Osburn hybrid 45 mf pellet stove opinions

[vellamint]

I keep thinking about how we are going to pay to heat our house this winter and keep seeing threads about these pellet stoves.

Anyone in Long Island have one of these things or does anyone have a link to information about them....can they be installed in any home? thanks...

 

[CherylA]

You can direct vent them out a wall, almost like a dryer, so you need to install it on an outside wall, or you can get an insert that goes in a fireplace. Most freestandings need about 1 foot clearance on all sides. Installation for the stoves seems to be anywhere from $600-$1000 that includes materials like the piping. Stoves are rated by BTU and also give you an idea of how much square footage they will heat. They have blowers on them which makes them a bit different than a regular wood stove as the heat is forced out. One interesting thing I saw when comparing models was that even though 2 models might both be 40,000 BTU's one says it heats 1200 sq feet and the other says 1800 square feet. I wondered, why would it be different? Turns out the heating capicity isn't any different but that the testing for how much square footage the stoves could heat was done in different parts of the counntry like one was done in New Hampshire while the ohter was done in Maryland. Obviously very different temps! I liked the idea of getting one but you have to know that in the 1st 1-2 years it will actually cost you more to have the stove, depending on what you pay so it wouldn't be a money saver this year but would hep going forward plus I like the idea of not supporting the oil industry any more than I have to! All this said I don't actually have mine yet! I did buy it but it doesn't get installed for another month.

 

[monorailsilver]

I'm in CT. Having a Harmon Accentra installed at the end of August. I just called around for pellets and the cheapest I found was $270/ton and that was if you take delivery by the end of July. Everywhere else was about $290/ton. I understand there were better prices (around $230-$250/ton) if you bought in April. I get my 4 tons delivered Monday. I was told the pallets are 4'x4' I bought all 4 tons at once because A) by buying them early I got a better price and B) the delivery charge was $65 1st ton and $15/ton thereafter. I'm excited about my stove but boy was it expensive! We'll be looking at about $4100-$4500 depending upon the type of install they have to do, plus the cost of pellets, still in less thn 2 years, if oil prices stay the same it will have paid for itself. Not a bad turnaround for return on investment IMHO.

Where did you get pellets from in CT?

My dh found a few places, one in Bristol & one ???? or two??? somewhere else (I pay attention to him when he talks about this!).


We just purchased a pellet stove from Preston Trading Post in Preston, CT (love the furniture in there BTW). It cost $4700 ish. That is with the mat to put it on & the tubing or whatever it is called to vent it outside.

We were going to get an insert but my dh doesn't want to climb on the roof yearly & clean the chimney.

I can't remember who makes it but it is made in the USA. One of the Quadra Fire (sp) ones he was looking at was made in China so he didn't want that.

Oh & it is obviously back ordered & the latest they said we should have is January.

 

[CherylA]

I ended up getting mine from

Benedict William Agway Inc.
480 Purdy Hill Rd
Monroe, CT 06468
(203) 268-2537

You have to call them, and they would give you the pricing. I also found them for a very similar price from Blakeslee, they have a website woodpellets dot net

Some of the companies that usually sell them are completely out!

I'm in Seymour, where are you?

 

[gullyf]

Where did you get pellets from in CT?

I ended up getting mine from
Benedict William Agway Inc.
480 Purdy Hill Rd
Monroe, CT 06468
(203) 268-2537

You have to call them, and they would give you the pricing. I also found them for a very similar price from Blakeslee, they have a website woodpellets dot net
Some of the companies that usually sell them are completely out!

I'm in Seymour, where are you?

Hey neighbor! We're next door in Oxford.

We have always gotten ours from either Home Depot or Lowes. Never thought about Agway, though I am sure they weren't stocking them at the time we started using pellets 11 years ago.

This year I took something of a chance and gave PelletSales.com a try. We got our pellets in July for about $258 a ton delivered, which was even cheaper than last year. I generally order 3 ton, but usually use 2.5 ton or less so have some left over at the end of each season.

While I am all for dealing locally, I have been searching for some way to get pellets early in the year, since most places don't seem to have them until sometime in October. I researched PelletSales.com as best I could and found only positive remarks, and will say that I found them very good to deal with. They apparently deliver over most of the eastern half of the country.

I ordered the pellets online the end of May, got an email confirmation, and while they don't charge your credit card until after delivery (a couple of days after the July delivery in my case), a "pending charge" for the order amount did show up for a short period. You can pay by check and get an additional discount as well. Note that with most of the local places I usually had to pre-pay and wait a couple of weeks for delivery anyway.

Didn't hear anything more until a week before delivery, when a Real Human Being called and set a delivery date. On the date, the driver called and the pellets were delivered as promised.

All in all, it was a positive experience. Their pricing is a bit higher right now (it is seasonal... quite a bit cheaper if you buy in spring it seems), but would certainly have no problems using them again next year, and intend to do so.

 

[monorailsilver]

I ended up getting mine from

Benedict William Agway Inc.
480 Purdy Hill Rd
Monroe, CT 06468
(203) 268-2537

You have to call them, and they would give you the pricing. I also found them for a very similar price from Blakeslee, they have a website woodpellets dot net

Some of the companies that usually sell them are completely out!

