Purchasing a Boiler, Opinions and Experiences please

coalkirk wrote:FYI, The Harman hopper holds 250# and the ash pan gets emptied once per hopper load. Harman dealers in many areas do not seem to have alot of coal burning device knowledge. But the unit works so well , you really don't need them. Any questions you would need answered, there's more knowledge on this forum than in all of the Harman dealers combined. And probably many of the other manufacturers as well.

That's nice! I like that.

I'm looking at your avatar: Can I setup the VF 3000 so that the hopper and exhaust outlet are on opposite sides?

Thanks!
Jeremy

p.s. how much did your VF3000 cost?

Jeremy,
Yes, it's reversible. I bought my boiler in 2003 for $3,500.00.

coalkirk wrote:Jeremy,
Yes, it's reversible. I bought my boiler in 2003 for $3,500.00.

ok thanks. I'll have to call to see what they're going for now.

My "local" Harman dealer, who doesn't know coal from cow dung, is asking $4,400.00. It pays to shop. My wifes cousin just bought one for $3,700.00 and change.

WOW, that's a BIG difference in price.

Maybe...... I should take the little ones to Sesame Place this summer and try to find a dealer down there in beloved coal country that wants to sell a stoker in the summer?

i have to empty the ash pan every other day. burns 2 bags of coal and fills the ash pan about 80% . . if you are interested in a keystoker boiler or just want to see one in action you could always come up and see mine or visit my friend mike who sells keystoker and alsaka stoves. he runs complete heat in nashua nh and also has a boiler up and running. his web sight is http://www.completeheatnh.com. i also live in southern nh right on the mass border. let me know

chris

Larry, I know nothing about the other stoves. I do know that an EFM has an incredible lifespan. It is a simple, durable mechanism that is proven to be reliable and near unkillable. Older units are refreshed and sold for top dollar. I see mine running and wonder what could possibly be improved on this design. They really are a pretty neat machine. Scott

1975gt750 wrote:i have to empty the ash pan every other day. burns 2 bags of coal and fills the ash pan about 80% . . if you are interested in a keystoker boiler or just want to see one in action you could always come up and see mine or visit my friend mike who sells keystoker and alsaka stoves. he runs complete heat in nashua nh and also has a boiler up and running. his web sight is http://www.completeheatnh.com. i also live in southern nh right on the mass border. let me know

chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks, I may take you up on that offer. You're only ~1:15hrs from my house.
Is this your first season with the KAA-2? How many bags of coal did you go through during some of the cold snaps we had ~0F-10F. I think the size of the KAA-2 is perfect for my application, but if we ever add on to our house it might be cutting it close.

What did the KAA-2 cost?

Thanks,
Jeremy

Larry
I have a Losch 350 130K BTU's, I took with me when I sold my house.
You can burn barley or rice, barley is cheaper and works a little better.
I have to chuckle when they say the A A is the best. It's not a Ford Chevy thing,
the Losch is a Lexus.
Take care of the grate, keep clean gear oil in the gear box and the only thing
that can go wrong is the motor (oil burn motor). Not counting the oil burner triple aquastat
and a off the shelf timer.

beatle78 wrote:WOW, that's a BIG difference in price.

Maybe...... I should take the little ones to Sesame Place this summer and try to find a dealer down there in beloved coal country that wants to sell a stoker in the summer?

mine was a little less than 3500 with the hw coil.

i picked it up saturday

i was going to wait until the summer for a better price, but with the price of steel going up it will more than likely cost more.

here's where i got mine
HEART LINE
ROUTE 137 NORTH
JAFFREY, NH 03452
603-532-4513


there harmans #1 pellet dealer very nice people and a very nice store.

probably the nicest wood stove store i've ever been in!

i talked with dave and larry (the owner) they were both very helpful even though it was there first coal boiler sale.

if the electrical consumption is low enough i might have to get another one for camp (off the grid with solar power)

jim

Hello Dennis, you are the first operating Losch boiler on the forum ... Welcome!! The Losch does appear to be very well made and with that water cooled grate system, a very high-tech design... but very expensive to repair when needed.

I own and burn an AA260. I think the 130K size AHS, AA and Eshland boilers are very good and efficient, but when the 260 is upsized from the 130, it creates a few issues..now that I have those under control, I really do like the AA boiler... but I damn near had to call in an exorcist to find the issues and cure the causes.

How about starting a topic on your Losch boiler??? scan in a copy of the owners manual, especially any line drawings or parts views... Any photos of your boiler would be great... I have a lot of curiosity about the unit. And you are the only member with an operating Losch boiler.

There is one other Losch owner, he bought his off eBay, it is a 400k model... and then discovered it had leaks in the boiler.. I don't know if he found parts, got it repaired or what happened...

Welcome..
Greg L.

sandman wrote:
mine was a little less than 3500 with the hw coil.

i picked it up saturday

i was going to wait until the summer for a better price, but with the price of steel going up it will more than likely cost more.

here's where i got mine
HEART LINE
ROUTE 137 NORTH
JAFFREY, NH 03452
603-532-4513


there harmans #1 pellet dealer very nice people and a very nice store.

probably the nicest wood stove store i've ever been in!

i talked with dave and larry (the owner) they were both very helpful even though it was there first coal boiler sale.

if the electrical consumption is low enough i might have to get another one for camp (off the grid with solar power)

jim

That's not bad. Thanks for the dealer info.... and no sales tax in NH

I wonder how that price compares to the Keystoker Kaa-2, & Ka-6?

Greg I'm Dennis (LoschStoker) I was responding to Larry in Enola,PA.
I was thinking of saleing my Losch since I moved and can't use it.
This is a sure is a great site. For those that burn wood hearth.com is another.
I do have books on the Losch boiler if I can find them. There was an other company that built the Losch
it mite be in Pittsburg, again it's boxed away.
When I find the information I'll post it.
I have 2 EFM stokers only not the boiler part. The one was used about 1or 2 years, I was thinking of making
a hot air furnace out of one.
Dennis

Hi Dennis, I too have an EFM stoker unit, I was going to use it in my 'Big Bertha' when she was a hand feed, but an Iron fireman stoker unit came along, that was MUCH easier to adapt to The Big Bertha door/ashpan design. So I have the EFM as a curriosity... I thought about making a boiler for it last summer, and even bought the SS steel for the job, and started to draw up some designs... then the AA260 showed up on Ebay... so it became the summer project.

When you can, we'd all like to see more about the Losch.

Greg L.

The Losch was made in the Schuylkill Haven area, but they are long out of business. How old do you think it is?