Coalpail.com Forum

Between a Hitzer 82-fa and a Harman SF-2500 which would you guys recommend? Both are in good shape and both are priced the same. Only wanna burn coal...

do you wish to spend $2,000 on spare parts or $20 on spare parts?...do you wish to support USA or China/Mexico?

Good point. And I prefer simple.

They make a jacket for the 82fa with a blower so you can hook into existing duct work if you have any.

go with the hitzer customer svc. is great...forget about calling the Harman factory..

Thanks for the replies! The Hitzer is actually the furnace model with filter box. I believe this is the route I'm gonna go. Currently I have a Hotblast which is being picked up in the morning from a guy who solely plans on using wood. I had pretty good luck with my Hotblast after following the advice from this forum. However, the Hitzer came along at a great price and can't help but feel like I'm missing out on the benefits of a dedicated coal appliance. I know the Harman would've been good too but I like the simplicity of the Hitzer and the fact that I can talk to them is a bonus!

The right pick and I'm sure you won't be sorry. Good luck and we are all here to help.

Good choice ... and I say that as a Harman owner. Not that it's a bad stove .... but, just sayin' .

I will agree with Smitty, I love my Harman hand fired stove but thats a different application. Go with the Hitzer on this one.

Easy
Hitzer....outstanding customer service and a well crafted US made product.
Gian4

Gian4 wrote:Easy
Hitzer....outstanding customer service and a well crafted US made product.
Gian4

Found another fellow 503er

Ha Ha!

Got the Hitzer up and running. I'm surprised at how little air is required for lots of heat! Right now I have the flapper just cracked to get the house back down to a comfortable temp.

The stove was not in as great a shape as I originally thought though. Grates need replaced but will be ok for this season. Was a little angry about that at first but after firing, I can see how it could easily be overtired. All in all, I'm pretty happy with it! New grates and it will be perfect.

philthy wrote:Got the Hitzer up and running. I'm surprised at how little air is required for lots of heat! Right now I have the flapper just cracked to get the house back down to a comfortable temp.

The stove was not in as great a shape as I originally thought though. Grates need replaced but will be ok for this season. Was a little angry about that at first but after firing, I can see how it could easily be overtired. All in all, I'm pretty happy with it! New grates and it will be perfect.

If you do not have a Hitzer dealer near by you can order direct from Hitzer factory. Get yourself two stove thermometers, place one on the upper face if possible if not on the side close to the front up near the top, the other place on the stove pipe 12 to 18 inches up. This is so you have something to go by when adjusting the stove for the heat you want out of it as the temps outside fluctuate up and down. Those readings will be for the temp you want to keep the house at once you have and idea what they should be for a given day, temp outside vs temp in the living area. If you keep a running log for the next month or so as to temps on the thermometers, the setting on the dial, and the temp outside it will be much easier for you and then again in the spring once it starts to warm up. Do you have CO detectors in the house if not it is a must have.

I have the same stove and am burning sub bit allso.
Put a mpd in as close as possible to the stove flue outlet for best heating.
On reload bank your coal and have door spinner wide open till at least the bottom flapper is drawing air agian.
Give the flue damper about 1\2 hour or so before setting the mpd.
This stove will give empressive puffs if you hurry it but this works great for me your experince may be differnt.
I am burning stoker pea coal the bigger stuff would be better but this is all I can get delivered to me.
Last year was burning 3 x 6 kentuky bit best to date that I have tried but this will have to do this year.

With this stove I found it very important to burn off volatiles after reload. Lets just say I wont need a razor or a haircut for quite some time!