Harman -P38+ vs. P43 - Do you take the offer?

[nored]

Stove shop called and said that they do not yet have my P38+ (ordered in May) in yet, but they do have P43 to sell me instead.

The P43 will cost about $1100 more than the P38+.

The advantage is the additional electronic firing and controls and the fact I can have it now, as opposed to "maybe" this fall. Cost is a big con especially to a family on a budget.

Box is supposed to be the same size, maybe a few more BTU on the p43.

Anyone know enough about these two models to comment on whether this is worth the extra money?

Do you take the offer?

 

[rayttt]

Are you sure thats a P43?? theres a p45 corn stove
and a corn stove may or may not burn wood pellets well.

 

[nored]

Yes, p43 is a new model. Not even listed on Harman's web site - just available August 2008.

Brochure:
(broken link removed)

 

[MCPO]

Personally I like the looks better than my PP38+ but not for a moment would I pay $1100 more for it since it doesn`t put out any more heat than the PP38+ . However it does have a few extra features but it will cost $1100 to use them. To me it`s just another steel space heater and priced at 3K + it`s obvious that Harman is milking the name for all it can get.
There are other stoves out there costing 50% less that produce heat equally well .

 

[firewarrior820]

i had the same offer was it fire side stove shop in auburn
as you can see by my avitar i didn't take the "deal"

 

[imacman]

Sounds to me like the stove shops are "sort of" taking advantage of the shortage of stoves.....they can argue that they are "just trying to get you a stove sooner", but obviously at a higher price (and a fatter sales profit, I'm sure).

Hey, if it's worth that much extra $$ to you (more features, newer design stove, you have the stove NOW), go for it....if not, wait for the other one.....it's really up to you to decide if it's worth it.

 

[bostonbaked]

I think I would pass. $1100.00 more for an untested NEW product. It (may be the best thing since sliced bread) but you'll be the guinea pig and pay an extra 1100 clams for the priviledge. Just my two pennies for whatever that's worth.

 

[MishMouse]

If the stove shop wants to substitute a different stove then the one you ordered, I would see if the price is negotiable and if he could knock a few hundred off that price.

 

[Delta-T]

I dont think the P43 actually went into production this year at all. I saw it in the spring but because of what all went down in the early part of summer it never came to the market. Chances are its a PC45. Which burn pellets quite well if you use the pellet conversion kit. That I believe was priced at about $1100 over the cost of the P38.

 

[Wet1]

I wouldn't pay an additional $1100 for what is, as I understand it, basically a P38 with auto start. Then again, I don't have much use for the auto start function, at least not $1100 worth of use!

 

[ducker]

I wouldn't pay an additional $1100 for what is, as I understand it, basically a P38 with auto start. Then again, I don't have much use for the auto start function, at least not $1100 worth of use!

that's what I was thinking... it looks virtually the same. The look on that brochure might only be add on louvers, and edging around the window.
$1100 for an auto start? pass.

 

[nored]

I dont think the P43 actually went into production this year at all. I saw it in the spring but because of what all went down in the early part of summer it never came to the market. Chances are its a PC45. Which burn pellets quite well if you use the pellet conversion kit. That I believe was priced at about $1100 over the cost of the P38.

From what I am told, Harman made 300 to test the new line. 47 of these went to one stove shop in Auburn, Maine.
Originally, stove shops were told it would not go into production this year, but apparently they had nothing better to do (like make some stoves people have already bought!) so they went ahead with these 300 p43's.

 

[Delta-T]

In that case, I dont think its worth the $1100 at all. Consider that the price difference between a P61 and a P61A is $300-$400 I would expect the P43 to be about that much more than a P38.