US Stove American Harvest 6041I. Anyone using this model? Experience?

[jsavage]

Thinking of getting one of these:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200394626_200394626

Fits my budget and seems like it will put out enough heat. I've read a few good things about the 6039i here but not the 6041i, they look like the same model, maybe the 41i is just the latest incarnation? Anyway, I was about to purchase one but then came across the amazon review page and it's got a LOT of negative reviews mixed with a few glowing reviews. So now I'm not sure what to do. Does anyone here have experience with this stove?

This will be my first pellet stove. Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[imacman]

Not saying it's a bad stove performance wise, just if you DO have problems, it sounds like the company isn't going to be much help. Ability to get good service from a dealer (that will be non-existant from Northern Tool), and/or the manufacturer is KEY with these stoves.

I can't help you with a personal review of the stove, but from what I saw on the Amazon site w/ all the negative reviews, ESPECIALLY from the company's customer service (BAD), I think I'd look elsewhere.

What other stove brands are available in your area?

 

[jsavage]

Well, locally everything is out of my price range. Cheapest thing I could find was $2400, not including install. I'm looking for an insert to build a mantel/hearth around, under $1800.

 

[jtakeman]

Are you handy with electrical and mechanical repairs?

If your an avid do it your self-er. You will have fun with it. But if your not so handy, That $600.00 you saved will go out the window quickly. Like macman said, Do not expect to much manufactor support.

Any Home Depots or Lowes in you area. Englanders have something that may interest you. Model 25-EPI found here:

http://www.englandsstoveworks.com/25-ep_i.html

At least you will have some CS. Mike Holton(stoveguyesw) hangs here and is a good rep.

just my 2
jay

 

[jsavage]

I enjoy DIY. What type of repairs would we be talking about? As long as I have good documentation so I know what to do I'd be fine with making my own repairs.
I've found one unit actually for $1400 of home depot, don't remember the brand - but it's rated at 40,000 btu, which I'm worried is not enough, My home is 1700 sq.ft. but the living room where the heater will go is vaulted. Not a double vault either, it vaults from one side at 9' straight up to the next at 18'. hovers around 0 to 10 here in the winter, sometimes goes as low as -13 to -10.

 

[jtakeman]

You would be the stove repair man basically. I would download the manual and get familiar with the stove. Know the difference from a good motor and a bad one. Trouble shot the electrical and electronic components.

I just learned some shops actually charge you more with this type of stove. Something in the range of $100/hr not including parts.

Just FYI
jay

 

[summit]

I had to service a harvester, once... turns out it was just dirty, and the manual has a fairly sophisticated, but easy, way to access the circuit board to diagnose issues: its just the knowing what to do with that info... this particular customer had a vac switch fault... i.e. the vent was plugged. he thought there was something mechanically wrong, and got whacked for a pellet stove cleaning. that being said, I am not a fan of mail order or big box stoves, but these were pretty easy to wrap your head around, and worked pretty well for the $.

 

[caledoniacars]

I have no experience w/your particular model, but last year was my first year with a US Stove 6100 multifuel furnace. My first experience with US stove was poor to average at best. It happened to be right during the busy season(Nov) The rep basically could only tell me what was in the manual. i eventually tweaked my way out of the problem on my own. My second call to US Stove was better than i could have hoped. The rep admitted that during the off season that it was much easier to get good help. They bent over backwards to assist me. I know the company gets mostly poor reviews, but we have had good luck so far!

 

[woodsman23]

Check out pellet stoves at tractor supply first, why pay more...

www.tsc.com

 

[jtakeman]

woodsman is right cheaper!

http://www.tractorsupply.com/6041tp-multi-fuel-stove-3192686

 

[imacman]

Check out pellet stoves at tractor supply first, why pay more...

www.tsc.com

Now that's funny woodsman.....I guess TSC is actually a top secret military supplier. I wonder what the defense dept DOES with all that bird seed and pet food? Put it in a smart bomb, drop on some insurgents in Afghanistan, and hope the birds peck them to death?? :lol:

 

[shisits]

you might want to check out the website Iburncorn.com, go to the forum and scroll down to US Stoves.They have a lot information on these stoves. The 6041 is just an updated version of the 6039.

 

[woodsman23]

Check out pellet stoves at tractor supply first, why pay more...

www.tsc.com

Now that's funny woodsman.....I guess TSC is actually a top secret military supplier. I wonder what the defense dept DOES with all that bird seed and pet food? Put it in a smart bomb, drop on some insurgents in Afghanistan, and hope the birds peck them to death?? :lol:

OOPS oh dam my fault, i put down a web site i use here at work. SO SORRY but funny. Mac we make amour ballistic glass and hellfire missile domes here and some other things i cannot say................ :lol: to funny

 

[imacman]

....we make amour ballistic glass and hellfire missile domes here....

