# Are Breckwell Pellet Stoves any good?



## b4djslyde

I was looking at Breckwell P23 Pellet Stove and I wanted to know if this is a good stove? I have no idea what stoves are good out there. If you don't think this is a good stove what would you recommend? Thanks.


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## Marster

Hi there,

I have a Breckwell P23FS stove and I love it!! Just purchased in Jan 08. I have a 1500 sq ft double wide that is well insulated. It heats this very nice. I havent had my blower above 3 since I bought it. Stove is very easy to operate. I have an outside air kit on it with a vertical install. 

When I was doing my research on this stove, the only issue I could find about it was the convection blower. Appears Breckwell had issues with that blower motor. They came out with a replacement blower that the dealer gave me as part of the purchase. I have yet to install it but it's nice to know I have it incase the one that was in the unit fails.

Breckwell has been around for a long time. (according to the dealer) I know of a few others who has the P24 which is the next size up...and they love it. I use about a bag of pellets a day in a 55lb hopper.  They also make the Big E. I went with the P23 becasue it was most suited for my size home.

Hope this helps. I am new to the pellet stove burning but I love this stove! Love the simplicity of it as well. You can hook a thermostate up to it if you like. I have not as of yet but may for next season. My stove has been going 24/7 except to clean since Jan. No problems what so ever. Breckwell appears to stand behind their stoves too.

Marster


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## buildingmaint

I've had my BIG E  for three years . I have had no  problems that were not easily fixed-- with out parts. All were user errors


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## IIFAST4U

There are so many damn stoves to choose from, I am stuck on which one to buy as well. I am going to a another dealer this week to look at their selection they carry St croix, Enviro, Lennox, and Breckwell.

The last dealer I went to ranked on the breckwell said they went out of business?? He also put down St croix.


Shawn


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## Marster

IIFAST4U said:
			
		

> There are so many damn stoves to choose from, I am stuck on which one to buy as well. I am going to a another dealer this week to look at their selection they carry St croix, Enviro, Lennox, and Breckwell.
> 
> The last dealer I went to ranked on the breckwell said they went out of business?? He also put down St croix.
> 
> 
> Shawn



I know what you;re saying. I was overwhelmed when I was in reaserch mode. Once I realized my home played the most important role in which one to buy. ( insulation?, open floor plan?) That helped narrow the selection down. Second thing I looked at was dealer location, dependability, and just over all reputation.  The dealer I went to has been in business of over 30 yrs. Sorta like a Mom and Pop shop.   I also used the internet to investigate my several selections. I wanted to be sure when I went to the dealer, I had a basic idea of what to ask.

NO, Breckwell did not go out of business. I have to wonder about a dealer who puts down other stove mfg. What brand was he trying to sell?


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## IIFAST4U

I know what you;re saying. I was overwhelmed when I was in reaserch mode. Once I realized my home played the most important role in which one to buy. ( insulation?, open floor plan?) That helped narrow the selection down. Second thing I looked at was dealer location, dependability, and just over all reputation.  The dealer I went to has been in business of over 30 yrs. Sorta like a Mom and Pop shop.   I also used the internet to investigate my several selections. I wanted to be sure when I went to the dealer, I had a basic idea of what to ask.

NO, Breckwell did not go out of business. I have to wonder about a dealer who puts down other stove mfg. What brand was he trying to sell?[/quote]

Well my home is an 1885 victorian colonial and does not have an open floor plan. We have a Napoleon wood stove that does a decent job of heating the majority of my home. Because of the closed floor plan my kitchen gets the least amount of heat. The previous owners cut a vent into my living room ceiling and this of course allows the heat to go up stairs much easier. the wood stove is in a weird location (room off the living room) which does not help. I want to add the pellet stove to my living room keeping the wood stove where it is. the house is around 1300 sf so I am looking at stoves that heat around 2200 sf.

The dealer That put down the other stoves carries Napoleon and Enviro. Someone in another thread mentioned royal fireside in Uxbridge Ma. and said they were very helpful and he did not even buy his stove from them. So I am going there tommoro.

Shawn


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## Marster

Good luck to you!


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## cadman

My experience with a new Breckwell (model P24 FS, bought 2 years old) has not been that great.  I thought I'd done enough research before buying, but I would not buy another of their products.  The side panels vibrate from time to time; the convection fan quits working from time to time and finally failed completely.  I talked to a co-worker with the same unit and his has the identical problems.  If you search the forum there are a multitude of these fan failures and references to dealers who have gone out of business, as had mine.  They offer an upgraded fan, but deny there is a problem with them.  I'm not sure how abusing their customers is a sustainable business model, but I expected better.


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## IIFAST4U

I am leaning towards the St Croix afton bay model. I did not get a chance to go to the dealer today but after checking there website they were closed anyways. I will be stopping by tommoro. I checked my town codes and with my insurance company. Just have to find the right stove.

