Heatilator Ecochoice CAB50 versus Harman P43

[imokuok]

Hello all. I am new to the forum and looking for some advice. I have been looking around at different brand pellet stoves in my area. The two that stand out to me are the Heatilator Cab50 and the Harman P43. I have seen many posts on the Harmans but not too many on the Heatilator. Out of the three dealers I went to they all carry the Cab50. Like anything, I know there can be problems with one or the other if they are not maintained. The thing that sticks out most to me is the $1000 price difference between the two. Plus the Cab 50 has 7000 more BTU's. So the question I ask is, what are your opinions on the two when all I really want is heat?

 

[railfanron]

In my opinion you get what you pay for. I looked at the Heatilator before I bought my P43. I thought it was much cheaper in construction than the Harmon. YMMV
Ron

 

[Ctcarl]

I learned the hard way. You surely get what you pay for.My harman p35i is a night and day differnce to the enviro ef3 I traded in.True it's not the cab50 your talking about I honeslty never heard of it.I can attest that the Harman is a amazing stove.good luck

 

[NHMAN1]

I just spent a long time looking at the CAB50 specs. It looks like a pretty big stove. I don't have any experience with the brand. I know when I bought my stove it came down to do I want to spend more money for a good name and a better warranty. The warranty was actually better back when I bought my Harman P38. With that said I agree with the others that you get what you pay for. and with pellet stoves some of them can be night and day. I would have to look at the CAB50 to be able to tell. I could not get a feel for it from the manual. I originally bought my P38 with the thought of heating a small addition to my house just a 16'x16' almost all glass room that is south facing. I have french doors leading into the room and after I fired up the stove 6 years ago I have not turned on the furnace for heat. I only use it to heat hot water.

This is the interesting thing that I just found out by looking at the warranty on the CAB50 and the Harman warranty they are the same company. If you look at both warranties they go under the same name Home & Hearth Technologies, Inc.
I am not sure what the story is there. I could be wrong but they look like they are a different division on them now.

 

[Lake Girl]

Home & Hearth Technologies has been buying up a few different stove manufacturers. I think Harman is the most recent one....

 

[The Ds]

We cant say enough good stuff about our PS50{a CAB50 with a smaller hopper}....Holds 2 bags of pellets......Relatively trouble free-couple of jams which were freed up w/ a metal coathanger gently pushed up the pellet chute of the stove{after cool down}....We were looking for a minimum of bells and whistles on this-our first stove-and the Low-Med-Hi switch of this stove was a big selling point..........Lotta Harman owners here......Lotta Harman help here......But the heatilator basically has "the guts of a quad"-and they are a legendary stove.......

 

[Hdhogger]

It all comes down to how much you want to spend on a pellet stove and where you're installing it. I opted for the CAB50 - $1499. in 2012. Stove is installed in the basement so I wasn't going to spend 3K + for a Harmon with the same BTU rating. If I was installing in the living room yes I would go for the Harmon.
Have put 9 + ton through my CAB without a hitch. (Knock on wood)

 

[DenisB]

Bought a CAB50 to heat my insulated garage (28'x40'x10') over a year ago. The unit is connected to a Thermostat and is set to Med. It keep my garage nice an warm at 15C even when we got some nights of -42C. The fans are a bit loud for a living area but don't hear them in the garage. The only problem I had with it was a defective vacuum switch that was the dealer replace right away.

 

[imokuok]

I was told by the dealer that the cab50 is basically a cheaper version of the quad...Next issue would be where I want to install a stove. I would like to install it in a central location of the house but it will be close to a sliding glass door. Any help with the minimum distance from the oustside vent cap to a door or window can be using a OAK? Is it true that when using a OAK, the distance can be much shorter.

 

[SwineFlue]

Any help with the minimum distance from the oustside vent cap to a door or window can be using a OAK? Is it true that when using a OAK, the distance can be much shorter.

It varies by stove, and should be described in the owners manual.

 

[Lake Girl]

Cab 50 Clearances:
2. Distance from doors and opening windows, or gravity or ventilation air inlets into building:

a. Not less than 48 inches (1.2m) below;

b. Not less than 48 inches (1.2m) horizontally from;

c. Not less than 12 inches (305mm) above.

3. Distance from permanently closed windows;

a. Not less than 12 inches (305mm) below; horizontally from or above.


Does not appear to have statement that reduces distances from doors/windows when OAK used

 

[Lake Girl]

Harman P43 clearances:
B. The clearance to a window or door that may be opened must be a minimum of 48" to the side and 48" below
the window/door, and 12" above the window/door. (with outside air installed, 18” to side and below)
C. A 12" clearance to a permanently closed window is recommended to prevent condensation on the window.

 

[saladdin]

Little surprised with the warranty and "cheap" build remarks. People must not have figured out who makes the cab50.

There is a good group here with the cab50 and pretty overwhelmingly positive remarks. On my 3rd season and running like a top. Have it on programmable 'stat and works perfectly. Paid 1972 in my area for stove, install, pad and 1 ton of pellets.

I like the look of it but honestly even if it looked like an outhouse I'd still be proud of it. I really don't care about aesthetics. I care about heat.

I really don't understand why it's not considered "best bang for buck" stove out there.

 

[saladdin]

I was told by the dealer that the cab50 is basically a cheaper version of the quad...Next issue would be where I want to install a stove. I would like to install it in a central location of the house but it will be close to a sliding glass door. Any help with the minimum distance from the oustside vent cap to a door or window can be using a OAK? Is it true that when using a OAK, the distance can be much shorter.

Pellet stoves are space heaters. Put it as close as possible to the room you spend the most time in, central or not. Pushing heat to far corners of the house will be a bear. I'd have to really think about putting it close to sliding doors. Maybe with an oak it wouldn't matter. I wonder how much heat the glass itself would suck up.

 

[St_Earl]

this thread could be titled range rover vs. subaru and the result would be basically the same in my eyes.
i love my subaru. it has never let me down.

 

[saladdin]

this thread could be titled range rover vs. subaru and the result would be basically the same in my eyes.
i love my subaru. it has never let me down.

Yea. I really think this is a budget question. Between the 2 can you pick a bad stove? I don't think so. It's about what you want to pay.

 

[jenileigh]

We went to our local dealer to buy the CAB50 but then caught sight of the Harman Accentra freestanding. It was double the $$$ for the Harman but we are very happy with it. And it went in our living room so the aesthetics did play alittle part in our decision.