new member - opinion on stove

[rparker]

New member, looks like the place for honest opinions. Never had a pellet stove, grew up with wood so I know the plusses and minuses.
Narrowed search down to Harman P43 and Quadrafire Classic Bay 1200. Price is definitely a concern so leaning towards Quadrafire.
Dealer also showed a Heatilator EcoChoice PS50. Quite a bit cheaper but "you get what you pay for".
Any opioions?
TIA

 

[begreen]

Welcome. I can only comment on the Classic Bay 1200i. This is the pellet stove we had. It was a good heater and reliable. I liked that it only required cleaning once a week during the dead of winter and only once every other week in spring and fall. The big hopper is also a plus and most components are off the shelf available from Grainger. The only regular failure we had was with the inexpensive fan snap switch that controls when the convection fan comes on and off. I went through 3 in 5 years. Fortunately the switch is very easy to access via the left side door and they are available from other suppliers for under $10. Just be sure to get one of the same temp rating and amperage. On the flipside, this stove has a great igniter. They gave us a spare, but after 5 yrs. we still were on our original. Our stove was hooked up to an inexpensive digital, setback thermostat. It was sure nice to come down at 6am to a warm house. I would recommend this strongly. When we sold the stove it looked and ran like new. It is a solid unit.

If you are coming from wood I'd add a few caveats. They aren't serious, but worth knowing. First, if the stove has electronics and you are in an area with less than ideal power, put it on a decent 500-1000w UPS to protect the electronics. That will also give you about 30min runtime for shorter outages. Second, insert hoppers are shallower so the pellets can sometimes cling to the sides of the hopper. Keep the hopper shiny clean and give it a coat of silicone once a month to keep them flowing better. Third, we found this stove ran best with premium softwood pellets. That is how we got the long cleaning interval with good heat. And last, a pellet stove is going to be noisy compared to a wood fire. It is essentially a wood furnace. The 1200i is older tech than the Mt. Vernon and is a noisier stove. Not horrible, but noticeable.

 

[roadking88]

i bought the p43 and it runs pretty quite...the reviews on it are 2nd to none..
my buddy has one and he loves it..
you can burn any type of pellet because the stove adjust itself to burn any kind.
looking forward to the winter to try it out...

 

[rona]

There should be a list of questions to answer for anyone that is planning on buying a pellet or multi fuel stove. Most of us that own stoves can help but in the end it is the potential owner that has to be happy with his purchase.
How important is the "look" of the stove? the traditional look or more modern
Are you going to be home all day to add fuel or do you want it to run 24 hours without adding fuel?
How often do you want to clean your stove? some require cleaning more often then others
Do you want a stove that ignites with a push of the button and runs off a thermostat or will you be satisfied with one that has to be lit by hand and has low-med-high for controls
Are you a handy-man willing to get dirty and learn or do you call a service technician when you have a problem.
I have seen people that bought a pellet stove that should have stuck with electric heat. They were never told about routine maintenance and just wanted to go (green).
If you want a pellet stove insert to replace a wood fire be aware you have a small pellet hopper that will require loading fairly often.
Good dealer support is very important so look carefully and choose wisely. Some are very good and sad to say others are like used car salesmen.
If you are handy and willing to learn don't be afraid of buying off e-bay but know what you are buying and talk with people who own what you are looking at. You can save a lot of money this way if you know what you are doing.
Also check Craigs list but once again spend a lot of time reading and learning. Sometimes people sell a perfectly good stove because they found a different model that is better for their purposes.
My suggestions would be a multi fuel stove with adjustments for fuel rate and air mixture. This will allow you to fine-tune the fire for several fuels. I would also want a large hopper so I wouldn't have to refill the stove very often and a large ash drawer that would only have to be dumped every couple of days burning corn or some high volume ash pellets.
Also be aware that some models are all controlled by a mother board that has a mind of its own and the company is the only place to get them fixed.

 

[rparker]

Thanks for the info so far.
To answer the questions:
1. looks are somewhat important. Will be going in the living room.
2. will be away during the day (7AM to 6PM)
3. cleaning and maintenance are not big issues.
4. want auto start.
5. handty enough to do what I need and smart enough to call for help when necessary. Will probably do the install myself.
6. free-standing unit - not an insert.
Don't want to buy first one used. Figured would be better to have warranty, dealer support if needed.

