Which Pellet Stove? Harman Vs Quadrafire Vs Ecoteck

[DexterDay]

The 2 auger system works as follows: The top auger regulates the feed rate from the hopper and drops the pellets to the bottom auger. The bottom augurs always turns at the same speed. Not sure how Englander works.

Yes it has 3 separate blowers. The convection is the big 500CFM. Since the combustion air has to be regulated separately than the exhaust it needs it's own blower. You might be thinking of a 'sealed' system (less expensive) in which the hopper, ash pan, door etc... must be tightly sealed since the system works with only one exhaust blower. I think Englander works that way. As soon as you open a door the whole system decompresses and you might lose combustion. With separate combustion/exhaust blower you can open the front door, hopper etc.. and it does not affect combustion.

We dont need an agitator, much like the Harman the pellets burn, turn to ashes and fall down into the large ash pan below. You mention you have a dealer nearby, you may want to go visit him if he has one on his show room & play with it a little. The touchpad screen makes it really easy to set up. Let me know if you have other questions.

Englander works the same way, Top turns intermittently and bottom is constant... 2 blowers for combustion is a Great idea, but with a "Pressurized" Burn chamber, the Glass must not have a "Standard" Air-Wash.. The way a normal air wash would work, would not fit this application.. Unless the Exhaust blower is still pulling "Just a Few More CFM's than the Blower set-up for combustion... I want to go look at one now.. Got me very intrigued.

Air wash on any pellet stove is a tricky proposition as it affects your efficiencies if not done correctly. The Enerzone Airwash is very good for a 70K BTU. And good call!You are right, the exhaust blower is pulling more than the combustion blower is 'pushing'.

I figured for an air-wash to work properly. It would have to... Thats just physics. Unless it was some kind of new system.. Everyday, new technology comes out.. Got to keep up with the times.. (Disclosure- Or try to anyways) LOL... Thanks again.... and thanks for the PM

 

[smwilliamson]

The models you mention are all decent especially the Harman. Based on your comments you are looking for a pellet appliance that 1) looks nice 2) Can distribute the heat throughout the house 3) some serious BTU.

The Enerzone Euromax may fit the bill... (broken link removed to http://enerzone-intl.com/product.aspx?CategoId=5&Id=549)

Its 70,000 BTU, it's a bottom feeder similar to Harman and the nice thing with this unit is there is a kit for a small distribution system where you can duct your heat around your house. It retails for about $3,800

Fyrebug...you work for SBI. If you are going to push their product on the boards you need to identify yourself publicly. I am not a mod and cannot do anything about it...just a heads up. We need more manufacturer participation and perhaps you would have more to offer by being their spokesperson on the boards, like Mike Holton from Englander...but do not run around in incognito. ;-P

 

[FyreBug]

The models you mention are all decent especially the Harman. Based on your comments you are looking for a pellet appliance that 1) looks nice 2) Can distribute the heat throughout the house 3) some serious BTU.

The Enerzone Euromax may fit the bill... (broken link removed to http://enerzone-intl.com/product.aspx?CategoId=5&Id=549)

Its 70,000 BTU, it's a bottom feeder similar to Harman and the nice thing with this unit is there is a kit for a small distribution system where you can duct your heat around your house. It retails for about $3,800

Fyrebug...you work for SBI. If you are going to push their product on the boards you need to identify yourself publicly. I am not a mod and cannot do anything about it...just a heads up. We need more manufacturer participation and perhaps you would have more to offer by being their spokesperson on the boards, like Mike Holton from Englander...but do not run around in incognito. ;-P

Thanks for the heads up. I've been slapped on the knuckles before... Most posts I identify myself as who I work for and my profile clearly indicates who I am. I try very hard not to blatantly advertise. If you check my posts, I also try to be balanced since I firmly believe most manufacturers make excellent products (as you well know) and as I commented.

In this instance, I provided generic advice as well as providing an alternative since the customer was specifically asking for choices. This is an additional choice, no more no less. If additional disclosure is required every time I post regarding our products I will gladly do so. However, I have read the rules regarding this and I did not think this fitted in the blatant advertising category. But again thanks for pointing it out...

