Pellet STOVE companies to avoid?

[Entburner]

I know that there are many quality companies and a few bad ones. Are there any companies that ought to be avoided outright?

(edited: originally asked for "Pellet companies." A little green, this one.)

 

[tjnamtiw]

I know that there are many quality companies and a few bad ones. Are there any companies that ought to be avoided outright?

Look down the page to 'Pellets to avoid'.....

 

[Rooscooter]

Wrong thread!! : (

 

[imacman]

IMO, stay away from:

Breckwell (poor quality control & cheap parts in last few years)

Hudson River (I know, Smokey has one, but have heard not-so-great things from other owners),

 

[tnt8281]

I don't think there is a bad stove company out there. This day and age most the parts come from the same place. Even the designs are similar now for the internals. There are companies that are better. I know I will hear from posting this. Still my opinion.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Wrong thread!! : (

Senior moment......... %-P :zip: :red:

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Here let me make it easy for everyone.

Stay away from stoves made after about January 2008 and before about July 2009.

The big pellet stove buy binge put the folks making the stoves and their suppliers (this means multiple stove brands got out with the same basic problems) into overdrive and a lot of what used to pass for quality got lost along the way.

This same period of time also got a number of new pellet manufactures into the fray (I'll let you figure that one out for yourself) some of them are already shuttered due to PPP (*iss poor product) or out to lunch business practices.

Couple this with a bunch of new owners that really had no clue and you have the thousands of tales of impending doom and hypothermia that pop up here all of the time.

TJ, Rooscooter just had a case of crossed fingers. I on the other hand have senior moments ;-).

 

[ernest99]

Before you become too concerned about stove manufacturers, I'd advocate finding a good dealer. Your relationship with a dealer will be far more valuable in the event a stove does not perform as expected or something needs to be made right. Find one who has been around for a while, who listens to your requirements and is interested in addressing them, and basically wants your business. Research the Better Business Bureau - I think their website makes that easy. Then, and only then, negotiate your best deal.

A good dealer won't be selling a bad stove - he wouldn't want the problems. This fact alone addresses your concern.

If a dealer starts by demanding money up front, or disregards your concerns, or basically gives you the creeps, don't walk away - run There are plenty of reputable dealers who want your business and will act appropriately. I ran away from one who was arrogant and basically read me a list of all the things they would not do. So I added to their list by saying they would not be selling me a stove, either.


Do not shop on price alone. I like to save money as much as anyone but don't go to a dealer with a shaky (or no) reputation to save a few bucks. You are almost certain to need some help in the future, even for something simple like cleaning, so you'll have to rely upon a dealer's assistance.

I wanted a really big, powerful, but good-looking stove which basically forced a decision between Harman and Quadra-Fire. Unfortunately they're both owned by HNI corporation, which was utterly incompetent in addressing a defect that I didn't discover for months after installation. Ultimately it took the threat of a lawsuit to make them relent. I did this with the help of my state Attorney General's Office (Blumenthal, an otherwise worthless creep) but my dealer helped as well. Search my other posts to read about it.

 

[smwilliamson]

Before you become too concerned about stove manufacturers, I'd advocate finding a good dealer. Your relationship with a dealer will be far more valuable in the event a stove does not perform as expected or something needs to be made right. Find one who has been around for a while, who listens to your requirements and is interested in addressing them, and basically wants your business. Research the Better Business Bureau - I think their website makes that easy. Then, and only then, negotiate your best deal.

A good dealer won't be selling a bad stove - he wouldn't want the problems. This fact alone addresses your concern.

If a dealer starts by demanding money up front, or disregards your concerns, or basically gives you the creeps, don't walk away - run There are plenty of reputable dealers who want your business and will act appropriately. I ran away from one who was arrogant and basically read me a list of all the things they would not do. So I added to their list by saying they would not be selling me a stove, either.


Do not shop on price alone. I like to save money as much as anyone but don't go to a dealer with a shaky (or no) reputation to save a few bucks. You are almost certain to need some help in the future, even for something simple like cleaning, so you'll have to rely upon a dealer's assistance.

