Hi all,
Normally I ask for advice on various topics on Reddit but everyone there said to come here for good advice on pellet stoves, so here I am!
Background: Live in Southern New Hampshire and am looking to replace a Woodstock Soapstone stove (Fireview model - circa 2004 - came with house) with a pellet stove for ease of fuel storage and more efficient temperature regulation, especially overnight. This would be the primary heating source (propane baseboard alternate) for our first floor (1700 sq ft), but primarily concerned about the family room, kitchen, and office, which are closest to the stove. Second story has an air heatpump as well as propane baseboard, but any heat that makes its way upstairs via the stairwell would be appreciated.
Criteria: I want something that will get the Wife Approval Factor (WAF), is reliable with good, consistent heat output, and solid warranty/customer service. I am typically long-term value focused - I don't mind paying more up front if the average cost per year will be lower. Also, I am semi-mechanically inclined and can usually fix things/replace parts based on the manual or some YouTube tutorials.
Options: We went out visiting stove shops yesterday and the first one we went to was having a tent sale for 10% off on hardware with the price effective until Tuesday. We liked the look of the Harman XXV but it isn't tax credit eligible, so that moved us to the Lopi Deerfield as an alternative. However, that is the most expensive of the bunch and for the same money I feel the higher BTU Absolute 63 would be better? We are also okay with the looks of the more industrial looking Harman P61, even the wife.
The next two local stores only carry Quad products (although one could get Harman from a sister store further up-state), and given the size we are looking to heat felt like the Trekker was the best option. I know Quad and Harman are owned by the same corporation, just different price points/styles. Both also honored the 10% sale from the first store until Tuesday. MSRPs were the same so no need to differentiate in the table.
Being a finance guy, I tried to break it down by the numbers but I know there are other qualitative factors to consider. Kept install estimates consistent at $2K as that is what most shops were quoting depending on actual materials needed to convert from wood to pellets and potential for a chimney liner based on inspection.
Advice: Interested to hear more from the bigger brain on what might be the best for us and if there is anything I may have missed?
Thank you for all the help and look forward to being part of the community!
Normally I ask for advice on various topics on Reddit but everyone there said to come here for good advice on pellet stoves, so here I am!
Background: Live in Southern New Hampshire and am looking to replace a Woodstock Soapstone stove (Fireview model - circa 2004 - came with house) with a pellet stove for ease of fuel storage and more efficient temperature regulation, especially overnight. This would be the primary heating source (propane baseboard alternate) for our first floor (1700 sq ft), but primarily concerned about the family room, kitchen, and office, which are closest to the stove. Second story has an air heatpump as well as propane baseboard, but any heat that makes its way upstairs via the stairwell would be appreciated.
Criteria: I want something that will get the Wife Approval Factor (WAF), is reliable with good, consistent heat output, and solid warranty/customer service. I am typically long-term value focused - I don't mind paying more up front if the average cost per year will be lower. Also, I am semi-mechanically inclined and can usually fix things/replace parts based on the manual or some YouTube tutorials.
Options: We went out visiting stove shops yesterday and the first one we went to was having a tent sale for 10% off on hardware with the price effective until Tuesday. We liked the look of the Harman XXV but it isn't tax credit eligible, so that moved us to the Lopi Deerfield as an alternative. However, that is the most expensive of the bunch and for the same money I feel the higher BTU Absolute 63 would be better? We are also okay with the looks of the more industrial looking Harman P61, even the wife.
The next two local stores only carry Quad products (although one could get Harman from a sister store further up-state), and given the size we are looking to heat felt like the Trekker was the best option. I know Quad and Harman are owned by the same corporation, just different price points/styles. Both also honored the 10% sale from the first store until Tuesday. MSRPs were the same so no need to differentiate in the table.
Being a finance guy, I tried to break it down by the numbers but I know there are other qualitative factors to consider. Kept install estimates consistent at $2K as that is what most shops were quoting depending on actual materials needed to convert from wood to pellets and potential for a chimney liner based on inspection.
| Unit | Lopi Deerfield | Harman P61 | Harman Absolute 63 | Quadra-Fire Trekker |
| BTU | 50,000 | 61,000 | 63,000 | 51,000 |
| Unit Price | $ 5,852.00 | $ 4,809.00 | $ 5,539.00 | $ 4,789.00 |
| Price after 10% Off | $ 5,266.80 | $ 4,328.10 | $ 4,985.10 | $ 4,310.10 |
| Installation Estimate | $ 2,000.00 | $ 2,000.00 | $ 2,000.00 | $ 2,000.00 |
| Total Price | $ 7,266.80 | $ 6,328.10 | $ 6,985.10 | $ 6,310.10 |
| Less Tax Credit | $ 2,000.00 | $ 2,000.00 | $ 2,000.00 | $ 1,893.03 |
| Effective Price | $ 5,266.80 | $ 4,328.10 | $ 4,985.10 | $ 4,417.07 |
| BTU per $ | 9.49 | 14.09 | 12.64 | 11.55 |
| Other Benefits | Bottom Fed, traditional stove look | Bottom Fed, simpler look | Bottom Fed, traditional stove look | Top Fed, ext. therm, traditional stove look |
Advice: Interested to hear more from the bigger brain on what might be the best for us and if there is anything I may have missed?
Thank you for all the help and look forward to being part of the community!
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