harmon or kodiak?

Hi Im new to this forum and I am in the market rite now for a coal stove.
Im done with wood. I was wondering what people thought or experience with harmon and kodiack stoves. I only read about the kodiak but the harmon I went and seen. I really liked the mark 1,2,3 and the TLC 2000 which I was leaning towards. But then again I like the idea of having a hopper like the kodiak just fill it and let it burn. Any thought s would be helpful.

Have you looked at the Harman Magnum or DVC500 series? My local hearth shop had those set up also and WOW do they throw some heat!

I've done some of the same debating between manufacturers - the greatest thing that should influence you is the level of customer service that they provide. No matter how great the deal - it is not a good deal if they don't stand behind their product.

I had another hearth shop that sold coal appliances with some of the best prices in town. When I asked about the appliance delivery, setup, or maintenance, they gave me a couple of numbers. When I tried calling these numbers, I never got a call back - made up my decision for that vendor.

I currently am a pellet burner - and again considering coal as the stove in the basement isn't keeping up with demand, and I'm tired of incrementally upgrading to the next pellet appliance.

Yes I ve researched both the magnum and dc500. They do crank out some heat. The were kind of pricey in my area I live in NY. Some friends suggest I go to PA to buy a stove they are cheaper.

alot depends on what you want from the stove. such as...how big of an area you want to heat,where the stove will site...temps outside.i live in central maine where,in jan.,and feb. we had below zero temps for along period of time.I had a tlc2000,it looked nice...but didnt throw enough heat for what i needed...rated for 1900 sq feet,and thats about what i am heating.single story ranch plus basement...where the stove sits.the tlc didnt seem to radiate enough heat from the sides,my dealer kinda talked me into buying that one...after a month or so...in december...i called and told him i wasnt happy and i wanted a mark3...he give me what i paid for the stove towards the mark3...i paid the difference(about 350 bucks)...and i am now very happy. the mark3 kept my house 70-75 during the long cold spell.we are having seasonal temps now and i am running my draft knob...1 1/2 to 2 turns out and the house is 80....thats where my g/f likes it....i like it alittle cooler but if it makes moma happy!i work a swing type 12 hour shift...an hour from home...when i get home,after 14 hrs....it is still throwing heat....not alot mind you but it is none the less.i'm not keen on any of the auto feed ones because you need power for them...up here we have lost our electricity for many days before,but thats me.alot of people have them on here and they love them.I too am a converted wood burner...you will like the fact that coal is cleaner all around,no creosote worries....less work,and more constant heat.there are some awsome people in this forum that will help you with most any question you may have.i hope all this rambling helps ya out...take care and good luck picking out your stove. oh..another thing about my hand fired...i actually like fiddling around with it!

So you like the mark 3 better than the 2000? The guy I went to was trying to sway towards the 2000 to. But all i hear is good things from the mark line.

So you like the mark 3 better than the 2000? The guy I went to was trying to sway towards the 2000 to. But all i hear is good things from the mark line.

Well, first I would find out what size coal is easily available in you area. Then I would try to figure out your need, according to the style and size of your home. Is it insulated? One floor, two floors, etc. Where will you be able to put it. Do you want something simple to maintain with only a few moving parts or something more high tech. How much heat output do you need.

The stoves you mentioned range from 48,000 to 92,000 BTU's and are all hand fired and will burn pea, nut, or stove coal and are easy to maintain and will work without power.
If you want to hook up domestic hot water, you are down to two choices. The Mark II or Mark III.

If you go with a stoker most of these will only burn coal that is smaller than pea coal and you will need power to run them unless you have battery back up or a generator. These are easy because there is no shaking of grates to be done. Just set it, load the hopper and empty the ash.

I like hand fired because they work without power. We loose power quite often and its nice to know we will still have heat.

Just some ideas of mine I think others will jump in with more.

I don't know anything about the Alaska Kodiak except what I read. People who own them seem to like them.
Just to name a few, Harmon, Alaska, Hitzer, Keystoker, Leisure line, are all good stoves. It all depends on your personal need and preference.

yes,i much prefer the mark3 over the tlc 2000.my dealer told me it would be alot more easier to fill from the top,but it's not that bad filling from the door...in fact i find it easier to get the fire going from the door than filling from the top....it seems more likely to snuff the fire out from the top.there is a guy here named smitty from mass that heating a older home with just a mark1 in the basement...they really do crank! easy ray has a tlc2000 in his finished basement,last i knew he liked his and you may see outside temps more like his area than mine.like i said before,the tlc didnt radiate much heat from the sides like my mark3 does,but the tlc would be a slightly better looking stove in the living room i guess.like ray said,the other makers seem to be good,i dont see any complaints in the forum....service from your dealer would be very important.so...how big is your home?...where is the stove going?

My home has two floors this stove would go in a back room bottom floor is about 1000 square feet.

My last coal stove was a top load only and my wife liked the TLC 2000 so we went with that. I also liked the ability to burn wood, but I never have in over 30+ years. Go figure! I never load through the top now, only through the front and I do that sitting down. If you have a older home without a lot of insulation you might think about the Mark III if you want a hand fired stove. The Kodiak is also rated at 8,000 BTU's higher than the Harman.
Don't forget my home was insulated for electric and my basement is finished and insulated. I spend a lot of time in the basement and it is 80 sometimes and up stairs it is 74.
My wife is always telling me its to warm. This is all I heat with.

How your home is set up means a lot. If you have an unfinished basement the foundation itself draws off a lot of heat if you put the stove there.

Is the coal stove going to replace the wood stove in the same spot?
How many BTU's was the wood stove?
Did you heat your whole house with wood or was it just a supplement to your main heat.

The stove is going to replace my woodstove its going in the same spot. My basement is not finished and there is really no place to put it down there. The reason I want coal is to keep a continuos burn when I am not there. If I am not home my wife will not fire that woodstove up.
. I split all this wood and if I am not there it is useless. I am trying to keep my heating cost down. I have natural gas and hate paying it. At least with the coal I can start it and it will go most of the day till I get home and then throw some more coal on it and crank it up it again. I just have to sell my woodstove in order to pay for my coal stove.

Well If you have a good chimney for the stove. Have it cleaned and all you have to do is find a coal supplier that carries nut coal and go with a hand fired unit.
The Mark II with a 76 cfm blower will heat 1900 sq ft at 72,000 btu's.
The Mark III with a 135 cfm blower will heat 2400 sq ft at 92,000 btu's
Those are Harman specs.
The Kodiak with a 125 cfm blower will heat up to 3000 sq ft at 100,00 btu's.
These are Alaska specs.
All the blowers are sold as an option with these stoves.
I would get one with a blower.

I think the Kodiak will probably throw way to much heat for you but thats only a guess.
Oh I forgot......The bigger the stove the higher the purchase price and usually more coal usage.
Thats my .02 cents.

Good Luck

As of now with all the info I have been getting and then going to the only store on long island that sells harmon. I am most likely be getting a Mark 3. Which leads me to another subject about my chimney pipe. The room this stove is going in has a flat roof nothing above it. It is a 18x12 extension off the back of the house. There is 4ft of 6" stove pipe from the stove to the cieling and then 12ft of double wall stainless from the outside roof up. With the woodstove sometimes I get a backdraft and some smoke back into the room till it heats up a bit. Am i going to have a problem with this with coal?

"Am i going to have a problem with this with coal?"

possibly, with the majority of the chimney on the exterior of the home and cooler egt's of coal, it could become likely even while burning. do you have an existing masonry chimney in the center of the home?? if so i would find a way to use that and place the stove in a different location.