CUSTOMERS DON'T LIKE THE BRECKWELLS

[JIM P1]

I HAVE A HEARTH RETAIL STORE AND I SELL HARMAN AND BRECKWELL PELLET STOVES . LAST YEAR SOME HARMAN PELLET STOVES WERE A 4 TO 6 MONTH WAIT ON DELIVERY. WE SUDDENLY SOLD MANY BRECKWELL PELLET STOVES FROM SEPTEMBER THRU DECEMBER. NOW THE PEOPLE WANT TO TRADE THEM IN ON HARMAN PELLET STOVES. ITS A BIG NIGHTMARE !! MANY PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THE BRECKWELLS HAVE FRIENDS WHO OWN HARMANS OR SEE THE HARMANS BURNING IN OUR SHOWROOMS AND NOTICE HOW MUCH LESS MAINTENANCE AND HOW MUCH MORE HEAT THE HARMANS PRODUCE. WE ARE CONSIDERING DISCONTINUING THE SALE OF BRECKWELLS. I HAVE UPSET MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE I CAN'T TRADE THEM BACK IN OR I WILL HAVE A FEW DOZEN USED BRECKWELLS THAT ARE USED AND I MAY HAVE TROUBLE RESELLING. IF ANYBODY READING THIS WANTS A NEW BRECKWELL CHEAP POST A MESSAGE. I STILL HAVE 15 NEW STOVES. NOW THAT HARMAN HAVE SOLVED THE PRODUCTION ISSUES WE CAN'T SELL A BRECKWELL. ANY SUGGESTIONS???

 

[jtakeman]

You really should rethink the no trades for the people that wanted the Harmons. And you talked in to the Breckwell. I had a dealer talk me out of waiting for a stove and Buying a Breckwell BigE. When I was unhappy with the heat output. He didn't want to hear my complaint's. So I went else where NEVER TO RETURN! I now have a new favorite Dealer that I do all my business with and send all my friends too! The other jerk won't get the time of day from me. Hopefully you see where I'm coming from. Trust me you'll keep most of those costumer's!

I bought a Enviro Omega and LOVE IT! So If you are looking for a second line to have in stock the Enviro line up is a rather nice one. Throw great heat and might be a little cheaper than the Harmons.

You could do what some of the other Breckwell Dealers are doing, Put them up on ebay. Or Have a super sale give them an awesome deal they can't refuse! Dump the price like 25 to 50%.

There is also a for sale section here in the forums. You could list them there.

Good Luck!!
Jay

 

[weatherguy]

Sounds to me like you made a killing selling second-rate stoves at jacked-up prices, and now you want a bail-out, to cover what you can’t sell. Hey, why not, everybody else seems to be getting one.

How do you know his prices were jacked up? Unless you think all Breckwell prices are jacked up and second rate.

 

[terryjd98]

I cant say I can blame the dealer for not wanting to take the stoves back as trade ins. The customers had a choice to wait for a Harman, buy a Breckwell or go shop someplace else. From a customer point of view I would want the dealer to help me out but from a dealer point of view I would think it would be hard to do in the current econemy. I dont know how much profit he made on the Breckwells but if could work it out to do an exchange then have a big sale on the useed stoves and still make a buck then that would be a good way to go.

 

[buildingmaint]

Pellets have a predetermined BTU out put 7000-8000 btu's . Why do some people think that

some pellet stoves have a built in BTU accelerator built in them making their fuel a much higher

BTU output then the fuel is capable of ?

 

[dave1966]

unless the customer was told the breckwell stove was equal to or better than the other brand (harmon)and was talked into buying it then the dealer should make good and take them back on trade,if customer just took what was the next in line just so they could get a stove than thats on them,deal with the stove you picked.thats kinda what happened to me but i'm happy with my purchase i bought a stove(osburn) that i knew nothing about,no one on here knew much about and found no reviews on, so the purchase was on me,yes its a little lounder than my old stove and glass gets dirtyer faster but i wouldnt go back to my dealer to trade it when it was my choice to sign the papers and hand him the check it's kinda like buying a car taking it for three months and than wanting to return it cuase the neighbors car goes faster

 

[Shane]

It's nothing like a car, cars retain value and are backed by the manufacturer alot better. As for quality etc., alot of that is all a matter of perception. It's different all over the country I've found places where brand x is the "premium" brand and brand y is the "second rate" brand go three states over and it's flipflopped.

