# Okanagan or vermont wood pellet?



## jbmaine (Apr 17, 2011)

Hi All,
  I was at my local pellet stove dealer a couple of days ago to order my pellets for this year ( my usual, 4 tons of okies) and I saw they are carrying vermont wood pellets. 

 I asked about them and was told alot of people are liking them better than okies.

 this kind of surprised me, but they gave me a bag to try and told me I could swap my order if I liked them better. 

 We had a cold front come thru so I gave my stove a good cleaning and just finished burning the vermonts.

 Now I have to say this yrs okies didn't seem quite as good as usual. I got a lot of ash and a LOT of carbon build up in the burn pot using them.

 The vermonts seem to have less ash and NO carbon build up, but I only burned the one bag, and I don't see using the stove much more this year.

 So now I'm kind of torn between the two.

 Both are the same $$$, I'm almost thinking of getting a couple of tons of each.

 I guess what I'm asking is , does anyone have any thoughts on which way I should go, or experience between the two?

 My stove is a Harman P68

       Thanks

                  Jim


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## nailed_nailer (Apr 17, 2011)

I burned both this last season.  
65 bag pallet of Okies.  10-11's did not burn as well as 09-10 season. But still a great pellet
and 2 tons of Vermonts

I like 'em both.  I don't think you would go wrong with either.

If I were you I'd get 2 tons of each.  Then you can mix 'em up as you want next season.

Good Luck,
---Nailer---


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## New Hampshire Jim (Apr 17, 2011)

I too was a firm believer in the Okies. The last 2 years I burned 90% okies and 10% Rockie Mountains. Last years batch had more ash,fines,and dirtied up the stove quicker than the first years batch. I went to my pellet supplier last week to order my early buy for this year and they had Vermont's there also. I took home a bag,cleaned the stove and burned the Vermont's. My impression Is like yours Much cleaner stove (No Carbon) No fines And very little ash. I was going to order 2 tons Okies but now I an thinking 1 ton okies 1 ton Vermont's. OR 2 ton Vermont's
Cant make up my mind. I know the Okies were good and I don't want to get stuck with a pellet that is ALMOST as good using my one bag test to buy for the whole winter. Help me out gang. There both priced out at $259.00 a ton $75.00 Delivered That's $5.00 a mile


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## Bigjim13 (Apr 17, 2011)

The first time I used VT's I got very little carbon buildup as well and very little ash- my test burn was 5 bags when the temps were at or around 0*F in a Harman P61,  I loved them.  I started this season with 2 tons of them.  They burned hot with little ash but the more I ran the stove on lower settings the more carbon buildup I got. The other thing i noticed was that they seemed to burn really fast, I tried several settings and temps and was lucky to get 24 hrs from a bag even in shoulder season temps.  So far I have seen only one other member on here say they thought they burned fast so take that as you want.  Personally I have had better luck with 100% hardwood pellets, but that's not to say that softwoods are bad, just what my experience is with them.

Also, I have not burned Okies and have no dealers near me that carries them so I can only comment on the VT's.  What are they priced at in your area?  You are in Maine?

Here in Vermont, 20 miles from the plant, I can get pellets from Canada cheaper than the one made here.  Northerns that me and my stove seem to really like!


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## jbmaine (Apr 18, 2011)

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 I can get okies and vermonts for $259 a ton.

 I'm still torn but right now I'm thinking two tons of each.

                   Thanks again
                             Jim


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## russr (Apr 18, 2011)

I just finished a ton of Vermont pellets. It seemed that they burned hotter than the Barefoot that I had. Ash was good, carbon not bad.I just ordered 4 ton of Barefoot again. THe reason is simple. The Vermont pellets do not slide down the hopper of my Harman Accentra! Many times my stove was out and I would find plenty of pellets still in the hopper. I tried cleaning and waxing the surface of the hopper but it still did not work. I don't know what makes these pellets stick but I am not going through a whole season with that happening.
I have burned PA, Lignetics  Barefoot, Green supreme and never had this problem. PLease test them first. There is a lot of dust and a sticky feel to the pellets.


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## IHATEPROPANE (Apr 18, 2011)

It nice you have to decide between two good pellets.  Either way I think you will be happy, but I would split my order between the two.  Just in case you get a bad batch


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## eddyburns (Apr 18, 2011)

This season, I burned 1 ton of leftover 2009 Okies and 4 tons of 2010 Vermont Softwoods (as well as 15 bags of Stove Chow during the HD sale-a-thon).  All three were good pellets, but the Vemonts were definitely less dusty than the Okies during fillup (my wife's observation) and I was able to go one day longer without cleaning the stove using the Vermonts.  Slightly less heat from the Stove Chow's, but at $188/ton, no question the economics worked....

Burn before you buy, but all things being equal, I'd get the Vermonts again.  Show me $188/ton again and I'll have a garage full of the Stove Chows...

Ed


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## jtakeman (Apr 18, 2011)

Only issue I saw with the Vermonts was hopper slide. Both good pellets, IMHO!


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## mascoma (Apr 18, 2011)

russr said:
			
		

> I just finished a ton of Vermont pellets. It seemed that they burned hotter than the Barefoot that I had. Ash was good, carbon not bad.I just ordered 4 ton of Barefoot again. THe reason is simple. The Vermont pellets do not slide down the hopper of my Harman Accentra! Many times my stove was out and I would find plenty of pellets still in the hopper. I tried cleaning and waxing the surface of the hopper but it still did not work. I don't know what makes these pellets stick but I am not going through a whole season with that happening.
> I have burned PA, Lignetics  Barefoot, Green supreme and never had this problem. PLease test them first. There is a lot of dust and a sticky feel to the pellets.




