Pellet stove search

[devinsdad]

Long time wood burner here...life circumstances changed and living in a home the oil man knows too well now. Space constraints on the property have lead me to the great pellet stove search. I'm interested in opinions on functionality over looks. Really like the breckwell big e with hopper extension to hold 300 lbs of pellets but heard they sold out and customer service took a dive. Home is 1500 sq ft and chilly. Any input is welcome

 

[Darryl]

My vote goes to Englander. I have the 25PDV, which is rated for 2,000 sq.ft., and it keeps my home nice and warm. Englander pellet stoves are well built, and are easy to maintain and work on. Their customer service is second to none if you ask me, and their senior tech Mike Holton is on this site, and is always willing to help out. I paid $1,500.00 for my stove, and I'm more than satisfied with it. I previously owned an Englander 25PDVC, which is the baby brother to the one I have now, and that heated my old house since 2007, and the new owners are using it, and loving it to this day.

 

[bogieb]

I prefer function and ease of maintenance over looks. I actually sold the St. Croix Hastings (living room / main floor stove) and put in a Harman P43 because the hopper was too small. I was also disenchanted with having to clean it every week (ash pan was full and air flow was suffering), and the hassles of removing all the plates to clean the stove. All that together made it a no-brainer when I saw the P43 go up on CL and I could get it for a very, very cheap price.

When I had the Hastings, there were many days I got home and the hopper had run dry despite the fact that I had filled it to the brim before leaving for work (12-15 hours). I loved the looks of it, and it heated well, but when the used P43 popped up on CL, I didn't hesitate.

The P43 doesn't need cleaning but every 2-3 weeks. The cleaning is very easy and straight forward, and I have hopper extension on it so I can fit almost 3 bags in there - never even get close to running out in the worst of weather (unless of course, I forget to check it).

Oh, and it is great that I just use the same routing for both the P61a and the P43 (although cleaning the P61a is every 3-4 weeks since it has a bigger ash pan).

Lots of choices out there, and it is good to be thinking what is most important for your circumstances.

 

[Havilcek stole the ball]

The P68 is a beast that just throws heat all day and night. Needs a cleaning once the ash pan is full which would be every ton or so. I have a house around 1600 SF with knob and tube wiring in the walls - so I can't insulate too well. So it can be pretty drafty when the wind kicks up. When the temps get crazy, I can just dial up the P68 even higher and it delivers. Our oil heat was down for several years and we heated both floors with the Harman. I've had it for around 12 years and have had no problems other than replacing things like the igniter.

 

[Washed-Up]

1200 sq ft and I upgraded from a Harman Pellet pro2 with no thermostat or auto ignition to a P61-2 with auto ignite and an air temp sensor for thermostat control...uses way less pellets. I also live in a very windy mountain valley and the stove keeps the house at a very comftorable temp. Found it on Kijiji extremely cheap. Craigslist down south should produce something if you're not in a super rush to buy one and I would think that anything from a P38 to a P68 would heat your house nicely...Harmans are the best on the market IMHO and the easiest to maintain and keep clean.

 

[Dataman]

I have Harmon XXV and love it. Finally got the Buzzing out (screws and sheet metal). Dealer was worthless. If I had to do it again I would get P68 (Bigger). But it's turning out to be good stove (new in April). 1st heating season. Whoever build it put 2 screws against the distro fan and it buzzed. Still got small buzz when COLD. Goes away in 10 min. Putting Red RTV on the metal today. Found that pressing on sheet metal stops the buzz. If you get Harmon there is list of part # and place you can get parts from Distributor. Lots cheaper. Going from Wood Stove to Pellet so far is a Win. I put in Battery backup for 6 (real world test) hours of running with no power. Getting dual fuel Genny next year.

 

[zrock]

I have a older big e that i bought used.. the thing is not pretty but it throws out the heat and is reliable. I vacuum it out weekly only takes about 10 min if that but i could easily go a month or more before doing that. I have no hopper extension but this thing holds 3 bags with ease. I could probably fill it once a week and be done with it easy. I have a old drafty trailer and once i get the place up to temp i turn it down to 1 and its pretty much good for the day maby turn it up to 3 for a hour in the evening to top up the temp before bed. Only downfall i found with it is the screws for the side access panels are on the back. So when its up against the wall with the min clearance you cannot get them out easily. I cut down a screwdriver to do it but going to replace them with a small bolt the next time i have to pull them off. Only issue we have had is once and a while it will light and then shut itself down but that seems to be a random thing most of the time