 

[jtakeman]

Pellets have a predetermined BTU out put 7000-8000 btu's . Why do some people think that

some pellet stoves have a built in BTU accelerator built in them making their fuel a much higher

BTU output then the fuel is capable of ?

Is that some people Breckwell? How do you explain a stove rated at 55,000 btu that consumes 5 LBS per hour.

5 x 8000 = 40,000 in my book NOT 55,000. And that's at 100% dump it to 74% = 29600 BTU's

Over-rated, Over-inflated by the manufactor.

 

[MCPO]

Knowing the Harman`s were hard to get last year , the guys probably being honest with regards to the customers badly wanting a pellet stove but then again I`m sure he wouldn`t have talked them out of the Breckwell either. A sale IS a sale.
However I wouldn`t expect him to take stoves back enmass in trades especially at this point in time. If so the customer would have to expect a big loss.

 

[billybono]

I HAVE A HEARTH RETAIL STORE AND I SELL HARMAN AND BRECKWELL PELLET STOVES . LAST YEAR SOME HARMAN PELLET STOVES WERE A 4 TO 6 MONTH WAIT ON DELIVERY. WE SUDDENLY SOLD MANY BRECKWELL PELLET STOVES FROM SEPTEMBER THRU DECEMBER. NOW THE PEOPLE WANT TO TRADE THEM IN ON HARMAN PELLET STOVES. ITS A BIG NIGHTMARE !! MANY PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THE BRECKWELLS HAVE FRIENDS WHO OWN HARMANS OR SEE THE HARMANS BURNING IN OUR SHOWROOMS AND NOTICE HOW MUCH LESS MAINTENANCE AND HOW MUCH MORE HEAT THE HARMANS PRODUCE. WE ARE CONSIDERING DISCONTINUING THE SALE OF BRECKWELLS. I HAVE UPSET MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE I CAN'T TRADE THEM BACK IN OR I WILL HAVE A FEW DOZEN USED BRECKWELLS THAT ARE USED AND I MAY HAVE TROUBLE RESELLING. IF ANYBODY READING THIS WANTS A NEW BRECKWELL CHEAP POST A MESSAGE. I STILL HAVE 15 NEW STOVES. NOW THAT HARMAN HAVE SOLVED THE PRODUCTION ISSUES WE CAN'T SELL A BRECKWELL. ANY SUGGESTIONS???

MY SUGESSTION WOULD BE TO STOP YELLING ALL OVER THE INTERNET!!


take the CAPS lock off

 

[StoveMiser]

My breckwell big e has treated me very well through the first 11 tons. Considering how much I saved vs a harman, I am very happy with my purchase. I see a lot more problems reported on this page with harman than breckwell...just saying. I agree with the BS btu rating, however. Regardless of its output I am happy with the heat. I reduced my oil consumption from 800 gallons to about 110 on 6 tons of pellets.

Had to add some positives to the "let's bash breckwell" thread. I'm more than happy with mine for the low price of $1400. Harmans are almost 3 times that price. Say what you will, breckwell puts out a good product for the money

 

[buildingmaint]

So Harmans can burn more pellets per hour , there for producing more heat . So its Not that Harmans can burn the same amount of pellets a Breckwell can, and produce more heat .

 

[ajwoodman]

I am sorry but you guys are all a bunch of Breckwell bashers. My Breckwell Big E sits in my basement and heats two floors very nicely. Yes, my basement is insulated and only half is heated but right now it is 12 degrees outside and I am sitting in my living room and it is 70 degrees downstairs (basement) and 70 degrees upstairs. So say what you want, I am totally happy with the Big E and I hear as many complaints on here about the Harmans. Why don't you go cry someplace else!

 

[stoveguy2esw]

hey! nothing wrong with Breckwell stoves (note i am a direct competitor)

pellet stoves usually garner disappointment from folks who think they are magic, truth is they are a point source heater (a space heater writ large) in a poorly insulated structure they will not excell like they will in a well insulated one. heat has to be contained to travel. most of the dissatified customers this dealer is having to deal with are likley folks who do not realize the structure they are heating isnt going to support heat from a pellet stove.

as web (whom i agree with on this so elequently states) "a BTU is a BTU" Btu's come from combustion or other releases of energy, their enemy is dissipation. if a home does not hold heat and allows it to dissipate then a space heater is not going to give results like it will in a structure which holds the heat. it doesnt matter what is creating it. heat coming out of a pellet stove is directly tied to how much fuel it burns , not the name on the door. its what happens after the heat leaves the stove that matters.

