New Member, Need Help

[RKBAGUY]

Howdy, folks. New member here, need help with a purchase decision.

By way of a little backgrounder, I have a small home - chalet style with a footprint of 24x36 with finished basement (bedroom) that's about 2/3 below grade putting me at about 1500-ish square feet between the two floors. There's a natural wood fireplace upstairs (useless as a heat source), and a Quadrafire propane fireplace in the basement, but there's not much heat exchange between the floors, I have no desire to start cutting duct work into the house, and propane is pretty expensive to heat an entire home even if I could get exchange between the basement and upstairs. So, I've concluded what I need is a pellet insert.

I'm inclined to look for a pre-owned unit, because I've been out of work for some time now, but there are pros and cons, the benefit to a new unit being a warranty and the peace of mind knowing it'll work. I'm hoping you good folks can get me started off in the right direction in these ways:

1) If I buy new, what are the better makes/models that will offer the best value for my dollar? What features should I be looking for?
2) If I buy pre-owned, what should I look for, what should I avoid, and what sort of prep work am I in store for?

Case in point, there's a Quadrafire dealer in town not too far from me and I rather like the SantaFe model, but it's expensive. Or, I have a line on an older pre-owned Austroflamm model, but like buying a car, it's often what you don't see that can bite you in the butt. I'm pretty handy so I have no problem digging into things (luckily there's a Grainger not too far from here), but experience and ability in one area don't always translate to ability in another. Your feedback would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[glenc0322]

I can only speak for my stove. I have a Harman Accentra Insert (New) this will be my 3rd year and love it its easy to clean and will burn anything you dont need to buy expensive pellets but it was expensive. With that being said you should get alot of feed back on this site the members here are very helpful. I think the best thing to look at before you purchase any stove is if there is a problem who and where are you going to get the parts and service from. check your area and see what they are selling and buy a stove that they service so you wont be without heat. good luck and keep us posted

 

[rayttt]

I have a Harman Stand alone..but they make an insert..
It;s my strong belief that if you can afford it get a Harmon...
I just fixed my own (Had a brownout on my generator...damaging PC Board, and Im Experienced inside Electronics and power repairs)...and its well made and
Absolutely built well..and easy to clean. I was going to cheap out and get a box store one (which many users are quite happy with), but decided
since most stoves were comparing them selves to the Harman, I would get the one that is considered the standard and got the harmon P38+ ..
Ive been loving it ever since.


Whichever way you go.. good luck with it and come back here with any questions..someone will answer your questions.

 

[jtakeman]

Many of us started with used stoves or cheaper economical stoves. Kind of depends on you mechanical abilities. Many of us used the second hand stoves as a stepping stone into new after a few seasons of money stashed on what we have saved. If your handy and are not afraid of doing your own service/install? By all means a used unit is a good place to start looking. Most of us do our own service and full cleanings to add to the dollar savings of owning a pellet stove. Seeing the yearly cleaning can be as much as $350 ish depending on the unit you are using.

If you have no mechanical at all? I'd look at a dealer purchased unit and have them provide service. Some may have refurbished units that could be more economical. Some won't touch a used unit or have limits on what they will service. Some independents will do service and also install used stoves.

 

[RKBAGUY]

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Because I'm pretty handy - and mostly because I'm out of work right now and hurting financially - I'm inclined to favor a pre-owned model because full price would most likely be just too much of a stretch for me now.

Can someone comment on the Austroflamm line? There's an older unit I've been considering - not autostart or thermostatically controlled - but supposedly in good condition. Are they any good? Can they be converted to be autostart and can I add a thermostat?

Looking forward to further input.

 

[MountainSean]

If the Austroflamm is an Integra I would jump all over it as long as the price was right. If it was a Wega, not so much. I just don't like the Wega as much. Personally I love the Whitfield Advantage line and when I was in the market for a used stove I specifically looked for a II-T and drove several hundred miles to go pick it up when I found one.

 

[RKBAGUY]

It is the Integra, but an older model without autostart or thermostat. What would you consider a fair price? Also, per my previous question, is there any way to 'convert' the older models to be autostart and theromostatically controlled?

 

[imacman]

Since you stated that you're pretty handy, consider one of these Englander re-furbed units. They're done at the Englander factory by one of the forum members, who's the Sr. Tech there. They have full warranty, new OAK, and are as close to new as you can get. PLUS, save quite a bit of $$.

MANY happy customers on this forum too:

(broken link removed to http://www.amfmenergy.com/manufacturer-refurbished-stoves.html)

 

[RKBAGUY]

Hey, guys. Just wanted to check in for some last bits of advice before I take the plunge.

I decided to buy pre-owned because I just can't swing the cost of a new model. I have a pending deal on an older model Austroflamm Integra, but it occurred to me that I might be going about this the wrong way. It's been my assumption all along that I can fit an insert into my existing natural wood fireplace, but your input will help.