I'm in Seymour, where are you?

Thanks, I know where that is being a formal Trumbullite.

 

[HookdonWDW]

Wow! Small world... I was reading this thread with interest, because we're thinking about installing one for this winter. We live right around the corner in Huntington!

 

[nuzmom]

I live in PA (not in the local group with you guys ). I'm the one who keeps wondering about TVs close to the stoves. SOMEONE has to have a TV, maybe even a flat screen, that's close to their stove? Or maybe not?

We also have the option of burning wood logs. We have a large woods and can use fallen timber each year and have plenty. We've held off doing anything because of the TV being above the fireplace.

We just don't use our gas logs - the propane costs way too much $$$ Our insert is SUPPOSED to be able to be converted to wood logs, but we just don't know. The cleanliness and high heat output of the pellet stoves are tempting.

Thanks for any comments.

 

[twoeeyy]

I liked the idea of getting one but you have to know that in the 1st 1-2 years it will actually cost you more to have the stove, depending on what you pay so it wouldn't be a money saver this year but would hep going forward plus I like the idea of not supporting the oil industry any more than I have to! All this said I don't actually have mine yet! I did buy it but it doesn't get installed for another month.

We are at 3,000 for the fireplace insert ( we will install it ourselves ) and 3 tons of pellets. It will cost us about 1,200 to fill our oil tank and we will need 3 fills to get thru the winter and then the 4th one will take us the rest of the year until the next winter starts. So with that math for us personally we figure we will break even this first year if not even be ahead depending on how high the oil goes.

 

[becky7953]

We just got a Hitzer pellet stove. We were lucky and got it used from an amish family. Our inlaws have 1 and love it. I am just excited about not having the heat set low..... we will be warm for the same price (we now have all electric). And the added bonus of when the power is out the stove will still run and our generator will run the other necessities (you know tv for kids, oh yeah refridg and freezer)

 

[gullyf]

I live in PA (not in the local group with you guys ). I'm the one who keeps wondering about TVs close to the stoves. SOMEONE has to have a TV, maybe even a flat screen, that's close to their stove? Or maybe not?

We also have the option of burning wood logs. We have a large woods and can use fallen timber each year and have plenty. We've held off doing anything because of the TV being above the fireplace.

We just don't use our gas logs - the propane costs way too much $$$ Our insert is SUPPOSED to be able to be converted to wood logs, but we just don't know. The cleanliness and high heat output of the pellet stoves are tempting.

Thanks for any comments.

A pellet stove is a distinctly different kind of heat from a wood stove, much closer to conventional hot air heating, and my guess is that it would not bother your tv in the least. It simply doesn't get that hot! The majority of the heat is blown out into the room by the blower (on ours anyway). Don't let the similarity to a wood stove confuse you. They are two different beasts. The top of our pellet stove won't make a decent cup of tea, even at full heat, and I can place my bare hand right on it for a few moments without discomfort. Unless you are setting your tv directly on top of the thing (and even then it would have to be directly on the firebox and not the pellet storage area) I can't see how it would affect anything at all. That said, you will have to be the judge of your own situation. I can't know all the details from what you've said here. Naturally, the more clearance the better, but I wouldn't hesitate to put something like that a foot or two above or to either side of our stove, aside from the fact I'd hate looking into the fire while trying to watch tv....

 

[heartbeeps]

I live in PA (not in the local group with you guys ). I'm the one who keeps wondering about TVs close to the stoves. SOMEONE has to have a TV, maybe even a flat screen, that's close to their stove? Or maybe not?

We also have the option of burning wood logs. We have a large woods and can use fallen timber each year and have plenty. We've held off doing anything because of the TV being above the fireplace.

We just don't use our gas logs - the propane costs way too much $$$ Our insert is SUPPOSED to be able to be converted to wood logs, but we just don't know. The cleanliness and high heat output of the pellet stoves are tempting.

Thanks for any comments.

if wood is FREE and pellets are skyrocketing, I'd seriously consider relocating the tv and burning wood (that's what we do). Just make sure your chimney has a stainless steel lining in it to prevent fires from creosote.

Everyone,

I hope you all read that article at www.pelletsales.com re the price of pellets skyrocketing due to the slow down in new home construction, the price of oil, et.al. (click on the link for pricing outlook).

Also, IMHO don't forget to check with your local twp. zoning office to get the proper permits. For something like this you want to really make sure you follow the rules to the letter of the law as if there's ever any fire in your house (and it does happen--always to someone else of course), your insurance company COULD deny your claim because there wasn't a permit and it didn't pass inspection. So, if you have a house worth $250K, and it burns down, you could potentially get ZIP in reimbursement even though you've paid your homeowners insurance - just because you didn't pay the nominal fee for a permit!

 

[gullyf]

if wood is FREE and pellets are skyrocketing, I'd seriously consider relocating the tv and burning wood (that's what we do). Just make sure your chimney has a stainless steel lining in it to prevent fires from creosote.

