Quad-Fire v Harmon pellet stoves (fireplaces, heating, furniture, chimney)

[tet tea]

I'm really trying to do my homework before buying a pellet or multi fuel stove. I am torn between the Quad-Fire and the Harmon.

Which is less maintenance, best customer service, ease of parts replacement etc.

Any input either good or bad on these two brands and their stoves would be greatly appreciated.

[Bones]

Tet, I'll send a DM with some great info. Sure you want to handle 40# bags of pellets, and still have to buy them ¿ Wood stoves are a bit messy, but you can scrounge sometimes....

[tet tea]

Just an update ...

I leaned all the way towards Quadra-Fire. Their technical support for one was just far superior. I also found out that Quadra-Fire bought out Harmon and are bringing them up to their standards!

[Donn2390]

Here is the stove/fireplace forum where all the experts on that subject live...
Hearth.com - Information on Gas Fireplaces, Wood Stoves, Gas Logs, Pellet Stoves, Fireplaces, Chimneys and Hearth Products

[sunfish]

What stove is the least and easiest maintenance, harmon or quad-fire. I would really like to know. I am thinking of buying a quad-fire but have been told harmons are a little easier to maintain.

[M3 Mitch]

In my experience maintenance of a woodstove is just taking the ashes out and putting a drop of oil on the door hinge occasionally. Neither one would be affected by brand.

If you want to use a wood stove or insert for your main heat source, or at least as a serious heat source, I suggest one with an ash pan where you can dump the ashes from the firebox down into the pan, then take the pan out and dump it.

Wood ash makes great lawn fertilizer if you spread it out, BTW.

[Threerun]

They all require maintainence. Door gaskets require periodic replacement, soot and build-up cleaned from door latches and pawls, exhaust vents cleaned, auger mechanisms oiled (unless sealed)..

If it were me, I would choose a model based on known performance vs. mainainence knowing that they all require some basic upkeep anyway.

[onebadsaig]

Myself and a few friends have been waiting for parts from harmon for 2 months,there parts dept and shipping has been horrible this year.what good is a good stove if you have a problem during the heating season only to be told it will take months to recieve them?thats just rediculous.i would recommend another brand with better customer service cuz iam not seeing any with harmon this year.And dont buy a quadra fire either cuz they are now owned by harmon or the other way around but the bottom line is harmon and quadra are the same company now and my friends and myself are still waiting for parts!!!

[Bones]

Originally Posted by onebadsaig

Myself and a few friends have been waiting for parts from harmon for 2 months,there parts dept and shipping has been horrible this year.what good is a good stove if you have a problem during the heating season only to be told it will take months to recieve them?thats just rediculous.i would recommend another brand with better customer service cuz iam not seeing any with harmon this year.And dont buy a quadra fire either cuz they are now owned by harmon or the other way around but the bottom line is harmon and quadra are the same company now and my friends and myself are still waiting for parts!!!

Thanks for the info, totally unreal support.....

[thecoalman]

Harmons poor support is a pretty common complaint, having said that you can buy one of their coal fired units and not have to worry about it for years, maybe replace the grates every coupla decades. I don't know if that carries over to their pellet line but I'd assume they make a fine pellet product as well.

I also found out that Quadra-Fire bought out Harmon and are bringing them up to their standards!

The company that owns Harmon and Quadra Fire actually owns a few companies including one that makes office furniture. Harmon got in over their heads during the pellet boom/bust after Katrina and got stuck with thousands of unsold units. It was either sell or go bankrupt from my understanding. They always made a very good product.