# Red Stone Eco Bricks vs Eco-Energy Fuel Blocks



## BlueMavWood (Jan 27, 2013)

Red Stone Eco Bricks (a very fine product in my opinion) are no longer being sold in Tractor Supply Company (TSC) stores in the Northeast according to Eco Brick national sales manager, Brad Smith.

TSC replaced Eco Bricks in the Northeast with Eco-Energy Fuel Blocks (a very poor product in my opinion). They smolder (for me) rather than burn (clouding glass door) and create very little heat.

Fuel Blocks now sold at TSC are also significantly more expensive to use than the Eco Bricks they replaced. Fuel Blocks are less dense and contain less product per package than the Eco Bricks sold last season. Eco Bricks last season were rated at around 12,000 btu's per pound (may have changed) while Fuel Blocks are rated at only 8,800 btu's per pound. And, Eco Bricks were sold in 25 pound packs last season and Fuel Blocks this season are sold in 21 pound packs. So, even though the price per pack may be the same as last season ($2.99 - $3.49) Fuel Blocks are significantly more expensive to use than the Eco Bricks they replaced. Just saying. Eco Bricks in my opinion burn better and cost less. And.... Shame on TSC for their slippery marketing system.


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## mfglickman (Jan 27, 2013)

I have 6 packs of red stone that I bought this week? In the northeast.

Last year they had some that were IMO total crap - they were 3 enormous blocks to a pack, very loose and cheap feeling. They didn't burn nearly as well as the ECO and BIO bricks that I got elsewhere.


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## BrotherBart (Jan 27, 2013)

I bought eight packages of the Red Stones at TSC two weeks ago here. Not thrilled with only six bricks in the pack instead of eight like they used to be. Just 21 pounds a pack.


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## TTigano (Jan 27, 2013)

I just recently purchased a pallet of canawick bricks were are essentially the same thing.  There are 20 bricks in a pack though.  Throw some serious heat and last a good long time.  Great in my opinion for overnight burns.  $6/package though.... Came to $285 for the pallet.


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## nola mike (Jan 27, 2013)

TTigano said:


> I just recently purchased a pallet of canawick bricks were are essentially the same thing.  There are 20 bricks in a pack though.  Throw some serious heat and last a good long time.  Great in my opinion for overnight burns.  $6/package though.... Came to $285 for the pallet.


BB, 
Have you checked out liberty bricks?  I bought a pallet for $170, and find they compare favorably with the eco bricks.


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## ddahlgren (Jan 28, 2013)

The blocks from Tractor supply in the northeast are not worth the effort in my opinion. A bunch of cold starts and no coals little heat to add insult to injury..


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## wkpoor (Jan 28, 2013)

My local TSC told me late last yr they would be switching and gave me a deal on the remaining eco bricks. But when comparing brands and prices its the price per lb that matters. In the 3 brands I have tried I see performance pretty close but I'm not trying to pack a stove full and compare to a load of hardwood. I use them for relights and to help get up to temp quickly. They all do that well. I get blue flames quickly and secondary light off between 200-300 stove top.


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## eclecticcottage (Jan 28, 2013)

We still have left over ecos from last year.  We figured we'd always keep a few packs on hand going forward, just in case we both got the flu or something and didn't want to go out to bring in wood.  They are nice to mix with less than ideally seasoned wood, but hopefully we won't have that problem to deal with again.  I did notice the new packs, with the fewer pounds per pack, but the TSC we were in had both.  Now I wonder if we shouldn't just grab some more ecos while we can...hm.


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## ddahlgren (Jan 28, 2013)

Do not grab the six pack version as it is like the ones I got are useless, no better than rolled up newspaper..sigh.. or at least what I imagine that to be..


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## BlueMavWood (Jan 28, 2013)

mfglickman said:


> I have 6 packs of red stone that I bought this week? In the northeast.
> 
> Last year they had some that were IMO total crap - they were 3 enormous blocks to a pack, very loose and cheap feeling. They didn't burn nearly as well as the ECO and BIO bricks that I got elsewhere.


 
That 3-pack of "crap" sounds like those Eco-Energy Fuel Blocks.  Glad you could get the Red Stone Eco Bricks.


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## BlueMavWood (Jan 28, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> I bought eight packages of the Red Stones at TSC two weeks ago here. Not thrilled with only six bricks in the pack instead of eight like they used to be. Just 21 pounds a pack.


