I've had my Naploeon NPI45 for 2 years. I have a 2400sq ft split level ranch (1400 up & 1000 down). I use 4 tons of pellets per season and I'm saving $1 for every $1 of pellets spent. Filling the hopper takes about a bag and is awkward at best. The opening is small and you need to push the pellets to the rear of the hopper to fill it completely. When the stove is on low you may take too much time filling it and it may go out. You need to be quick. My insert needs to filled at least 2x a day so it doesn't go out and the burn pot needs to be stirred to get rid of ashes at least once a day so the flames stay very energetic. Filling & cleaning takes me about 10 minutes and cleaning the exhaust ports takes another 10 min. every two weeks. I run the insert on #3 out of 5 and the higher you run it the more often you'll need to clean it and "stir the pot". It has one of the bigger bay windows for the stoves I looked at so you can see the fire very easily.
I'm quoting from an admonition that I recently gave to another poster from Scranton. Don't take this as an insult, please. It's just a possible wake-up call.
! COAL.......COAL.............COAL! $170 a ton in Tamaqua with 50% more heat per pound than pellets! AND you get a stove that puts out twice the btu's of ANY pellet stove! OMG! My brother in law just picked up 4 tons!
Seriously, unless you want to single handedly save the earth (the Chinese sure aren't and they are burning OUR coal), you need to look closely at the beautiful coal stoves, some of which are stokers, being made and sold all around you. If I were living back up there, I'd have another coal stove in an instant! No worries with outside storage. Just as clean as pellets if you treat the handling of the ashes properly. Just not the same as the big monsters we remember in our grandfather's cellar.
Coal dust should not be a problem at all if you keep it slightly wet. It should be wet when it's delivered. That's how THEY keep the dust down. Wet coal in no way hinders its ability to burn. That's why you can even store it outside if you want to. It's just not a good excuse to shun away from coal.
