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rhondalee_ct

Pellet Stoves - Harmon Accentra, Advance vs Quadra-Fire

RhondaLee_CT
19 years ago

Hi,

I have a sunroom (13'x18") that I need to heat. I was considering getting a free-standing vented gas stove, but with the cost of installation, etc, I am thinking that a pellet stove might be a better option, as I could also heat the main part of my house with it (the dining room, living room and kitchen). And I don't need a chimney, just an outside wall to put a vent in.

I picked up some information on the Harmon Pellet Stoves, and am considering either the Accentra Pellet Stove or the Advance Pellet Stove. The dealer said he could give me a break on the Accentra stove, and will sell it to me for $2500 + tax including installation and 15 bags of pellets (which sell for $4/bag from the dealer). The Advance stove will be $3000 + tax including installation. I will be checking prices with another Harmon dealer who is a bit further away.

Here are the specs:

Accentra:

0-40000 BTU, 50 lb hopper capacity, 150 cfm blower, feed rate of .75 lbs/hr min to 4.75 lbs/hr max, 370 lbs weight,

heats up to 1450 sq ft of living space in the northeast. (I'm in Connecticut)

Advance:

0-48000 BTU, 60 lb hopper capacity, 135 cfm blower, feed rate of .75 lbs/hr min to 6 lbs/hr max, 250 lbs weight.

Is there any advantage of the Advance over the Accentra, other than it holds 10 more pounds of pellets, and will burn more pellets, and weighs less? If I can get the dealer to come down on the price of the Accentra (the retail prices have a difference of $200)

I also called another dealer in the area, who sells Quadra-Fire stoves, and says that they are a higher-end stove than the Harmon. He recommended the Quadra-Fire Castille with an installed price of $3035 + tax + hearth pad, with the following specs:

8000-30000 BTU, 40 lb hopper capacity, 160 cfm blower, feed rate of 1.5lbs/hr min to 4 lbs/hr max, 258 lbs weight, up to 1500 sq ft of heating capacity.

I noticed after typing in the specs that the Quadra-Fire seems to be more money for less capacity (both in BTU's and in hopper capacity), for more money. Are there any advantages of the Quadra-Fire over either of the Harmon models?

If I should stick to the Harmon (I know that will probably be Xanndra's recommendation), which model is best, and is there another model that would be better? I do like the idea of having auto-ignite.

Thanks for all advice!

Rhonda

Comments (34)

  • brad_brown2
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I forgot to mention; yes the Quadra Fire does run completely on a thermostat. It's totally hands-off operation. In fact, I threw away the cheapie thermostat that comes with the stove, and bought a digital programmable thermostat at Lowes. It turns the stove off and on; just like our programmable heat pump thermostats. Very nice!

    Total maintenance takes me about 5 min per day. I clean out the burn pot, clean the glass, and load it up with pellets. Our electric bills this year are HALF what they were last year!

  • RhondaLee_CT
    Original Author
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for your replies, Brad! I asked one dealer that sells both, and he said he has two Harman pellet stoves. The Quadra Fire Castille stove is cute, but I am leaning towards the Harman Advance stove at this point. I like the fact that it holds more pellets, has a higher BTU output, and doesn't weigh 370 lbs (like the Harman Accentra does)!

    I am waiting to hear from another dealer that I visited yesterday, for their sale price. They are having a sale today through the weekend. Since I am also considering a wood-buring insert (Regency I2400), I am hoping they will give me an even better deal if I get both at once. Hopefully I will know later today.

    Rhonda

  • gopo
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Brad,

    What is the voltage of the thermostat you bought from Lowes?
    In the Santa Fe manual is specified that a 12 V is needed, but I did not find anyone working on this voltage, all of them were on 24V.

    Thanks,
    Gopo

  • fredj2006
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think a thermostat would have to be a milivolt, not a 12volt - at least for the harmon. and I assume you dont want that type of thermostat since its a On or Off, dont you need something that works differently like a thermistor? If you reach temp and it turns off, then wouldnt the blowers turn off also? Wouldnt that create smoke and everything else that would go along with a power outtage? I'm not sure about this, just making an assumption.