 
Yeah, I liked the 8-pack too.  More slick marketing I guess.  Instead of just raising the price they try to fool people with smaller packaging.


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## BlueMavWood (Jan 28, 2013)

TTigano said:


> I just recently purchased a pallet of canawick bricks were are essentially the same thing. There are 20 bricks in a pack though. Throw some serious heat and last a good long time. Great in my opinion for overnight burns. $6/package though.... Came to $285 for the pallet.


 
Hey, that's great to know.  I haven't heard of that brand but will be sure to try them if I ever see them for sale around here.


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## BlueMavWood (Jan 28, 2013)

nola mike said:


> BB,
> Have you checked out liberty bricks? I bought a pallet for $170, and find they compare favorably with the eco bricks.


 
That seems like a great price.  Is there one-ton of product per pallet?


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## BlueMavWood (Jan 28, 2013)

ddahlgren said:


> The blocks from Tractor supply in the northeast are not worth the effort in my opinion. A bunch of cold starts and no coals little heat to add insult to injury..


 
YUP!


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## nola mike (Jan 28, 2013)

BlueMavWood said:


> That seems like a great price. Is there one-ton of product per pallet?


yes.


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## BrotherBart (Jan 28, 2013)

nola mike said:


> BB,
> Have you checked out liberty bricks? I bought a pallet for $170, and find they compare favorably with the eco bricks.


 
That price is only if you pick them up at the plant. My concern about Liberty Bricks is back when they started out people were finding all sorts of crap in them that wasn't wood. Hope they fixed that. Up here they cost just as much as the other brands since only one place sells them that I know of and it is a snooty stove shop up around Leesburg. Tried to buy a Jotul casting from them in 2006 and they acted like I was trying to mooch a meal and sleep in their basement. 

The shop I send everybody to after that sure enjoys the business they don't get. A forum member had the casting drop shipped to me in four days.


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## nola mike (Jan 28, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> That price is only if you pick them up at the plant. My concern about Liberty Bricks is back when they started out people were finding all sorts of crap in them that wasn't wood. Hope they fixed that. Up here they cost just as much as the other brands since only one place sells them that I know of and it is a snooty stove shop up around Leesburg.


Yup.  That's why I singled you out--didn't know how far from the plant you were (and they are in Doswell now, not Petersburg), might be worth the drive.  I bought a pallet and haven't had any quality issues.  I'm about 1/4 through it so far.  I posted a brief review of them v. the eco bricks here.


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## BlueMavWood (Jan 28, 2013)

wkpoor said:


> My local TSC told me late last yr they would be switching and gave me a deal on the remaining eco bricks. But when comparing brands and prices its the price per lb that matters. In the 3 brands I have tried I see performance pretty close but I'm not trying to pack a stove full and compare to a load of hardwood. I use them for relights and to help get up to temp quickly. They all do that well. I get blue flames quickly and secondary light off between 200-300 stove top.


 
I wish I'd bought the remaining Eco Bricks that TSC had last season too (never thought they would discontinue such a nice product).  Oh well.  That's corporate america for you.

Price per pound however is not the whole story.  Wood bricks can contain significantly different amounts of heat (btu's) per pound depending upon their density.  Eco Bricks last year were rated at around 12,000 btu's per pound (9,000 - 14,000 is what I believe they stated on ther website).  The Fuel Blocks that replaced them this season in many TSC stores are only rated at 8,800 btu's per pound.  So you will have to burn more bricks (hence spend more money) to produce the same amount of heat.

It seems to me that any of these compressed wood fuel bricks that contain the same number of btu's per pound as say, pellet fuel, should also be priced the same as pellets (to be competitive).  And, in my area the going price for pellets is around $210 per ton.  So any price higher than that for wood bricks is over priced as far as I'm concerened (at least if using them as a primary heating fuel).


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## BrotherBart (Jan 28, 2013)

In a lab you can get 8660 BTUs from a pound of 0% moisture content wood in pure oxygen inside a "bomb" calorimeter. No way does Eco Bricks produce 12,000.


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## BrotherBart (Jan 28, 2013)

nola mike said:


> Yup. That's why I singled you out--didn't know how far from the plant you were (and they are in Doswell now, not Petersburg), might be worth the drive. I bought a pallet and haven't had any quality issues. I'm about 1/4 through it so far. I posted a brief review of them v. the eco bricks here.


