I have never had a pellet stove, and was thinking about installing one. I would like to know what sort features folks like and don't like. I'm not looking for your favorite brand ect. Just things that I might want to aware of.
What do you like? Dislike?
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Bioburner
Moderator
Big ash bin. Its a pain in the ash to have to scoop out or empty every day. Ability to run at least a week without any fussing with. Depends also on what the role the stove will be doing , if its a occasional burner to help heat a area or a get down and dirty heat the whole place unit. How mechanically inclined is one to be able to tend to the deeper cleaning and maintenance of the stove? Some stoves are more of a challenge to clean.
I have a harman stove it's features are many, they are easy to clean, very well constructed,bottom feed, large hopper,you don't have to shut it down to clean glass,take ashes out,scrape the pot ,or fill the hopper"big plus over other stoves",it's made in the USA,will hold your set temp within one degree,and has one of the best records for reliability.my advice would be to take a look at the harman stoves and compare from there. Good luck,let us know what you decide.
NHcpa
Minister of Fire
Harman is the way to go. But with traditional fuel prices this low it's not worth investing in a stove to heat your home. I installed a harman last year because I was getting crushed with oil. Be forewarned, pellet stoves are a lot of work. You have to fill them everyday in very cold weather, you have to clean them once a week and you have to store the pellets. The heat they put off is excellent but you need to run a humidifier 24/7 or else your house will be uncomfortable. I do enjoy my stove a lot, but if I would have known the amount of maintenance it takes I would not have bought it.
Bioburner
Moderator
Don't have the Idaho pricing but can't imagine it's cheaper than pellets with oil or propane
TimfromMA
Minister of Fire
Here are some of my likes:
auto ignition
large capacity ash pan
large capacity hopper
accepts external thermostat
OAK (Outside Air Kit)
large fire viewing glass
cast iron stove appearance
auto ignition
large capacity ash pan
large capacity hopper
accepts external thermostat
OAK (Outside Air Kit)
large fire viewing glass
cast iron stove appearance
Arti
Feeling the Heat
Auto Ignition
Easy to Clean
Big Easy to Empty Ash Pan
Thermostat is nice
Good Air Wash
Quiet Operation.. If it's in an area not occupied then it doesn't matter
A good Local Dealer and a Company that will respond to you. The Local Dealer may not be around forever
Controls Easy to Understand and Get To.. This depends a lot on Location of Stove IE if the Controls are on the left and the left is close to a wall then it's a problem.
Something within your budget
The owners of one brand couldn't understand your simple request of likes and dislikes without mentioning a brand name??????
Easy to Clean
Big Easy to Empty Ash Pan
Thermostat is nice
Good Air Wash
Quiet Operation.. If it's in an area not occupied then it doesn't matter
A good Local Dealer and a Company that will respond to you. The Local Dealer may not be around forever
Controls Easy to Understand and Get To.. This depends a lot on Location of Stove IE if the Controls are on the left and the left is close to a wall then it's a problem.
Something within your budget
The owners of one brand couldn't understand your simple request of likes and dislikes without mentioning a brand name??????
TimfromMA
Minister of Fire
Ive only ever owned the one stove so I don't know how noisy or quiet others are. The only sounds I hear from mine are sounds of the blower plus the clink of pellets dropping into the pot. Im so used to it that I don't even notice it anymore. i dont care for the silence when the stove shuts down
A huge plus for me was the time savings and work it saved from processing firewood along with all that involves. Also the long burn times and only loading one or two 40 lb. bags per 24 hours. Some stoves are also more forgiving on the cleaning and maintenance schedule. The nice warm heat output is nice both radiant and with the distribution blower. Not all pellet stoves produce radiant heat much like a wood stove.
Basically set the temp and the thing runs itself with minimal attention. The big overall savings on my heating costs. I really do not have any regrets at all converting to pellet burning this year. Very happy I did and the wife is even happier. The fire is even nice to stare at and it makes the living room feel real cozy. I am heating my house with just one now and it does it well. Results may vary.