Loved me some vermonts but also had the hopper slide issue with them... Weird.


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## krooser (Apr 18, 2011)

Things change every year with pellets... some years a certain pellet will be better than others... just a crap shoot really.I
Sounds like either pellet would be fine... 

I ordered two tons of my dealers private label Doug Fir pellets for next season... this past year I burned several different brands. I didn't have the $$$ to order two or three tons at a whack... the Southern Indiana Hardwoods I burned toward the end of the season were a little ashier than the Fir pellets but the price more than made up for it...


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## jtakeman (Apr 18, 2011)

krooser said:
			
		

> The Southern Indiana Hardwoods I burned toward the end of the season were a little ashier than the Fir pellets but the price more than made up for it...



Krooser, your spoiled with them doug fir! I don't think there is any other wood species that has less ash content. Or BTU value for that matter. Just be glad your in an area you can get them. Cleanest we have out our way is SPF or some brands of 100% Oak. Sure would like to have a steady supply of doug fir and at what your getting them for over here!


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## BDPVT (Apr 18, 2011)

j-takeman said:
			
		

> Only issue I saw with the Vermonts was hopper slide. Both good pellets, IMHO!


I live a few miles from Vermont Wood Pellet . Last time I was there to pick up pellets, the owner said they are aware of this issue and are installing a new die to "polish" the surface so pellets slide better. Also experimenting with high static bags to hold the fines in the bag. I am highly impressed with their operation and their commitment to a quality product. 
I have burned Okies in the past, but VWP are maybe even better. I am sticking with my local supplier.


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## jtakeman (Apr 19, 2011)

BDPVT said:
			
		

> j-takeman said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I get the local support. Glad there fixing the issue. Understand I review pellets for fun and feel I have to tell it like it is. I wasn't the first that stated hopper slide being an issue! 

Another is price, Unfortunaly Okies are cheapier coming from BC than a pellet made 2 states away. All things considered.


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## schoondog (Apr 19, 2011)

I bought a half ton of okies for the month of february and gotta say I was not as happy with them as I thought I was gonna be. The heat wasn't what it was last year. Burned ok, just not as much heat as I remember. I could have bought Somersets for $70 less a ton, and next time I will.

Schoondog


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## IHATEPROPANE (Apr 19, 2011)

What are SPF's?


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## Bigjim13 (Apr 19, 2011)

I know that not all pellet are created equal and some are considered higher end than others.  I just cant justify 260+ per ton when the ones that I got for 230 burn just as well.


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## New Hampshire Jim (Apr 19, 2011)

Schoondog What color bags did you get I have burned the okies in clear bags,white bags and this year they are in a black and red and clear bag
Jim H


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## jtakeman (Apr 19, 2011)

IHATEPROPANE said:
			
		

> What are SPF's?



Spruce-Pine-Fir


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## holstein (Apr 19, 2011)

I tried both this year and liked them. Vermonts had less fines but in my area (one state away) 
the Vermonts are $30+ more per ton. With the difference in  price, I went with Oakies.


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## mkling (Apr 19, 2011)

I also tried Okies this spring from a local dealer who started carrying them and just as some of the others here I wasn't too happy with them.  I burned 5 bags over a period of two days and there was tons of buildup in burn chamber.  I did this with a clean stove and then switched back to my Lignetics (Green bag) which have always burned hot and clean for me.  I'll be sticking with my Lignetics as long as I can get them.


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## schoondog (Apr 20, 2011)

New Hampshire Jim said:
			
		

> Schoondog What color bags did you get I have burned the okies in clear bags,white bags and this year they are in a black and red and clear bag
> Jim H



White bags from bt ent.


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## schmeg (Apr 20, 2011)

I burned Okies in 09/10 heating season. Really nice pellet that year. This season it was 5 tons of Barefoots. Outstanding pellet.


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## Stentor (Apr 24, 2011)

Whatever happened to BTU? He would be all over a topic like this. Has he moved on? His posts were useful.


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## jtakeman (Apr 24, 2011)

Stentor said:
			
		

> Whatever happened to BTU? He would be all over a topic like this. Has he moved on? His posts were useful.



He got banned a while back. Its a long story, But basically craig though he was pimping his product here. 

See this thread!


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## Stentor (Apr 26, 2011)

Thank you for the reference.  I liked his posts because they gave me a few ideas about how the pellet business operates and what brands might work for me. (I started out assuming that pellets were generic, entirely a commodity with no differences except price.) Too bad things turned out the way they did.

P.S.  I had better keep up with your research and brand testing.


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## dlavigne7324 (Jan 30, 2014)

mascoma said:


> Loved me some vermonts but also had the hopper slide issue with them... Weird.


Had the same issue in my p35i pellets seemed to be a little sticky


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## UltimateMaine (Jun 3, 2014)

I am venturing into the world of a pellets after installing a Lopi AGP insert in March.  I have some questions and could use advice.  looking to order 4 tons for the winter.  The prices you all are quoting seem higher than in southern Maine.  Also, a friend swears by Cubex pellets - but I they are hardwood and I thought the idea was to burn softwood. The dealer here is out of Vermont - so not an option (Southern Maine Renewable Fuels).  We also have a Jotul Firelight wood stove on the other side of the house - but too much glass and house too big to heat it all.  The addition of the pellet stove brought warmth to that side of the house and I burn low all night and furnace never kicked on as normal with just the wood stove on low.  Interested in thoughts and information.  

Pam


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