Tax Holiday

[My_3_Girls]

Hello All,

I've been lurking and learning here for about 2 years. I am planning on buying a Jotul Kennebec this weekend, partially due to the tax holiday in MA. Here's the stats:

-1536 sf colonial
-I cut all my own wood, supply is not an issue
-don't want to deal with a cat stove
-currently have an old VC 044, the fans don't work
-did I mention no tax? I'll drive to NH to buy bubbly beverages just to avoid the deposit

Can anyone talk me out of it? I like the styling of the Jotul, the double doors, and the cast surround that comes with it. Let's hear it, fellas (and fellettes).

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Wow, looks like you on the money to me. Nothig to argue. Thats on the high end of the heating window of that unit , but if you house has decent insulation and fairly open floor plan, you will be happy.

 

[Todd]

Sounds like you have it all figured out. I also like the looks of the Kennebec. Good luck. What's this tax holiday you speek of?

 

[My_3_Girls]

Tax Holiday = buy anything you need or want this coming weekend in Massachusetts.

We have a 5% sales tax on everything but clothes and groceries. Once a year, our public servants allow us one weekend that we don't have to pay this sales tax. It's kind of like when you are getting mugged, and the mugger stops, it feels good.

 

[Todd]

Tax Holiday = buy anything you need or want this coming weekend in Massachusetts.

We have a 5% sales tax on everything but clothes and groceries. Once a year, our public servants allow us one weekend that we don't have to pay this sales tax. It's kind of like when you are getting mugged, and the mugger stops, it feels good.

Good deal! Whish we had that.

 

[Shane]

They just stopped taxing food here in Wyoming. Personally I didn't agree with it, I mean it's nice not to have tax on something but it just means that they'll tax something else more heavily to make up the revenue. A tax holiday is a great idea though.

 

[Mo Heat]

My b-n-l has a Kennebec. He wanted a Tamarac (same stove, different surround), but I think they ordered the wrong stove and he decided not to wait for another boat to arrive from Norway (or the northwest US). He's happy enough, but doesn't burn it very much, mostly for ambiance.

It's definitely a high quality stove. My only beefs with the Kennebec is it's smallish firebox, no ash pan, and a two speed blower (I prefer variable speed for noise control). Seems like it burns the fuel up pretty quick and he has to reload it often, although he probably hasn't burned it enough to really know what he's doing.

M. Wilson who posts here regularly, and a guy named Robert who has been MIA a while, both have Kennebecs and love them.

So if you don't mind not having an ash pan, I'd say the only real concern would the be size and BTU output. If you're just trying to warm up the room it's in, you will likely be happy as a clam (or a bark beetle).

 

[Mike Wilson]

Hi... I'm the resident HearthNet Kennebec poster child...

I could put a few paragraphs here, seriously, but suffice it to say its the best purchase I've made for the home in years... literally. Do be sure to line the chimney with 6" liner though, makes all the difference. You will not be disappointed, and you'll have no problem heating that area with the stove, especially after 12 hours or so, when your masonry fireplace heats up. I get reliable 8 hour burns, empty the stove of ash once per week, and burn a cord per month, 3 for the season. Any other questions, just ask.

-- Mike

PS, Bark Beetles show no emotion. Clams only show emotion when being immersed in steaming water, and then its only terror :bug:

 

[My_3_Girls]

Thanks for the info. Thats one of the big reasons I'm going with a medium size insert. It's going in the small livingroom that we have and I don't want to be blown out of the room. I did have one question about the 2 speed fan. The old VC I have just had one speed (that I know of). I found a plug-in lamp dimmer and was easily able to control it like that. Anyone see a problem using the same logic? My prettier half doesn't like the fan noise anyways, so I may not even use the blower.
I already figured on having the liner installed. I'm not spending $2K on a stove to light the house up.

Pics when it's installed

 

[Mike Wilson]

In my opinion, and per personal instructions from Jotul, don't keep the fan on high all the time. High makes some noise, however unless you have an inferno in there, it will eventually cool off the firebox. I run my fan on low all winter long, 24/7, and you don't hear it unless its 2:00AM and you are the only one in the room. You will find that your heat output probably doubles when using the fan, so don't shy away from it.

