Do you wish you went with a wood stove instead?
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I think the M55 cast or the Quad Mount Vernon would be good for your situation in a pellet stove, if you like the cast iron. I'm sure there are others out there that could do the job and some people are partial to the steel stoves. I wanted the look of the cast iron so I picked one that suited aesthetics, budget and function.
Yes, the PH numbers are great. Some people say that numbers can be manipulated, but what else can we base our purchase on? If it is customer service and satisfaction then Woodstock has some of the highest and a guarantee to back it up. No other company I know is willing to take a stove back and refund you like they do, wood or pellet! The soapstone has a softer heating capacity, sort of like that of a convection stove, so it will not burn you out of a room. The moment we buy a house, that stove will be at the top of the list of things to get, unless something else comes along with superior attributes that fit my needs. Buying from Woodstock you won't be paying the dealer premium or the cost of shipping the stove to the dealer. Of course, there is a shipping cost to you as you are buying direct from the manufacturer. Did you check out the website? Woodstove.com is the address. As far as your insurance co, many folks around here have diy'd their stoves with no problem, as long as it is inspected and approved not many companies will have an issue. Of course, checking with them first would be prudent.
Anyway, this discussion could go on forever. Wood vs. pellets, there is no right or wrong here. Both are good for the pockets and bad for the fossil fuel man!
Yes, the PH numbers are great. Some people say that numbers can be manipulated, but what else can we base our purchase on? If it is customer service and satisfaction then Woodstock has some of the highest and a guarantee to back it up. No other company I know is willing to take a stove back and refund you like they do, wood or pellet! The soapstone has a softer heating capacity, sort of like that of a convection stove, so it will not burn you out of a room. The moment we buy a house, that stove will be at the top of the list of things to get, unless something else comes along with superior attributes that fit my needs. Buying from Woodstock you won't be paying the dealer premium or the cost of shipping the stove to the dealer. Of course, there is a shipping cost to you as you are buying direct from the manufacturer. Did you check out the website? Woodstove.com is the address. As far as your insurance co, many folks around here have diy'd their stoves with no problem, as long as it is inspected and approved not many companies will have an issue. Of course, checking with them first would be prudent.
Anyway, this discussion could go on forever. Wood vs. pellets, there is no right or wrong here. Both are good for the pockets and bad for the fossil fuel man!
Yea I like the cast look. Will look into Woodstock have read some stuff already and see the have excellent customer support. Those are some heavy stoves!VCBurner said:
As far as the Harman, my guess would be between the P68, P61 or the P43, depending on how much heating you want to take care of or $ you want to spend. Harman stoves have a great name, but you better make sure you have a good dealer as they end up being the link in the chain you will have to rely on if things go wrong.
If the m55 will really heat the 2500 sqft in a super cold day might be pushing it. If the Enviro's tickly your fancy do a step up to the Maxx M and be sure your gonna be warm. Plus you will not over work it. The Maxx is nice and a tick cheaper, But can be pellet picky. The Maxx M will eat even the worst fuel without to much hiccups.
Harmans P61 or P68 are also heat monsters. But not true multifuels. But there isn't much they don't eat as far as pellets go. You could mix corn pellets at 50/50.
Harmans P61 or P68 are also heat monsters. But not true multifuels. But there isn't much they don't eat as far as pellets go. You could mix corn pellets at 50/50.
I think one of the issues at present is the cost of pellets.
I see prices fluctuating between $197 up to over $300 (start of season and now).
If you are heating with natural gas - and your furnace is >80% efficient like mine is - pellets are not very cost effective.
Of course pellet heat is zone heat compared to a Tstat regulated furnace.
At least with wood - its often free assuming you can spare the labor.
I do enjoy the wood experience - but then I've only been at it for a tad over 5 years. Time will tell.
My pellet stove is dormant - but I wouldn't hesitate to use it now and then just for a change of scenery from the wood and coal stoves currently running.
As long as I can get the pellets for less than $200/ton. Anything more is throwing money in the fire.
They definitely have their place (assuming pellet prices are not pathetic).
-John
I see prices fluctuating between $197 up to over $300 (start of season and now).
If you are heating with natural gas - and your furnace is >80% efficient like mine is - pellets are not very cost effective.
Of course pellet heat is zone heat compared to a Tstat regulated furnace.
At least with wood - its often free assuming you can spare the labor.
I do enjoy the wood experience - but then I've only been at it for a tad over 5 years. Time will tell.
My pellet stove is dormant - but I wouldn't hesitate to use it now and then just for a change of scenery from the wood and coal stoves currently running.
As long as I can get the pellets for less than $200/ton. Anything more is throwing money in the fire.
They definitely have their place (assuming pellet prices are not pathetic).
-John
The problem with discussions like this is that everyone has their own idea of what is "right" - usually very closely related to what they've installed themselves. Imagine that! It makes for an interesting discussion - in the same sense that a discussion of "should I buy a Chevy Tahoe or a Toyota 4Runner" makes. There really is no right answer, though there are compelling reasons for each side.
For me, I remember what a pain in the ass my parent's Timberline wood stove insert was when I was a kid. Stacking wood, all the bugs and spiders in the wood pile. The fact that the room where the wood stove sat had a temperature that was so hot, it felt like you were standing next to the sun. I knew when I was about 12 years old that I would never own a wood stove when I grew up.
So a pellet stove was a no brainer for me, I like buying my wood in neat little pellet form, in easy to stack 40 pound bags, thank you. But the main reason that I went with a pellet stove all those years ago was the fact that it was controllable with a thermostat. It would turn itself on and off, just like a heat pump or furnace and keep the house at a steady, even temperature.
But...everyone's situation is different. What is important to me probably isn't the least bit important to someone else, that's why there are so many different methods to heat your house
For me, I remember what a pain in the ass my parent's Timberline wood stove insert was when I was a kid. Stacking wood, all the bugs and spiders in the wood pile. The fact that the room where the wood stove sat had a temperature that was so hot, it felt like you were standing next to the sun. I knew when I was about 12 years old that I would never own a wood stove when I grew up.
So a pellet stove was a no brainer for me, I like buying my wood in neat little pellet form, in easy to stack 40 pound bags, thank you. But the main reason that I went with a pellet stove all those years ago was the fact that it was controllable with a thermostat. It would turn itself on and off, just like a heat pump or furnace and keep the house at a steady, even temperature.
But...everyone's situation is different. What is important to me probably isn't the least bit important to someone else, that's why there are so many different methods to heat your house
mepellet
Minister of Fire
Like a few people have already said, having both is great! We bought our house in 2009 and it had an older wood stove already. We added a pellet stove last fall so we now use Pellet stove as primary heat, wood stove for an added blast of heat or just if we feel like giving the pellet stove a break and oil if we are away for long periods of time. Always good to diversify especially when you don't want to deal with scrounging or cutting your own wood.
You can keep the wood, BTDT, as an old fart I don't need the hassle, would rather do the hassling instead.
To each their own.
To each their own.
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