What Stove to Buy

Can anyone point me in the right direction of which stove to buy. It has to be wifeproof, because I am away from home for 24 hrs at a time. The home I am trying to heat is a 2000 sq ft ranch. I would also like the stove to be AMERICAN MADE. Blower would also be a plus, as would a hopper that I could fill before I went to work. Coal on Long Island is going for $229 a ton, any idea how much I would go through for the heating season. I know these are alot of questions but knowledge is power.
Thank you in advance Jimmy

Try http://www.keystoker.com, not only is it American made but it's made in good 'ol PA. There's really only two basic types, handfired or stokers. Hand fired requires that feed it coal by hand, set the draft etc. Stokers on the hand are completely automatic, very simialr to a regular gas or oil unit. The only difference is you need to fill the hopper with coal and take the ashes out. It's about as wife proof as it gets. As long as she can fill the hopper and remove the ashes she could run it herself.

How much depends on the unit. some can run for as long as 3 days. Even longer if it's not that cold out.

I own the Harman DVC 500 (http://www.harmanstoves.com) and really like it. It is fully automatic, except that you have to light it yourself at the beginning of the season. Fill the hopper and empty the ashes once per day. My kids can do it. There is a thermostat to regulate the temperature. It uses Rice Coal.
Troy

OK looked at the Harman Magnum Stoker, nice stove! They want $2763 for it. Has all the bells and whistles. This might be the stove I will buy. Does anyone have one? and are you happy with it?
Thanx Jimmy

Quick suggestion, have you looked for a coal dealer yet? May want to make sure you'll have fuel available for it.

I'm not suggesting me either, I don't deliver in your area.

Yes, The stove is from the coal dealer. This family has been selling coal on eastern Long Island for many years. I went to the fancy stove store first and the stove was more expensive and they did not know their product. I heard about this coal dealer that also sells stoves and paid them a visit today. While they were busy the woman there spent about 45 min going over the stoves and showing me the keystoker and Harman stoves they had installed in their outbuildings for heat. I had downloaded the installation & operating manual which I read before I went, this woman knows her stoves. So I think for ease of operation when I am not home the Harman seems to be the one. The price of rice coal from them is $210 ton to the door. Thoughts?
Thanx Jimmy

I'm looking at this question also. buying a Stoker seems to negate the benefit of purchasing a coal stove...lowering costs. With a stoker being around 3000 dollars, that would buy a lot of oil. I'm looking at Harman Mark I which sells for around 1300-1500. The Morso 1410 Coal is a really inexpensive stove...987.00 from the local dealer. The Morso strikes me as a real small stove that would need to be running flat out all the time in order to produce the needed heat. Max stated heating area is around 800 sqft, and I need it to produce heat for around 1200 sqft plus cathedral ceilings, plus any heat that goes to my upper floor. Also, the 1410 is a very delicate stove. Shaker is a thin metal rod that you insert into a hole and push back and forth. From my memory of shaking stoves when I was in high school, that arrangement would be too delicate. I have not looked at a Harman in person, but the literature on line seems to suggest that it's a much beefier stove. (but Morso has been making stoves forever!!!)

Any opinions? If not a stoker, then, what stove?

wg_bent wrote:I'm looking at this question also. buying a Stoker seems to negate the benefit of purchasing a coal stove...lowering costs. With a stoker being around 3000 dollars, that would buy a lot of oil.

One thing to consider is your going to have this for many years, according to the Department of Energy 1 ton of anthracite is equivalent to 200 gallons of oil. At current oil prices that stoker will pay for itself in about 1 1/2 years, after that it's all gravy.

As far as hand fired goes there's only two good points as far as I'm concerned, the price as you have mentioned and the fact no matter what the circumstances you will always have heat. Many of my customers live in areas where the electricity can go out for days if there is really bad storm. They have no worries about heating their home though.

1.5 years? well, close. And actually doing this analysis was kinda helpful.

I'm paying 2.24/gallon for oil. Based on my calculations I would probably burn roughly 3 tons of coal/year for heat.

Coal is going for 190/ton delivered for a total of 570.
If I use your numbers...125/ton = 375 + 220 delivery to Poughkeepsie = 595.

so 600 gallons of oil * 2.24/gallon = 1344.
Being Pessemistic 600 gallons of oil * 3.00/gallon = 1800

So yearly savings in pessemistic case is 1800 - 570 = 1230.
DVC-500 stoker is 3000.00 locally, is roughly 2.5 years.

Payback on a Harman Mark I priced at 1300...is 1 year.

Even 2.5 years is pretty good payback.

Interesting, though the local Harman dealer told me that Harman can not fill all it's orders for stoves, AND that they anticipate coal going up to 425/ton. What's up with that?

Will be buying the Harman Magnum Stoker on fri. It has an optional hotwater coil. Can this be tied into my hot water boiler to provide heat to my radiators? Has anyone attempted this?
Thanx Jimmy

wg_bent wrote: AND that they anticipate coal going up to 425/ton. What's up with that?

Doubt it highly, locally that would be more that 200% increase. It's almost laughable. The only way you would see that would be if gas and oil became too expensive too buy at all.

Nobody's going to pay that much for coal if they can get the same thing from another source for nearly the same price.

wg_bent wrote:1.5 years? well, close. And actually doing this analysis was kinda helpful.

I'm basing my information on experience. Average customer uses about 5 tons per year. Can be as little as 2 or as much, well let's just say a lot. Just for example I have a customer in a larger older home who was paying about 700-800 per month for gas during the coldest months 2 years ago. His bill is now about $75 and he uses 10 tons a year. That stoker paid for itself in a few months.

Hey wenchris, I think you'd be asking a lot of that little coil. Your essentially asking that little coil to do real central heating duties. Look at the coil, it's a real short loop over the fire.

Warren

Brought the stove on Fri. should be in around Oct. 15. Did not go with the coil for that reason. Can't wait to start keeping the house warm instead of telling the wife and kids to put a sweater on. Next project is a coal bin. Would like to put in basement but access to the window is limited, would have to drive across the lawn and am concerned about the underground sprinkler pipes. My other option is out behind garage. Is coal wet down during the winter? Would be concerned about freezing.
Thanx Jimmy

wenchris wrote: Is coal wet down during the winter? Would be concerned about freezing.

Depends, if it's coming fresh from the breaker it will be really wet. It will always have some amount of moisture in it. If you store it in a covered area that shouldn't be a problem unless it's really cold out right after you get delivery and the coal is really wet. If it does you can break it up into chunks fairly easily, additionally it doesn't freeze all the way through and will dry out eventually.

I have many customers who store it outside, never heard any complain too much about it being frozen. Trick is to keep the snow out of it.

Called about my Harman stoker today and dealer said expect delivery sometime in Nov. He said they are swamped! Knew I should have ordered it earlier. Does anyone have any plans for an outdoor coal bin for about 3 tons? Guess I'll get that ready in the meantime and order oil.
Thanx Jimmy