Last spring, as I was perusing CL, I was looking at pellet stoves. I know, I know, I have 2 pellet stoves that performed well last winter and kept me toasty warm.
However, the really nice looking St. Croix Hastings has a small hopper, holding only about 35 pounds of pellets, and on really cold, windy days, it would run out of pellets just as I was getting home from work (literally shutting down either just before or as I was walking in the door). This cramped my style as I had to make sure to rush home from work on those days. No, I really have no place else to be, but working late or having a long commute time during snow storms stressed me a bit. Plus, the SC is more demanding than my Harman P61a (stove downstairs. It has a small ash pan, so it had to be emptied every weekend and the longest I can go between cleaning of the rest of the stove is 2 weeks.
So anyway, I was perusing CL looking at pellet stove, not really thinking I would find anything that I would be willing to afford, when I saw a Harman PP38++ (basically a P43 if anyone cares - which only a pellet-head would), located in Weare, being sold by someone who was moving. The asking price was about $600 more than I was willing to afford. Not that they were asking a bad price for it, just I already had a stove that worked fine, so I wasn't willing to pay what they wanted.
I let them know I would be interested for a certain price, and they rejected it (naturally). A couple weeks later they lowered the price and I reiterated my interest, for my price. One issue in my favor was that they needed it to be moved on a certain weekend. I was willing, and had a person from the pellet forum I frequent who was willing to help on that day. About 3 days before they needed it moved, the contacted me and accepted my price.
So, I rented a van from U-Haul and my pellet forum acquaintance (that is being kind - he was a total stranger who answered a plea for anyone willing to help me) and I went and picked it up. Much to my delight I found the stove is only 2 years old (the St. Croix was born in 2008m the PP38++ born in 2013). The Harman has been hanging out in my living room since then but I couldn't put it in place until I got rid of the St. Croix.
I have had an ad on CL with it for sale or trade (for a trailer), and I had it for sale for the price I paid for it last fall. I knew I wouldn't get that, but one has to start somewhere. About 3 weeks ago I lowered the price by $150, and I got a lady who was interested. She came to look at it last Friday and definitely wanted it, just had to arrange for transport. We "dealt a bit and I dropped the price by another $50 if her helpers would help me place the Harman in its place after removing the St. Croix.
Tuesday evening she and her helper picked up the SC, and they helped me move the Harman into place (I could have done it myself, but having help is easier). The Harman doesn't look as nice as the SC, but it has a 55 pound hopper, I can get a hopper extension for an additional 40 pound capacity, I won't have to empty the ash pan but every 3-4 weeks, and the maintenance and cleaning schedule is exactly like the downstairs Harman (clean every ton or once/month). I can also get decorative trim if I wish to dress it up a bit. I still need to hook up the exhaust which I have to modify from the previous stove since their heights are different.
I also made out as far as I was concerned because I have a newer stove that cost me less than what I sold the SC for - and that includes the $100 for van rental, mileage charges and gas. I am a happy camper and I hope the lady who bought it is happy with her acquisition. The SC really is a fine stove, just not the best for my circumstances.
So, Cop Car (who has heard about how much a U-Haul really costs to rent, but didn't know what I picked up), yes, my deal was still a good deal.
Where there's a will, there's a way. Good going! (And...now I know!)
Posted by: Cop Car | August 15, 2015 at 05:43 PM