I've added two links below, one is a PDF diagram of the interior of the fireplace, the other is a shot looking up the flue. It would give me great comfort to know that I can fit this unit into what I have to work with. Can one of you guys confirm?

Thanks in advance!

(broken link removed)
(broken link removed)

 

[bill3rail]

Since you stated that you're pretty handy, consider one of these Englander re-furbed units. They're done at the Englander factory by one of the forum members, who's the Sr. Tech there. They have full warranty, new OAK, and are as close to new as you can get. PLUS, save quite a bit of $$. MANY happy customers on this forum too: (broken link removed to http://www.amfmenergy.com/manufacturer-refurbished-stoves.html)

This is a great idea! England's Stove support is unmatched!

Bill

PS RKBAGUY... Nice screen name.

 

[MCPO]

Two significant things to consider among others:
1.... you are out of work , and
2........you are handy.
My suggestion is to buy a used fully working stove in the $500 range off Craigslist . Or consider ( refurbed from AM/FM .com stoves ) if you can afford it.
There are plenty of good Englander pdvc models out there on Craigslist from those who simply wanted to step up to a fancier , more efficient , and costlier one. Most of these used ones can be plugged in and tested if necessary right outdoors at the sellers place. Chances are those that need work would be even less money but they are simple stoves to work on and parts are cheap and they are built rather good for the money. The bonus is factory phone service is free forever for whoever owns the stove at any given time.
I`m just offering this as a suggestion for a cheap way out to get your feet wet without drowning in debt over a new stove that otherwise loses it`s value like a new car.

 

[RKBAGUY]

Two significant things to consider among others:
1.... you are out of work , and
2........you are handy.
My suggestion is to buy a used fully working stove in the $500 range off Craigslist .

Thanks to all for the valuable insight and great feedback.

I pulled the trigger on the Austoflamm Integra yesterday having found dimensions elsewhere to confirm fit in my existing masonry fireplace. Paid $650 but it came with a boatload of parts like a spare convection motor, additional airflow sensors, extra high and low limit switches, and so on. Heck, it even had the surround, which I wasn't expecting because it wasn't depicted or mentioned in the ad.

Now comes the part of cleaning her up. I found and downloaded the service manual and will be taking the shop vac to her. I'll post some pics later, if y'all wanna see 'em.

 

[nailed_nailer]

RKBAGUY.

In addition to using a vacuum on the new(used) stove.

Don't overlook the ease and thoroughness of compressed air to clean it out. (outside)

Carefully pull it all apart (outside) and really get into those hidden ash collection spots with the air.

Use a wire brush on anything that looks rough.

Don't bother to re-paint anything in the fire box. The heat will remove it anyway.

The three big areas of clean are......

Fuel (auger, tube, motor, firebox etc.)
Combustion air (from the firebox, past the ash traps, through the exhaust blower, out to the vent)
Convection air (Air source....Inside or outside) the convection blower, heat exchanger) inside stove cavity (pet hair)

Also do the dollar bill test on any door gaskets (search the site for it if needed)
Highly recommend a power conditioner/backup/surge protector

Post pictures....we love to help so ask any questions.

---Nailer---

 

[krooser]

After you are done with the shop vac, advance your cleaning to using compressed air then finish it off with the "leaf blower trick"... your stove should hum right along after a good cleaning.

One thing... i don't think Austroflamm's are sold in the US anymore... finding a good source for spare parts should be a priority for you just in case. Good stoves from what I hear...

 

[RKBAGUY]

Are there any photos that someone could point me to that illustrate a 'clean' stove from a 'dirty' one so I can have a point of reference? I'm asking, because either the previous owner did much of the cleaning already, or my idea of 'clean' is someone else's idea of filthy.

 

[nailed_nailer]

Basically....Clean is "Ash Free"

If you blow compressed air into/onto, around it and it makes a cloud then it Ain't clean.

Blower motors and fans (blades and shrouds) need the most attention.

---Nailer---

 

[RKBAGUY]

Basically....Clean is "Ash Free"

If you blow compressed air into/onto, around it and it makes a cloud then it Ain't clean.

Blower motors and fans (blades and shrouds) need the most attention.

---Nailer---

Will do. I have a 2 gallon contractor grade compressor, so I'll take that to it tomorrow and see what happens... after I 'suit up' with a face mask and goggles. ;-)

 

[nailed_nailer]

just stand up wind,

---Nailer---

 

[luckydist]

The Integra is a near bullet proof stove, old or new. Brand new Integra's, with auto start and thermostat capability, are available for around $2500. You should contact the Importer, Lucky Distributing, and see if you can get a deal. They also have a lot of out of box / demo models that come with a limited warranty. 503-252-1249 option 7.

 

[Vinelife]

Love my Santa Fe