Harman PC45: Deal or No Deal

[yak651]

Local vendor has a Harman PC45 for sale, closeout with conversion kit for wood pellet burning. On sale for $2295 with the conversion kit. Another store has the Enviro FS on sale for $1745. Looking into a pellet stove to suplement heat, as I'm on propane and am sure next year the price is going to sky rocket. I believe the Harman is suppose to be a higher quality stove, but haven't heard much about the PC45, more about the P38 and 61. What do you guys think?

 

[rayttt]

personally I dont know about the p45 (I have a p38 and love it)
but I've seen a few post issues with one stove or another with a conversion kit
to allow for burning wood pellets..and personally In my opinion..if you intend to burn
wood pellets get one thats made for wood pellets...
Ive seen too many posts on here in last month or so about people wanting to pull
their hair out etc.
This is my first 1/2 season burning wood pellets..and after ALOT of research on these forums
and scanning alot of opinions I decided to get the p38 because it met my needs the best,
and so far I love it...clean it once a week in all of 3 minutes and it puts out the heat pretty good.
Its non auto ignite which I decided was not needed for me..as I lite it once a week after vacuuming it out.

But again..I would get a stove intended to burn what you have readily available..not something converted to
burn it...less headaches in the long run.

 

[ugenetoo]

the pc- 45 is the only one i would consider.
it is basicly a p-61 with a stir rod in the burnpot to deal with the clinker issues when burning biomass other than pellets.
leave the stir rod out, install the larger hole blower cover, and you have a p-61 to burn pellets.
for the extra money, you have the option of burning the least expensive fuel available to you in your area.
i should also say that i have two pc-45 harmons and a 6039hf installed in two homes. ive used one pc-45 for three years, and have been well satisfied with the stove and the company's warrenty.

steve

 

[yak651]

Bump for those with opinions that may have been gone for easter. Also, the more i read the more it looks like the pellet stove is more of a space heater than supplemental heat. Anyone successfully have the stove in a basement application that will heat the 1st floor of a open stairwell/open concept ranch? Or am I setting myself up to be disappointed installing it in the basement and expecting it to heat to about 68 upstairs (I would still be running my forced air propane furnace, just would like to limit the amount it "kicks in" during the day)

 

[tinkabranc]

Anyone successfully have the stove in a basement application that will heat the 1st floor of a open stairwell/open concept ranch?

This is a tough question because there are so many variables.
Alot depends on your floorplan, your climate, insulation of your home...etc

My home is a well insulated ranch and we have our XXV in our finished basement
with open stairwell to first floor. The stove heats the basement and keeps the 1st floor
fairly comfortable too. Bedrooms at far end of the house are a little bit cooler than
the rest of the house, but comfortable as long as we keep the doors all open.
Furnace rarely runs.

 

[Kenny1]

...Also, the more i read the more it looks like the pellet stove is more of a space heater than supplemental heat. Anyone successfully have the stove in a basement application that will heat the 1st floor of a open stairwell/open concept ranch?

Depending on the winters in your area, the size of your house, the insulation, placement of the stove (and a wack of other factors that I am fogetting), it may work.

We have our stove in the basement and it will keep the upstairs comfortable, but the basement area is quite warm. When very cold, or with high winds, we still run our oil furnace.

As you point out, stoves are AREA heaters, and should be put where you want the heat. However, that may not always be pratical (and in our case, we wanted heat in the basement to make it usable in the cold winter months).

Cheers