Any reviews available for the new Quad Trekker?

[J Bone]

We are considering the Quadrafire Trekker for our new construction home. We plan to buy this summer or fall, and noticed that the Quad Mt Vernon E2 has been discontinued for the new Trekker.

I found only 1 thread on this website about it, and was hoping for any other experience. I know the poster in that thread was complaining about the poor Bluetooth connection.

We'd originally considered a Mt Vernon AE - and may still do that - but I do like the idea of a wireless thermostat, since it seems better for "future-proofing" - i.e. I don't really want to run a wired thermostat if all new thermostats are going to be wireless in 5 years or so.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Mt Bob]

We are considering the Quadrafire Trekker for our new construction home. We plan to buy this summer or fall, and noticed that the Quad Mt Vernon E2 has been discontinued for the new Trekker.

I found only 1 thread on this website about it, and was hoping for any other experience. I know the poster in that thread was complaining about the poor Bluetooth connection.

We'd originally considered a Mt Vernon AE - and may still do that - but I do like the idea of a wireless thermostat, since it seems better for "future-proofing" - i.e. I don't really want to run a wired thermostat if all new thermostats are going to be wireless in 5 years or so.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

The "trekker" appears to be a good energy efficient stove.It also "appears" it can only run off the short range radio signal reception,to the thermostat(bluetooth).There is nothing in the manuals to bypass this,if the communication goes down.For that reason alone,I would never own one.

 

[J Bone]

Bob,

Thanks. That's a good point. I would still like the Mt Vernon AE, but not enthused about running wire in the wall for that old-school thermostat that it uses. But that's a trivial point, I guess.

I would actually prefer a Harman, but the nearest Quad dealer is about 9 miles away while the nearest Harman dealer is 75 miles away. I would be worried about them not wanting to do any service that far away - or even if they did, they would charge an arm and a leg to drive that far.

 

[Mt Bob]

Bob,

Thanks. That's a good point. I would still like the Mt Vernon AE, but not enthused about running wire in the wall for that old-school thermostat that it uses. But that's a trivial point, I guess.

I would actually prefer a Harman, but the nearest Quad dealer is about 9 miles away while the nearest Harman dealer is 75 miles away. I would be worried about them not wanting to do any service that far away - or even if they did, they would charge an arm and a leg to drive that far.

Don't have a problem with Quads,there are some I would own.I have a problem with the fact if the wireless remote dies,there is no "panel,control ,interface" to make the stove function,until the wireless unit can be repaired/replaced.

 

[Wooden Head]

I have had Skytech wireless thermostats for over 10 years and have never had a problem. Replace batteries every couple of years, before heating season.

 

[J Bone]

Just FYI, my dealer didn't have a good answer simply because they haven't sold enough of the Trekkers for him to have an opinion/experience - which I completely understand since they're brand new.

So, I contacted Quadrafire via their website, and they did reply (which is good, I guess), but all I got was form letter that re-directed me to their website (which was where I contacted them, so I clearly already had that info) and then requested that I contact my local dealer.

I have to say that I'm disappointed in Quadrafire for their poor customer service.. If the wireless connection actually is a concern, they don't seem to care much about it.

The other dealer in my town is for Lopi - maybe I will look into one of those...

 

[J Bone]

Here's the email:

You asked:

My Question is Regarding: Your product line
My Question is: I am looking for more information on the new Quadrafire Trekker pellet stove. I am in the market to install one this summer in our new construction home. We have a Quad dealer in my local area, but they don't seem to know anything about this new model. Specifically, I am interested in the wireless Bluetooth thermostat, since I have read comments online that the Bluetooth connection is not very good - and if that wireless connection is lost, then the stove ceases to function. Is that a concern? And if so, is this problem being addressed? This seems like a deal-breaker if this actually is an issue - is there a back-up control on the stove or something? Any information would be appreciated. Thank you very much.
I am a: Consumer

Our Recommendation is as follows:

Please follow the link below to Quadra-Fire website. You can download the install/owner's manual for more specific details on the product. At this time we have just one control for the Trekker.