I like the way mine basically runs itself. A big ash pan as mentioned is a must have IMO. Hopper size is important too. Some have larger hoppers which equates to longer burn times. Quality units are a plus for performance and dependability. Many make good stoves. Some look nice and some are just plain fugly if that is important to you. Burn pot design goes a long way too. I would not like a stove I had to clean non-stop. The radiant heat output is a very nice bonus with some stoves. I know it helps a lot here.
The cleanings are really not that bad for me but could be considered a small hassle from time to time. I look at it like this. For me to spend an hour per month on a detailed deep clean for the heat it throws 24/7 all month long it is a very small trade off. Carrying pellets is another chore but much better than cutting, splitting, and stacking wood for my current needs. Converting to a pellet stove has been a wonderful move for me this year. The pros far out weigh the cons here.
As for the noise it was somewhat bothersome at first but now we never notice it. My TV remote has a volume button. They do make a little noise with all the gadgets and blowers but again I find it trivial.
Basically set the temp and the thing runs itself with minimal attention. The big overall savings on my heating costs. I really do not have any regrets at all converting to pellet burning this year. Very happy I did and the wife is even happier. The fire is even nice to stare at and it makes the living room feel real cozy. I am heating my house with just one now and it does it well. Results may vary.
I like the way mine basically runs itself. A big ash pan as mentioned is a must have IMO. Hopper size is important too. Some have larger hoppers which equates to longer burn times. Quality units are a plus for performance and dependability. Many make good stoves. Some look nice and some are just plain fugly if that is important to you. Burn pot design goes a long way too. I would not like a stove I had to clean non-stop. The radiant heat output is a very nice bonus with some stoves. I know it helps a lot here.
The cleanings are really not that bad for me but could be considered a small hassle from time to time. I look at it like this. For me to spend an hour per month on a detailed deep clean for the heat it throws 24/7 all month long it is a very small trade off. Carrying pellets is another chore but much better than cutting, splitting, and stacking wood for my current needs. Converting to a pellet stove has been a wonderful move for me this year. The pros far out weigh the cons here.
As for the noise it was somewhat bothersome at first but now we never notice it. My TV remote has a volume button. They do make a little noise with all the gadgets and blowers but again I find it trivial.
A lot of good info. What about pellets is one better than the next? What makes them different? Is there ones to avoid at all cost?
Bioburner
Moderator
Problem with trying to give you advise about pellets is so many of the brands are regional. Best to try and get a couple bags of the local stuff and try em. Some may give good heat, some others ok with piles of ash etc.
I had some lignetics that came from Idaho, western conifer is what the bag said.
Before I started just unloading skids and putting them in the barn, we used to put them in the basement too. We used to take out a window and rig up a childrens slide and slide them in. Made it lots easier.
Used a wood stove for probably 25 years and then switched to a pellet stove in 2007 because of getting too old to split and carry wood. The 40 pound pellet bags aren't too bad to carry and store. Have a Quad Mt. Vernon AE insert. It has been flawless other than some issues with igniters. They replaced some under warranty and then they lowered the wattage and solved the problem. Love the the thermostat and auto ignition. I run it 24/7 to keep a patio, kitchen and shop area warm. Quad has been good to me but I will look at Harman next time also. Good luck on your decision ! There is nothing like wood heat ! 
easy to use, not bad to clean, the large ash bucket holds a lot, nice to see the flicker of the flame, nice heat, better warmer feeling than my electric heat.
Don't like to have to scrape the pots once a day, dusty, even with dumping the pellets in buckets in the garage and bringing them in, not aesthetically pleasing. make sure you have the clearance for it both back and side clearance is important.
Don't like to have to scrape the pots once a day, dusty, even with dumping the pellets in buckets in the garage and bringing them in, not aesthetically pleasing. make sure you have the clearance for it both back and side clearance is important.
Wilbur Feral
Minister of Fire
Pretty much my list, but I also like "auto clean" that prevents having to scrape the fire pot (deal killer), a stove that would accept multiple third party thermostats (not just the mfr's), and quiet operation. Largely sums up the Quad MVAE except for the proprietary stat.
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When you get your new stove I would buy small amounts of different brands of pellets available in your area see wich works best in your stove. Then you can buy larger amounts of what u like or works better for you
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