I will be happy to answer the questions posed by Windwalker7. I would like to make it clear I am just a dealer and do not speak for the company in any way, shape or form.
Heat Master has been in business for 10 years. They are built out of 409 stainless, not the 304 that has problems with cracking. Heatmore is also made out of 409 and I understand they have had very good success out of it as well. Heat Masters failure rate dropped dramatically when they went to the 409SS. Heat Master builds both the firebox and water jacket out of 10 gauge stainless steel. I would ask one question about Shaver, how thick is the water jacket?
No, Heat Master has no relation with Global although they are made in the same town I believe. My father sold Global for a few years and then stopped because of all the problems.
I always take care of any warranties for my customers. If a furnace needs to be replaced I would do it at no charge, if one needs to be repaired I come out and do it. The only time I would ask a customer to ship a furnace is if the customer had come from outside of my installation/delivery area and had picked up the furnace. I would then do the repairs for free but would need the furnace brought back to me to have them done. The customer would also have the option of having a local person do the repair at my cost. In other words, any furnace that I deliver or install I would come out and repair. I have never charged a costumer for anything that is under warranty. If you want to do this long term you have to take care of your customers. There is another thread on here that is about different warranties, I have listed Heat Masters and several others have listed warranties for other brands.
My main competition in this area is Central Boiler, Hardy and maybe Taylor although their sales seem to have fallen off since Central Boiler and Heat Master have become more dominate. I don't don't see many problems with Central Boiler, in fact I tell potential customers if they want a quality mild steel furnace I would recommend a Central Boiler. If someone is looking for a 304ss furnace I recommend Hardy. I've never said Shaver was a terrible furnace, they just seem to need to make some minor improvements. Hopefully they will continue to evolve and over time will design one of the premier furnaces on the market. To be honest the first Heat Masters were no jewels, I know because I owned one. Thank God they have made improvements every year, always trying to improve their design.
You ask about the furnace that sells for $4200. It heats 3000sq ft, the firebox is 32 x 44 deep. This furnace doesn't have shaker grates and an ash pan. The cheapest furnace I sell with those options is $5100.
Let me repeat myself so I am not misunderstood. I am not saying Shaver sells a bad product that is unusable or that will fall apart in several years. I'm sure they will supply a owner many years of happy heating. I have just been wondering why they use certain design features and don't include certain features that are standard on almost any other main line furnace company. And it also has bothered me that they have made claims on efficiency ability that seem to defy logic.
I actually have had a number of conversations with Shaver about becoming a dealer so I could offer a mild steel furnace to go along with my stainless one. There is a dealer about 50 miles from me but I have heard he doesn't know how to install. I'm just not satisfied with the furnace yet to stake my reputation on it. Maybe I'm being overly cautious I don't know. Anyway, hope that helped clear this up.