(broken link removed)

(broken link removed)

We go to market for all parts, service, and sales through our authorized dealers. Your dealer is your best resource and can assist you with technical support as well as obtaining new parts if necessary. I have included a link below to find an authorized dealer near you.



http://www.quadrafire.com/WhereToBuy



http://www.fireplaces.com/WhereToBuy

http://www.fireplaces.com/WhereToBuy

Thank you!
Jocelyn
Quadra-Fire Consumer Support



Basically a cop-out answer...

 

[Cyb33r]

We are considering the Quadrafire Trekker for our new construction home. We plan to buy this summer or fall, and noticed that the Quad Mt Vernon E2 has been discontinued for the new Trekker.

I found only 1 thread on this website about it, and was hoping for any other experience. I know the poster in that thread was complaining about the poor Bluetooth connection.

We'd originally considered a Mt Vernon AE - and may still do that - but I do like the idea of a wireless thermostat, since it seems better for "future-proofing" - i.e. I don't really want to run a wired thermostat if all new thermostats are going to be wireless in 5 years or so.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

I was seriously looking at the Trekker a couple months ago and found hardly any reviews as well. My Quad dealer said that if you are going to spend Trekker money that he recommends Harman stoves. They have a better feed system and are a very well built stove. Quad and Harman are owned by the same parent company. My Quad dealer did not stock Harman stoves but had access to them. I had two harman's installed and really like them. They are built like tanks compared to my pervious Quad and are much easier to clean. Just my 2 cents.

 

[J Bone]

I was seriously looking at the Trekker a couple months ago and found hardly any reviews as well. My Quad dealer said that if you are going to spend Trekker money that he recommends Harman stoves. They have a better feed system and are a very well built stove. Quad and Harman are owned by the same parent company. My Quad dealer did not stock Harman stoves but had access to them. I had two harman's installed and really like them. They are built like tanks compared to my pervious Quad and are much easier to clean. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the information. I agree with your comments about the Harman, and I am seriously considering a Harman instead. The two concerns I have with Harman are 1) I'm not sure if the Quad dealer in my area will service Harmans or not - I will need to ask him, and 2) If you compare the specs of the Harmans and Quads side-by-side, the Quads are better. But that doesn't mean that that they are actually better in the end for the consumer...

Thanks again. I may just buy a Harman from the dealer that's an hour drive away and just hope it won't need service. Maybe...

 

[Cyb33r]

Thanks for the information. I agree with your comments about the Harman, and I am seriously considering a Harman instead. The two concerns I have with Harman are 1) I'm not sure if the Quad dealer in my area will service Harmans or not - I will need to ask him, and 2) If you compare the specs of the Harmans and Quads side-by-side, the Quads are better. But that doesn't mean that that they are actually better in the end for the consumer...

Thanks again. I may just buy a Harman from the dealer that's an hour drive away and just hope it won't need service. Maybe...

When you say Quads are better, Do you mean higher btu? I have an absolute 63 and a P68. Both put out way more heat (btus) than a trekker. I would encourage you to watch the maintenance videos on each stoves websites. Quads have to be shutdown daily dump the burnpot ash while Harmans can be done while the stove is burning. I hated scraping the Quad burnpot while the Harman takes 10 seconds.

Just my 2 cents. I have owned brands this year. I had my Quad changed out for Harmans. My wife and I like the Harmans much better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mt Bob]

Gotta agree with everything Cyb33r says.I would own a Quad,certain models only,same with Harman.Biggest thing I have seen,over the last 3-5 years,seems what happens,the owner of the business gets certified,by HHT(the company that owns Quad,Harman,and quite a few more stoves),and they hire people to do installs/repairs,with very limited knowledge.Then,come spring,they lay these people off.Generally,the independent repair people seem to know more,and produce better results.HHT does not release service bulletins,updates,very little info at all,except to a dealer.So,then,you get some untrained guy,that has little experience,no knowledge of this info,sent out to fix a problem.All about the bucks.Used to be a Harman,USSC and Englanders tech helping here,and on the other pellet stove site,they are gone.Probably were forced to leave.HHT is digging a hole,to bury themselves in,like Cadillac did years agK,that's my rant.Harman and Quad quality still seems to be there.Support is the issue.If I was going to pay big money for one of these 2 brands,I would pay for full install,and,require a signed contract from the owner of the business that I was purchasing it from,for service after the install,even if I had to pay a lawyer to write it up.Otherwise,buy the cheep stoves,install yourself,go through 2-4,and learn.Have a great evening.