 
Thanks. If I knew of somebody making a delivery in that area I would see about getting them to backhaul five ton for me.


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## wkpoor (Jan 28, 2013)

BlueMavWood said:


> Price per pound however is not the whole story. Wood bricks can contain significantly different amounts of heat (btu's) per pound depending upon their density. Eco Bricks last year were rated at around 12,000 btu's per pound (9,000 - 14,000 is what I believe they stated on ther website). The Fuel Blocks that replaced them this season in many TSC stores are only rated at 8,800 btu's per pound. So you will have to burn more bricks (hence spend more money) to produce the same amount of heat.​


 Whatever the number is I subscribe to the theory that all wood, soft , hard, or compressed can produce the same BTU per/lb. or something close. If that is the case then no matter who makes them you are simply burning good dry wood. And no matter what the pack cost is price per pound is all that matters.


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## BlueMavWood (Jan 29, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> In a lab you can get 8660 BTUs from a pound of 0% moisture content wood in pure oxygen inside a "bomb" calorimeter. No way does Eco Bricks produce 12,000.


 
That makes sense, but I'm no expert. I tend to think that the different numbers put out by various manufactures and retailers are almost always more about generating sales than adhering to truth or reality (not sure why that's tolerated). That's why I like this forum. It helps to sort through all that deceptive corporate crap. I just know that Eco Bricks for me have worked best (everyones stove and installation could react differently of course). I'm also trying Envi Blocks and so far they don't seem to bad either. I also liked another product but I can't remember its name. However, Eco-Energy Fuel Blocks sold at TSC were by far the worst for me.


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## BlueMavWood (Jan 29, 2013)

wkpoor said:


> Whatever the number is I subscribe to the theory that all wood, soft , hard, or compressed can produce the same BTU per/lb. or something close. If that is the case then no matter who makes them you are simply burning good dry wood. And no matter what the pack cost is price per pound is all that matters.


 
Although I don't disagree with what you're saying I'm thinking that just like different wood species have different burning characteristics in any given stove installation based on both wood species and wood density, so too do different manufactured wood blocks have different burning characteristics based on those things as well. So, in that respect, although price per pound may be a quick and easy way to evaluate different wood products, it just doesn't seem to tell the whole story.

If you are correct, that all wood products contain about the same number of btu's per pound, then even if Red Stone Eco Bricks were to only contain the same energy per pound as Eco-Energy Fuel Blocks, my experience, and that of others here, has shown that Eco Bricks actually burn and perform at a much higher level than Fuel Blocks. So, even if those two products were priced the same per pound, they are in no way equal in either quality or performance. Eco Bricks just burn way better and create more heat for me than Fuel Blocks. So, price per pound may get me to try a product, but the bottom line for me is how they perform.


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## nola mike (Jan 29, 2013)

I'm guessing that, just like with different wood species, the burning characteristics of the blocks are probably mostly dependent on the density of the blocks.  BTUs/lb should remain fairly constant, and determined primarily by water content.  Again, I would think that this would be fairly consistent among manufacturers.  I'm not sure if size of the wood chips/sawdust would be an important variable or not.  Based on my experience with eco bricks (larger pieces) and liberty bricks (finer), they burn comparably.


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## Doug MacIVER (Jan 29, 2013)

you guys may have read the CANWICK BRICK stuff earlier on the this topic. well today i had a continuing success with this product. today  so.east massachusetts finally got back to 32*, and today was one of my longest days in some time. loaded at 4:30 am and arrived home at 4:00pm to find my load of 8 bricks still alive and stove @ 200*.  i burn a jotul f100 and splits would have been long gone just after noon. still happy mother nature helped out with a normal winter day. if you have access to canawick give  them a try. no spam here ,they work great.


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## wkpoor (Jan 29, 2013)

Some stoves are finicky eaters and some are not. I suspect if your stove is not particular about what you feed it then it won't much care what kind of bricks you use.


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## Doug MacIVER (Jan 29, 2013)

so try them they may burn better.if they don't?


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## Doug MacIVER (Jan 29, 2013)

wkpoor said:


> Whatever the number is I subscribe to the theory that all wood, soft , hard, or compressed can produce the same BTU per/lb. or something close. If that is the case then no matter who makes them you are simply burning good dry wood. And no matter what the pack cost is price per pound is all that matters.


 stack up 1# pine and 1# oak, which takes more physical space. burn  1# pine then 1# oak , which lasts longer?answer is ,in the form of a ?
i put 16 #, 8 bricks, in the stove this morning,  couldn't come close to that with splits.still alive 11 hrs later.


