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The best Pellet Stove?

Started by Qweaver, November 12, 2014, 08:04:40 PM

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Qweaver

I own 3 pellet stoves and I'm going to get another one for my hunting camp. My Whitfield that I bought used is quiet and reliable but no longer sold.  My Breckwell has been noisy and faulty since bought new.  My USSC is really noisy and uses lots of pellets.
Is anyone really happy with their pellet stove?  Tell me what it is.

Quinton
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

ckhenshaw4

I also have a Whitfield in my workshop.  I like it, but "things" are starting to break on it, and parts are getting hard to find.  Last year the blower motor went out on it, and the dealer could get me one, but I wasn't going to pay $250.00 for it, so I went to Grainger and bought one, and fabbed up mounts for it, and it works perfectly. So for $27.00 I now have a new blower motor.
Getting TOO old to "man handle" wood anymore. Looking at building a firewood processor.

kensfarm

I've had a breckwell as my main heat for 15 years.. had to replace the draft blower.  Drilling out the burn pot holes made it work better.  Quite unless blower is on high.  Had to put a jumper on the pressure module to override. 

Bruno of NH

Harmen makes a really nice unit .
I have an Englander run from them .
Jim/Bruno of NH
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

Qweaver

I may just try a wood burning stove for the hunting camp,  but I really like the fast heat and long burn time of the pellet stove.  I have a lot of oak for firewood.
How about suggestions for a wood stove?
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

Holmes

 Woodstock  Fireview soapstone stove.It's great. 8) Made and sold in Lebanon NH Mine has the catalytic combuster. We get it going every weekend. They have a few other models, but it might be pricey  around $2300.
Think like a farmer.

SLawyer Dave

Unless it already comes in a house I buy, I will never own a pellet stove.  Back in college, I rented a house from a guy who had just built himself his "dream house" up in the canyon and so rented me his "old house".  He was so proud of the pellet stove he put in his new place, (I loved the wood stove in his old).  Well, that year we had a massive wind storm, and most of this county went without power for 5 to 14 days.  He was at the 14 day end being way up the canyon.  He found out the hard way.....pellet stoves don't work without electricity.  I know you can get a generator back up, or maybe solar or 12 volt, but really.  Why do you want a fire that needs electricity to run?   Might as well just run your central heat and air.  As for parts....not much to break on a well built wood stove.  Well, I did have to replace the firebrick in my mom's 25 yr old wood stove over the summer.  So I guess there is that.

Qweaver

I share your concerns about needing electric to run the pellet stove.  But we tried a wood stove and it was just way more work than we wanted to do...plus we could not stop the smoke coming into the house in high wind conditions.  I can put up with those problems at our hunting camp but not with daily use in our home.  We always run our generator when the power is out anyway...so this is not an issue.  I don't have to rely  on the pellet stove, the geothermal does fine.  To each their own.
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

tmarch

Harman makes a battery inverter for their stoves, uses a boat battery and will keep the stove running overnight as long as it doesn't have to ignite the pellets with the electric igniter.
Retired to the ranch, saw, and sell solar pumps.

r.man

From what I have read and seen there is a learning curve to these but they require no electricity and seem to be well liked.
http://www.wisewaypelletstoves.com/

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjyf4dBViic#t=22
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

WmFritz

r.man, I studied on these a while back. They are a nice design... genius really. There are a couple other gravity fed stoves, but Wiseway is the nicest of the three from what I've seen.

The Riley and Clarry pellet stoves are geared more for Outfitter tents, ice shanties, deer stands and such. I built a Clarry stove a few weeks ago to heat our enclosed trailer at snowmobile races. I have been playing with it in the garage and it throws some great heat.     
~Bill

2012 Homebuilt Bandmill
1959 Detroit built Ferguson TO35

bandmiller2

I'am impressed with the simplicity and design of that Wiseway  stove. My feeling on pellet stoves is if I have to buy fuel I might as well heat with street natural gas as I have it piped in for our cook stove. Does anyone know a ballpark comparison of nat. gas to pellet cost to heat a house.?? A clever lad could probably build a stove similar to a wiseway for short bucks. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

gspren

   We bought a vacation home with a Whitfield pellet stove and this is my first experience with pellet stoves. We like the fireplace atmosphere and it throws more heat than I expected. So far I have only used about 4 bags and doubt I'll burn much more than 15-20 bags a year but from you more experienced people what and how often does it need cleaned? Dumping ashes is easy.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

tmarch

Quote from: bandmiller2 on January 09, 2015, 08:41:51 AM
I'am impressed with the simplicity and design of that Wiseway  stove. My feeling on pellet stoves is if I have to buy fuel I might as well heat with street natural gas as I have it piped in for our cook stove. Does anyone know a ballpark comparison of nat. gas to pellet cost to heat a house.?? A clever lad could probably build a stove similar to a wiseway for short bucks. Frank C.
Premium pellets are 8000 to 8500 BTU per pound, natural gas is 1000 BTU per therm which is the basic billing amount here.  My current cost for pellets is $3.87 for 40 pound bags on pallets, we use approximately 120 bags per year so basically $500 per year in northwest Nebraska.  I've had natural gas and pellets are decidedly less expensive.
Retired to the ranch, saw, and sell solar pumps.

Piston

Quote from: Qweaver on November 13, 2014, 07:57:41 PM
I may just try a wood burning stove for the hunting camp,  but I really like the fast heat and long burn time of the pellet stove.  I have a lot of oak for firewood.
How about suggestions for a wood stove?

I'd think that for a hunting camp, almost any stove would do, unless you want something really nice, which you probably do.  I personally love my stove, the Woodstock Fireview, however, I wouldn't recommend a soap stone stove for a hunting camp.  I'd recommend sticking with a cast iron stove, it will heat up much faster than the soapstone, and since your only there sporadically, I think that would fit the situation better. 

However, Woodstock makes a VERY nice product  ;D
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

bandmiller2

For a hunting camp, or your house for that matter, look for a used stove. Years ago everyone installed a wood stove but when they discovered the amount of labor involved the stoves have lain fallow. Yuppies being what they are they bought the best most expensive stoves, that can now be had for pennies on the dollar.  Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

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