Newbie Advice Needed :3 stoves, 1 decision

[Pastor Skip]

Greeting!
I want to say THANK YOU for having this Forum, website, and the knowledge shared by all. It has helped me narrow down choices (well, sort of!). here goes: have a 1951 Cape, BIG hearth in living room but not an "open floorplan" layout, hearth sits about 10' from doorway into dining room and staircase to the 3 bedrooms and bath upstairs (house 2 floors aprox 1300 sqft). Replacing woodstove that helped us save 400+ gallons of oil with 2 cords burned several afternoons/evenings per week, and would like to more than supplement my oilheat with pellet to run roomtemp regularly (except for cleaning downtime). Harman seems logical but not so practical financially. After researching, talking with friends that have pellet stoves, visiting several dealers, my head is spinning and my wallet is quivering...I have 3 stoves that appear to be quality contenders, looking for advice on final choice between

-Brand New still in box (crate) Ecoteck Francesca (Stove shop auction sale, so no "dealer", but believe manufacturer warranty would apply?) $1950! OR

-"Lightly used" showroom display Napolean NPS40, $1500 (no warranty except on heat exchanger and a 2 hr drive away) OR

-Used Austroflamm (Rika) Integra with vent pipe, "refurbed" by stove reseller, $1750 OR

-New Heatilator CAB50 $1750

I know you are exhausted reading all this, and have read Forum posts that often "skew to whatever that owner happens to have for a brand"-but I also value the expertise and community here.

Let the fun begin!
Thanks and Blessings to all-

 

[St_Earl]

that's full msrp for the cab50,
they can be had lots cheaper.

but you can get an englander for less than all of those. factory refurbed and warrantied.
i'd say at least learn about the englanders before you pull the trigger

i'm very happy with my heatilator.
but i also think i should have gone with an englander.

if my house wasn't perfectly small, i may have had actual regrets.
the heatilators have a flat plate as a heat exchanger. a cheaper way to do it. but not as effective.
i spent 3 intensive weeks here learning and it came down to the heatilator and the englander.
having dealer support was why i chose the PS50. but knowing what i know now, i think i may have chosen the englander.
we were moving into our new house and i had to choose. but as time went by, i saw that englander has excellent customer support. but they do it over the phone or internet.
one of the main guys with englander is on the forum here and he or others may chime in on this aspect.

i believe the price range is around $1,000 to $1,200 depending on the model.
it's a lot of stove for the money from all i've ever read here.

 

[Pastor Skip]

You know I looked into Englanders...then I start hearing/reading to "not buy the boxstore stuff"...?

 

[Bioburner]

What's your level of mechanical ability with some electrical? Ecoteck probably won't have any warranty though is a nice stove. Heatilator basic robust. Have you checked out a refurb Englander? Mike here seems to get most problems solved and even shows up on Sunday. Have you been trolling CL? I checked yesterday in my state and there was three Harmans for under 1500.

 

[jtakeman]

Welcome to the group skip,

How handy are you at repairs?

Ecoteck Francesca might be ok but a tad small.

No on the NPS40 to small and its a manual stove. If you want the Harman feel, Pick a stove with a that excepts a stat. Personnally I think you'd want to stay close to 50K unit.

Integra might be a nice fit.

I don't like the cab50 because of the heat exchanger or lack there off I should say. Also likes to skip starts on occasion, so stat option is risking a cold house.

Check out Englander stove works. Some good stove for small money. Also getting nice reviews on the SBI stoves(Drolet and Ecotec). You have to be the service tech with these though.

 

[Pastor Skip]

I am NOT very mechanical...so the easier to operate/maintain, the better! 2 of those units I found on CL-Harmons start at $2500 used

 

[Bioburner]

I am NOT very mechanical...so the easier to operate/maintain, the better! 2 of those units I found on CL-Harmons start at $2500 used

A new pc45 I believe in 2010 listed for under 2700. Prices for used vary by region. Three St.Croix Auburns for under 1000.

 

[jtakeman]

I am NOT very mechanical...so the easier to operate/maintain, the better!

I'd say Integra if they will offer a warranty. Hopefully he's reliable and can offer service.

 

[St_Earl]

i have never had start up issues with my PS50. but there are many reported lately with the CAB50.
that seems odd since they are basically the same stove. but i can't deny that many CAB50 owners have reported these issues.

i have had only one very minor "problem" in two full seasons and that was a pellet jam in the upper auger. cured with a coat hangar poked up the pellet drop.
and an auger jam can happen with any stove.

i'm not familiar with the other stoves. but if folks say they are too small, that is a major consideration. you want plenty of stove for the space.

my house is 924 sq. feet and i heat the whole space with the PS50.
it's super easy to clean as there are no pesky heat exchange tubes (humor intended) but it's true.
the firebox is just four flat walls with very little in the way of nooks and crannies.

someone posted recently of getting a CAB50 for $1,100 or $1,200 though.

i'm NOT trying to push the heatilator just because i got one. (PS50)

but it has been reliable.
not sure why the CAB50 has the issues that have been reported though.

i will say that for the money and to buy new/warrantied , it came down to the englander and the PS50.

whatever you buy, look closely into the dealer you buy from. get customer reviews if possible. especially if you will be depending on them for service and repairs over the years.

or buy used and find a shop near you that you can use for these needs.

a used quad cb1200 is something i'd love to have now.
it's what the heatilator is modeled after in a way. but fully fledged.

 

[Bioburner]

Seems we keep giving you a fourth option of englanders. Only about a month or so till when we really get into burning season and you can collect some pellets while waiting for delivery of a new stove.