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## wkpoor (Jan 29, 2013)

Doug MacIVER said:


> stack up 1# pine and 1# oak, which takes more physical space. burn 1# pine then 1# oak , which lasts longer?answer is ,in the form of a ? i put 16 #, 8 bricks, in the stove this morning, couldn't come close to that with splits.still alive 11 hrs later​


 Sounds like your supporting my theory. Heavier denser fuel will allow you to pack more BTU potential into the stove. Thus the potential for longer burns.


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## Doug MacIVER (Jan 29, 2013)

wkpoor said:


> Sounds like your supporting my theory. Heavier denser fuel will allow you to pack more BTU potential into the stove. Thus the potential for longer burns.


 how can it not. i can't # for# put the same btu  with splilts that i can with the bricks i'm using now. things burn with little space,end of story.


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## BlueMavWood (Feb 1, 2013)

wkpoor said:


> Some stoves are finicky eaters and some are not. I suspect if your stove is not particular about what you feed it then it won't much care what kind of bricks you use.


 
That may be true.  I suspect that an industrial garbage incinerator might even be able to burn those Eco-Energy Fuel Blocks.  TSC must have gotten a real deal on them to justify replacing Eco Bricks with those things.  It's to bad that deal didn't get passed onto the consumer.


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## Newschool (Feb 1, 2013)

Those TSC Fuel blocks stink. I'm a new burner and tried them and was really frustrated. Anyone know where I can buy better eco bricks (or the like) in eastern PA? I am in the lehigh valley can can't seem to find anything.


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## wkpoor (Feb 1, 2013)

I guess I need to go buy a pack or 2 this weekend to see what all the hooplaw is about with these fuel blocks.


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## BlueMavWood (Feb 1, 2013)

Newschool said:


> Those TSC Fuel blocks stink. I'm a new burner and tried them and was really frustrated. Anyone know where I can buy better eco bricks (or the like) in eastern PA? I am in the lehigh valley can can't seem to find anything.


 
You could do a Google search for the eco brick website.  They have a dealer search function (or you could contact them).  If you can't find any close by then perhaps you might find envi blocks somewhere.  They seem ok too.  Best to try whatever you can find and see which you like best.  It sure would be nice though to have a list of the different brands, with their price, and where they can be found.


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## jjs777_fzr (Feb 1, 2013)

BlueMavWood said:


> You could do a Google search for the eco brick website. They have a dealer search function (or you could contact them). If you can't find any close by then perhaps you might find envi blocks somewhere. They seem ok too. Best to try whatever you can find and see which you like best. It sure would be nice though to have a list of the different brands, with their price, and where they can be found.


I'm glad I ran across the canawick bricks - they appear denser and don't fall apart like the bio bricks I was using.  They also sell pellets and blocks.  Place near me in Saugus,MA sells the pellets and the bricks.  I'd love to try the blocks just for the heck of it.  I place two bricks in with splits on top of and around and what a great fire every time.   I'm definitely spoiled using both.


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## BlueMavWood (Feb 1, 2013)

wkpoor said:


> I guess I need to go buy a pack or 2 this weekend to see what all the hooplaw is about with these fuel blocks.


 
Can't hurt to try them.  If you like them then great.  Everyone has their preferance.  If people like those things then how about they sell them side by side with eco bricks and give everyone a choice.  That seems fair to me (but what do I know).


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## BlueMavWood (Feb 1, 2013)

jjs777_fzr said:


> I'm glad I ran across the canawick bricks - they appear denser and don't fall apart like the bio bricks I was using. They also sell pellets and blocks. Place near me in Saugus,MA sells the pellets and the bricks. I'd love to try the blocks just for the heck of it. I place two bricks in with splits on top of and around and what a great fire every time. I'm definitely spoiled using both.


 
I was going to ask you where you got them.  What type of place did you get them from (a stove dealer)?  How much do they cost (perhaps you said)?  What is the difference between the bricks and the blocks?


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## jjs777_fzr (Feb 2, 2013)

BlueMavWood said:


> I was going to ask you where you got them. What type of place did you get them from (a stove dealer)? How much do they cost (perhaps you said)? What is the difference between the bricks and the blocks?


