First Time Pellet Stove user/buyer...What should I be looking for?

i currently have a wood stove in my 1700 sqft house and I want to replace it in the spring with a pellet stove. I’m tired of dealing with stacking cords of wood.

What brands should I be considering. Reliability is the number one factor. Price is not a huge factor in my decision. I would rather get the right one the first time. I looked at some Harman stoves but the reviews are all over the place.

Thanks in advance!

 

Harman P61A or Quardrafire CB 1200 would be my choices depending on the area you need to heat . It also helps to have a dealer near by just in case you need something quick and use a good softwood pellet to start , And always keep your stove and chimney clean Pellet stoves

 

Harman is the way to go. P61A should do it unless you want a little more horsepower "just in case". Then go with the P68.

 

Love my Harman's. I had a St. Croix for my main floor, which was a good stove but was not as easy maintain/clean, nor as forgiving of cr*p pellets as my P61a. So it a no-brainer when I got the chance to get the P43 off CL.

I am unsure why reviews for those are all over the place. they tend to be very reliable workhorses with very few maintenance needs. Perhaps there were a few hiccups with the newer models and their computer brains? Dunno - just know most people are really happy with them.

 

I have 3 Harmans & a Quad. They are all at least 10 years old. I saved a little $$ buying used ones!

 

Another vote for the Harman. We like ours a lot.

 

I have the p68, a little too large for my needs, but one heck of a heater. They are automated, burn about any pellet without being fussy. Very easy to clean. this is a bottom feeder. My stove pipes seldom soot up. I had another stove, a Napoleon that required a lot of cleaning, and was very fussy about what pellets burned. But at $4000, it is an investment above the Englanders you can find in the big box stores. Many folks have them and swear by them. I will tell you to look around, talk with others, like you are doing here, then make your decision. Before you change, be sure to look at cost of heating with pellets. Do you buy or harvest your wood? You are here in Maine, like me, so you have some options available to you. You will not save a lot of $ heating with pellets unless oil goes back up. Also, remember, when the power goes out, so does your pellet stove unless you have a generator. I am burning pellets because I like wood heat. Another issue is storage. they have to be kept dry and accessible.
take a close look at these figures. Where in Maine are you?

Residential Heating System Cost Calculator | Efficiency Maine

 

Any quality brand stove should be reliable. I would look at the higher BTU stoves, and as important in my opinion, a large hopper.

 

I was in the same place you are now back in 2014. I loved my Jotul #3 wood stove and hated to part with it, but my wife just got tired of the bark, ice, mud and spiders that would accompany the cordwood when I brought it in the living room to burn. I did a lot of research and before I bought anything, I had my lovely bride accompany me to a store that sold several brands of pellet stoves. As we walked through the front door of the shop, there was a Harman Accentra 52i insert in Majorca Brown Enamel sitting right there. She turned to me and sweetly told me that she didn’t care what stove I bought, as long as it was that one. The salesman just smiled at me and I knew it was over but we went through the motions anyway.

I have been totally satisfied with my choice. You’ll find good and bad reviews for every make of stove. What sold me on Harman was a conversation I had with an independent pellet stove technician that serviced several brands of stoves. He explained to me that he formerly worked for Harman and that their stoves are built to a better standard and are just different than the others. He said he’d service any stove that I decided to buy but wanted me to know that about Harman stoves. No stove is maintenance free and parts will wear out or break given time. When mine was installed, they had to replace a distribution fan within a month due to a harmonic whine that developed within the first month of use. Several brands will do the job of heating your house but having had my Harman for four years, I would not hesitate to buy another one.

 

I could live with a dryer season than usual - less shoveling and s-blowing. Come to think of it, I could do with a warmer season too - those -18* temps in Jan-Feb sux big time.

 

How does NOAA's prediction record compare to the various Farmer's Almanacs?

 

Before you get too exited, keep in mind that a winter that averages 1* above average is considered above average temp.

 

I'll take it

 

I have a Quadrafire insert that has served us well for 4 years. As mentioned before you will eventually need parts or service so having faith and proximity to your dealer is important. I have a wireless t stat on my unit that had an issue. Dealer is in my town and problem was taken care of quickly.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Doggy

 

Guess I'll throw my 2¢ in. I had both Avalon and Englander stoves. I would recommend both. Never had an issue with either, but switched to the Englander multi-fuel when pellets were getting scarce. Both are made in the USA, but Englander's cust. service is the best in the industry, and one of their senior tech people is on this forum.
Lastly, you can save some $$ going the Englander re-furbed way.....they all have full factory warranty, and many are really just scratch & dent units. Take a look:
TIMBER RIDGE - Brand New Factory Seconds or Manufacturer Refurbished S

 

Is Mike still here? Haven't seen him in quite a while.