

 

[will711]

Hey Mike, If you go to www. harmanstoves .com click on customer care and under resources the are videos on cleaning maintenance ... I've been burning 3 yrs. haven't had any gaskets fail . When you do your big spring cleaning no need to remove the burn pot. Hope this helps.

 

[MikeG]

Perfect! Thanks Will. I checked out those videos before, but it was a different stove then the XXV. I guess they don't make a video for each stove they make, but from what I hear, most Harman stoves are almost identical. I downloaded and printed out their owners manual though for the XXV, and through all of the steps of cleaning that it says you should do, it never mentions anything about replacing gaskets. So I wasn't sure if they might have left this step out, or if it wasn't needed. I just know from working on cars and stuff, once you take something apart that has a gasket, you usually have to replace it before reassembling. So I wasn't sure with the pellet stove. But thank you for clarifying that up for me! Since now I know that I do not have to replace these things every time I clean it, that means I can play with it and clean it more often and not have to worry about constantly dumping money into gaskets! SWEET!! One more toy to play with here soon. Thanks again for your help!

 

[will711]

You are very welcome my friend any time.

 

[gbreda]

I did a deep cleaning on my g/f XXV last Saturday. No gaskets. Expected a gasket on the combustion blower, not one on that either..sweet !

From what I can see, the only gaskets are in places that wont normally need to come apart, such as the exhaust flange and the burn pot.

The door, hopper and ash pan gaskets are something you might want, but on 3 full years of burning these are still OK.

ETA: You might want to get hold of one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NPR2IU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

The XXV burn pot was a beatch to scrape due to the angle and lack of clearance. This is supposed to help out alot. I have ordered some for myself and her.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

I have an XXV on the floor with a very recent born on date and there is nothing new that I have seen. Not that I have any problems with them other than the weight. I hate moving them but love selling them.

Eric

 

[MikeG]

Thanks! Yes, I will probably invest in one of those pry bars then from Sears Hardware. For $8.00, I really can't go wrong. Even if I never end up having to use it, I am sure it will come in handy some other day around the house. Thanks for that tip!



Eric, I can believe what you are saying with the weight. That is one of the reasons why I am paying to have it delivered and installed, but it really stinks to be an installer like yourself when it comes to these hogs. I feel for ya. Thanks for the reply!

 

[DAKSY]

ETA: You might want to get hold of one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NPR2IU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

quote]

Harbor Freight had them for less than $5 last time I checked...