in my buisness ive seen many different pellet stoves burn , the heat output isnt designated by the name on the door , its designated by the amount of fuel burned. in that department there isnt much difference between brands. options service packages and things of that nature are usually the seperation. a 40Kbtu unit made by one manufacturer isnt going to make any more heat than a 40Kbtu stove made by the next.

i have to agree with the dealer in one respect , he is in a bind. as the customers who went visiting saw a different (and higher priced) stove likely in a beter insulated structure and think its the stove , it aint , its the house.


simply put , a lexus looks good on the road, but a chevy will get you there just as well if the road is smooth. i say "tough break , to the customers who didnt wait for the harman as they would have likely been dissapointed by it as well. if they wish to pay a restocking fee to the dealer (who wasnt at fault because the stoves werent available) then trade up paying the difference , then ok. but a straight swap AT THE END OF THE SEASON??? no , heck no. why does he have to eat the loss?

 

[pkitfox]

hey! nothing wrong with Breckwell stoves (note i am a direct competitor)

pellet stoves usually garner disappointment from folks who think they are magic, truth is they are a point source heater (a space heater writ large) in a poorly insulated structure they will not excell like they will in a well insulated one. heat has to be contained to travel. most of the dissatified customers this dealer is having to deal with are likley folks who do not realize the structure they are heating isnt going to support heat from a pellet stove.

as web (whom i agree with on this so elequently states) "a BTU is a BTU" Btu's come from combustion or other releases of energy, their enemy is dissipation. if a home does not hold heat and allows it to dissipate then a space heater is not going to give results like it will in a structure which holds the heat. it doesnt matter what is creating it. heat coming out of a pellet stove is directly tied to how much fuel it burns , not the name on the door. its what happens after the heat leaves the stove that matters.

in my buisness ive seen many different pellet stoves burn , the heat output isnt designated by the name on the door , its designated by the amount of fuel burned. in that department there isnt much difference between brands. options service packages and things of that nature are usually the seperation. a 40Kbtu unit made by one manufacturer isnt going to make any more heat than a 40Kbtu stove made by the next.

i have to agree with the dealer in one respect , he is in a bind. as the customers who went visiting saw a different (and higher priced) stove likely in a beter insulated structure and think its the stove , it aint , its the house.


simply put , a lexus looks good on the road, but a chevy will get you there just as well if the road is smooth. i say "tough break , to the customers who didnt wait for the harman as they would have likely been dissapointed by it as well. if they wish to pay a restocking fee to the dealer (who wasnt at fault because the stoves werent available) then trade up paying the difference , then ok. but a straight swap AT THE END OF THE SEASON??? no , heck no. why does he have to eat the loss?

Mike,

Are there any documented, independent, tests that show pellet stove efficiencies? I have heard manufacturer claims in the range of 75-80%, or even a little higher. Our DV gas stove claimed 81%. It is hard to believe any pellet stove could better that considering the combustion efficiency of gas versus pellet fuel. Both our pellet and our gas stove seem equally capable, and both are rated at about 40,000 BTU input. I have high regard for both as heaters. If I could only figure out where to put a wood stove in our house, and more importantly, talk my wife into one!

 

[jtakeman]

I am sorry but you guys are all a bunch of Breckwell bashers. My Breckwell Big E sits in my basement and heats two floors very nicely. Yes, my basement is insulated and only half is heated but right now it is 12 degrees outside and I am sitting in my living room and it is 70 degrees downstairs (basement) and 70 degrees upstairs. So say what you want, I am totally happy with the Big E and I hear as many complaints on here about the Harmans. Why don't you go cry someplace else!

I really didn't mean to bash them, I had my BigE for a year and a half. Ran pretty well for me. My only issue was it was a little over rated on the max BTU's. Having a drafty house that was spec'ed by a dealer needing a 50,000 BTU heater. The BigE did fine on the days above 20. If it really could produce 55,000 BTU's I to would have kept the BigE. I just got tired of freezing at the lower temps. I don't like using the woodstove unless I loss power.

Breckwells are a good dependable stove, Hard to beat for the money.

jay

So Harmans can burn more pellets per hour , there for producing more heat . So its Not that Harmans can burn the same amount of pellets a Breckwell can, and produce more heat .

What I'm saying is Harmon rated there 5 lbs/hr stove at 40,000 BTU's not 55,000 BTU's. Omega 60,000 BTU rating 7.8 LBS/HR. End of story.