Very few people have access to "free" wood, not even those who think they do. The only ones that I can think of are arborists, simply because they get paid to cut it down and haul it away. Even if you have a standing woodlot, it is still going to cost you in equipment and labor to turn that into heat. Then if you figure that it is going to take 5-10 cords of wood to heat an average house, and an acre grows approximately 1 cord a year sustainably, you need a woodlot of from 5 to 10 acres. That just isn't common any more, not in our area. So you end up buying cordwood anyway.

... I hope you all read that article at www.pelletsales.com re the price of pellets skyrocketing due to the slow down in new home construction, the price of oil, et.al. (click on the link for pricing outlook).

Yes, the cost and supply of pellets is variable, just like everything else. There is no magic bullet to our impending energy problems, so the best approach is diversification. We have about 2 acres of trees, and with a relatively efficient wood stove could get maybe 5 or 6 years of heat before the place is turned into open field if it were to come to that. Why would I even think of using that as long as I can use something else?

Also, IMHO don't forget to check with your local twp. zoning office to get the proper permits. For something like this you want to really make sure you follow the rules to the letter of the law as if there's ever any fire in your house (and it does happen--always to someone else of course), your insurance company COULD deny your claim because there wasn't a permit and it didn't pass inspection. So, if you have a house worth $250K, and it burns down, you could potentially get ZIP in reimbursement even though you've paid your homeowners insurance - just because you didn't pay the nominal fee for a permit!

Yes, everyone should be aware of zoning requirements. They usually aren't that hard to meet, though most haven't been updated to reflect pellets stoves, so they just tend to require the same thing as is required for ordinary wood stoves. And of course, this is the wrong forum to voice my somewhat libertarian inclination...

 

[nuzmom]

Very few people have access to "free" wood, not even those who think they do. The only ones that I can think of are arborists, simply because they get paid to cut it down and haul it away. Even if you have a standing woodlot, it is still going to cost you in equipment and labor to turn that into heat. Then if you figure that it is going to take 5-10 cords of wood to heat an average house, and an acre grows approximately 1 cord a year sustainably, you need a woodlot of from 5 to 10 acres. That just isn't common any more, not in our area. So you end up buying cordwood anyway.

I think heartbeeps was referring to a post I made. We have about as close to free firewood as we can get. We have 100 acres, about 30 to 50 acres wooded. We own 3 chainsaws already because we have to cut trees up now and then (they've fallen across a pathway). Now, labor is "priceless", but at least we're using our own labor and not paying the propane company!!! Also, we've cut up some trees (fallen) that we use for bon fires and such and have a lot left over to start us out. Add to the the years and years we get from fallen timber, we'd be fine for a while without even touching standing timber.


We currently have a gas fireplace insert that is supposed to be able to be converted to wood. We had the triple insulted flue pipe installed with the box so that we'd be "all set" to burn wood. We currently have gas logs in the fireplace. We're just so unsure about converting it to wood. For one, the TV(there just isn't a good spot for it in the room, that's why we got a flat screen for above the fireplace). For another, Our insert seems so short. Wide, but short. I can't imagine a wood fire in it. Also, we don't have a blower on it - that doesn't help anything - our heat would go up the chimney!!! Lastly, when I look at some openings towards the front/bottom of the box, I can see plywood underneath the insert. I would be majorly concerned about a wood fireplace on plywood.

Trust me, I'm only looking for opinions. We would never do anything without a fireplace "guy" installing whatever we decide. I just saw the pellet stove discussion and was curious. It's one of the things we're considering because of the low surface temperature.

Thanks for the comments!!!!

 

[CherylA]

Hey neighbor! We're next door in Oxford.

We have always gotten ours from either Home Depot or Lowes. Never thought about Agway, though I am sure they weren't stocking them at the time we started using pellets 11 years ago.

This year I took something of a chance and gave PelletSales.com a try. We got our pellets in July for about $258 a ton delivered, which was even cheaper than last year. I generally order 3 ton, but usually use 2.5 ton or less so have some left over at the end of each season.

While I am all for dealing locally, I have been searching for some way to get pellets early in the year, since most places don't seem to have them until sometime in October. I researched PelletSales.com as best I could and found only positive remarks, and will say that I found them very good to deal with. They apparently deliver over most of the eastern half of the country.

I ordered the pellets online the end of May, got an email confirmation, and while they don't charge your credit card until after delivery (a couple of days after the July delivery in my case), a "pending charge" for the order amount did show up for a short period. You can pay by check and get an additional discount as well. Note that with most of the local places I usually had to pre-pay and wait a couple of weeks for delivery anyway.

Didn't hear anything more until a week before delivery, when a Real Human Being called and set a delivery date. On the date, the driver called and the pellets were delivered as promised.

All in all, it was a positive experience. Their pricing is a bit higher right now (it is seasonal... quite a bit cheaper if you buy in spring it seems), but would certainly have no problems using them again next year, and intend to do so.

Very cool! It's always fun to find someone who lives so close! Next year I'll be calling around early. Maybe in the spring you'll be getting a PM from me to ask who you went with!