I have been sellling R.H. Peterson gas logs for over 30 years. Peterson, Hargrove and Rasmussen all make great products and are the best in the USA. Rasmussen and R.H. Peterson are both made in Southern California with the factories within a few miles of each other. Hargrove is located in Oklahoma. Because logs are made of ceramic and cement, they are very heavy, so if you are back east, it is likely you will get better value from Hargrove since there is likely less shipping cost factored into the pricing. West Coast will do better with Peterson and Rasmussen.

Most fireplace shops that carry gas logs deal with protected distribution from the manufacturers who only allow dealers to carry their products if they are a certain distance from other dealers. This helps them prevent price wars which allows the dealers to make a decent profit. So it is very typical that one dealer sells Hargrove while a nearby dealer sells a different brand. Each dealer is going to tell you theirs are better since they want you to buy from them. In years past, I used to manage a retail fireplace shop, so I know how this works.

One thing for sure is all 3 of the above mentioned brands are much better than what you can buy at a home center.

You might be able to save a few bucks by purchasing the gas logs online and having a plumber run the gas line and install the logs rather than having a fireplace dealer do it since they might have to subcontract that job. We have been selling gas logs online for nearly 30 years now and that's pretty much how our customers handle it if they need a gas line run. Our offices are about 20 minutes from both the R.H. Peterson and Rasmussen factories, so we have a bit of an advantage over most dealers in the USA.

So nice of you to answer and give all that information. Exactly what we needed to know. Thank you so much for your time, expertise and kindness. It is a big help!