Harman high pricing? - what did you pay?

[NJHomeowner]

I am looking at either the Harman P68 (if I can find a spot for it) or the Accentra insert. Went to the first local dealer who quoted me over $3600 of the P68 and $3900 for the Accentra and told me I better buy by this weekend or I won't have it for the winter. Total installed price was about $5000 for the P68 and more for the Accentra. These prices seem ridiculously high.

Has anyone recently purchased either of these stoves in the New York - New Jersey area? What was your price for the stove / installation / total?

Thanks in advance!

 

[webbie]

I see from our ratings page that the P68 was 2800-$3000 2-3 years ago.

Given the run-up in steel and energy prices, my guess is that the $3400+ is the current sales price. You can thank our national fiscal policy for that one! The dollar is worth almost nothing and steel is a worldwide commodity (like oil).

With a stove like Harman you don't have too much choice about where to buy it. They are ONLY serviced by your local dealer, and discounters are few and far between. Bottom line.....if you want one NOW, then you are gonna have to pay "market" rates - not many ways around it.

 

[Steveo]

I just brought my new P68 into the house and i have to tell you the beast is heavy. I just paid $3294.00

 

[Steveo]

I forgot to tell you I got it from a dealer in NH who actually has time to talk to you when you call instead of answering the phone and putting it on the counter for 30 minutes.

 

[sinnian]

I forgot to tell you I got it from a dealer in NH who actually has time to talk to you when you call instead of answering the phone and putting it on the counter for 30 minutes.

Must be the friendly people in East Wakefield?

 

[Steveo]

actually it was the friendly people in Chichester

 

[BubbRubb]

I know you asked for the NJ area pricing, but I paid $2798 from my dealer in MD last November. When I stopped in to purchase my pellets in April I asked him about pricing and he said that in two weeks the prices were going up about $400. That puts it right in line with Steveo's pricing. My install was $400 including the pipe.
What is hte breakdown of stove price and installation costs?

 

[cheri25]

I know I'm not anywhere near your area, but for reference out here in Colorado I just ordered a Harman P68 on Wednesday and we paid $2600 and $250 for the vent pipe - installation is free. Total for me with tax was $2989.65 and they will install it for me on June 24th.

I think there are many more people who have or are wanting pellet stoves in the North West U.S. then out here, thus the higher prices. Also out here in Colorado most home heating is with natural gas (very inexpensive out here- average utility bill for a typical 2200 sq ft house: summer - $130, winter around $270 and that includes gas, electric, water and wastewater) Unfortunately for me I live in an area only serviced with propane and it's just getting to expensive for me.

 

[NJHomeowner]

Pricing from the Jersey dealer:

P68-Black - $3660
Ceramic log - $59
Brushed nickel rim - $169
COrner install pipe - $71
outside air kit - $51
piping - $446
install - $595
coupon sale - $445 discount

total - $4605.40 plus tax. With tax, $4928 installed. The Accentra insert would be $300 MORE.

For comparison, the local Quadrafire dealer is charging exactly the MSRP - not a penny more.


I prefer the Harman to the Quadrafire, but I won't accept getting ripped off. Seeing the prices others have posted here, there's no way this dealer is NOT trying to take advantage of the market - using fear to get people to buy (buy by Father's Day and you'll have it in Sept. Beyond that, you won't see it until Jan - Mar) at his greatly inflated prices.

 

[mlwschultz]

We paid $2,950 for a Harman XXV. Put the money down in early May, just had it installed Saturday (it looks beautiful!!). We heard from the installers that we were lucky we put our order in when we did because they aren't taking stove reservations anymore as Harman isn't guaranteeing dates. Harman is working 3 shifts to keep up with demand.

 

[webbie]

Pthere's no way this dealer is NOT trying to take advantage of the market - using fear to get people to buy (buy by Father's Day and you'll have it in Sept. Beyond that, you won't see it until Jan - Mar) at his greatly inflated prices.

This might seem obvious, but our entire economy is based around fear and taking advantage of the market.....

Very few people sell anything for a dollar less than the maximum they can get.

An tiny apartment in NYC starts at over a million. Taxes in NJ are some of the highest in the USA, but it is also the state with the highest income per capita in the USA.

At least the coupon brings it down to what I used to call " the normally inflated price".

 

[NJHomeowner]

Pthere's no way this dealer is NOT trying to take advantage of the market - using fear to get people to buy (buy by Father's Day and you'll have it in Sept. Beyond that, you won't see it until Jan - Mar) at his greatly inflated prices.

This might seem obvious, but our entire economy is based around fear and taking advantage of the market.....

Very few people sell anything for a dollar less than the maximum they can get.

An tiny apartment in NYC starts at over a million. Taxes in NJ are some of the highest in the USA, but it is also the state with the highest income per capita in the USA.

At least the coupon brings it down to what I used to call " the normally inflated price".

I disagree. The Harman sales model is similar to the automobile sales model where dealers are free to charge what the want. The difference is, if I purchase my car 100 miles away, my local dealer will be happy to repair it. With Harman's model, you pay whatever the local dealer demands or your local authorized repair company (local dealer) refuses to repair your unit. There is no free market. The pricing system would work when demand is not high or if Harman demanded that their dealers repair their stoves no matter where purchased from.