 

[J Bone]

When you say Quads are better, Do you mean higher btu? I have an absolute 63 and a P68. Both put out way more heat (btus) than a trekker. I would encourage you to watch the maintenance videos on each stoves websites. Quads have to be shutdown daily dump the burnpot ash while Harmans can be done while the stove is burning. I hated scraping the Quad burnpot while the Harman takes 10 seconds.

Just my 2 cents. I have owned brands this year. I had my Quad changed out for Harmans. My wife and I like the Harmans much better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All I was saying about the specs is that if you compare the Quad Trekker to the most-similar Harman - the XXV - the Quad's specs are better:

Hopper capacity: 80lbs for Trekker, 65lb. for XXV

Viewing area: 217 sq.in. for Trekker vs. 181 sq.in. for XXV

Efficiency: 83.2% for Trekker vs. 77.5% for XXV

Emissions: 0.74 g/hr for Trekker vs. 1.75 g/hr for XXV

That data is taken from their respective websites. However, as a I mentioned in my last post - I acknowledge that these specs don't always tell the whole story - which is why I might be considering a Harman anyway.

 

[Cyb33r]

All I was saying about the specs is that if you compare the Quad Trekker to the most-similar Harman - the XXV - the Quad's specs are better:

Hopper capacity: 80lbs for Trekker, 65lb. for XXV

Viewing area: 217 sq.in. for Trekker vs. 181 sq.in. for XXV

Efficiency: 83.2% for Trekker vs. 77.5% for XXV

Emissions: 0.74 g/hr for Trekker vs. 1.75 g/hr for XXV

That data is taken from their respective websites. However, as a I mentioned in my last post - I acknowledge that these specs don't always tell the whole story - which is why I might be considering a Harman anyway.

Comparing the Absolute 63 to the Trekker:


Hopper capacity: 80lbs for Trekker, 72lb. for Absolute 63

Viewing area: 217 sq.in. for Trekker vs. 154 sq.in. for Absolute 63

Efficiency: 83.2% for Trekker vs. 83.2% for Absolute 63

Emissions: 0.74 g/hr for Trekker vs. 1.4 g/hr for Absolute 63

BTU rating: 51,000 btu for Trekker vs 61,800 for the Absolute 63


I had a mt. Vernon which is similar to a Trekker and there is no way it held 80lbs of pellets. My Harman does hold close to 72 lbs.

As i said earlier, the reason why i disliked the Quad was not the specs rather the cleaning took a lot more time and it had to be cleaned almost every day since I burn 2 bags a day in the winter.

 

[AC_150]

I'm actually picking up my Trekker Insert tomorrow. I originally had the castile in mind but the salesman advise for just a couple hundred more I could get a lot more horse power. Twist my arm I said yes HAHA.

I actually bought it over the harman for a few reasons, but the first being the wireless thermostat. Where my stove will be I wouldn't be able to run a wire through a wall because it is booked ended between two French doors and the area around the stove is stone. I also liked the viewing area of the glass, in the online videos it shows a close resemblance to a real fire. The price was also a factor, it was $600 cheaper. In the end with the large 2 piece surround and a sale price I paid $3990.00 after tax.

I should also point out I am not planning on running 2 bags a day through mine. My goal of the insert is to just have a constant heat source in the center of the house through out the day at a moderate setting. At least that is what I am hoping for, time will tell as this is my first experience with a pellet stove.

 

[Mt Bob]

I'm actually picking up my Trekker Insert tomorrow. I originally had the castile in mind but the salesman advise for just a couple hundred more I could get a lot more horse power. Twist my arm I said yes HAHA.

