Which pellet stove????

[MTC]

Hey guys-looking to buy a pellet stove to help off set these gas prices.Any advice?A multi -fuel?Live in Wisconsin so can get wood pellets or corn.What is the best for the money?Thanks

 

[Mathias NY]

No opinion on wood stoves. Just advice: Don't wait.

I went to look at a coal furnace yesterday, for the same reasons. The dealer is nearly sold out of his entire inventory and is not expecting any more to arrive until January. I'm third in line for the furnace I want. It seems a LOT of people are looking at alternative heating for this winter. I would expect the alternatives to all be in short supply this winter and that also goes for the fuels that they use.

 

[Gun guru]

I can only speak for my American Harvest burner model #6039. I have used it for 2 winters now. This unit cost me $2200 with vent pipe.

I run it all the time when I am home. The American harvest will burn corn and pellets, make sure that you can burn both. Pellets may not always be available. The unit will keep my 2300ft sq. home warm (70f) at 15f outside temp. I live in Michigan, 100 miles north of Ohio.

 

[Ron Anderson]

there is several good brands out there just make sure the one you pick burns both corn and pellets. You can get very inexpensive models to more state of the art models that have a programmable thermostat, auto ignition, auto ash dumping, and even a cable that will hook up to a 12 volt battery that automatically provides power to keep the stove running if the electricity fails. I have owned three different models in the last 5 years , a Harman PC45, A Quadra Fire Advanced Energy multi fuel stove, And Bixby stove which burns corn and pellets. Each of these stoves had their advantages and disadvantages but were all fully capable of burning corn or pellets and I let them run 24-7 whether I was home or not and. You can adjust or fine tune them to run burning different kinds of pellets. With auto ignition and thermostat control they are just as dependable as any other heat. Just have to keep the hopper full of fuel and the ash pan empty then clean the stove once in a while. You can save enough to make the investment pay pretty fast. It is also one of the safest forms of heat. I never seen a pellet stove blow up a house or burn one down.

 

[Gun guru]

Why did you own 3 different ones in 5 years.?

 

[noncompos]

Sheesh...I had no idea new coal burning stoves were on the market. Looking at a couple websites I see they refer to anthracite, which"d be logical from a smoke/combustion gas (and heat) standpoint, but that the fuel is referred to as bagged.
Were there enough old coal burners around that you can still buy by the ton, for residences?? I"d think there"d be pretty severe inspections or specs to meet in city areas. I can remember the old chain drive Macks resurrected to deliver coal in Chicago during WWII, as often as not being driven, and unloaded, by burly women.

 

[coobie]

(quoted from post at 12:27:03 07/13/08) Hey guys-looking to buy a pellet stove to help off set these gas prices.Any advice?A multi -fuel?Live in Wisconsin so can get wood pellets or corn.What is the best for the money?Thanks

uaddra-fire stoves.I have had one now for the last 5 years,it burns pellets or corn.coobie

 

[Mathias NY]

Here's a link to a local dealer. Of 3 local places to buy coal by the ton, he's the most knowledgable and carries the highest quality coal. The website offers a comparison between different fuels. The prices are all out dated, but still paints an interesting picture. Coal is now $240/ton, electricity is .41, and fuel oil is $4.20. There is a link to the Alaska Stove website that lets you input the current fuel costs. If you are near PA its hard to beat the price.
Townley Coal

 

[Mathias NY]

My error, electricty should only be $.09 not $.41

 

[1965 Oliver 1650]

I have a US Stove company American harvest stove also. It was around 2000 dollars with the pipe. I usually run straight corn with just a few pellets, seems to run better that way. I have had is for 3 years with only a few problems. Usually burn about 200 bushel of corn in the winter. I live in northern IL.They have a website, usstove.com I think. Google it.

 

[1965 Oliver 1650]

I have a US Stove company American harvest stove also. It was around 2000 dollars with the pipe. I usually run straight corn with just a few pellets, seems to run better that way. I have had is for 3 years with only a few problems. Usually burn about 200 bushel of corn in the winter. I live in northern IL.They have a website, usstove.com I think. Google it.

 

[1965 Oliver 1650]

I have a US Stove company American harvest stove also. It was around 2000 dollars with the pipe. I usually run straight corn with just a few pellets, seems to run better that way. I have had is for 3 years with only a few problems. Usually burn about 200 bushel of corn in the winter. I live in northern IL.They have a website, usstove.com I think. Google it.

 

[1965 Oliver 1650]

I have a US Stove company American harvest stove also. It was around 2000 dollars with the pipe. I usually run straight corn with just a few pellets, seems to run better that way. I have had is for 3 years with only a few problems. Usually burn about 200 bushel of corn in the winter. I live in northern IL.They have a website, usstove.com I think. Google it.

 

[Ron Anderson]

I originally bought the first one thinking it had enough btus to heat the house. After using it two seasons I found I had to small a stove to do the job. So a friend of mine told me about a new model coming out that had 60btu and I ordered it in the spring and got it close to Thanksgiving that fall. It was a new model and untested. It had problems with the mother board in it and the company that sold the mother board just couldn't get it right. Made in China don't you know. Anyway there was a third stove being sold for 4000.00 called a Bixby that was supposed to be the best out there and had a proven track record. There was some new Bixbys sold on E-Bay for 1800.00 and I can afford that so I bought one as I was tired of that second stove acting up. Now there was no warranty with the cheap Bixby but the price was cheap enough so I could spend some money for parts if I had to. I ended up selling the first one for the same as what the second one cost me so no money lost there. I am trading the second one to a fellow who bought a new Bixby last fall and his wife didn't like the appearance of the Bixby but liked the looks of the AE as it is more traditional looking. I have had excellent luck with the Bixby and am going to sell the second one when I get it after I make sure it works right. I have a fuel oil boiler and you know what fuel oil costs. The last time I burned fuel oil it took 1000 gallons for the season so multiply 4.28 X1000 =4280.00 versus 230 bushel of corn at say a inflated price of 8.00 a bushel =1840.00 thus a savings of 2440.00 and I am cozy with 73 degree heat.

 

[oliver power]

Just ordered my 6 ton supply of coal for winter. $247.00 per ton. I live in finger Lakes area of New York. Years ago , who would ever think of winter heating fuels in July?

 

[noncompos]

No, I"m out in Portland, OR, where the weather"s been warming ever since the turn of the century oops, the last century. Don"t think the Columbia"s frozen over since 1919 or so---there"s a pic of an open touring car (and not a Model T, if there was a model T Touring Sedan) with four people out on the ice.
I"d just assumed coal heating had all been phased out for gas or oil, having lived the last 60+ yrs in So. NM, So AZ, Calif and OR (40+ of those in OR).