Old Common, Day to Day Technology. Waht do you hang onto?

[buckeyefarmer]

Hanging on tight to my woodburning stove - even though firewood is expensive and hard to find around here. Just did some more research on pellet stoves and the negative reviews scare me - apparently not very dependable and parts for some are hard to find. Not to mention they don't work when the power goes off, which is fairly often around here.

Where did you see that about pellet stoves? Love my pellet stove.

 

[wheelbuilder]

Where did you see that about pellet stoves? Love my pellet stove.

Me too, my last pellet stove lasted about 30 years. We ran about 3 tons of pellets thru it each year as out primary heat source. I put exactly 1 motor in it in that time. My Mom's furnace lasted about that long, but went thru way more parts and needed regular tuning.

 

[deserteagle71]

Where did you see that about pellet stoves? Love my pellet stove.

Doing my research. Google "pellet stove reviews" and it is scary, the number of people who have trouble with their units. Here's a link to one site:
Pellet Stove Reviews

But hey, I'm willing to listen...I want to get one of these installed by the time it cools off around here. What are your recommendations? One of the local suppliers carries the Harman line - what do you know about that brand? And how do you handle power outages? Not at all unusual for my power to be out for hours!

 

[Jstpssng]

Doing my research. Google "pellet stove reviews" and it is scary, the number of people who have trouble with their units. Here's a link to one site:
Pellet Stove Reviews

But hey, I'm willing to listen...I want to get one of these installed by the time it cools off around here. What are your recommendations? One of the local suppliers carries the Harman line - what do you know about that brand? And how do you handle power outages? Not at all unusual for my power to be out for hours!

I was going to suggest a Harmon before I finished reading your post; they have a good reputation and aren't noisy, like the stoves which I referred to in a previous post.
I still prefer my wood stove though...

 

[Doofy]

I know that here at least people bought bulk pellets by the ton and would leave them in the unheated barn, garage or shed and they would become damp from the humidity and would not feed of burn well. If kept in a dry and heated area they worked fine.

Happy that I bought just a plain, well built WoodStove.

 

[deserteagle71]

Happy that I bought just a plain, well built WoodStove.

I love my wood stove! But firewood is going above $350 a cord - and I had been driving 240 miles one way just to get some. This year even that source seems to have dried up. The feds (87% of Nevada is owned by the federal government) don't want anyone cutting trees, thinning out the forests...they'd just as soon see the forests going up in smoke every summer.

 

[Doofy]

I supplement my fuel oil heaters with the woodstove and also keep several months of wood on hand for emergencies. I burn a lot of willow and spruce that we have just removed from the yard in an effort to become more Firewise. If it is wood and over 1" in diameter it gets burned.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Doing my research. Google "pellet stove reviews" and it is scary, the number of people who have trouble with their units. Here's a link to one site:
Pellet Stove Reviews

But hey, I'm willing to listen...I want to get one of these installed by the time it cools off around here. What are your recommendations? One of the local suppliers carries the Harman line - what do you know about that brand? And how do you handle power outages? Not at all unusual for my power to be out for hours!

I have a Harman XXV and love it. Ive had it over 10 yrs i think. Did have to replace ignitor last yr. Parts available on amazon. I burn around 2 ton per winter. Mine is supplemental heat to the geothermal.



There are lots of cheaper brands, that may get poor reviews.

I dont get many power outages, so just use normal power. I have ran it on generator during power outage.

I like the auto start feature, and the large ash pan. Only clean it out about every half ton.

If you have the wood, nothing beats a wood stove. I still have a wood stove that i heated my old house with over 20 yrs ago. It never got installed in the new house cause i never built a chimney. Was going to put wood stove in basement, but would like to get another Harmon now.

 

[lennyzx11]

I find an odd satisfaction sharpening a pencil with a pocket knife. Then again, there's nothing wrong with using the tool at hand.

Just finished sharpening a carpenter pencil with a razor knife here.
I am one of the pencil fans also.Sometimes I need to erase the evidence!

 

[lennyzx11]

Me too! Cuts down on housework

Me three. Cuts down on Loud Wife Noise!