  • mulesrider
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have several problems with the Harmon Stove. 1- Harmon has no customer service. All service or answers to problems come from the dealer. If the dealer has to call Harmon with your question the answer doesn't always match the question. Harmon and the dealer estimated pellet usage in my application would be 1/12 to 2 tons per season. I am on my 4th ton and expect to use 5.
    Harmon as a way to connect a programable thermostat. You can get the information from your dealer. Harmon connects the thermostat in series with the probe. They set the thermostat at a higher setting than the probe so the probe controls the temperature and the thermostat runs the program. Thr probe is a very antiquated way of temperatuire control. Harmnon's probe does no better than the poor performance people learned to expect from their gas room heaters. Harmon says ther ash pan will hold ashes from a ton of pellets. Not even close. I perform Harmon's recommended monthly maintenance each week. When I do maintenance I turn the control to off and let the stove run for how ever long it takes to completely shut down. When I start it I have no idea that the temperatur probe will still be at the same setting. Often times the house is at temperature but instead of shutting off the stove maintains a very small fire. Just touching the temperaure control wil shut the stove down. Ther is so little information in the ownwers manual that a lot of experimenting is neccessary to figure out exactly how the controls work and what the firing sequence should be.
    On a positive note the house is warm and maintenance is quite easy.

  • jerry_nj
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Let's do some simple math:
    First choice 40KBtu at 4.75 lbs/hour implies 8.4 KBtu per pound of pellets. As pellets have about 9 KBtus, it says 94% efficiency, I doubt it!

    Second choice, same math: 8 KBtu implies less efficient, but more believable.

    Third, quadrafire: 7.5 KBtus, still less efficient, but also more believable.

    If you can get Pellets at $4 per bag, and the bag is at least 40 pounds you are getting a better deal than Walmart offers. In any case, don't think for a minute pellets are cheaper than gas or oil. But, if you can get for $200 per ton it may be close.

    I've given pellet inserts some consideration, but am moving toward updating my wood burning insert. While it doesn't have an automatic feed, and hardwood (better than softwood) is messy, if one can get good seasoned hardwood split and delivered for under $200 per cord the cost of heat will beat pellets by 40%, i.e., cost 40% less for fuel.

    If you have natural gas, I would guess a direct vent NG heater would cost a lot less. If you have to install a new gas line from the "street" the guess didn't take that into account. I bet you can get some NG fireplace-like devices for about what a pellet stove costs. What am I missing?

  • gscreely_gmail_com
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jerry,

    I would tend to disagree with you on a couple counts.

    I need to address some of your assumptions about BTU's, the btu rating on pellet stove's is for the btu input, not the output. The output of most stove's is an actual mystery. Many manufacturers claim an "overall" efficiency rating of 80% ish. So the companies who advertise these numbers take the combustion efficiency (nearly 100%), The electrical efficiency (nearly 100%), and most importantly the the heat exchange efficiency (varies greatly from stove to stove) and average them for the overall rating. The most important number is the heat exchange efficiency and Harman is dramatically better then Quadrafire in this deparement, you do not need to be a rocket scientist to know when it is running it has more hot air coming out the exhaust than out the heat exchangers. I would be shocked if a quad is over 50% heat exchange efficiency.

    About the overall cost versus oil, electric, or gas, no contest if you have the right floor plan. Houses with open floor plans that will work with a central heating source will save a lot of money over oil particularly. If you house is chopped up and you have small opening from room to room it can be difficult to use a central heating source of any nature.

    The only common fuels that rival pellets in cost would be coal or wood (but not at $200 a cord) A ton of pellets and a cord of wood have about the same BTU value, but wood stoves do not have the combustion efficiency or the heat exchange efficiency of their pellet stove counterparts. Wood burning is only cost effective when you have a cheap source of wood, like when you harvest it yourself.

    @ $200 a cord you are going to pay more money for less, uneven heat, and do a lot more work to get that heat.

    As for Harman vs Quad. The quad is a quality product, but it lacks the efficiency that you would expect from this type of appliance. The harman is more efficient when it comes to heat exchange. The Harman is one of the top names in pellet stoves, and so is quadrafire. I have owned both and the harman IMO is significantly better. The harman has a t-stat built in, and it is much more sophisticated the than the simple set back on and off. It senses how far behind it is and adjust the stove accordingly, it also slows down the stove before it hits its target temperature which equals a more constant room temperature as compared to the simple set back controls. The down side is it is not programmable.

    Pellet stoves are among the best heating sources going in terms of cost and comfort. Pellets can be had in the off season for $170/ton, a typical 1400square foot house in the north east could expect to use 3 tons a season. That would be $510 a year for heat, that would buy you about 170 gallons oil.

    One closing remark, when looking for a stove it is a long term investment, I would pay less attention to initial costs and get the most efficient, quality unit you can find. I would look at Harmon, Dell Point, and St. Croix.