 

[langewi]

I have a breckwell P23 and could not be more satifed have burned 3 1/2 ton of pellets this year and only 20 gallon of fuel oil to heat a 2,000 sq. ft. well insulated house. I agree with Mike people exspect to much out of these stoves

 

[jng518]

Before I bought a pellet stove I looked at all the stoves that were in the showrooms
where I live (Hudson Falls,NY). Also look up on the internet for information. I bought
the Beckwell Big E. I knew beforehand that all manufactures test their stoves under
perfect conditions i.e just like the EPA mpg on cars. It was the other features I was
looking at (120lb hopper and the add on hopper).

 

[gw2kpro]

My Breckwell P2700 has been absolutely great.

Would a stove that costs 2-3 times as much be better? Probably, but I bought the stove to

1) throw lots of heat into my home and

2) look great

Both of which my P2700 does well.

Of course I have to clean the ashes out of it and perform routine maintenance, do you not have to maintain the Harman stoves?

 

[StoveMiser]

Hope that harman has a big hopper to support 8 pounds per hour. At 4 pounds per hour my big e gobbles pellets faster than I prefer, but with todays pellet prices it sounds like a costly venture to dump a bag in every 5 hours. The room that the stove is in must get disturbingly hot...

 

[Lousyweather]

Hope that harman has a big hopper to support 8 pounds per hour. At 4 pounds per hour my big e gobbles pellets faster than I prefer, but with todays pellet prices it sounds like a costly venture to dump a bag in every 5 hours. The room that the stove is in must get disturbingly hot...

yep, it certainly can get hot! hopper holds like 75 lbs or so...

 

[jtakeman]

Hope that harman has a big hopper to support 8 pounds per hour. At 4 pounds per hour my big e gobbles pellets faster than I prefer, but with todays pellet prices it sounds like a costly venture to dump a bag in every 5 hours. The room that the stove is in must get disturbingly hot...

Where'd you get 8 lbs per hour from a Harmon?

Last I knew they were at 5 on max! The Enviro Omega and Maxx are the only stoves I know that will consume 8 LBS/HR.

jay

 

[Steveo]

If I were the dealer and I am a dealer of other equipment that has nothing to do with stoves, I would make and offer like a car dealer would on someone returning a car after a month. If the stove costs $1500.00 and my cost was say $900, I would tell the customer that they would be better off selling their stove via private sale because I could not offer them very much for the stove since it is used now. If they really insist on me buying it back I would say the best I could do is offer $500 for the stove if they were going to purchase the Harman at the same time and then sell them a Harman taking the $500 off the price of the Harman. I would then turn around and have a demo sale on the used Breckwells. This thinking probably will not make everybody happy but it is the thoughts of a business man trying to survive in a tough economy.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Hope that harman has a big hopper to support 8 pounds per hour. At 4 pounds per hour my big e gobbles pellets faster than I prefer, but with todays pellet prices it sounds like a costly venture to dump a bag in every 5 hours. The room that the stove is in must get disturbingly hot...

Where'd you get 8 lbs per hour from a Harmon?

Last I knew they were at 5 on max! The Enviro Omega and Maxx are the only stoves I know that will consume 8 LBS/HR.

jay

personaly i do not know the max consumption rates for these stoves , i was not aware that anyone had a stove which would run 8 lbs an hour. persoanlly im not sure i'd want to run through fuel that way , would get pretty expensive burning a bag every 5 hours

 

[jtakeman]

personaly i do not know the max consumption rates for these stoves , i was not aware that anyone had a stove which would run 8 lbs an hour. persoanlly im not sure i'd want to run through fuel that way , would get pretty expensive burning a bag every 5 hours

Think of it as horsepower in a car. Just because you got it don't mean you have to use it! But when its cold out I have room in this stove. My backup heat is wood and I don't want to use it unless i loose power!~

My Omega has not been higher than the mid setting. When the BigE was running was maxxed on 4(run a 2 hr cycle of 5 setting and let cool down for a few hrson 4)! I was affraid I was abusing the BigE running it on the max all the time. Used the same pellets in both stoves. The only difference is the stove. The Omega blows the BigE away!(flamegrabber I need some backup here!)

I works for me and have plenty of stove to spare. What works for me may not work for you.

When your cold and your stove doesn't keep up what do you do???

Thats my story and I'm stinking with it!
jay