 

[rona]

I would encourage a programmable thermostat and most stoves will work with them. Next would be if you know people that are burning pellets it would be a good idea to gain from their experience.
Price and name recognition seem to go hand in hand. I would stay away from some of the real cheapies. If you can narrow the brand or model down it would help you with your choices.
The size or BTU needed will narrow your search. One old but proven saying comes to mind. You can always turn it down but if it is on high and you are still cold you won't be happy.
This is one appliance that will pay for itself and you really want to do it right the first time.
when you look at the various stoves and they advertise the btus keep in mine if it has to shut off to dump the burnpot that means there is going to be times when you aren't getting any btus until the stove is back up and running. Basically this means a stove running steady will put out more heat then one that stops periodically to dump the burn pot.
Actually if you knew someone that services several different brands of stoves he could probably tell you good reliable models and some to stay away from.
Some people make a big deal about bottom feed or top feed stoves. I have both and they both work good for me. Both have electronic ignition which is nice but is another thing to go wrong.
Later in the season more people will be active on this forum and they will give you more advice.

 

[hossthehermit]

Been some wicked good reperts from a couple people that have burned the Heatilator. Use the search function on here for heatilator

 

[DexterDay]

The Heatilator is Great Stove. All said, its made made H & H. The SAME Compant that builds Quadrafires and owns Harman also. So no matter wgat you buy, the money is going to the same place.

The Heatilator PS 50 has the same components as the CB 1200. It the same stove, with a different shell and a different way of convecting the heat. (PS-50 has no heat exchanger, per say. Like an old woodstove, heat is blown around the outside of the firebox). That said, its still every bit as easy to use and heat with. Forum member kinsmanstoves has A Stove Shop. I went there last year and seen his PS-50 in action. He had almost 50 bags ran through it, and had not stopped to even clean the glass (Amazing!).

The CB 1200 is a Great stove also. You will spend more money, but the styling is a little nicer the the B-B-B. And Harman, well with all Harmans come Quality.

So I think its comes down to Dealer support, Styling (what you like), and Budget. They all will do the same job and do it well..

 

[rparker]

Does the heat exchange setup make a lot of difference?

 

[imacman]

........Forum member kinsmanstoves has A Stove Shop. I went there last year and seen his PS-50 in action. He had almost 50 bags ran through it, and had not stopped to even clean the glass (Amazing!)......

Dexter, you seem to have forgotten who and what stove, won the big "how long can your stove go w/o any cleaning" contest last fall.....as I remember, it wasn't the PS-50.

www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/65377/
:cheese:

 

[DexterDay]

Does the heat exchange setup make a lot of difference?

One uses tubes (CB 1200), one uses an accordion style ( Harman P-43), and the Heatilator uses Convective Heat off of the box (Firebox is housed inside a steel box/like a wood stove),

Is one better than the other? Maybe. As Far as heat thrown. The PS-50 is on Par with the Quad. Never owned a Harman, cannot comment (Not knocking them at all, they work well, and are a proven product/Many Forum members have them). All 3 you listed are Good products. Produced by the same company, that come with comparable warranties.

 

[DexterDay]

........Forum member kinsmanstoves has A Stove Shop. I went there last year and seen his PS-50 in action. He had almost 50 bags ran through it, and had not stopped to even clean the glass (Amazing!)......

Dexter, you seem to have forgotten who and what stove, won the big "how long can your stove go w/o any cleaning" contest last fall.....as I remember, it wasn't the PS-50.

www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/65377/
:cheese:

I remember.. All to well... The Heatilator didnt win, but it was a contender. Even though it has the same internals, I still dont think my Quad would go that long/Or I couldnt let it go that long...

... Thats why I am looking into the 10-CPM.. I normally always give the Englander a name drop. But I was only going with the options listed by the OP.. You if anyone should know how much I LIKE/LOVE the Big 10. LOL.. I want nothing more than to have it replace my Quad. But for a Learner stove. He did say his "First Stove"he wanted to buy new, for dealer support. That means he too will learn and have numerous stoves.. I hope not more than me though... HE heheheh... LOL

 

[imacman]

....But I was only going with the options listed by the OP.. You if anyone should know how much I LIKE/LOVE the Big 10. LOL......

I know...just kidding ya.