  • tammyest
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Brad, Are you willing to go back to the subject of pellet stove thermostats? My husband and I are considering purchasing a Quadra Mt.Vernon stove but are wondering how difficult it is to install the thermostat. We are not do- it-your-selfers. On some of the Lopi's the thermostat is wireless. Is the wiring complicated for the Quadra's? We have an old home and I'm worried that our electician would have a lot of holes he would need to create in our old house. How much wiring is involved?
    tammyest

  • erica_herr
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Greetings,
    I've got a question about BTU versus heating capacity. We're looking to heat a 2,000 square foot home. We were originally leaning toward the Accentra insert, based on the good reviews I've read here and elsewhere. The local dealer, the "largest showroom" in NH, who sells Harman and a bunch of others, steered us quickly toward the Lopi Yankee Bay, however. He didn't think the Accentra would heat the house. When I look at the differences, though, I'm confused. The Yankee Bay has a stated heating capacity of up to 2250 square feet and a max BTU of 45K. The Accentra, as many of you know, has a stated heating capcity of 1400 sq feet and a max BTU of 42K. I don't know much about combustion or pellet stoves, but the heating capacity difference is quite signficant but the BTU range is not. Any suggestions or explanations?
    Thanks!

  • dianacarol
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Erica, I live in Southern NH and we want to heat our 2900 sq. ft home with a pellet stove this up coming winter. Looking at Harmon vs. Quad, but we're not handy people and would always need help. What showroom in NH are you looking at? Have you decided on one yet? Anymore knowledge you can give me is greatly appreciated as we're dummies when it comes to electronics, but we'll spend the $ for the best, do it yourselfers, or at least the most do it yourselfer stove. Thanks, Diane Pemds@msn.com

  • erica_herr
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Diane,
    We're in the same boat as you. Check out Abundant Life on Route 4 east of Concord. I think it's in either Chichester or Contoocook. They have a lot of options, although I don't think they have Quadrafire. They also install/service anywhere in NH. Good luck, and let me know what you learn!
    Erica

  • koryo
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I live in Nashua and purchased a Harman Accentra insert from Stove Keepers in Amherst about 3 years ago. I believe All Basics in Merrimack carries Quadra Fire. I have been happy with the Accentra and Stove Keepers, and am considering a second stove. I don't have any direct experience with All Basics.

  • dianacarol
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for everyone's knowledge. I'm in Londonderry and called Stove Keepers; they were a bit higher than North East Coal Sales in Pelham for the Harmon Accentra. We're going to look at them in a coule of weeks. I'm still reading some negative reviews on the Harman vs. the Quad so I don't know which way to go. We're not handy people so we'll panic when something happens. I'll call Abundant Life around Concord but they're not listed as a dealer on any websites. We want a dealer that'll come out when we call when something's not working correctly. Will keep posting....Diane

  • carl_in_ri
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi All,
    I just had a Harman Accentra Insert installed on 06/13/2008. (Yes, I know, Friday the 13th but all went well). I have a few topics I'd like to discuss:

    Sky Rocketing Interest In Pellet Stoves (at least in my area):
    I purchased my stove at Fuel and Flame in Woonsocket, RI. http://fuelandflame.com/ . At the beginning of June the store received an order of 48 stoves, 17 were Harman Accentra inserts. When the installer arrived with my stove on June 13th, he said they only had 4 Accentra inserts left at the store. He also said that the order of stoves for the Jul/Aug time frame had been pushed back by Harman to mid-Sept. because they can't keep up with demand. I only researched Harman and Quadrafire but, my advice to all who may read this, if you've made up your mind to buy a Harman, don't wait or put it off 'till next month. Do it today before the rush is on when the weather starts to turn!

    Harman vs. Quadrafire:
    Again, I only researched Harman and Quadrafire pellet stoves. Incidentally, I've heard through the grape vine that Quadrafire has bought-out Harman but I haven't seen this in print yet. Anyway, I know 10 people that have purchased pellet stoves in the last 5 years and only one of them bought a Quadrafire and he likes the Quad very much. The other nine bought Harman. Three of those nine people own two Harman pellet stoves (they have 4500+ sq ft homes). One of the nine (who has 2 Harman's) is a very close friend whose opinion I trust and is also a well respected home builder/developer in RI. He told me to not even look at any other stove but a Harman. You know, it is possible to research this stuff to death. But after telling me he's had one stove for 4 seasons and the other for 1 season without a problem and would do it all over again if given a second chance............. enough said, that was good enough for me, I bought a Harman as well.