Shawn


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## pegdot

Shawn, how big is your kitchen? Could you possibly put the pellet stove there rather than in the living room? I'm a little concerned that you'll run yourself out of the living room with two stoves running in close proximity and your kitchen will still be cold. Is there a dining room adjacent to the kitchen? Could you put a pellet stove there?


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## IIFAST4U

pegdot said:
			
		

> Shawn, how big is your kitchen? Could you possibly put the pellet stove there rather than in the living room? I'm a little concerned that you'll run yourself out of the living room with two stoves running in close proximity and your kitchen will still be cold. Is there a dining room adjacent to the kitchen? Could you put a pellet stove there?



I was not planning on running both unless its extremely cold out. I am also planning on putting the pellet stove in a corner and the blower will be pointed toward the kithen doorway. I agree my living room will get hot but my wife loves it super hot and I am at work so much I won't feel it too often. The kitchen is not freezing by anymeans it is probably 60 on cold days. while my living room now is about 72 and upstairs maintains mid 60's.

I have to run my furnace to heat my crawl space to keep my pipes from freezing but I put a thermostat down there and set it to 45. I am planning on insulating the crawl space this year and getting an analog thermostat so I can set to 35 the digital will not go below 45.

Its definatly not an easy situation but I don't care if I end up spending more to support a local dealer and pellet companies. instead of the oil giants. I am one of the few that am not doing this to save money I am just trying to use as little oil as I can.

Shawn


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## DFDureiko

We purchased a Breckwell insert December 30th, so far so good.
The Breckwell dealer said the Harmans were junk and the bottom feeders problematic.
The Harman dealer basically said the same about the Breckwell.
We purchased based on price.....the Breckwell installed from a dealer that has been around a long time was 2100.00
The Harman? 4500.00 installed. Now the Harman dealer was in a "better" zip code. if you get the drift, expensive upwardly mobile areas seem to have higher prices on everything.
I can't imagine why Consumer Reports has not done something on pellet stoves


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## Shane

I don't think the pellet stove market is anywhere near large enough to warrant consumer reports reviews.


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## Marster

DFDureiko said:
			
		

> We purchased a Breckwell insert December 30th, so far so good.
> The Breckwell dealer said the Harmans were junk and the bottom feeders problematic.
> The Harman dealer basically said the same about the Breckwell.
> We purchased based on price.....the Breckwell installed from a dealer that has been around a long time was 2100.00
> The Harman? 4500.00 installed. Now the Harman dealer was in a "better" zip code. if you get the drift, expensive upwardly mobile areas seem to have higher prices on everything.
> I can't imagine why Consumer Reports has not done something on pellet stoves



What Breckwell insert did you go with? Yea, I heard the same thing about the Harmon bottom feed. I wasnt looking at buying a Harmon but the dealer did make it a point to tell me about the bottom feed. I really hate to hear dealers bash another brand of stove. I think they all have their possible issues or issues as far as that goes.....

It would be nice if Consumer Reports would test and rate these stoves. Would be an interesting read!  ABC did a piece of pellets stoves a few weeks back but it was just showing how folks are switching to pelllet stoves vs oil.  Basic information. Nothing on comparisions or quality.


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## kinsmanstoves

Yes Breckwell stoves are good units.  If you have questions I can be reached at 330-876-0200 Eric


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## TaraJane

I ordered a new convection motor directly from Breckwell (in Texas). I received a damaged unit, and when I called to get a replacement unit, they told me that I would have to pay to ship the damaged motor back to them. I feel that is a very poor business practice on their end. I wish I didn’t buy a Breckwell, and I would not recommend one just because if that is how they run their business, they shouldn’t be patronized.


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## rocketroy

cadman said:
			
		

> My experience with a new Breckwell (model P24 FS, bought 2 years old) has not been that great.  I thought I'd done enough research before buying, but I would not buy another of their products.  The side panels vibrate from time to time; the convection fan quits working from time to time and finally failed completely.  I talked to a co-worker with the same unit and his has the identical problems.  If you search the forum there are a multitude of these fan failures and references to dealers who have gone out of business, as had mine.  They offer an upgraded fan, but deny there is a problem with them.  I'm not sure how abusing their customers is a sustainable business model, but I expected better.



im looking at at breckwell p24 right now for $400 that was installed, then the owner stopped using it and moved so it was then removed after a year. but upon reading this it makes me a little unsure if its a deal or not?

its a breckwell p24 fs too.. Roy

after doing a little research, i understand the fs stands for free standing, but this guy has it on the net as an insert.
and i thought that the p24i is the only one approved for zero clearancemasonary type instalation?

ok i recalled the guy and got the full model number and its a ps24 fs/24i  so its both..duh.


opinions please.


