Harman XXV or Quadrafire Mt. Vernon

[mlwschultz]

Looking for another stove (different house). Have a XXV now & been happy with it until recently when it started squeaking (not carbon) and dealer had to fix the hole at the end of the auger tube (defect). We had the XXV installed 6/08. They brought the stove back yesterday, still squeaking, but not as bad as it was. Stove heats very well (burning NEWP - started the season with about 4.5 tons in the garage). Anyways, we're considering another stove & have narrowed it down to either another XXV (hesitant now) or a Quadrafire Mt. Vernon AE. Either will heat the space equally well. Also considering a stoker coal stove like the Leisure Line Pioneer.

Harman dealer wants $700 for piping and $500 labor to install the XXV stove to go out through the wall, then extend up a few feet so exhaust isn't coming out onto the deck. The $700 for pipe seems awfully high to me (especially when we've seen piping kits for under $200! Still waiting for an installation quote from the Quad dealer. Both dealers are about 2 hours away from the house. Most commonly available pellets there are the Corinth pellets. Rice coal is readily available.

Looking for recommendations - stay with Harman XXV, go for the Quadrafire, or switch to coal. Pros? Cons?

Thanks!!

 

[Lousyweather]

why not try the Quad? Its a good name, and after using both, you can give us all an informed decision!

 

[anka]

I would also try the quad-looks like a great stove-

Anka

 

[goatman-68]

I liked the looks of the Quad, but bought the XXV. I think the XXV has a larger ash pan and is easier to clean. Mt. Vernon AE stoves probably have their share of issues just like the XXV. If I was going to buy another one I would probably try the Quad myself. Good luck on your decision.........

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Gee I do not know?

Eric

 

[goatman-68]

Gee I do not know?

Eric

When you set them next to each other, I actually like the look of the Quad more than the XXV, even though I got a XXV..........

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Yes the Quad is a little "easier on the eyes" and has a few more options. Ease of understanding brings the XXV to the top of the list next to the Mt Vernon.

Eric

Gee I do not know?

Eric

When you set them next to each other, I actually like the look of the Quad more than the XXV, even though I got a XXV..........

 

[tinkabranc]

That Mt Vernon is a handsome stove for sure. I love my XXV but if I was
in the market for another big one, I would check out that Mt Vernon because
it can burn multifuel.

 

[mlwschultz]

Next question - would you have dealer install the stove, or do it yourself? We're talking $500 (Quad w/oak) to $700 (Harman, no oak) for piping, plus $500-600 for labor, for the dealer installation and we can probably get piping to install it ourselves for $200 or so. What to watch out for if we're installing it ourselves? This is a through the wall installation, needs to rise up a few feet outside due to deck situation (so not just straight out through wall).

Thanks for your input!

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Harman's wall thimble has the air intake built in.

All depends on the deck and how it will be in the way.

Venting can be as little as an adapter, 3"x24" pipe, wall thimble, and cap. That is around $120-$150.

Both stoves are very heavy as pellet stove go.

The Quad needs the thermostat wired so it should run more.

We charge $400-$500 for standard through the wall plus pipe. But if there are issues it could run more but we attempt to notify the homeowner as soon as we can if there is an issue.

Eric

 

[swalz]

After the experience I have had with Harman I would not consider either stove since they are both owned by HHT. It all depends on the dealer and where I live the support for both these stoves sucks.

 

[maglite67]

The quad you would have to relearn pellet stoves a whole new animal. The XXV has cheaper parts the Quad you can bet on great proformance and expensive parts.

 

[mlwschultz]

Still not seeing anything to sway our decision one way or the other. Installed pricing will be similar, so that's not a factor influencing our decision.

How often does the Mt. Vernon have to go through the autoclean cycle? I understand this shuts the stove down & then it has to re-ignite the fire. Does this make the stove burn more pellets or go through ignitors faster than a stove that runs continuously. Our Harman XXV stove runs continuously to maintain a set room temperature, unless I shut it down for cleaning. Seems like the Mt. Vernon requires more frequent maintenance (vacuuming). I also am concerned that the Mt. Vernon stove may burn through a lot more pellets than our XXV stove does to produce the same amount of heat. Is it more efficient to burn on manual settings or room temperature?

Concerns re: the Mt. Vernon - efficiency & burn rate of pellets, autoclean cycle causing more frequent ignition & wearing out the ignitor, more frequent maintenance (vacuuming).

Concerns re: Harman XXV - Squealing (not carbon, dealer coming out again soon) & Harman quality issues re: auger tube replacement, chain drive auger now changed to direct drive, how many other issues haven't been resolved on these stoves?

Can anyone provide more info re: pros/cons of these stoves? Stove will be installed in a remote location so reliability is a serious factor as service calls will be expensive (therefore want to keep to a minimum - will have dealer perform annual service).