I'll take one of each, please! Just charge it against my next 3 years fed. taxes. :cheese:

 

[mrbean1025]

I have the 6039 I believe. The stove puts out a lot of heat along with a lot of noise. Don't put it near a sleeping area or you won't be happy with the noise. As far as customer service I have to give them a good review. I called about a noisy distribution fan and they sent a new fan immediately. The stove is simple to clean and I think easy to work on, everything is easy access once the sheet metal is off. Ignition is also manual. Again, the biggest concern is the noise. In all fairness I am comparing it against a Harmon XXV that I also have. I bought it for $1100.00 two years ago at Tractor Supply. I believe they now have it for around $1600.00. You will get a lot of heat out of it. Good luck

 

[schoondog]

jsavage,
I have the 6039i and so far I like it. From what I hear its the 6041 is the same stove with an igniter system. Mine is a manual start. Simple and cheap and multi fuel. Easy to clean which I believe is very important to the longevity and reliability of any pellet burner. It was the only stove I could find in my price range last year. You MUST be a mechanical type to own this stove. Keep a multi meter and wrenches in the house! No one will come fix it for you without a writing a bill. The manual will help you and so far customer service has been good to me. Only needed them once and they gave me the blower gaskets I needed when cleaning for free when they sent me a broken door latch under warrenty. I burned 3 + tons ( and a little corn) last year and I just fired her up so the house will be nice and toasty in the morning. IF you are willing to jump in a fix it if a problem arises don't be scart of the US Stoves. You will hear alot about the englanders here and people I know like theirs but YOU will have to repair them also. (unless you write a check) And yes you have an Englander tech here on the boards too. I'm sure that if I have a problem I'll be able to fix it, plus I'm sure the good folks here at Hearth will assist. Regardless of what you buy good luck and hope you enjoy heatin with pellets.

Schoondog

 

[schoondog]

jsavage,
I have the 6039i and so far I like it. From what I hear its the 6041 is the same stove with an igniter system. Mine is a manual start. Simple and cheap and multi fuel. Easy to clean which I believe is very important to the longevity and reliability of any pellet burner. It was the only stove I could find in my price range last year. You MUST be a mechanical type to own this stove. Keep a multi meter and wrenches in the house! No one will come fix it for you without a writing a bill. The manual will help you and so far customer service has been good to me. Only needed them once and they gave me the blower gaskets I needed when cleaning for free when they sent me a broken door latch under warrenty. I burned 3 + tons ( and a little corn) last year and I just fired her up so the house will be nice and toasty in the morning. IF you are willing to jump in a fix it if a problem arises don't be scart of the US Stoves. You will hear alot about the englanders here and people I know like theirs but YOU will have to repair them also. (unless you write a check) And yes you have an Englander tech here on the boards too. I'm sure that if I have a problem I'll be able to fix it, plus I'm sure the good folks here at Hearth will assist. Regardless of what you buy good luck and hope you enjoy heatin with pellets.

Schoondog

 

[jsavage]

Thanks for all the info guys! Especially the iburncorn.com link! I think I'll be buying this stove tonight. One thing I did notice is that the amazon reviews are for the 6039, not the new 6041. So hopefully most of the hardware issues have been addressed with the newer model. One question on diagnosing problems, I looked through the manual and did not see much as far as eletrically diagnosing the system. Is there a tech manual somewhere I can download that would have that info?

 

[daydreamer]

I've got a 6039 I bought used last year and I like it. But I read on the iburncorn.com forum about the problems some people have so I knew what to expect. I don't mind working on things. The 6041 is just the newer version with a few improvements made.

 

[fastmike22]

I have a 6041 multi fuel and i wouldnt recommend it. The first 6041 i bought the auger quit working after the first week. I exchanged that unit out for another new one and this one shuts off when it gets down to around 10lb of pellets. As if it were running out. If you hit the on button it will start dropping pellets again. I called us stove and there answer was to spray cooking spray on the sides of the hopper to help the pellets slide. Not really what i wanted to be doing to a month old stove. If i could take it back i would. Every one one here says they can heat there two story 2500qft home with theres. Not mine. I cant heat a 1500sqft basement. It has to be on its highest setting to get the basement to 68deg using 2.5 bags a day. Good luck getting through to there customer service also. Be prepared for a 20 min hold to talk to some one that cant help you and is gonna put you on hold again.Ive called three times about this problem just to be put on hold time after time then hung up on after a 20 min wait on hold.

 

[cmooreburn]

Jsavage.
I dont know about Utah but in Minnesota, Northern Tool offers 3 Types of Long term warranties that can be purchased from them including a 3 year IN HOME service plan. Its spendy but that warranty has saved me over 300 dollars in parts for my 6039. Had mine for 3 years and found that the circuit board was defective. Northern tool replaced the 400 part with no questions asked. I got to keep my old part which worked some of the time. You might wish to ask them about their warranty. There is very little difference between the 6039 and 6041.

 

[smoke show]

diggin up bones...

 

[cmooreburn]

Smoke show
Guards catfish,pellets,and corn. Eats salmon from Algoma WI.

 

[fastmike22]

I bought mine at tsc. Dont think they have a extended warranty program.