need help picking a pellet stove

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brewmeister

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Aug 14, 2009
4
northwest NJ
I heard harmen is great but my local dealer dropped selling them because they would not answer calls or complete orders but took the money,home depot has the Englander insert is this a good stove or garbage,how about pel-pro's insert in central hydralics is this junk,im going nuts.Some people say certain stoves are too noisey,and some are not what the heck do i do.
 
Brew, you mentioned Englander and PelPro, so I'm assuming those are the only two available in your area.

I don't know anything about the PelPro, but the Englander is a good solid stove. It may not be the fanciest, but they seem to work well, plus one of the main people that build the stoves, Mike Holton, is a regular on this site, and will always help the owners of his products.

Hopefully, some owners of PelPro stoves will chime in.

Also, you can always type the name of the stove into the "search" section at the top, and get a lot of info that way. I'm sure you'll get MANY hits for Englander.....not so sure about PelPro.

You should also read this: www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/13750_22/

Hope this helps....
 
I would just take it easy and do some research.

For example, pick two or three stoves you think might be worth trying in person. Use the search box at the upper left to see what people say about them. Get a rough notion of the going prices for a couple of models. Visit a couple of dealers near you and see how they treat you. If you think they just want your cash and won't provide service afterwards, walk away. Find out if they understand where in your house you will be installing it and if they have any suggestions. See what pellets they sell. (That's important because you can come back here and find out if the pellets are OK or just junk. You won't have to buy from them. But if a place sells junk pellets maybe their other stuff is junk.)

Mainly remember you have bought far more important things in your life than a stove, like your car and your house. A stove will give you a lot of pleasure and may save money in the long run. Don't rush. Ask for help.

Good luck.
:coolsmile:
 
Definitely go see them operate in person, and wait the 15 or 20 minutes it can take for the circulation blower to kick on. The first fan to come on is just the combustion air fan. It's pretty quiet and you may think that's the normal operating sound level, I did. I my opinion now after hearing different brands, they are all too loud. You can get used to it though.
Mike -
 
Brewmeister,

Whatever you decide, you can't say you aren't getting comments. Looks like Macman and I posted within three minutes of each other.

(I wonder....do great minds think alike?) :)
 
macman said:
Also, you can always type the name of the stove into the "search" section at the top, and get a lot of info that way. I'm sure you'll get MANY hits for Englander.....not so sure about PelPro.

You should also read this: www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/13750_22/

Hope this helps....

Search on Englander, Timberridge and Summers Heat. They all made by Englander, just badged differently.
 
if you want specific's about my units feel free to contact me e mail is in my sig, use the summer one. in summer i do not spend much time in my office (i like my hands dirty and getting out with the troops is the best way to stay up on my products)


BTW ty for the plug bro <blushing>
 
stoveguy2esw said:
.....BTW ty for the plug bro <blushing>
No problem....like I've said before, and will say again, you're one of the good guys on this site who's willing to help anyone, even though they may have a competitors stove, and you're always willing to help the ones that DO have one of yours, including getting involved with settings, warranty stuff, etc, etc.

Your insight and knowledge of the designing, building, and operating of one of these stoves is a invaluable asset to this forum.

A true stand-up guy, in my book!
 
macman said:
No problem....like I've said before, and will say again, you're one of the good guys on this site who's willing to help anyone, even though they may have a competitors stove, and you're always willing to help the ones that DO have one of yours, including getting involved with settings, warranty stuff, etc, etc.

Your insight and knowledge of the designing, building, and operating of one of these stoves is a invaluable asset to this forum.

A true stand-up guy, in my book!

Yep! I have to agree fully. Mike always seems to come to the call when someone is in the need of help!

Keep up the good work Mike, We don't say it much but we like having you around!

jay
 
hey , all the pro's in here should be credited , im but one of them. wish we had more of em. especially dealers who give their time are special (im just a manufacturer , not a dealer) guys with shops who sell stoves to the public that spend time in here should get recognition , and plugs when people are looking to buy, if they care enough to help folks in their spare time you know they will be "on the job" when you need them, so buy their products if they are in your neighborhood. its always nicer to deal with "family" and a "friend"
 
Mike,

Yes, I agree with your comment about the pro's or anyone who tries to help. Yes macman needs kudos for his efforts too!

But, You are the only stove manufacture that stops by to see what's up and Help with the stove issues. I wish my stove manufacture had a guy around here as well! I have seen the effort you put in this place and I am sure it's on your own time too! In my book that's BIG! Not to mention your building a darn good line of stoves.

Again glad you come and hang around with use and Your effort need's to be applauded! Along with anyone that tries to lend a hand in need. kudos to you ALL!

jay
 
I didn't spend time reading all of the previous posts. I have an Englander. There was an early post I did read that sated Englander wasn't fancy but was a good stove. This is very accurate. The stove is reasonable in design and looks good enough to put in our house. It is however, a stable, reliable stove with good customer support from a company that has been in business for many hears. The stove models sold today have been manufactured for many years. This is important as I see many new stoves out there. As a result they are a product that is reliable with many instances of sales and use.

That being said the cost of an Englander is less than many others.

The only concern I have with pellet stoves is the cleaning. This is an issue that occurs with all stoves at a certain level and isn't specific to Englander. I would recommend that you speak with other stove owners and really determine the issues associated with pellet stoves. This includes the maintenance of the stoves, and storing and moving the pellets.

In buying a stove I would focus on the following areas:

Cleaning (how often and what options does the stove offer to limit the amount and types of cleaning)
Maintenance (This includes cleaning the stove and the vent) (what does the vent offer to limit the amount if time of vent cleaning and make it easier).

What do I need for additional items for support. This includes a vent cleaning device, vacuum to clean the stove, pellet storage near the stove, and stand for the pellet stove to sit on.
 
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