Where to begin -
Most people who jumped on the pellet craze got onboard when pellets were $125 / ton. Prices are now $250 / ton. Price will continue to go up. Incidentally, American made pellets are the same price exported and sold in Europe. Sound like Standard Oil 2.0?
You are not entirely clear if the pellet stove (and propane) are your primary source of heat or if you intend to make them your primary source of heat? Confirm/deny?
Insert pellet stoves are horrible. I have the pre-mentioned one. Assuming you intend for the stove to be primary heat -
- The small hopper will frustrate you. You will re-fill every 24 hrs
- You do not get radiant heat from an inset. Freestanding stoves are more efficient. Pellet furnaces are more efficient than freestanding.
* Why does efficiency matter? More efficient, less pellets you chuck into the stove. Less plastic bags filling your trash, less time messing with pellets. More quality of life to do other things.
- If you are re-using the flu/chimney/whatever, long flu runs are not ideal for pellets.
* Throw down a pre-made hearth pad, throw your free standing down, run a 90 degree out the back, another 90 degree to the wall, cut a hole throw your house, and cap the puppy. Plug it in and start burning. Put the stove in an ideal location.
** Do not buy Harman's new. Check out craigslist. Locally, some guys sold the biggest Harman freestanding for $1,200. Save the $4K. Does not matter it does not have "TC," see below...
*** A lot of people give away pellet stoves, because as mentioned before, they bought when they made sense (when pellets were $150 / ton). When you are shelling out $1K for 4 tons of pellets to get throw the winter.... plus all the labor involved...
- Temperature fluctuations will require adjustments to your stove feed minimum feed rates for an ideal burn.
* Despite Harman's having Touch Controls (what about a freaking smartphone app), the computers inside are akin to a TI-0. They utilize no machine learning. Despite being in business for years, one would think they know ideal control settings, right? Well, no, not at all. If you are a mechanical engineer, I believe you will actually like pissing with the stove every time temperatures drop or raise. Unless, you do not mind throwing away pellets, then set it and forget it.