 

[ch1306]

I have two Harman pellet stoves - one a fireplace insert and the other a freestanding unit. The freestanding unit is two years old. The insert is one year old. Both were completely serviced this summer.

I am extremely dissatisfied with both. As I write this message I am at home waiting for the dealer service tech to arrive. Neither stove works after burning approximately 1/2 ton of pellets in each. Neither will ignite. A few other comments:

- The dealer I bought these units from is pretty bad, but the others in the area frankly do not appear to be much better.

- The stoves are somewhat difficult to control. Thermostats do not work. Balancing room temperature is really a hit or miss deal.

- I can easily burn 40 pounds of pellets in 10 hours. Frequently they run out of pellets overnight. The stoves are usually very difficult to restart after they run out of pellets.

- When reporting this latest problem, the dealer's comment was to shoot some charcoal lighter fluid in the firebox and light with a match......that's not what I bought!!

- I am currently documenting all service problems and intend to attempt to have these units declared "lemons" under the Pennsylvania Lemon Law statutes. If anyone else has gone this route, I'd love to hear your experiences.

I would not recommend a Harman pellet stove. Very unsatisfactory performance.

 

[smoke show]

Still not seeing anything to sway our decision one way or the other. Installed pricing will be similar, so that's not a factor influencing our decision.

How often does the Mt. Vernon have to go through the autoclean cycle? I understand this shuts the stove down & then it has to re-ignite the fire. Does this make the stove burn more pellets or go through ignitors faster than a stove that runs continuously. Our Harman XXV stove runs continuously to maintain a set room temperature, unless I shut it down for cleaning. Seems like the Mt. Vernon requires more frequent maintenance (vacuuming). I also am concerned that the Mt. Vernon stove may burn through a lot more pellets than our XXV stove does to produce the same amount of heat. Is it more efficient to burn on manual settings or room temperature?

Concerns re: the Mt. Vernon - efficiency & burn rate of pellets, autoclean cycle causing more frequent ignition & wearing out the ignitor, more frequent maintenance (vacuuming).

Concerns re: Harman XXV - Squealing (not carbon, dealer coming out again soon) & Harman quality issues re: auger tube replacement, chain drive auger now changed to direct drive, how many other issues haven't been resolved on these stoves?

Can anyone provide more info re: pros/cons of these stoves? Stove will be installed in a remote location so reliability is a serious factor as service calls will be expensive (therefore want to keep to a minimum - will have dealer perform annual service).

autoclean times
soft wood- 3.2 hrs.
hardwood-2.1 hrs.
utility -1.2 hrs
corn - 2.4 hrs
sunflower- 2.4 hrs
wheat - 1.8 hrs.
these are estimates when running in the high output setting

 

[mlwschultz]

That seems like the Mt. Vernon would be shutting down pretty frequently. How does this affect the efficiency of the unit - will it burn more pellets stopping & restarting? How does this affect the lifespan of the ignitor?

Any other info regarding use of either of these stoves is useful. We have a 2008 XXV, so don't have experience with the direct drive auger on the newer XXV stoves and have no experience with Quad stoves. I'm comfortable with both dealers, so the decision rests on the stove itself.

 

[smoke show]

I think burning softwood pellets only you can expect about 3 years from an ignitor. Burning other fuels would be harder on the ignitor as it stays on longer and autocleans more frequently.

 

[mlwschultz]

Thanks for all of your input!

We've spoken with multiple Quadrafire dealers and have seen the MV burning at one of them. It sure throws the heat!! What I'm not comfortable with is the frequency of the auto-clean cycles & having to shut down the stove each time it does this. I think this will burn through ignitors more frequently & most likely lead to more temperature fluctuations in the house. We've decided to get another XXV. While we're not too happy with Harman having to repair the auger tube recently & still dealing with a squealing issue, overall the stove has performed very well for us. We're into our 2nd heating season with our 2008 stove & it has heated our ranch very well (burn 1 bag a day, slightly over 1 bag on the coldest days & heats the whole 1st floor - basement is heated by oil furnace). We expect it to do nicely for our cape too. We don't spend as much time at our 2nd house, so wanted a stove that would be reliable and that I didn't need to spend lots of time with frequent cleaning that the MV would require. The Harman dealer is very willing to come to our house if repairs are needed (we're 1.5-2 hours away). The Quadrafire dealer would come out too, but would charge more & said it wasn't that convenient for them but they service what they sell. The Harman dealer is in our area regularly & groups service calls for efficiency. We felt most comfortable staying with the stove we already know & have been satisifed with overall, rather than taking on something entirely new (but gave it careful consideration). I'm sure there are people very happy with their MV stove, but we decided it wasn't the right stove for us. So another XXV it is.

 

[Dougsey]

That auto-clean cycle would drive me nuts.