so whats a GOOD pellet stove?

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trx680

Member
Sep 27, 2011
101
Petersburg Virginia
I've never paid any attention to the pellet stoves so I don't know much about them.
Who makes a quality pellet stove?

What would one look out for in a stove?

Advise?
 
I've never paid any attention to the pellet stoves so I don't know much about them.
Who makes a quality pellet stove?

What would one look out for in a stove?

Advise?


If you don't want to get too technical and don't mind paying more for a reliable stove then check out Harmon. Just remember, you can buy the best stove in the world but if it isn't installed properly you will have problems.
 
Everyone has there favorites I live Envrio
Easy to clean and repair one of the most trouble
free stoves on the market (my opinion)
 
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Buy once cry once. You do get what you pay for. I bought a Lopi (Travis industries) and it truthfully came down to the wife liking the look of the Lopi over the harmon. I'm very pleased with it. It keeps our whole home over 70 including the rooms in the back of the house, burning 2 pounds per hour. Mind you I live in the northwest and it's 35 degrees right now.
 
I don't know much about all the pellet brands out there. My Harman Advanced is now 10 years old. The only part I replaced is the igniter used to start the fire. My Harman Advanced looks nice. The wife' choice. Other Harman pellet stoves like the Pxx series are easier to clean than my Harman Advanced
 
Long answer: I would evaluate my heating needs first. Heat the entire home? Parts of my home? How well is my home sealed from drafts. Is it well insulated? Pellet stoves require work, there's no set and forget. Pellet stoves require feeding and cleaning, especially cleaning. Don't forget maintenance. Pellet stoves are basically space heaters, and yes, I know, the space you want to heat is your home. How much is in your budget for a stove? Then there's venting the thing. Spend some time going through the threads here to familiarize yourself with pellet stoves and their operation.

Short answer: Harman, Enviro, Quadra Fire, just to name a few.
 
I'm with doghouse know what your getting into with a pellet stove first. Plenty of good stoves to choose from once your sure a pellet stove will suit your needs.
 
I prefer Harman. One thing that is as important as stove brand is the quality of the dealer if you are not the do it yourself type. Do they stock parts and have in house service for what they sell? The shop I work for stocks Harman parts. It is rare that I go on a service call that the stove is not repaired and running when I leave. All common parts on the truck. How long have they been selling the brand that they currently carry? Are they close enough to you to be able to get to you quickly if you need service? And last, I would go with a family owned shop over a larger place, service is typically better. Any of the brands mentioned above you will not find in the big box stores.
 
I prefer Harman. One thing that is as important as stove brand is the quality of the dealer if you are not the do it yourself type. Do they stock parts and have in house service for what they sell? The shop I work for stocks Harman parts. It is rare that I go on a service call that the stove is not repaired and running when I leave. All common parts on the truck. How long have they been selling the brand that they currently carry? Are they close enough to you to be able to get to you quickly if you need service? And last, I would go with a family owned shop over a larger place, service is typically better. Any of the brands mentioned above you will not find in the big box stores.
all good points but i think rickwai's is best advice for stove hunting..
I would add though that don't always go for Bling...
some of the basic non-digital stoves can be the best and give u the least headaches.
 
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Do a search and read on this forum. Plenty of topics that have this covered. Search is your friend.
 
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Keep it simple- buy a quality, easy to use, easy to clean stove. Can't lose with Enviro, Harman, Quadrafire almost always- but plenty of good other stoves out there too. Lopi, Napoleon, England stove works, etc. Don't discount a used stove too, many offer great value. Whitfield, Country Winslow, to name a couple.....
 
I needed an insert and elected to go with the Harman Accentura 52i. It's been an incredible stove. But just know that all pellet stoves require weekly maintenance, monthly maintenance, and annual maintenance. The first two you can easily deal with once you are into a routine but the latter may require you to get professional cleaning. If not, you'll either have to buy an expensive rail service kit to pull out the stove, build your own, or have it professionally cleaned. I have a 2100 sq/ft home and it heats the whole house on a bag of pellets a day (1 1/2 bags during freezing temps). So if I had to do it all over again, and I needed an insert and not a stand alone, I'd buy a Harman Accentura 52i all over again.
 
I have an Englander 25-PDVC, seems to be of high quality, simple design and readily available parts. It's also made in the US. It is simplistic compared to some of the more advanced stoves, but it does the job. It's also inexpensive.

I think the best stove is the one that fits your needs. I wanted inexpensive supplemental heat for a small home, I appreciate it was made in the US, and I like I can take it apart.
 
This is a little out of date however some models have not changed so the information is still the same!
http://www.forgreenheat.org/consumer_resources/reliablepellet.html

I am running the England's 25PDV with amazing results after seven years and no major breakdowns or repairs.

If Scott updates the data, we may have more information to base decisions on. Please?

Bill
 
Bay a Harman and go broke ! That said they are among the best. I know cause I have one.
If the cost is an issue then you simply must consider the Englander 25pdvc . It just might be the best low end stove available and you will still have enough money left to buy enough pellets to get you thru the winter.
Either way you won`t go wrong.
Money can often be the bottom line on a purchase , isn`t it so?
 
Bay a Harman and go broke ! That said they are among the best. I know cause I have one.
If the cost is an issue then you simply must consider the Englander 25pdvc . It just might be the best low end stove available and you will still have enough money left to buy enough pellets to get you thru the winter.
Either way you won`t go wrong.
Money can often be the bottom line on a purchase , isn`t it so?

Definitely not. But I'm an owner of a Harman 52i insert and I couldn't be happier. So there's that.
 
This is a little out of date however some models have not changed so the information is still the same!
http://www.forgreenheat.org/consumer_resources/reliablepellet.html

I am running the England's 25PDV with amazing results after seven years and no major breakdowns or repairs.

If Scott updates the data, we may have more information to base decisions on. Please?

Bill

Aren't these the stoves that require a burn pot modification (bottom holes plugged with hillman plugs) to burn right?
 
Not necessarily “needed” but they burn much better with the mod.
 
Harman. More expensive, but a very well designed, aesthetically pleasing, and quality built stove. Look at the reviews section on this site. Very informational.

Mal
 
Buy once cry once. You do get what you pay for. I bought a Lopi (Travis industries) and it truthfully came down to the wife liking the look of the Lopi over the harmon. I'm very pleased with it. It keeps our whole home over 70 including the rooms in the back of the house, burning 2 pounds per hour. Mind you I live in the northwest and it's 35 degrees right now.
Hey Jay...can you PM me if you are still monitoring the forums...running the same stove and have some questions.