I actually bought it over the harman for a few reasons, but the first being the wireless thermostat. Where my stove will be I wouldn't be able to run a wire through a wall because it is booked ended between two French doors and the area around the stove is stone. I also liked the viewing area of the glass, in the online videos it shows a close resemblance to a real fire. The price was also a factor, it was $600 cheaper. In the end with the large 2 piece surround and a sale price I paid $3990.00 after tax.

I should also point out I am not planning on running 2 bags a day through mine. My goal of the insert is to just have a constant heat source in the center of the house through out the day at a moderate setting. At least that is what I am hoping for, time will tell as this is my first experience with a pellet stove.

Good luck,report back to us next winter.Be aware the amount of pellets you burn depends on how much heat your house leaks,and how high you keep the temperature,not the size of the stove.Be aware,any non touch screen Harman can be run with a lot of 2 unit(send/receive) wireless thermostats.Be aware,the glass on pellet stoves get dirty fast.Best of luck.

 

[Overfireinthehole]

If you are ever looking for troubleshooting info on your Trecker, just look up the Mt Vernon E2. They are essentially the same stove except the Trecker has the Bluetooth chip and thermostat. I haven’t had much trouble with the Bluetooth pucks yet, but they are pretty new. They did recall a few of the Bluetooth chips right after the launch but they took care of it pretty quickly.

 

[J Bone]

I'm actually picking up my Trekker Insert tomorrow. I originally had the castile in mind but the salesman advise for just a couple hundred more I could get a lot more horse power. Twist my arm I said yes HAHA.

I actually bought it over the harman for a few reasons, but the first being the wireless thermostat. Where my stove will be I wouldn't be able to run a wire through a wall because it is booked ended between two French doors and the area around the stove is stone. I also liked the viewing area of the glass, in the online videos it shows a close resemblance to a real fire. The price was also a factor, it was $600 cheaper. In the end with the large 2 piece surround and a sale price I paid $3990.00 after tax.

I should also point out I am not planning on running 2 bags a day through mine. My goal of the insert is to just have a constant heat source in the center of the house through out the day at a moderate setting. At least that is what I am hoping for, time will tell as this is my first experience with a pellet stove.

Awesome. Please let us know how it goes, especially the wireless thermostate connection. Thanks!

If you are ever looking for troubleshooting info on your Trecker, just look up the Mt Vernon E2. They are essentially the same stove except the Trecker has the Bluetooth chip and thermostat. I haven’t had much trouble with the Bluetooth pucks yet, but they are pretty new. They did recall a few of the Bluetooth chips right after the launch but they took care of it pretty quickly.

So are you saying that you have some experience with this model and it's wireless thermostat, and that they seem to work well? Thanks.

 

[Overfireinthehole]

Awesome. Please let us know how it goes, especially the wireless thermostate connection. Thanks!



So are you saying that you have some experience with this model and it's wireless thermostat, and that they seem to work well? Thanks.

Yes. It’s a Bluetooth thermostat and so far so good. Personally I prefer the old school Harman with the dial controls over the rich screen controls or the Bluetooth thermostat or AE DC setup but the world we live in is getting to be where everything is super smart. If your looking for a small insert, the Harman p35 I still runs off the dial controls and has the thermostat built into the unit. If your looking for a freestanding stove, Harmans P- series stoves also haven’t switched to touch controls.any of the bigger inserts on quad or Harman are going to have some kind of smart technology anymore. Not that this is entirely a bad thing but I’m old school.

 

[AppleRock]

J Bone,
As an IT person I would seriously re-consider the Bluetooth thermostat as being the only communication to the stove to control it.
There should (and in my guess prob eventually will) have a wired option or backup.

In short Bluetooth really, really sucks. It is terribly unreliable and would definitely not trust it to run the heat in my home.
I have done literally over 100 (prob closer to 150 or more) Bluetooth setups, from speakers to Pi's to remote controls. They will all fail to connect for one reason or another at some point. Getting them to reconnect is sometimes easy, but can be a PITA. (Unpair/Re-Pair, power both off & on, or any combination of diagnostic routines) Not to mention multiple users confuse the crap out of it. (Tho that's not applicable here)

Troubleshooting is dependent on device support and Operating System. (Linux, Windows, Android) I don't know, but I'd bet the Trekker uses some variant of Linux for an OS.

