Newbie needs help with Harman p68 vs Enviro Max

[oliveone]

Hello I have a Raised Ranch have been heating with pellets for over 15 years. I current have a Maxx in the down stairs part of the house. I run the stove on 2 out of 5 most of the time. I have also downgraded my auger motor to a 2 RPM, to save on fuel. I am also in New York ( Hudson Valley) I can say if you leave the doors open the heat will rise. I do run a few fans when it gets really cold. Wife likes the bed room cool at night.

I have frozen the pipes once over the outside car garage door when we had a cold snap (-15 F). If I had left opened the entry door from garage to home for an hour that night would not have been an issue. Also left the guest bedroom door closed that night did not help. One frozen pipe since 1998 is not bad.

I only use oil heat for DHW and as a backup if the pellet stove is down. I just got oil for the next year and got 306 gallons at over $1000. It would cost me over $4000 a year to heat with house with oil. The Maxx will heat your house and cut your fuel bill by at least 75%. Even if you need to use some oil to keep the wife happy when it is -35 F it will still work out to save you a chit load of cash.

The Maxx ROI was 2 years for me. Parts for the Maxx are available on line.

Where about in NY are you? If you are close you could stop over and see my set up. Could even give you bag of the SETS to test out.

 

[R SEIF]

Hello I have a Raised Ranch have been heating with pellets for over 15 years. I current have a Maxx in the down stairs part of the house. I run the stove on 2 out of 5 most of the time. I have also downgraded my auger motor to a 2 RPM, to save on fuel. I am also in New York ( Hudson Valley) I can say if you leave the doors open the heat will rise. I do run a few fans when it gets really cold. Wife likes the bed room cool at night.

I have frozen the pipes once over the outside car garage door when we had a cold snap (-15 F). If I had left opened the entry door from garage to home for an hour that night would not have been an issue. Also left the guest bedroom door closed that night did not help. One frozen pipe since 1998 is not bad.

I only use oil heat for DHW and as a backup if the pellet stove is down. I just got oil for the next year and got 306 gallons at over $1000. It would cost me over $4000 a year to heat with house with oil. The Maxx will heat your house and cut your fuel bill by at least 75%. Even if you need to use some oil to keep the wife happy when it is -35 F it will still work out to save you a chit load of cash.

The Maxx ROI was 2 years for me. Parts for the Maxx are available on line.

Where about in NY are you? If you are close you could stop over and see my set up. Could even give you bag of the SETS to test o

 

[R SEIF]

Hi,sorry have been away i'am in Yorktown my oil bill is 4000 every year, going this weekend to buy a stove leaning towards the Maxx [not Maxx-M] because getting a deal on it.I wanted to know before i purchase which is better The Maxx vs Drolet-65 what does everyone think? Price is the same. Also can the Maxx be ducted like the Maxx-M or Drolet 65?With that said i have Central Air the ducts are only upstairs [Raised Ranch] where i am putting the stove down stairs it is completely on the other side of the where the return is is it still possible to duct upstairs if i get 1 of these units that can be ducted off of?

 

[stoveguy13]

the maxx-m and the maxx and the eco-65 can all be ducted. The eco-65 and the maxx-M will have closer to the same clean times as the maxx will need more frequent cleaning the maxx-M has a agitator and the Eco-65 is a bottom feed so the will need less clean of the fire pot. The maxx is basically the maxx-m with out the agitator and will need to be cleaned a bit more i would lean you towards the eco-65 or the maxx-m all are good stoves.

 

[stayfitz]

the maxx-m and the maxx and the eco-65 can all be ducted. The eco-65 and the maxx-M will have closer to the same clean times as the maxx will need more frequent cleaning the maxx-M has a agitator and the Eco-65 is a bottom feed so the will need less clean of the fire pot. The maxx is basically the maxx-m with out the agitator and will need to be cleaned a bit more i would lean you towards the eco-65 or the maxx-m all are good stoves.

Can the VistaFlame VF170 use ducting as well? I think the ECO-65 is one of the best stoves for the money!

 

[jtakeman]

Can the VistaFlame VF170 use ducting as well?

Yes it can use the same kit as the Maxx/Maxx M.

 

[stayfitz]

Yes it can use the same kit as the Maxx/Maxx M.

Is the VF170 generally less money than Maxx?

 

[jtakeman]

Is the VF170 generally less money than Maxx?

Generally yes, depending on the dealer and region. For the most part, You could save a few hundred over the Maxx.

 

[Happy Hour]

Several people have mentioned running a duct kit on the Maxx/Maxx-M. Has ANYONE installed this kit on the Maxx-M? I'm asking cause the dealer I bought from called Enviro (while I stood there) to find out if this worked on both stoves and was told it DOES NOT work on the Maxx-M. Can someone post a pic looking down on the top of the Maxx, I'd like to see if it is the exact same as my Maxx-M?

@ R SEIF.....The Enviro Maxx/Maxx-M is a freight train but I highly doubt any one stove alone will do what you are looking for it to do. The Maxx has a 455CFM blower (the biggest of any stove I believe) and is pretty loud on setting #5. You are concerned with heating the bedrooms as well, are they on a seperate zone? Can you heat the house with pellets and bump the bedrooms with Oil?