Duraflame DFS-550-21-BLK Maxwell Electric Stove with Heater 1500W, Black

We ordered our first DFS-550 4 years and it was great. The heat produced was perfect, the lighting was a cool feature and it was authentic looking. After 4 years it started to smell like burnt plastic so it was time for a replacement. We decided the same model would perfect so why change? We were wrong...we ordered what we thought was the same but it isn't. this is a newer model but not better. It's MUCH smaller both in depth and width. It does not put out the heat the previous model did. It seems Duraflame is trying to cut costs in quality material and are deviating away from the beloved 5 star first model. It's a shame, rather than just increasing the cost 4 years later, they are using cheaper materials, and less metal and manufacturing design. I wish I could have gotten what I assumed was the original.**update, the lamp has now stopped working. I replaced the bulb but it still does not work. I woiuld avoid buying this product. Hopefully there is a good competitor to the duraflame DSF-550

When i first got it i had to take the back panel off because there was a screw clattering around in it (not the most dependable first impression). After looking in the back, i thought it was a Christmas prop. It was a silver, shimmery,rotating shaft for fire effect.....and it sometimes gets noiseyIt heats, yes. There is going to be 30f weather tomorrow and i'll let you know how it does on this mid-size storage room (that's extremely insulatedUpdate: You wont freeze in 20 to 30 deg weather if its 2 to 3 feet away from you.But as to "why" this unit landed on a "top" list of heaters that's considered incredibly energy efficient....that's beyond me. When i first picked it up i felt like Will Smith in Men in Black "I feel like i'm going to break this thing".Yeah, it has a cheap feel to it, weight i mean and its so thin.Unless your area is well insulated, it wont make a big effect and most of it will be on its side of the room.

They say "Cheat me once shame on you; cheat me twice, shame on me." Well, shame on me. We purchased one of these heaters 2 years ago and it never worked. The "customer service" offered by the company was shockingly bad; they farm out their customer service to something called Twin-Star. These people don't deserve to be in business. Anyway, Amazon was brilliant and took the heater back when we couldn't get Duraflame's representatives (Twin-Star) to even call us back. We bought another heater by another manufacturer which we loved...right up until it died during the sub-zero cold spell we had this winter. This is where the "cheat me twice" part comes in: I opted to buy another Duraflame. I figured the first one must have been a fluke; what were the chances of getting another dud? Pretty good, actually. This heater arrived from Amazon and, lo and behold, the heater doesn't work! This time we actually put up such a stink with Twin-Star that they agreed to ship us a replacement heater (not the whole stove, just the heating element) which they assured us would be easy to install. That was in February...it is now April and do we have the heater element yet? OF COURSE WE DON'T!!! About a dozen calls to these weasels at Twin-Star and we still are waiting for them to call us back. I can only assume that they are SO BUSY because Duraflame makes such RUBBISH stoves.

I bought this to replace a similar heater that died on me recently. However, I find this Duraflame too noisy. It is so noisy that I am sending it back. I can't stand to even be in the same room while it's on with its constant whine. It sounds about as loud as a hair dryer being used in the next room all the time. Thing is, I don't even have very good hearing, and I can still hear it.Other than the noise, it looks nice and kicks out lots of heat. Still, that incessant whine gets to me. Bye, bye Duraflame.One other thing, when I got it, the light didn't work. Turned out to be only a lose bulb, but had to take the back off to find that out and fix it.UPDATE:The good news is that Amazon will refund me and even pay for the UPS charges to take it back. Big thanks, Amazon :-)

I really like this fireplace. It looks great in the corner of my living room. The flames are realistic and the heater works really really good. The feet are super easy to put on. From the box to being completely set up it took me 5 minutes. I plan on buying another one for my bedroom. I'm very happy with this purchase!

Not heavy. Take it out of the box, install the 4 feet....a screw goes in each foot. I was sent 6 screws but after looking at everything and reading all of the directions the other 2 screws were not used. You can turn the visual fire part off if you like. A couple of knobs and two switches for heat and power behind the door. Immediately quick heat and very quiet. We've had the brown box heaters too and they're fine but this one seems to have better output to me. No digital numbers or anything but it seems even easier without having to remember what temp you were on the previous year. This one you set the knob to where you want and done. It will turn off and on just like a box heater. Certainly prettier than the brown box style if you ask me.

The Duraflame Maxwell electric fireplace shipped fast and arrived in good condition. However, its not as nice as depicted. The entire door is plastic, as are the feet that need to be attached. I finally got the feet attached and aligned with each other properly (this took over an hour) and got it upright to discover that it is quite wobbly on carpet and does not take much to topple over. Not good if you have children or rambunctious pets. This was purchased to replace a Twin Star that I've had for over 10 years and used in my bedroom, but the controls conked out about 2 winters ago. The Duraflame will serve the purpose of keeping my bedroom warm this winter, but I'm determined to find a place that can repair my old Twin Star that I love. In summary ... Duraflame can do better.

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.  Love it! So cute and cozy. Puts out lots of heat and looks so realistic! Love the adjustable flame.