From what I've read on the forum, the CB1200 is a good solid stove.

As a matter of fact, when I first started looking into buying a pellet stove, a local dealer (who was going out of business at the time) had 2 stoves up on a storage rack in his warehouse (both were little-used store display models)....one was an Avalon Astoria, and the other was a CB1200. I got the better deal on the Avalon, but it could as easily been the CB.....just matter of $$.

Looking back a year or so later, I realized that either stove was a good, solid unit. IMO, the CB will give the OP a bigger bang for his buck.

 

[DexterDay]

....But I was only going with the options listed by the OP.. You if anyone should know how much I LIKE/LOVE the Big 10. LOL......

I know...just kidding ya.

From what I've read on the forum, the CB1200 is a good solid stove.

As a matter of fact, when I first started looking into buying a pellet stove, a local dealer (who was going out of business at the time) had 2 stoves up on a storage rack in his warehouse (both were little-used store display models)....one was an Avalon Astoria, and the other was a CB1200. I got the better deal on the Avalon, but it could as easily been the CB.....just matter of $$.

Looking back a year or so later, I realized that either stove was a good, solid unit. IMO, the CB will give the OP a bigger bang for his buck.

Agreed.. Also he said its going in the living room.. The CB 1200 Looks good in a corner (Not taking from the Harman, Still a good looking stove/ but the Heatilator shares a Similar Box Look).. For the Money, I would do it again. I know I want another one.. But.. It has been a heck of a unit. Love it to death. I have 2 friends at work that bought one also. One is a freestanding, (Bought 1 week after he seen mine) and the other an insert (Bought 4 months after). Mine heated my house by itself for 3 seasons. The Fahrenheit, Well its For Sale (Good Deal/ Dumb Decision). The Wood stove is being installed in September.

To the OP... All are good units. Styling on the CB is better than the other 2. The Harman I believe is the most pricey. But also a GREAT unit. Heatilator. BTU per Buck is the best, just wont win any beauty contests.

 

[rparker]

Thanks for the info. Really leaning towards the Quadrafire CB1200. New question: outdoor air kit or not?

 

[imacman]

..... New question: outdoor air kit or not?

YES!

 

[DexterDay]

..... New question: outdoor air kit or not?

YES!

X2..

 

[rparker]

Next : doing install myself. Any issues to be aware of?
Do I get standard piping install kit from stove supplier or get my own? Standard kit does not have outdoor air kit.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[imacman]

Next : doing install myself. Any issues to be aware of?
Do I get standard piping install kit from stove supplier or get my own? Standard kit does not have outdoor air kit.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Thanks.

Depends.....if you can figure out exactly what pipes you need, ordering online will save you $$. 2 places I HIGHLY recommend as places to buy are:

Eric at Kinsman Stoves....great guy, good prices, and will give discount to hearth.com members. (call him at the Brookfield store, and tell him imacman said Hi) www.kinsmanstoves.com He is also a Quad dealer.

And the other is DynamiteBuys.com ....they are very good to do business with also, and give free shipping. www.dynamitebuys.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=45

I would give Eric a call first.

Another consideration is whether or not you plan on burning strictly wood pellets, or a pellet/corn mixture at some time in the future. The Quad will burn up to a 50/50 mixture......if so, you need to get corn-rated pipe.

 

[Alice]

New member, looks like the place for honest opinions. Never had a pellet stove, grew up with wood so I know the plusses and minuses.
Narrowed search down to Harman P43 and Quadrafire Classic Bay 1200. Price is definitely a concern so leaning towards Quadrafire.
Dealer also showed a Heatilator EcoChoice PS50. Quite a bit cheaper but "you get what you pay for".
Any opioions?
TIA

I bought two of them, one for my main house & one for my sun room. By two I mean two Heatilators. At this point I cannot recommend these stoves. Every week a problem with one or the other, either not igniting or not loading pellets, requiring expensive service calls. I do clean out the stoves on schedule, so that's not the issue.

 

[Bioburner]

I bought two of them, one for my main house & one for my sun room. By two I mean two Heatilators. At this point I cannot recommend these stoves. Every week a problem with one or the other, either not igniting or not loading pellets, requiring expensive service calls. I do clean out the stoves on schedule, so that's not the issue.

You managed to pickup a very very old thread.