 

[Pastor Skip]

St earl, may I ask which model Englander you were looking at?

 

[St_Earl]

i don't remember now. it was two years ago.
but if you are interested, someone will surely chime in on the options.
i know they came out with a new model recently.

lots of folks buy from am/fm. i will see if i can find a link.

 

[St_Earl]

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

what is the square footage of your house?


also it would probably be good for you to meet mike here from englander. as he can give you the best info.

maybe someone could post his profile so you can message him if he doesn't drop in to this thread.

 

[Pastor Skip]

correct me if i am mistaken, Summers Heat Brand is an Englander? So Lowes has a few models to choose from: seems this may be good choice?
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...051&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=1161535

 

[jtakeman]

I've seen a few of the Englanders and IMHO the 25-EP is one of the best they make.

http://www.englanderstoves.com/25-ep_i.html

 

[St_Earl]

i know winter is coming. but just take your time no matter what you do.
there is a lot of info here and i am not well versed on any stove but my own.

i will step aside now assured that many good folks here have good advice as well.
hope you find the best stove for you.
welcome to the forum.

 

[Pastor Skip]

jtakeman,
thats the same unit I just posted link to at LOWES! believe I read much earlier post from Scott (Pellet Stove service owner) that said this was a unit with least amount of issues (including Harmans!)

 

[stoveguy2esw]

You know I looked into Englanders...then I start hearing/reading to "not buy the boxstore stuff"...?

ive worked quite hard at trying to dispel the "big box stigma"

as for the part of "being your own mechanic", this is accurate as i do not have a "service network" but i have a crack team in my service department who can literally walk a customer through virtually any issue which may come up.

that said a persons "confidence level" in their mechanical aptitude does come into play. not everyone is a mechanically inclined person, and this is a part of buying a stove that probably doesn't get as much thought as it should. for someone who isn't a "wrench turner" a "DIY" stove like mine may not be the best way to go, having a dealer who comes out and fixes something is a good thing in this case. usually its more expensive up front to go that route , but you would be buying the service with the stove so you should get what you pay for in that respect. our "market niche" is the "DIY" homeowner who is familiar with "wrench turning" in general and is willing to turn his own wrenches if needed to save on the initial outlay.

there is room in the market for both models, and there is no "wrong" way to go about it. its all about the preference of the buyer.

that said. should you decide to check out my products let me know and i'd be glad to chat with you about them.

 

[jtakeman]

jtakeman,
thats the same unit I just posted link to at LOWES! believe I read much earlier post from Scott (Pellet Stove service owner) that said this was a unit with least amount of issues (including Harmans!)

We have a couple members here with them. And no complaints posted AFAIK.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/new-ep-25-plus-first-burn-of-the-year.113803/#post-1520533

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/new-ep-25-plus-first-burn-of-the-year.113803/

Member slvrblkk has had his a while. Hopefully he chimes in or send him a PM.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/members/slvrblkk.4111/

 

[dlehneman]

I bought an Englander PAH refurb from AM/FM Energy before last winter and it did a great job heating my whole house as the primary heat source. So far zero problems, absolutely no auger jams, and I used Green Supreme pellets which I've since learned aren't rated that well.
I had some questions recently about it and Mike (stoveguy2esw) went out of his way to call me and talk to me about it. Genuinely great customer service! So I think Englander deserves your consideration and if you do need parts they are pretty inexpensive and easy to get.

 

[Pastor Skip]

ive worked quite hard at trying to dispel the "big box stigma"

as for the part of "being your own mechanic", this is accurate as i do not have a "service network" but i have a crack team in my service department who can literally walk a customer through virtually any issue which may come up.

that said a persons "confidence level" in their mechanical aptitude does come into play. not everyone is a mechanically inclined person, and this is a part of buying a stove that probably doesn't get as much thought as it should. for someone who isn't a "wrench turner" a "DIY" stove like mine may not be the best way to go, having a dealer who comes out and fixes something is a good thing in this case. usually its more expensive up front to go that route , but you would be buying the service with the stove so you should get what you pay for in that respect. our "market niche" is the "DIY" homeowner who is familiar with "wrench turning" in general and is willing to turn his own wrenches if needed to save on the initial outlay.

there is room in the market for both models, and there is no "wrong" way to go about it. its all about the preference of the buyer.

that said. should you decide to check out my products let me know and i'd be glad to chat with you about them.

Mike
appreciate the chiming in...you appear to be a Legend on here!
I literally came from a dealer today that was pushing the Harmans not recomending the Timber Ridge that he had on the floor! he said "it is meant to help us grab the boxstore customer, and while it is better quality, it doesnt compare to the Harmans or the Piazettas"!
*I can send you the dealer name for a discount coupon

 

[dlehneman]

One other thing to note: they are very straightforward if you need to work on them, so even if you're not the handiest person, I don't think you'd have a problem with it.

 

[Pastor Skip]

thanks to all-I am now on am/fm site looking at the selection-including the refurbs that fit my Pastors' salary quite well!

 

[jtakeman]

*I can send you the dealer name for a discount coupon

Hey, Can't hurt to try right? Priceless!

 

[imacman]

thanks to all-I am now on am/fm site looking at the selection-including the refurbs that fit my Pastors' salary quite well!

Unfortunately, they are out of stock on the EP right now. Maybe you could send a PM (private message) to Mike Holton (aka "stoveguy2esw" on this forum) and ask if any are in the pipeline to be going to AMFM.