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Thanks BB. We all have our favorite stoves and try to convey the pluses and minuses for those in need of advice to the best of our ability.
 
webbie said:
I think the others said it well. In order to sell for low prices, companies like Englander have to spend less on R&D (engineering head count and costs) and have to sell the same models for more years. It's a pretty simple equation.

That doesn't mean the "tried and true" is bad, just that you can't put them in the same boat.

In sales they say "an arse for every seat" - that's true in cars, houses and even hearth products. Comparing an Englander and a Harman is like comparing a Harbour Freight tool to a Estwing or a Milwaukee. I should mention I have a bunch of HF tools and I like most all of them. But I also have Milwaukee, Makita and Hitachi tools, etc.
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I bought a Milwaukee cordless drill thinking that it would be just like my Milwaukee Sawzall (sp?). Guess what! Made in China! MILWAUKEE tools made in China? Isn't that a sacrilege?
 
PennPellet said:
Hi all,

I have recently started to research Pellet Stoves. I am currently burning oil to heat my new home --- and the price is just too much. The house is only partially insulated at the moment, I plan on finishing the insulation in the spring.

In the meantime, I want to try to heat, at least partially, with a pellet stove. My home is split level 1200-1300 sq ft.

I've gone to five local dealers and the going price for a 42,000 btu unit is around $3000 (not including pipes, install, etc).

I really liked the Avalon that I saw, although they all looked and seemed to work fine and were quite.

But I've also seen substantially cheaper stoves online from Home Depot and Lowes -- ranging from $1000-$2000. It seems that Englander is reliable , but i have seen many negative comments about the unit being noisy and auger/feeding issues.

the unit will be placed in between my living room and kitchen so I hope noise is at a minimum.

So i want to get some opinions:

1) Is $3000 too much for a 42,000 btu unit from a dealer?

2) Is going to a dealer worth it? is servicing a realistic DIY project, or should i trust a professional?

3) are the units (namely Englander) from Home Depot/Lowes comparable to the dealer units (Harmon, Travis, etc...) in reliability and noise?

Thanks in advance.
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Some of the best advice I received before we bought our stove was to go on line and look at the cleaning and maintenance schedules recommended for each stove we were considering. I happen to enjoy caring for my stove but the realities of life meant that daily scraping and cleaning were not likely to happen. We love our Harman which is very forgiving in terms of pellet quality, maintenance etc. Just sayin.
 
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I have been burning pellets for 8 years and have never purchased a new stove. If you are careful you can buy a good used stove or better yet a clogged up POC and fix it up. I'm pretty handy so no big deal for me. I have seen a couple of Englanders and am not a big fan. Harmans are great but not the only great option out there
As far as coal goes I have been there and done that. No matter what you have coal dust that makes a God awful mess
Pick up a used Whitfield and be prepared for a pleasant surprise.
 
please spend as much time money and effort on your insulation project...as far as I am concerned the first $ should go there.....I;d be tempted to try and find a good used stove and spend my money on the insulation project,,,once that is done you can sell the stove again and get what you want!
 
The goal of any pellet stove appliance purchase should be to save money in the long run and to be more comfortable in the short run (we tend to keep our houses warmer). If you spend less on a stove, your investment will more than likely be recovered sooner. However, duration of ownership is key to saving the most amount of $$$... This is why I always encourage people to spend the most they can afford since the return on investment is on the price difference between a lower end stove and a higher end stove is made up in only a year or two, while the productive life of the high end stove could extend 10,15, or more years past the payback period. That doesn't include other benefits like lower noise, easier to clean, higher efficiency (maybe), nicer appearance and other factors are also a component of the ownership experience.

Either way, consider your purchase an investment and listen to your gut. Keep us posted.
 
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