I wanted a really big, powerful, but good-looking stove which basically forced a decision between Harman and Quadra-Fire. Unfortunately they're both owned by HNI corporation, which was utterly incompetent in addressing a defect that I didn't discover for months after installation. Ultimately it took the threat of a lawsuit to make them relent. I did this with the help of my state Attorney General's Office (Blumenthal, an otherwise worthless creep) but my dealer helped as well. Search my other posts to read about it.

So the manufacturers create distance between their dealers to keep them from competing with each other. Doesn't this practice allow for dealers to run a muck? If you want a Lopi in my neck of the wood s there are 2 dealers, however; their service area is only overlapped by about 10 miles. One is a great dealer, the other is an ass. Seems like the people who reside outside the middle do not have dealer choices.

Ford had a wonderful motto. A car for everyone and on every corner.

 

[Fsappo]

It doesnt allow dealers to run amuck, it allows dealers to make the margins required to run a quality business. Having every idiot with a storefront whoring out the product with the "hey, if I make 50 bucks sellin a pellet stove and chimley fluke, thats 50 bucks I didnt have, hang on here comes a customer looking for a new sewing machine" makes selling a service oriented product a waste of time. If anyone within 50 miles of me starts to heavily discount a product that I sell, I remove that product from my showroom. Consumers will drive two hours to save $100 and then because we are a dealer for that product except us to do the warranty work, because after all, the hardware store they bought the stove from cant afford to keep a trained tech on staff.

 

[webbie]

Don't the auto sales people also say "there is an a*s for every seat". I think the same goes with stoves.

I don't think any really successful company in history has been able to "pump up the prices and margins" or even protect them in the long run. I remember my Apple Computer dealer....who started working on 40%, then 30%, then 12%, then 10%....and, then, Apple stores! Of course, we don't see Apple suffering!

A manufacturer/dealer relationship is only there because it is mutually beneficial. If it was not, it would not be there...despite all the loving talk between some. As an example, if company X could sell their stoves though anywhere and sell 2X as many and get a GOOD National Service Tech company to fix them.....well, it would probably happen! Also, when and if any company is able to get their warranty claims and service costs and percentages way down...that is, make more reliable stoves that tell the user exactly what is wrong and report back over the internet to the maker....well, then things change a bit also.

Cars do seem like an ideal model......but that is only for products which largely sell themselves (we NEED them). When it comes to specialty products and especially stoves - the facts are clear...at least to date! The vast majority of stoves have been sold through specialty dealers...and, love 'em or hate 'em, they have probably done a superior job at service than many big boxes (who do absolutely none...you have to phone the maker, etc.).

Back to the thread title - Pellet Stove to avoid. The answers are fairly clear to the majority of the population who do not know how to do electrical work, move hundreds of pounds, etc. - they should avoid any which do not have a warranty that pays for someone to come to the house and fix 'em!

The Hearth.com regulars (not the site readers as a whole) tend to be handier than the average bear (that sometimes might be an understatement - some of them could create the modern world as we know it...from their shop!) - they might have more choices!

The single biggest piece of advice I used to give Pellet Stove purchasers was to buy from a company that made more than just Pellet Stoves. This has proven to be decent guidance over the years, because even if Pellet Stoves and Pellets did not attain critical mass (I think they have now), that assured the maker would still probably be in business. I guess one could add to that...a company with experience and a decently long history. This is generally good buying advice for any product.

 

[Utilitrack]

Avoid a pellet stove that your wife hates the looks of...

 

[smwilliamson]

Avoid a pellet stove that your wife hates the looks of...

x22

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Avoid a pellet stove that your wife hates the looks of...

x22

I think that rates more than that or your hind quarters might be more than a little sore and sleeping outside can be a bit miserable this time of year ;-) .

 

[pugetsoundwa]

Hey Ent, nice to see someone from the area here. Yelms my hometown.

Anyways..Are you sure you really want a pellet stove? I am sure they are easier then a Wood Stove 99% of the time but....a old girlfriends parents bought one, thought it was great..until the power went out and they were just as cold as if they didn't have one. Wood I am sure I'll find out soon has many draw backs but, when the powers out I'll stay warm.

Again, I am not telling you or anyone NOT to buy a Pellet Stove, just to make sure its what they need if the powers out. I expect this winter to be hard on the Puget Sound, already had 1 7-8 hr power loss but the temps were good so house only cooled to 65 degrees.