For those about to 'tute themselves to snakeoil salesman . . .

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Apparently, there are a few commonalities amongst wood-fired hydronic salesman. Some are because they are shysters and want your commission while not caring about your comfort. Others are probably due to their own ignorance and/or lack of experiance with wood fired appliances, especially their own.

Word to the wise . . . know more than your salesman before the purchase. From some of the anecdotes heard around here, that may be quite easy sometimes.

1)You don't need storage with our unit.

2)You can burn green wood in this unit.

3)You'll save so much wood, you actually have to take wood OUT of the unit from time to time!


Ok, I made the last one up ;-) But you get the picture

 

[webbie]

C'mon, what about Pellet Stoves sales people? One ton of Pellets is more heat than 2 cords of wood, etc. etc.?

Unfortunately, you are repeating something that need repeating. The real word to the wise is "assume that ANYONE selling you ANYTHING from a house to a surgical operation has a viewpoint that is somewhat tainted by their ambition, their debt or their stupidity".

In other words, "Let the Buyer (always) beware!

Isn't it amazing that when you actually meet someone who is honest (about stuff like this), you think it can't be! I had one person who wanted to buy my stove business.....but they did not because they told me it was too good to be true (what I was offering)...well, the folks that did buy it found out it WAS true!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveat_emptor

 

[Jim Post]

In my experience, No. 1 is true....I have a tarm solo plus 30 and I don't have storage....You don't NEED storage...I can't argue with this statement. I don't have storage and we get along just fine loading 3 times a day as weather demands. Storage is additional dollars and complexity that you may not want to take on. Storage is not required to realize the wood savings and clean burning characteristics of a gassifier. Just saying!

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Um . . . other than the Garn, you don't NEED storage with any of the units. That's what makes it pure BS when the salesman tries to differentiate his (or her anyone seen a lady snakeoil salesperson??) unit from the next guys.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Just because you can do something doesn't necessarily mean that you should. My impression is that storage is kind of like air conditioning in a car (here in the Northeast). You don't need it to get from Point A to Point B, but once you've got it, you realize why it's worth the extra $1,500 or $2,000.

BTW, Jimbo, I was at the NYS Farm Show today and Greenwood had the most impressive display. They must have had 5 or six boilers on display and an equal number of sales guys working the crowd. Those guys just oozed competence and customer service potential. I thought about you the whole time I was talking to them.

 

[webbie]

When the guys in suits started showing up at our trade shows selling coal stoves.....with greased hair and all, we started to wonder. We even had a name for them:
"Long Island Coal Stove Salesmen"....most were from LI where coal stoves were selling BIG to every tom, dick and harry......well, that was 1982.

 

[slowzuki]

Just tossed out my polished Greenwood sales brochures from before I had my Jetstreams. I can't say I'd pass the info along to anyone.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Those are some pretty slick brochures. Really professional looking, festooned with attractive models. Now I understand why Jimbo went for the Greenwood.