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## MCPO

rocketroy said:
			
		

> cadman said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My experience with a new Breckwell (model P24 FS, bought 2 years old) has not been that great.  I thought I'd done enough research before buying, but I would not buy another of their products.  The side panels vibrate from time to time; the convection fan quits working from time to time and finally failed completely.  I talked to a co-worker with the same unit and his has the identical problems.  If you search the forum there are a multitude of these fan failures and references to dealers who have gone out of business, as had mine.  They offer an upgraded fan, but deny there is a problem with them.  I'm not sure how abusing their customers is a sustainable business model, but I expected better.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> im looking at at breckwell p24 right now for $400 that was installed, then the owner stopped using it and moved so it was then removed after a year. but upon reading this it makes me a little unsure if its a deal or not?
> 
> its a breckwell p24 fs too.. Roy
> 
> after doing a little research, i understand the fs stands for free standing, but this guy has it on the net as an insert.
> and i thought that the p24i is the only one approved for zero clearancemasonary type instalation?
> 
> ok i recalled the guy and got the full model number and its a ps24 fs/24i  so its both..duh.
> 
> 
> opinions please.
Click to expand...


I think you need facts not opinions. Here`s Breckwells site that seems pretty clear to me that the free standing and insert are dramatically different.
 Maybe the guy does in fact have the proper sheet metal conversion kit to convert it from a FS to an insert? 
http://breckwell.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=36


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## rocketroy

thankyou for your opinion, im not a big poster. but find alot of very usefull info if you search this forum, so thanks again,.. Roy


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## treehackers

Breckwells aren't the prettiest or the quietest but you can't beat the price. I purchased 3 Breckwells for the price of one Harmon. To be honest the Harmon was a nicer stove but I would rather spread the heat around with three stoves. 2 on the first floor and one in the basement to use when working down there.

Breckwell sells refurbs with warranty cheap on Ebay
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/stovedoc


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## stoveguy2esw

nothing wrong with breckwell's product  and they certainly have not gone out of buisness, they remain still our biggest competitor. a decent stove at a fair price

as for harmans , great stoves but in a different market, more expensive but you get a few more bells and whistles. that said i couldnt say anything bad about harman stoves and the "bottom feed issue" is BUNK! noting wrong with bottom feed , we've also done it for years with no major issues. its just a different way of doing the same thing.


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## stoveguy2esw

TaraJane said:
			
		

> I ordered a new convection motor directly from Breckwell (in Texas). I received a damaged unit, and when I called to get a replacement unit, they told me that I would have to pay to ship the damaged motor back to them. I feel that is a very poor business practice on their end. I wish I didn’t buy a Breckwell, and I would not recommend one just because if that is how they run their business, they shouldn’t be patronized.




thats BS on their part, anything shipped (was it ups or fed ex?) that arrives damaged. the procedure is to ship another at no cost to the customer and file a freight claim with the carrier (at least thats how we do it , im sure virtually all others would as well) the only caveat is that the customer hold on to the damaged product for a few weeks to allow the shipping company to come and claim or inspect the damaged product. afterwards the customer can either give it to the shipper if they ask, or dispose of it if they do not want it , the new one would have already have arrived and we would be reimbursed for the damaged item and subsequent shipping of the new product. i cant imagine asking a customer to pay shipping on an item recieved damaged. if this did happen to you you have every right to be upset.


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## BreckP23Newbie

My Breckwell P23 Is A Pleasure to operate and maintenance is a breeze thanks to the great info from this forum, Yes it isnt the the quietest or nicest looking but if you want a no nonsense stove that puts out great heat, You cant beat the breckwell P23, Throw in 5 tons of barefoot pellets and just hunker down for the winter.


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## rocketroy

thankyou very much gentlemen, il go take a look tomorrow and report back if i get  it then , but as someone said i should see it runing for a bit, so we'll see.. Roy


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## woodsman23

I have  a st. Croix Afton bay and it has been a great stove, simple to use, to clean and i have not one issue with it. I use it with a thermostat during the winter and it runs 24/7 has great heat output (keeps house at 72 in winter) it also looks great. I have had many many complements on the stove and its ability to heat that well. I have a short video posted on here just do a search for afton bay and you can see it run.


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## summit

i see you said that the dealer also sells enviro; we deal with many enviro "sister" products Vista Flame is (made by sherwood who makes enviro, too) and Bosca (was designed by enviro guys), and i've seen alot of enviros outin the field; they are well made and versatile. the breckwell was a simple stove, but some of the design on the hopper, door, stove body, were cheap, and we stopped selling them after one or two... that being said we have never had any problems reported from the folks that bought them from us.


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## mischinski

Breckwell Big E for one season - worked very well for us but I have nothing to compare it to. Price was right, no problems, a bit noisy, it loved my Lignetics and makes a nice plant stand in the summer. I only burned 2 tons last season and did not make the piggy club. Good luck.


