I purchased a used pellet stove a month ago off of craigslist that is a Quadrafire with the log kit and porcelain mohogany cast iron for under $1,000.00 with a marble tiled base. The stove is two years old also. I would recommend looking for something along the same line. If you are patient there are some really good deals if you watch for them. If you go with something new with auto ignition and auto shutdown with battery backup/charge I would say you would be in the $3,500.00+ range.

To have the ability to take the edge off propane prices or even electric if it gets bitterly cold and the strips are running constantly is a nice thing to have.

I purchased mine so I can fire it up and have a nice warm basement anytime we are down there and to offset the bitterly cold days/nights that the heat strips are running constantly. Also of course if the electricity goes out I can power the stove with a small generator and have heat.

I would visit hearth.com and go into the pellet and corn crib.

Tons of Information there also.

MO

Here is a link that might be useful: heath.com