Jotul vs Quad Warranty & First Run Units - Thoughts?

[vegemom]

Based on the recommendation of my local stove shop guy, I was trying to decide between the Quad 4100i and the Jotul C 550 Rockland that is due in November. Because of the way my fireplace is currently designed, the Quad will not trim out in a way I like, so I am thinking I will go with the Rockland since it will fit nicely in the space I have without having to re-work the fireplace surround. Two things are holding me back from ordering the Jotul and I would appreciate your thoughts:

First, Jotul units have a 5-yr warranty versus a limited lifetime warranty from Quadra-fire.. my stove shop rep said they have very few warrany claims from any manufacturers, and in their experience all the big companies stand behind their units regardless of the warranty status. Is this accurate from your experience? How much importance would you place on the warranty when deciding between two comparable wood inserts?

Second, the Jotul C 550 Rockland unit is just coming out in November, so we would be buying a unit that has not been 'field tested'.. has this caused a problem for ayone? Is there any reason for me to be concerned?

Okay.. with a little more help I should be ready to place my order by Monday morning.. thank you for all of the helpful information!

 

[senorFrog]

I had a very small warranty issue with my jotul oslo. I overreacted as it was a new stove and the expense was considerable. They took care of it no problem through the dealer with no hassle. I think one or two of the posters here are jotul dealers and have a direct line to jotul if need be.

This is a gas insert right? My sister got the Katahdin last year, which I think was it's first year, no problems.

 

[TMonter]

I can tell you from direct experience Quadrafire does stand behind their warranty. I had a stress crack in a secondary manifold from a bad weld and they stepped up and provided a complete new stove.

I can't imagine Jotul is any different, however do keep in mind that stress cracks and the such can form after a five year period. It's not real common but it does happen.

I wouldn't buy a new model stove, but would rather stick with something that has a proven track record. Even reputable manufacturers can have serious problems with new lines of products.

 

[vegemom]

senorFrog: This will be a wood insert, so I don't know how it would compare to a first year gas insert.. but it can't be a bad thing, right?
TMonter: Thanks for the input.. I would be leary of buying a new model car, and wondered if I should have the same feling about a new model insert. The dealer I plan to use is reputable and has been around for a long time, so I expect they would do their part, but it sure would be an inconvenience to have to sit around waiting for a replacement part or even a whole unit as some forum posters have had to do. The fireplace (not an insert) in our last home was a BIS II, which was excellent, and Security (the manufacturer) stood behind it even though we were not the original installers/owners of the 10-year-old unit. I hope to get such good customer service from whichever company we go with for this new insert.. though I guess if all goes well we would never need it!

 

[senorFrog]

Vegemom, sorry the only 550 i saw on their website was for gas inserts. Hopefully some others will chime in.

 

[Shane]

I havent' read a Quad warranty in over a year, but the last time i read it all real coverage ended at 5 years as well. between 5 and 7 years seems to be the industry standard warranty. I always encouraged people to actually read the warranty not just the headlines of "limited lifetime" etc.

 

[vegemom]

This is from the Quad warranty: "The Hearth & Home Technologies limited Lifetime Warranty guarantees that the following components will work as designed for the lifetime of the stove or Hearth & Home Technologies will repair or replace them. These items include but are not limited to steel and cast iron components, all gas burners, gas logs, combustion chambers, heat exchanger systems, stainless steel firebox components, plating, doors, glass damaged by thermal breakage, steel baffle supports, steel and ceramic baffles and manifold tubes. Labor is for the first five years." They also limit other parts to one, two, or three years. All told, 'five year' and 'limited lifetime' probably aren't that different.

I really like the Quad 4100i.. aargh.. if only the trim out was two inches smaller!! :roll:

 

[Shane]

It's my understanding that the definition of lifetime in most states is 7 years.