 

[rona]

One last suggestion is talk to a person who owns one that you are interested in and find out what they like or dislike about that model.
When you are a first time buyer you should list your needs and what you expect the stove to do for you. Sometimes we get so caught up on certain advantages of one stove versus another that we miss a disadvantage that may be a real problem.
You can buy a beautiful stove that can be programmed to run itself and it looks like a ideal choice but once you get it home you find out it has a very small hopper and you have to fill it several times a day. Maybe that doesn't bother someone who is home all day but for a couple who is gone all day it would make a bad choice.
Another point is how much noise does it make? Usually the more air being moved the louder it is. Of course we all get used to a new noise but if you can't hear the TV or visit it will be annoying.
You will also be advised to pick a dealer that is close to you because he will be able to make service calls. This brings up another can of worms. If you are willing to tinker and do maintenance work in the house you will do fine but if you don't like to get your hands dirty or can't read the manual then don't buy it.
The best scenario would be if you had a friend that has a stove like you are interested in as you could talk to him and see what he likes and dislikes about it.
There is lots of different brands of stoves and some use generic parts while others have special motors that will be costly to replace.
One last bit of advice would be to stay away from a new model for a couple years until the bugs are worked out.

 

[CrowBean]

Thank you rona. Most people here are making me look into the Englanders alittle more. Im on vacation in cancun for 2 weeks but when i return i want to make a decision. thank you all for your help and i will update.

 

[FyreBug]

Thank you rona. Most people here are making me look into the Englanders alittle more. Im on vacation in cancun for 2 weeks but when i return i want to make a decision. thank you all for your help and i will update.

You may want to ask smwilliamson's advice since he's fixed just about every brand out there. So he would know the ins & outs of many of the ones you are considering.

All the best!

 

[titikiki]

Stay away from Quadafire brand - poor customer service once you buy the unit. The company basically refers you back to the dealer. Easy to use but once off warranty expensive repairs. If could redo would go with the Englander.

 

[DexterDay]

Stay away from Quadafire brand - poor customer service once you buy the unit. The company basically refers you back to the dealer. Easy to use but once off warranty expensive repairs. If could redo would go with the Englander.

Any stove out of warranty will be expensive to fix. Going into the Pellet stove market. One must assume that a $2,000-$4,000 will need to be worked on. Any and all mechanical parts will fail. Being mechanical. They cannot last forever. I am a handy person and would rather fix my own problems anyways.

For Example. You will spend about $100 on a Combustion blower for any model. (Just a reference part, because all stoves use the same parts, they may differ in design. But the overall function and price is the same.) As per warranty, my Chainsaws are the same way. I have to take them to the dealer I bought them at. Not just any Husqvarna dealer.

The OP already stated that the part replacement cost for the Ego was very similar to the Harman XXV.

Just my 2 cents............

 

[rona]

Stay away from Quadafire brand - poor customer service once you buy the unit. The company basically refers you back to the dealer. Easy to use but once off warranty expensive repairs. If could redo would go with the Englander.

You can say that with many name brands. Some force you to go through your dealer for parts. The factory won't sell parts direct to the consumers. That should be a important consideration when choosing a brand to buy.
There are other sources that sell fans, igniters etc that will fit as replacement parts and are more reasonable priced for many stoves. Some stoves have weak points such as igniters and once the warranty goes off they are still weak points and you will be stuck paying for them.
Actually this brings up a good point in that when people find a good reasonable source for replacement parts they should post where they buy these parts so other people can save some money. Think of it this way. A factory buys its ignitors from someplace and sells them as a profit to a dealer who in turn sells them to a customer at another markup. It is easy to save 40% for a lot of items if you can find the source.

 

[summit]

can't go wrong w/ a P68 for whole house heating. especially from a basement

 

[tonyd]

Im not sure which is better but I have owned the Quad Castile and now own an Accentra. Much happier with the Harmon.

 

[BurnBabyBurn]

What kind of thermostat do these stove come with is it programmable or manual thermostat? If its manual would it be possible to upgrade to a programmable thermostat. My wife and I leave at very different time of the day and neither of like to get up to a cold house. We would really like a programmable thermostat they will keep us both warm.

 

[CrowBean]

Hi guys. Just to let everyone know I decided on a wittus ego which should be installed anytime now

 

[simplicityfarmgirl]

Last but not least.. Like Jay said.. Heating from the basement.. Go BIG on BTU's.. Big BTU's (At least 50,000) and move the air.. Hard to do (Very) but can be done... Need all the logistic's right....

So how do I move the air? You say it's hard but can be done. How? What logisitcs? Sorry I haven't a clue and I really need to know this. Thanks!