    Both brands have good and not so good aspects.
    1. During a power outage, Harman requires a power inverter and a deep cycle battery to operate. I believe the Quad only requires just the deep cycle battery (probably uses DC motors). Either set-up will run the stove for about 8 hours with 1 properly sized battery. Add a second battery in parallel and get 16 hours etc. Also, quality power inverters are nearly silent. A mid-priced, properly sized, power inverter and a sealed, non-out-gassing, deep cycle battery will run about $600-$800. About what a mid-line, home owner version, gas generator would cost. At $4+/gal, I'm not even considering a gas generator with its noise and safety concerns (fire, CO poisoning etc). But you know, I can't remember the last time the power was out for more than 2 hours in my area. (Massive tree trimming program by the power company over the last few years). So maybe aspect #1 is moot.
    2. All Harman's are cast iron. Some of the Quad's are all cast iron and some have only a portion of the stove that is cast iron.
    3. Harman has only one pellet insert. Quad has four to pick from.
    4. Harman pellet stoves are single fuel pellet stoves, Quad are multi-fuel pellet stoves.
    5. There are more pro's and con's to each. Do your DD and find out what's best for your situation.

    Pellet price and availability:
    In my area, over the last 5-6 weeks, the price for premium hardwood pellets has gone up about $10 to $20/ton. While the increase in price stinks, it's not a huge amount to be concerned with. What gets my attention though, is the longer and longer delivery dates. I already have my pellets so I'm all set for the 08/09 season. Some of the pellet distributors are taking orders now (June) and can't deliver until September! One guy won't let you pay ahead to lock in the price at the current rate either. Ordering now only assures you that you will get pellets but not at the current price. (Sounds just like the oil man!) ;-) I am concerned though, about availability and price in the future. There's only a finite amount of saw dust created. You can't dig this stuff out of the ground. With the home building industry in the dumper (furniture and flooring is where most of the hardwood sawdust comes from)...... are we in for a shortage? Living in the Northeast, with a larger than average woodworking industry, people up here will probably be OK.

    Anyway, my main reason for writing this is to convey my experiences from the last few weeks in my area. More and more people are inquiring about pellet stoves everyday. Fuel and Flame said better than half of the people that walk into the store are asking about pellet stoves. So if you're waiting to purchase a pellet stove and pellets.................DON'T WAIT TOO LONG.......or you'll be caught in the rush when it starts to get cool.

    Hope I've helped you,
    Carl in RI

  • brucerussell
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    In wisconsin if you think pellets save you money over NG(purchase price, interest on the purchase) you ar sadly mistaken. Not to mention the work. Not real efficient when the alot of neat is going out the exhaust. I piad the same for a Goodman 96 percent furnace and AC as I did my harman PC45. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made. I hope my wife does not read this.

  • peternh
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi All, Carl and anyone else in Southern NH. How much are you paying for the Accentra and the installation costs? It was recommended to me that since I have a clay chimney liner I don't need the steel liner run up to the cap. Does anyone else use their existing liner? Pros/Cons?

    thanks.

  • carl_in_ri
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Peter in NH,
    First let me say that Harman is like Bose speakers and many other companies that only sell through dealers or franchisersŅŅ..Harman sets the price that the dealer can sell the item for. Harman highly discourages their dealers to sell their stoves at more than a 10% discount below MSRP. As of this writing, the MSRP of the Accentra pellet stove insert is $3547.97. I bought mine for $3195 (about 10% off).
    Earlier, Fuel and Flame quoted me a price of $2995 but when I finally went to buy the stove at that price 2 weeks later, they showed me a letter from Harman telling them that they were in jeopardy of loosing their franchise because they were selling below 90% of MSRP. I checked surrounding dealers, and F&F had the best price by $200. (IÂm guessing the surrounding dealers complained to Harman) Anyway, F&F was forced to raise the price by $200 to fall within the guide lines. But they waived the $65 delivery charge for 2 tons of pellets and also threw in a free $70 ceramic log kitÂ.(looks real nice). Just about a wash.
    Installation was $700 all parts and labor. The installation kit which includes a 4" 25Â lng stainless steel flexible pipe, stainless cap, stainless rain hat and other misc parts is of excellent quality.
    In Canada it is mandatory to install S/S flex pipe up to the cap. In the US it is not. Even though I have a clay chimney liner as well, I opted to install the flex pipe up to the cap because the intake of the blower that feeds the fire is at the bottom of the stove and draws air from the front of the stove as well as the back. So if the vent pipe only extends a foot or two beyond the chimney damper door, itÂs possible (letÂs say, on damp foggy days when chimney draft may not be optimal) to suck exhaust gasses back into the room. I just didnÂt want to take any chances for the sake of $200 dollars worth of pipe. Also, my chimney is now completely isolated from the fire and never has to be cleaned again. Just the flex pipe.