Here's mine:
Jotul Kennebec in Granite

-- Mike

 

[drizler]

Tax holiday, what the heck is that? The only tax holiday here in NY is called mail order and buying all my gas in Vermont. If we had one of those here some of the welfare folks would have to get jobs.

 

[Roospike]

If we had one of those here some of the welfare folks would have to get jobs.

O' NO !

 

[elkimmeg]

Tax holodays is an effort by the state to stimulate retail business. Bordering NH, which is sales tax free, All too often Ma residents
make larger purchases there. Auto sales makes no difference as the registry collects the sales tax However if any autos are purchased on tax free day there is no sales tax for the first 4 k. I think it is 4k might be 3.5 k

Last tax free day cost me over 3.5 k for the new dinning room table and chairs. I quess my wife got tired of the table and hutch I made when we first moved in here

 

[HarryBack]

tax free day....

Elk...autos are excluded....
the maximum is $2500.00 per item, anything over that and you pay the full tax. It must be invoiced on 8/12 or 8/13, in FULL. Layaways and deposits arent allowed....aw, heck, heres the link... (broken link removed)

thats the poop! Check out the penalites at the end, by the way!

 

[drizler]

About the best we get here is on Clothes for a week or so each year and even that has only been around for a few years. I was looking into buying a Harmon pellet stove from NH a couple years ago and have a friend pick it up for me when he went to visit his parents. Damned store would not under any circumstances talk to me about a price so I told them and Harmon to stuff it. Thats why I have such a hard on for Harmon. If their stuff is so special they can keep it. Worked out better for me anyways since I bought the Countryside thereafter ( tax free mail order) and was better off for the deal anyway.

 

[webbie]

About the best we get here is on Clothes for a week or so each year and even that has only been around for a few years. I was looking into buying a Harmon pellet stove from NH a couple years ago and have a friend pick it up for me when he went to visit his parents. Damned store would not under any circumstances talk to me about a price so I told them and Harmon to stuff it. Thats why I have such a hard on for Harmon. If their stuff is so special they can keep it. Worked out better for me anyways since I bought the Countryside thereafter ( tax free mail order) and was better off for the deal anyway.

I have a Baby Countryside on the way for heat in my new shop!
I figure Pellets and Corn are good for that app, since I can vent out the side and it will give me heat anytime I am in there.

I've known the Countryside people for many years and they are truly nice (those darn midwesterners!).

Here it is - Tax Free Day, and I have nothing to buy.......BUT, our neighbor is having a large Birthday party and my blues band is going to play for an hour (or until they kick us out).

 

[webbie]

tax free day....

Elk...autos are excluded....
the maximum is $2500.00 per item, anything over that and you pay the full tax. It must be invoiced on 8/12 or 8/13, in FULL. Layaways and deposits arent allowed....aw, heck, heres the link... (broken link removed)

thats the poop! Check out the penalites at the end, by the way!

HarryBack is banned from the Forum for two days because he needs to be writing up receipts as quickly as he can. The way Pellet Stoves are selling in Mass, you'd think Harry was giving them away!

Many shops are getting smart and doubling or tripling the savings - in other words, giving their own 5% off, then also allowing the tax-free!

Me? I already have too much stuff...I could buy the insulation for my new shop, but screw it - 5% is no biggie especially since you can deduct sales tax at the end of the year...and, this being the Commonwealth of Mass, I somewhat enjoy supporting my fellow citizens in need (that should raise the back of some here).

 

[BrotherBart]

I don't see anything that says that pellets won't be tax free on those two days. And you can pony up during those two days and take delivery later. I guess the question would be if a pallitized ton of bagged pellets is one item or 50.

 

[HarryBack]

no, actually, pellets used for heating are exempt from Massachusetts Sales Tax...well, so far, anyways.

 

[mhuot]

What is a sales tax, us NH people never heard of it.

 

[HarryBack]

you are lucky! Well, made it through the sales tax holiday! never thought I would! huge activity in the pellet sector, secondarily in the wood sector, some, but very little, in the coal end. Mobs of folks, all buying stoves with questions. Fortunately, they were for the most part quite patient as well. Even though pellets werent taxed, this weekend we sold over 200 tons of pellets as well (thats around 9 tractor-trailer loads).