20 year old Accentra Freestanding - is it time to get a new stove?

[Glenalmond]

I have a 20year old Harman Accentra freestanding - The stove has been relatively trouble free but its 20 years old.
If I want to take advantage of the 30% tax credit I need to replace it before December 31st.
I am looking at a Harman Absolute43 since it has a similar size and BTU output as the Accentra plus it will fit on the cast iron Accentra hearth that I have for the current stove (as far as I can research)

The current stove has been good - I just cleaned it for my annual burn season (I put two tons of barefoots through it for the past 20 years).
Current stove has never had the auger or gears/chain replaced, the burn pot still looks good - but I do need to do a gasket replacements for the door and glass and the glass bolts are seized something fierce which has me worried I will break them when trying to loosen them. I have replaced the blower motor and fans but over the years the stove has gotten appreciably louder.

A brand new stove delivered into the house and with local MA tax will cost me around $6K but I ll be able to take almost $1,900 off with a tax credit which goes away by the end of the year.

Every year I wonder if this is the year that something critical will break on it. Parts are getting quite expensive for it and I'm not sure if the auger or gear motor or burn pot breaks if it will be worth repairing (or beyond my skill to repair).

So should I spend $4200 to upgrade to a new Absolute43 or stick with the current old but still very workable Accentra Freestanding?

 

[Whitenuckler]

I have a 20year old Harman Accentra freestanding - The stove has been relatively trouble free but its 20 years old.
If I want to take advantage of the 30% tax credit I need to replace it before December 31st.
I am looking at a Harman Absolute43 since it has a similar size and BTU output as the Accentra plus it will fit on the cast iron Accentra hearth that I have for the current stove (as far as I can research)

The current stove has been good - I just cleaned it for my annual burn season (I put two tons of barefoots through it for the past 20 years).
Current stove has never had the auger or gears/chain replaced, the burn pot still looks good - but I do need to do a gasket replacements for the door and glass and the glass bolts are seized something fierce which has me worried I will break them when trying to loosen them. I have replaced the blower motor and fans but over the years the stove has gotten appreciably louder.

A brand new stove delivered into the house and with local MA tax will cost me around $6K but I ll be able to take almost $1,900 off with a tax credit which goes away by the end of the year.

Every year I wonder if this is the year that something critical will break on it. Parts are getting quite expensive for it and I'm not sure if the auger or gear motor or burn pot breaks if it will be worth repairing (or beyond my skill to repair).

So should I spend $4200 to upgrade to a new Absolute43 or stick with the current old but still very workable Accentra Freestanding?

I'd say if it can be added to the budget, then it would be a good idea to get a new one.

 

[jackman]

I've got the same dilemma. I'm more inclined to replace mine with a ductless heat pump and forgo all the work with cleaning and burning pellets. Not to mention the effort required to move and stack the bags for storage.

 

[Glenalmond]

I have heat pumps and minisplits and they make the house warmer but not so you feel warm, more like you feel less cold - to warm up we need the pellet stove going in the living room. We also have oil heat but you need to burn a lot of it to stay warm but it does heat the house quickly.
The house was built in 1900 and we have been living in it for 20 years - over that time we have blown insulation into the walls and replaced all the windows but it is just a naturally old and somewhat draughty house.
I hear you on the bags - I will be stacking two tons into the basement by hand next week. Every year I hate this aspect of pellet stoves more and more.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I have heat pumps and minisplits and they make the house warmer but not so you feel warm, more like you feel less cold - to warm up we need the pellet stove going in the living room. We also have oil heat but you need to burn a lot of it to stay warm but it does heat the house quickly.
The house was built in 1900 and we have been living in it for 20 years - over that time we have blown insulation into the walls and replaced all the windows but it is just a naturally old and somewhat draughty house.
I hear you on the bags - I will be stacking two tons into the basement by hand next week. Every year I hate this aspect of pellet stoves more and more.

I have 140 bags in my driveway, and my pellet stove is in the basement. This year (Feb) was my first year, so I was just getting bags with my truck and putting them in the garage. I used to carry full bags to the basement, but it was getting a bit hard. I bought two 5 gallon buckets and fill them in the garage. A 40 pound bag fills each to around 80%. Then I can carry them easily. Also easy to pour into the hopper. I am debating unstacking my two pallets into the garage, or just bring them into my side porch as needed.

 

[johneh]

My stove is starting its 24th heating season. It is an Envro
well taken care of, cleaned and serviced . Over the years, it
has cost little to maintain. I will use it until it can not be repaired.
Then and only then will I consider buying a stove that costs
almost 3 times what I paid for this one in 2002.
When I was active in the stove trade, I always told my customers
If it an't broke don't fix or replace it. But it is up to you, keep it or
pay the 4 grand for a new one with all the bells and whistles.

 

[Glenalmond]

Interesting perspective on costs with the tax credits and being able to use the installed vent pipe (replaced it a couple of years ago) I'd be paying about the same as the stove I bought 20 years ago
The Accenture free standing was about $3600 then
I definitely got my money worth out of it
Just torn on letting the tax credit slip by for something that I feel is always one winter away from having a pretty major fail
But 20 years is a damn good run

 

[Whitenuckler]

Interesting perspective on costs with the tax credits and being able to use the installed vent pipe (replaced it a couple of years ago) I'd be paying about the same as the stove I bought 20 years ago
The Accenture free standing was about $3600 then
I definitely got my money worth out of it
Just torn on letting the tax credit slip by for something that I feel is always one winter away from having a pretty major fail
But 20 years is a damn good run

As Johneh was saying, they can be kept going for as long as you want, but you need to be able to get the parts. There are no real major failures unless you can't get the parts you need. Now if it were rusted out, and on it's last legs, that would be a different story. That would be like having an older car you can get parts for, but the body is shot. I don't think it owes you anything, and it probably has many years left.