Remember that this connection to the stove needs to be up (and reliable) 24/7 for 4-5 months in a row, otherwise the stove won't work.

WIFI has it's issues as well, but looks rock-solid compared to Bluetooth. Quad woulda been better off using WIFI. Woulda cost more $$$ tho.

I'd overlook the Trekker in favor of the Mt. Vernon for this reason alone. It's really not worth the convenience of having a wireless thermostat.

 

[Mxtrails]

hi guys, new to the forum. I did find some of the conversation helpful in shopping for a pellet insert. Given the topic of BT interfaces I’m posting this here.

I did end up purchasing a Trekker from my local dealer and working on installing it myself right now. I’m almost there but having trouble setting up the user interface. Thought you’d like to hear about my experience so far.
Of course my dealer has no clue how to set up the interface as I don’t think they’ve sold many if any yet. They did give me the one from their display model to try and it too does the same thing.
Here’s the issue. According to the manual, you power the unit up with the BT dongle plugged in. Once it does it’s calibration cycle, instal the battery in the interface and they should pair. Nope!
The BT dongle blinks, like it’s in pairing mode. The user interface powered up when I installed the battery but does not respond to the dial or any input. Just shows the room temp and “disconnected”. Another weird thing about these interfaces is that the display stays populated with the room temp etc after the battery is pulled. Sometimes when you put the battery back in it does look like it initialized again (goes through the boot screen with quadrafire logo), sometimes it only updates the room temp. Still no response from inputs.
the problem with this is I can’t go into the interface settings and force pairing mode. I’m stuck with a 500lbs piece of cast iron sitting in the middle of my living room right now.

I will say, the stove looks and feels solid, the blower is a bit loud but I expect it to quiet some when tucked inside my firebox. definitely quieter than the Magnum pellet stove in my shop though.

Let me know if anyone has ideas on the user interface. Otherwise, I’ve got a message in to quadrafire. I plan to call them in the morning, fully expecting to get the “work with your local dealer” speech. I plan to ask for managers or engineers until I get somewhere. It shouldn’t be this hard to pair a BT device.

 

[Mxtrails]

So,
Talked some a representative at Quadrafire was able to go through the user interface diagnostics with me. Turns out you have to hold the dial down for 5 seconds to access the menu’s. From there I was able to force it to pair. Should have the unit up and running tonight or tomorrow once the exhaust vent is finished and will report back a review once I use it for a bit.

 

[Mxtrails]

Got the unit up and running this morning but getting a strong burning rubber smell from the hot air vent. I double checked the back for anything that might be resting near hot surfaces but it’s definitely coming from inside the blower ducting/heat exchanger. Has anyone run into this on a new unit? Could it be protective oils on the cast iron surfaces that need some time to burn off? Hoping these issues I’m running into help someone else in the future. There’s so little information out on the Trekker yet.

aside from that, it appears to be working well, fairly quiet once installed and definitely pumping out some heat!

 

[Ssyko]

yes its normal. you will get burn off/oils&paint for a lil while. put the stove on high and run it for a few hours. may have to open a window or 2 let the smell and smoke out

 

[Mxtrails]

yes its normal. you will get burn off/oils&paint for a lil while. put the stove on high and run it for a few hours. may have to open a window or 2 let the smell and smoke out

Awesome, thanks! We’ll see how long it takes...

 

[Mxtrails]

Awesome, thanks! We’ll see how long it takes...

Took about 6 hours, on high the whole time, but no more smell. Man does it put out some heat on full throttle! We’ve been loving it today. Quiet enough that it can run just below my tv while we watch a movie. It came on and off again a few times. That was a big concern of ours. I’ll also mention I have a very large subwoofer for our home theater and not a rattle from Trekker during our movie (unlike the previous fireplace). It maintains the room temp very well. Pretty happy with it. I’ll report back if I run into any issues.