I guess I will be heating my home with a Quadrafire this winter. Not my first choice and if I had a better local Harman dealer it would not be my choice.

 

[camdids]

I just puchased an Accentra Insert from a dealer in Southern New Hampshire. The price was $3400. Went up $400 three days before I went in to book it.
Installation would have been $495, but this is a decent Dealer who took me into his warehouse and showed me what it took to install. (of course it helped that I new the guy from a previous job).I am going to do this myself.

 

[webbie]

Remember that Harman and Quad are the same corporation!

As to the car model - the Harman model is actually similar to 90% of other stoves on the market, although the other brands may not state it as clearly. Most small specialty dealers (stove dealers) will flat out refuse to service things they don't sell. And when they refuse, the factory has a tough time getting anyone to fix your stove.....I say this from first hand experience! Warranty work, unlike in the car biz, is not a profit center....the makers pay tiny reimbursements which cannot possible cover the cost of travel, deinstall, reinstall, etc.

I'm not placing a value judgment on that....just telling it like it is. For those who are relatively handy (can work through repairs on the phone, etc.) and have a dealer who is easy to work with, I see no problem on buying from a further away Harman (or any other) dealer. But for those who are not....well, that is another story.

 

[MCPO]

Pthere's no way this dealer is NOT trying to take advantage of the market - using fear to get people to buy (buy by Father's Day and you'll have it in Sept. Beyond that, you won't see it until Jan - Mar) at his greatly inflated prices.

This might seem obvious, but our entire economy is based around fear and taking advantage of the market.....

Very few people sell anything for a dollar less than the maximum they can get.

An tiny apartment in NYC starts at over a million. Taxes in NJ are some of the highest in the USA, but it is also the state with the highest income per capita in the USA.

At least the coupon brings it down to what I used to call " the normally inflated price".

I can find you a brand new (new bldg) apt in NYC for $850,000 in the east side , and yeah smallish @ 600 sq ft.
John

 

[MCPO]

Harmans and some others are expensive and I`m glad I got mine used.
But I can see why the Englander`s are so popular. They pretty much do the same thing as the more costly stoves and cost substantially less.
John

 

[geo.april]

I bought my Harman Accentra FPI over the weekend and was $4000 installed. I had to custom order for the odd size of my hearth (extra wide and only 22" high) which was an additional $75. I also fell for the fake log which was $80. Harman had the only insert that would fit. I priced it in April for $500 less and was also told the $4000 price tag will go up next month. I don't feel ripped off because I did my homework and these are the prices right now.

 

[NJHomeowner]

I bought my Harman Accentra FPI over the weekend and was $4000 installed. I had to custom order for the odd size of my hearth (extra wide and only 22" high) which was an additional $75. I also fell for the fake log which was $80. Harman had the only insert that would fit. I priced it in April for $500 less and was also told the $4000 price tag will go up next month. I don't feel ripped off because I did my homework and these are the prices right now.

$4000 may be the price right now. It's a shame that my local dealer wants $5000 (after their discount "coupon") for exactly the same model installed.

 

[BrotherBart]

A $4,000 stove better have my breakfast ready when I come down in the morning.

 

[geo.april]

Just like the Cadillac commerical.....when I turn my stove on, it better return the favor! (especially for 4G's) ;-P

 

[BrotherBart]

Just like the Cadillac commerical.....when I turn my stove on, it better return the favor! (especially for 4G's) ;-P

Yeah. I would rather just buy a Englander pellet stove and get a phone number from Elliot Spitzer and have $2,500 left over.

 

[webbie]

I guess the point - to be made is that there are many Pellet stoves available which will produce the same amount of efficiency for less than 1/2 that price. Englander as well as Magnum and MANY other brands can be had for less than 2K if one shops around. Even some folk here found Harmans small job (P38) for around 2K.

Spending 5K is, of course, a luxury. Just as buying a car that cost more than about 13K is. The Hyundai will certainly get you there just as well in most cases.

I do understand the mentality about not wanting to pay more than the same product sells for elsewhere. At the same time, that is supply and demand - the cost of doing biz is also vastly higher in some areas.

 

[geo.april]

WOW! Pellet Stove elitist has all the answers. Some of us will pay more for the installation and piece of mind that comes along with a 3 year warrantee and a dealer to back that up. I'll have a Sam Adams to go with that, maybe a Long Trail Winter Warmer or something that actually tastes like beer (natty lite?..not since sophomore year in college!)

 

[slls]

I say if you have the money spend it, it is good for the economy. I myself am frugal.

 

[webbie]

I say if you have the money spend it, it is good for the economy. I myself am frugal.

I resemble both sides of that advice, but don't get who? is an elitist? Is it the person with the Sam Adams and fake log, or Englander and screwdriver?

I say neither! As you say, some people like to get the top-of-the-line. Heck, I've always been a Mac man myself, and ahve a nice Mac Pro with about 4x the power I really need......but, hey, it is built out of thick aluminum.

There is an ass for every seat, and the only reason I mention the alternatives is that folks who are buying for savings max money in hard times should know that there are stoves to fit most budgets