    Hope IÂve helped,
    Carl in RI

  • lotta_questions
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    First, I want to thank everyone who has posted information. I live in NH and I am trying to come to a decision as to what stove to purchase. All of the postings have been a great help. Doing research over the internet has been overwhelming. Getting first-hand knowledge from those with experience has been greatly appreciated. As Carl in RI pointed out, you can research this to death, and I've got one foot in the grave! So, thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and input!

  • sully_2008
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I live in Mass and went to Buchanan Fireplace in Medford. They told me that the Harmon Accentra insert is backlogged and will not be available for purchase until the first quarter of 2009. I was told I could leave a $500 non refundable deposit for quoted price of $4896.75 and they would put in my order which breaks down to $3795 insert, $440 for 35'liner and cap, $450 install and $211.75 tax. North East Coal in Pelham,Nh is only taking names and no deposits because they do not want to hold a deposit for 7 or 8 months. Price there which is not a firm quote is $3547 insert, $450 install, $560 for 35'liner w/cap and they would add tax for Mass. delivery. I am not sure what I'm going to do. I will call a couple of places tomorrow, but think the answer will be the same. I am scared to leave a $500 deposit for such a long time. I guess I am caught in the rush already and it's only July!

  • badsneakers62
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi All (and tammyest who asked about thermostats on a mount Vernon). I have a Mount Vernon and I love it. Don't know that it's any better or worse than any others, but it pleases me. As for the thermostat, it's a piece of cake, just 2 wires from 2 contacts on the back of the stove. If you do buy a Mount vernon I'd suggest replacing the simple basic thermostat that came with the stove for a programable one from Lowes or HomeDepot or some such place.
    Good Luck,
    bs62

  • ebradfordrich
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    @ sully_2008: I'm in the same boat (day late, dollar short). Anyways, I was wondering what decision you came to on the Accentra insert. I called up to Hearth and Home in NH and they said the same thing. They're not expecting new stock in until after next winter. She said that they sold 490 stoves in May!

    I know that we won't get one for this year but I'm thinking about what to do for the year after. Just had the oil company out to fill up the tank and it was almost exactly a grand. Ouch!

  • dayleann
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Going to share the conclusion I finally came to.

    For a year I dithered between pellet and wood. I was going to put in a pellet stove last year, but circumstances prevented it. Glad it happened that way: it gave me more time to evaluate the options. A regular wood stove won out; I just ordered it and it will be installed in November. Because there is a huge demand for pellet stoves right now, wood stoves are easier to find. In my case, the delay is for scheduling the installation of the chimney, because all the chimney guys are booked so far in advance.

    Here is why I decided on wood:

    1. Businesses and corporations have or are switching to pellet and have contracts with pellet companies, which ties up a lot of product. Price of pellets have gone up and that is not likely to change. Availability of pellets depends on increasing manufacturing capacity and availability of raw materials. Though pellets can be made from non-wood materials, there is a huge question mark about how that is going to affect markets for other uses of those materials or the land needed to produce them.

    2. Efficiency also needs to take into account the energy costs of manufacture, packaging, and transport. The fuel you choose may vary depending on these factors. I know that in some areas pellets are made of straw residue that otherwise would be burned. For folks in those areas, that might be a responsible choice. It wouldn't be for me.

    3. I live in New England. At this point, pellets for home consumption are actually being imported from the midwest (at least it's not the mid-east!). With a wood stove, I am not dependent on a manufacturer. I am supporting local guys who earn their living cutting on sustainable woodlots. For years a lot of those woodlots went unmanaged because there wasn't a demand. Now there is a resurgence of small-scale local industry and jobs. I like that.

    4. Electrical outages due to wind and ice and lightening strikes are not uncommon where I live, and sometimes last for several days or longer. My wood stove requires no electricity to run. I stay warm.