I got them from NorthEastern Fence in MA - as the name suggests they install and sell all types of fencing.  Oddly enough they sell pellets and other alternative fuel types for the hearth.  At one point they carried things like night logs, bio bricks, power logs, and cedar logs.
For the Canawick bricks I paid $292.50 after a $25 seasonal discount.  It's more than I would ever pay for a ton of pellets but as I only use a few at a time per fire in the wood stove they last a long time.
With respect to Canawick - the bricks are smaller dimensionally than the blocks I've seen on their site.   I'm betting the block would create a long lasting burn.
I hope they continue to stock the canawick product. 
Heres the link to the blocks -
http://canawick.com/en/produits.php?cat=Blocks&c=38


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## BlueMavWood (Feb 3, 2013)

jjs777_fzr said:


> I got them from NorthEastern Fence in MA - as the name suggests they install and sell all types of fencing. Oddly enough they sell pellets and other alternative fuel types for the hearth. At one point they carried things like night logs, bio bricks, power logs, and cedar logs.
> For the Canawick bricks I paid $292.50 after a $25 seasonal discount. It's more than I would ever pay for a ton of pellets but as I only use a few at a time per fire in the wood stove they last a long time.
> With respect to Canawick - the bricks are smaller dimensionally than the blocks I've seen on their site. I'm betting the block would create a long lasting burn.
> I hope they continue to stock the canawick product.
> ...


 
Thanks.  Good information.


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## jjs777_fzr (Sep 22, 2013)

Just a quick update on an old thread.
I picked up 1 ton of Canawick blocks.  This is the first year I'll be trying the blocks.  As I've stated elsewhere I've always been a fan of bricks and decided to try the blocks.
For comparison there's a brick next to the block.
Although I burn seasoned splits - I'd never run the stove without a few bricks - just seems to add to a nice burn.


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## rcollman (Dec 1, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> In a lab you can get 8660 BTUs from a pound of 0% moisture content wood in pure oxygen inside a "bomb" calorimeter. No way does Eco Bricks produce 12,000.



I agree with BrotherBart.   I asked for a spec sheet from the manufacture of the TS ECO blocks.   A 2011 report clearly shows the block as received had a 6.7% moisture with a 8213 BTU per pound output.  And shows Dry Basis as 8803 BTUs and a MAF (what ever that is, maybe the "bomb" BrotherBart mentions) of 8866 BTUs per pound.  

Of course if the block weights  1.5 pound, then I guess you could claim 12000 BTUs per block and a typo maks that per pound.   The ECO blocks packaging I received clearly stated they had 8800 BTUs per pound, which is misleading in my opinion. 

I also asked for a spec sheet from Canawick but did not get one.   They claim they have been tested at 7650 BTUs/pound for their bricks, blocks and logs.  Yet they say the mositure content varies from 5.8% to 6.4% 

I wondered if the TS ECO block are as dense as the other products.  Weight is weight but density could be a factor in them feeling "cheap" and perhaps that might impact how they burn.

Just saying,
Chris


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## rcollman (Dec 1, 2013)

jjs777_fzr said:


> Just a quick update on an old thread.
> I picked up 1 ton of Canawick blocks.  This is the first year I'll be trying the blocks.  As I've stated elsewhere I've always been a fan of bricks and decided to try the blocks.
> For comparison there's a brick next to the block.
> Although I burn seasoned splits - I'd never run the stove without a few bricks - just seems to add to a nice burn.
> ...




Thks for the pictures!!   So what do you think now that the heating season is upon us?   Do you like the blocks better than the bricks?   I think with my kind of boiler I need to mix the blocks with wood.  

My neighbor discovered mixing blocks with green wood works much better than just green wood in his semi  airtight stove


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## Brian26 (Oct 4, 2014)

I am heading to my local TS to stock up on some of these this morning. I burn mainly dry cord wood but these things are great for long overnight burns on those cold nights.

They have 2 types available. The redstone ecobricks and redstone fuel blocks.

I used the redstone fuel blocks last year and 2-3 of them put out tremendous heat all night. I caught them on sale last year for $2.99. My oil furnance would have burned down $2.99 in oil in like 40 mins. I found that they come from a hardwood flooring factory down south and they burned great. I am going to stock up on more today.

Sounds like the Eco Bricks are good as well? I might grab a few packs to try them out. These things seem to dissapear fast from TSC so If they are good as well I might stock up on them as well.


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