Is there still a shortage of stoves in New England?

[Redox]

I was in the stove shop today and chatting up the sales guy while he was looking for a baffle for my stove. I asked him how business was, in between phone calls and other interruptions. He was obviously busy, but said they have both Harman and Quadrafire stoves in stock and that people were actually driving down here to get them from up north. They placed a big order last spring and got most of what they ordered. They had about two dozen stoves on the floor and "plenty" more in the warehouse. They looked like they were going for list price from what I could tell. He also said that they had been getting stoves that other shops had defaulted on payment. They are located in Harford County, MD; an easy drive down I-95. If I haven't dropped enough hints, PM me and I will give you their name.

No, I don't work for them, but they've been a great dealer so far. Hope this helps somebody.

Chris

 

[Valhalla]

Clearly anyone interested in shopping for a stove this late in the fall season, at least in the north, is literally attempting to buy at almost the worst possible time. Demand has pushed supply to a low point, and high MSRP pricing (no discounting) creating a "sellers market." It is certainly akin to trying to buy heating oil during the very beginning of the winter season, with snow flying! There will be a limited supply due to the demand from last summer, with little discounting, except for the undesirable brands judged as such because of their high cost or poor quality.

There are stoves to be had, just at a limited selection and a higher cost. For the aspiring wood burner, it is far better that heating with oil, etc. in the winters to come.

So go get one, but shop and choose wisely. Enjoy your new stove!

 

[teamorange]

I was at Home Depot and Lowes this weekend and they both had them in stock, I am in Rhode Island...

 

[Jester]

Here in the greater Newburyport area, Seabrook Home Depot really doesnt want to deal with them, they've had them in and out of stoc, ordering two at a time (per the manager on duty) They've never had pellets ( I call daily when I get bored over the weeks)
Lowes has them in more frequently. Home Depot in North Hampton NH orders them in 24 at a time (12 big/12small) Im told they arrive usually at around ten and sell out by 2.
The Harman dealer in North Hampton told me a P38 would be may of next year (this past August). He told my neighbor next august for the pellet furnace. I bought used, neighbor put his name on a list. His funace came in this week. (the dealer wont sell parts or pellets unless you bought the stove from him)
Pelletsales.com hasnt had anything but softwood in for three months in this area, and when you can get thier website to work its three weeks out.
So, yeah stoves are still in somewhat of a shortage here, but seem to be trickling in a little more rapidly.
Now if pellet availability would only follow suit

 

[webbie]

A lot of stoves are on back-order at dealers....not talking here about the big boxes (mostly englander and US Stove there).
But you might see a lot of cancellations because of the crash in the economy and $2.50 heating oil - that's todays discount price. At that price, there is no economic case for burning a pellet stove, just the usual entertainment and green reasons.....

I think it will take a couple months to sort out, but if oil stays cheap I predict lots of Pellet stoves will be in stock this winter....later. Pellets are also likely to come down in price as demand falls.

 

[DiggerJim]

$2.50 heating oil - that's todays discount price

Can you send some of that down here? It's still $3.29 at the discount dealer in Bloomfield/Windsor CT (COD, 150 gal min).

 

[webbie]

Give it a couple days...the dealer is not going to sell it cheap since he paid more for it!
Heating oil wholesale is slipping down under $2.20 a gal wholesale as we speak.....prices in Portland, ME are $2.59 (discount)

 

[teamorange]

Wait until after the election, then the oil and gas prices will be back at all time highs... No coincidence that gas and oil prices are dropping so quick and that the Presidential election is coming up, or is there...??? Cracks me up

 

[webbie]

I don't buy that particular conspiracy. Oil and energy are crashing because people have instantly become poorer and cannot afford to consume as much. Therefore the producers must lower the price to make us use it. Also, oil is no longer as much in the speculation game.

It may go up, and it may go down, but I don't think (in this case) the US election has much to do with it.

 

[MaineMike100]

Had 100 gallons delivered this morning, $2.569. Prices still seem to be dropping.

 

[alexdrozd]

Still a shortage of Quadra-Fire Inserts I guess. As I stated in another post, ordered mine on 6/26 and it still hasn't arrived.

 

[Turbozcs2003]

I just visited my dealer.

Odered a Hamran P68 on 6/7/08. Guess I am about 12th in line for P68 at his store. Showed me the list. He had Name, date of order, and stove type. Looks like he pretty much completed the orders thru 5/31 from Septembers delivery of stoves from Harman. Said they received 5 P68 last month and will receive next batch for October at end of this month. I hope I see mine in Novembers shipment. Had many customers switch out of Harman since they didnt want to wait.

He also now carries Rika and Bosca stoves, had a bunch of them on the floor.

 

[DiggerJim]

I don't buy that particular conspiracy. Oil and energy are crashing because people have instantly become poorer and cannot afford to consume as much. Therefore the producers must lower the price to make us use it. Also, oil is no longer as much in the speculation game.

It may go up, and it may go down, but I don't think (in this case) the US election has much to do with it.

I agree. We tend to ascribe too much competence to government (and disparate companies) when creating conspiracy theories than we do to the same folks' ability to manage something like our Social Security. The same people who can masterfully manipulate markets can't be the same ones we think can eff up just about any government program we want to pick on.

In this case, the market is acting exactly as it should have been expected. The cost of the commodity has cratered demand. With the U.S. demand crashing, the rest of the world starts to feel the pain as well and ultimately the whole global economy put on the brakes which leads to increased uncertainty on the part of the consumer who pulls back more...and the cycle continues until confidence is restored in a whole bunch of things & not just the banking sector. We're in for a tough ride for a while.