Harman TLC 2000

Hello all. I've been reading your messages off and on for a couple of months and finally registered recently. I'm interested in purchasing a Harman TLC 2000 and would like some input from any one who has had any experience with this model. We are prone to frequent power failures where I live and as such I have ruled out an anthracite rice automatic coal stove. I like the idea that this model can burn both wood and anthracite coal. If I use pea or nut size coal, how long can I expect the stove to stay warm? I frequently work over 12 hour days and can't always get home to add coal if the flame burns out.

Since both of my dealers have noticed a substantial reduction in customer service from Harman over the past few years I did not look at the TLC 2000, but rather a couple of the Hitzer stoves and the AK Kodiak all of which are in this size range.

I ended up with a used/rebuilt Kodiak that is hopper fed and very easy to use!

While doing my research I put way too much weight on the ability to burn wood since I have many cords of wood put up ready to use. Now that I have had this stove running for a few months I can't even imagine burning wood again! I will probably sale the wood I have put up and continue to cut and split wood for exercise, but not for keeping the house warm as there is not comparison between the two.

Burning pea coal I can run the stove temps down to 170 F day after day burning 8-10 pounds of coal a day. With a little more effort I can run it below 150 F, but I tend to not run it that low. Below 40 F I switched to nut coal and keep on trucking!

With the temps down to the mid 20's or above I tend the stove once each morning. Any colder than that I tend it twice a day (when needed) same thing morning and evening!

The hopper makes all of the difference in the world and I think it is the way to go even though others will have their own thoughts on that.

I have never pushed the stove past the 24 hour mark without tending, but I don't see any reason it would not go longer than that with how it is running.

I was also worried about power failure issues since we do see that from time to time and this is my main heat source.

Since your situation seems on the face of it to be somewhat similar to mine (Even though you did not say how much house you are heating!) I could not recommend strongly enough a hopper fed Hitzer or AK stove!! (DSM too, but I have no hands on with them!)

They are easy to run and after running it a few days you will sale your firewood anyway!!! (Yea they told me that too and I did not believe it, but it is true!!)

My house stays 70-72 F day in and day out (Or what ever temp I want it to be!!) with an embarrassingly small amount of effort!!

SD

Hey, SheepDog,

Thanks for the input.

Actually, I'm in a rural community outside of Youngstown, Ohio. I'm not wanting to heat my house, but rather a small (500) square foot barn with a sand floor and 7ft ceiling which will house some ornamental pheasants and peafowl, none of which can withstand temps below 32* F. I have Nat. Gas out in the barn, but my gas bill is out of control during the winter and I'm looking for an inexpensive alternative heat source. Since I declare my farm on my Federal Income Taxes, I can write off the stove and the coal as an expense and recapture about 24% of the cost. My job frequently keeps me away for many hours, and I need something reliable to provide heat to avoid losing any livestock. Harman seems to make a good product, but poor customer service scares me, even thought the only moving parts on the stove are the grates and the door. My closest dealer told me on the phone yesterday that he had a Harman Mark II in stock. If I can get a day off, I may go up and see him.

Thanks again.

I'm not a fan of the TLC-2000. Maybe I'm wrong, but it doesn't strike me as the robust,work horse type stove I'd want to depend on to heat my place. Neighbor bought one last year. Now, I don't know if it was the neighbor, the stove, or both; They gave away the TLC-2000, and went back to wood heat this year. When they first talked about coal, I mentioned the HITZER 30-95, and Harman Mark-II (both local dealers). Most likely, they'll never try coal again.

Well I going on my fifth season with my TLC 2000. It replaced another coal stove I had for decades. Harman labels it as a fireplace or coal stove. I bought mine because it was a top loader and my wife liked the looks better than the Mark series. As it turns out I never use the top to load the stove and only use the front door to load. I did end up buying a blower for it so I wouldn't have to run it as hot to move more air. I have my stove in a finished basement of a six room ranch that was originally insulated for electric heat. I heat my whole house with this stove and my wife is always telling me to turn it down a little. I would guess up and down to be a total of1800 or 1900 square feet.

I don't burn wood so I did modify it a little to make the two sides more vertical by adding extra bricks. I also added bricks horizontally around the top to have the ability to load more coal. This way I can go maybe 1½ days when its not to cold before reloading.
I have been averaging about 2½ to 2¾ton of nut or pea a year. The large ash pan is also nice to have.

I have a Hitzer 30-95 which has the gravity fed hopper. I can go 30 hours without touching it. The biggest problem if you can call it a problem is that any stove I know of that can go for long periods without refilling is also a large enough stove to overheat 500 sq.ft. of space. Perhaps if you have no insulation, the 30-95 would be about right when temps outside drop to 40* to 45*.