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## kinsmanstoves

kinsman stoves said:
			
		

> Yes Breckwell stoves are good units.  If you have questions I can be reached at 330-876-0200 Eric



old number from the old store, new number is 330-448-0300.


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## smilejamaica

love my Breckwell Stove


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## hossthehermit

b4djslyde said:
			
		

> I was looking at Breckwell P23 Pellet Stove and I wanted to know if this is a good stove? I have no idea what stoves are good out there. If you don't think this is a good stove what would you recommend? Thanks.



Gotta wonder if he ever bought a stove, what kind, how it worked, did it end up exploding and vaporize him into another universe???????????????????


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## doublewide

I have a Breckwell fs2000 that I bought used and set up in my basement.  I have had no problems with the stove and it really puts off some nice heat.  It runs quietly and with no issues.  I have been running the stove with my central air fan on all the time and the heat has been circulating throughout my house.  I did a lot of research before purchasing the stove, and found that most of the posts on this website talk about problems with poor control boards and fan motor problems.  My stove is older about 7 years and has had no problems as far as I know.  The metal on the stove seems fairly thick and welded strongly.  Customer service at Breckwell seems poor at best, from my attempt to get some installation questions answered in the past.   I would recommend a Breckwell as long as you have a local dealer who is willing to help you when services are needed.  Likewise, Eric from Kinsman stoves is on this forum and stands behind Breckwell, and can answer just about any question about these stoves as well as get parts for them mailed directly to you.  Best Wishes in selecting your stove.


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## kinglew

cant speak for the p23 .but i own a breckwell 2700 and a big easy purchase in January . both good stove heat well . only had one problem with breckwell 2700 1 ignite r bough that stove in 2006 going strong. the big easy been run since jan 2010 no problems so far


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## perchin

I paid penny's for the Big E I have... its a parts whore, but for the price, has saved my family a lot of money during heating seasons. If I were going to buy a brand new one, Breckwell would NOT even be in my vocabulary. Also their customer service sucks.


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## NotMyJob

Have had our Breckwell p23i for a little over a year now and love it !


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## kinglew

when you buy a used stove you get what you pay for !when i bought my first stove it was a new a breckwell 2700 .then bought second  a new clearance englander summer heat . the first breckwell reliability and quality of the stove made my decision in purchase of a third stove. a new breckwell big easy for my pole barn . no regrets in breckwell . this is my humble opinion. thanks and good luck in your stove search.


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## treehackers

Maybe it's just me but the Breckwells are really easy to work on


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## kinglew

yes easy to work on only problem was 1 igniter on first stove. breckwell 2700 bought stove 2006 only problem .bought big easy in jan 2010 no problems at all .breckwell very reliable  for me .


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## perchin

kinglew said:
			
		

> when you buy a used stove you get what you pay for !



Yes... mine was used... for a whooping 1 season... the old man I purchased it from, said they had a storm, and the power went out. He said when the power came back on it no longer would turn on. He also stated that he was not going to continue to deal with carrying the bags of pellets anymore. I bought it, and replaced the control panel. It worked good after that... then half way through the next season the convection blower took a dump. Ok let's just say that was because it was used, and I don't know how it was treated..fair enough. Now explain to me how the second one went bad????! Or why it has needed all the other parts replaced. My neighboors have the exact same BIG E that I do, and have had the same exact problems.... as well as thousands of other people.... google is powerful my friend. ;-) 

BUT YES... THANK GOD ITS VERY EASY TO WORK ON.


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## NotMyJob

perchin said:
			
		

> kinglew said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> when you buy a used stove you get what you pay for !
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes... mine was used... for a whooping 1 season... the old man I purchased it from, said they had a storm, and the power went out. He said when the power came back on it no longer would turn on. He also stated that he was not going to continue to deal with carrying the bags of pellets anymore. I bought it, and replaced the control panel. It worked good after that... then half way through the next season the convection blower took a dump. Ok let's just say that was because it was used, and I don't know how it was treated..fair enough. Now explain to me how the second one went bad????! Or why it has needed all the other parts replaced. My neighboors have the exact same BIG E that I do, and have had the same exact problems.... as well as thousands of other people.... google is powerful my friend. ;-)
> 
> BUT YES... THANK GOD ITS VERY EASY TO WORK ON.
Click to expand...


 This is why we research everything to death before we buy anything. We Google before we buy and if we are are not comfortable we stay away until we are comfortable. We talked with many people before we bought our Breckwell and everyone that owned one said they loved them and had no problems, the ones that were not so sure had never owed a Breckwell ......like I said after 1-year with ours and zero problems we would buy again! I know there are control board problems though if not on a surge protector, but that is true with most electronics!


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