    5. I did the math for me: the cost of the stove, chimney and installation (pro installation is required here) will be paid for within 3 years by the difference in fuel savings (assuming oil continues to cost what it does now). It would take a lot longer with a pellet stove, and with both stove and pellets costing more, I am not sure it would ever happen.

    And ask any wood burner: after a while we develop an inbuilt sense of when it is time to stick another log in that's as automatic as any thermostat.

    I bought this house over four years ago, and I think when I get that wood stove in, it will finally become home.

    Dayle Ann

  • roch123
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I own a Harmon stove..haave had it for four years...I love it...heats a 3200 sq.ft. home quite nicely..I have a ceiling fan at the top of the stairs and heat gets pumped around the house...I have been using about 3 tons of fuel..a spruce/pine mix..but have managed to aquire some hardwood pellets..are the setting on the stove going to have to be adjusted..my common sense tells me yes, but thot I'd see if anyone else has made a switch from a softwood pellet to a hardwood...

  • sysint
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here is a thread of horrendous support and various problems with controls and ashpan fires in the Mt. Vernon Quadra Fire.

    http://www.hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=121383

  • jimallen
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Brad, do you have any information on the Bixby brand of pellet stove?

  • steamheater
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Help! We just installed a Harmon XXV with the optional outside air and whenever we use it, the glass gets totally black in a few hours. The fire is very high and actually turns over towards the glass at the top. We are burning low-ash hardwood pellets. The dealer has ordered a fire pot gasket and he is hopeful that will cure the problem. Anyone else having this problem? If so, what was the fix?
    Thanks

  • fishingfreckles6_gmail_com
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a quadra fire Mt. Vernon, very pretty, heats well, but I get a lot of smokey smell on windy days, I have had a couple of incidents where it went crazy with high flames. The problem is it is so loud I can't hear the t.v. my cousin has a harmon and has had it for about 10 years without a problem. and it is quiet shhhh. I will be buying a Harmon next time. the Quadra fire shuts on and off all day, the Harmon burns slowly all day so you don't have to wait for the fire box to heat up each time, before the blowers kick on. I think the Harmon is a better stove in general. I went for looks because I like the woodstove look, but now Harmon has the xxv which looks like my Quadra fire. So that is what I will be getting next. Hope this helps anyone looking to buy a stove.

  • cshavens_yahoo_com
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just wanted to say that I have owned my Harman Accentra fireplace insert for 6 years ...Knock wood ...I have have had No problems what so ever with the stove...best purchase I think I have ever made...It heats my 1600 ft ranch with no problem what so ever...Just wish it would heat my hot water so I can shut down my furnace....Thanks

  • redwheelbarrow
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We are on our third heating season with a quadrafire insert. We heat the main part of our house--an area of approximately 1300 square feet. Noise was a consideration in our puchase (it is in our TV room) as was quality and looks. We have been extremely happy with our stove. We program the thermostat just like we would for our oil boiler. The hopper holds one 40lb bag of pellets. The burn pot is self cleaning. Once per week we thoroughly vacuum the burn chamber, clean the glass, and empty the ashes from the lower tray. We have it serviced annually. The amount of ash in the tray and dust in the pellets varies with the brand of pellets you burn. This year we found a dealer (in CT) that offered several different brands of pellets and detailed the wood and size of pellets. Our price for pellets was about $2.25 per bag--purchased by the ton. We will burn just over 2 tons.

    Quadrafire Mount Vernon insert. (60,000 btu)

  • wales915
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Is the date of this last posting correct ???? Where do you get pellets for 2.25 per bag ??? I also live in CT and just purchased a Quad Santa Fe and our house is approx 1200 sq ft...
    Can I really hope to only use 2 tons of pellets.. Thanks for your input..Scott in Vernon

  • sheerladybug
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have the opportunity to buy a used Quadrafire Santa Fe
    pellet stove for $500 and its approximately 2 yrs old. I have read numerous reviews and am bewildered as to whether this is a good choice in stoves. I would appreciate any input as to purchase this or to just buy new. According to what Ive read, the Harmon is the better stove but $500 is far better then paying over $2000 for any new stove.

  • wales915
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Two years old/ 500 bucks, it's a steal .... Mine was 2200.00 3 weeks ago, without the install... We love it, and if ur only heating 900-1200 sq ft your golden...
    Just make them demonstrate that everything/ all the motors work and that it lights ok, and you should be good :)
    Scott

  • likestonehomes
    2 years ago

    I knkw this js an old thread. Any thoughts, especially NOISE on the new Quadra Trekker Insert vs Harmon Accentra Insert?