I suppose a small stoker stove could be turned down low enough for your application, but then you are totally dependant on electricity for you heat.

You won't need the blower for 500 sq.ft., and the non-blower model of the 30-95 is more efficient than the blower model if you are not using the blower. The stoves are actually built a little different from each other.

Hitzer customer service is great too.

I am on my 3rd season with my TLC2000. I can go over 50 hours without touching it but it isn't putting out much heat. It will easily go 12 hours in the dead of winter with it really cranking.I am very happy with it but my only complaint is the bars in front of the door warping from very high heat. It really doesn't affect performance it just looks lousy. Chris

Hey Bigfoot Call a place called Coalway. I think the store is in appleceek. I got my DS at coalway, nice people and good prices. They have alot of brands, but not Harmen or Ak.

zeeklu wrote:I am on my 3rd season with my TLC2000. I can go over 50 hours without touching it but it isn't putting out much heat. It will easily go 12 hours in the dead of winter with it really cranking.I am very happy with it but my only complaint is the bars in front of the door warping from very high heat. It really doesn't affect performance it just looks lousy. Chris

The bars on my stove are just as straight as they were when new. I keep the bottom bar clear from ash to the top of the bricks. That way I can always see a space between the bar and the brick. I don't know if this will help.
Besides I don't think I've ever had my stove over 400º. When its cold out, 350º is usually the prime temperature. My house is tight.

I have an extra layer of brick and regularly go over 400 degrees. It's not a big deal and if I had to do it over again I probably would buy the same stove. Chris

Hey thanks, Paisan.

I'll give them a call.

The dealer near me is in Brookfield, Ohio. But as of yet, I haven't been there. I'm reading a lot of endorsements for Hitzer stoves. Sounds like I've had too narrow of a vision about the right stove. Looks like I have a lot more "homework" to do. I like the posts about how long a load of coal can last, and it sounds to me like I underestimated how much heat a coal stove can put out.

Do you have any ideas where I can purchase coal near me and price ranges per ton or bagged? I would like pea or nut anthracite.

Thanks again.

zeeklu wrote:I have an extra layer of brick and regularly go over 400 degrees. It's not a big deal and if I had to do it over again I probably would buy the same stove. Chris

I have to agree with you. I ended up with a better stove than I thought it would be. I'm very pleased with this stove. Easy to maintain and long burn times. At first I didn't think it would equal the Mark two but after the purchase I was pleasantly surprised. The BTU's are the same as the Mark two.
Last year I purchased an extra door kit. Just in case something happened to the glass, like a crack or a complete break. This way all I have to do is pop the two hinge pins and change the door which would take all of two minutes or less.
Like you, I would have no problem running the temperature up higher. I just don't need to do it with a tight house. You could easily go to 600º and having a large ash pan is really a great advantage.

How much was the extra door? Sounds like a good idea. Chris

zeeklu wrote:How much was the extra door? Sounds like a good idea. Chris

I ordered from my Harman Dealer. That was the price at the beginning of last season so I would expect it to be a little more now. It comes with everything. Pre installed door gasket,new handle and shaft, even new pins.It comes with a new gasket and glass but you have to install the glass and gasket yourself.

Black Classic Door Kit
MFR------HSC
Product Number 1-00-08711-1
Price---------$205.00
6% Sales Tax---$12.30
Total---------$217.30

We are entering our third year with the TLC 2000 and the first coal stove I have ever owned. We average 2 ton of blaschck nut and two cords of hardwood a season. I burn wood during the day this time of year and throw in 10 LB of coal before bed to get an overnight burn. When winter gets here I burn nut up until april, then a wood coal combination in the spring.
We have an open floorplan 1600sq ft ranch that the stove heats well. We still have to open the window in the bedroom all winter as it gets too hot to sleep and that is with air control on the first notch. I paid $1900 for the stove new three years ago along with $1200.00 for coal since then, compared to our annual propane cost before was over $2700 a year.
I normally run a stove temperature of 200-250 although before addition of added chimney height it ran a little hotter as I to have warped bars in front due to excessive heat. Overall we are very pleased with the stove performance, it looks cool in the living room and the dogs love it.
I believe the customer service issue falls in the dealer’s lap as my dealer lives up the road from me and his shop has been a Harman dealer for years with great service.
The TLC really throws the heat and can burn unattended for up to twelve hours although it likes a deep bed of coal for a long burn it will easily holds 40 lbs.