# Pellet container and scoop



## LewLasher (May 6, 2009)

This is kind of a trivial topic, but I didn't see it anywhere else in the forum.

I just got my pellet stove last week.  I would like to get a pellet container to put in my living room, doesn't have to be real fancy but something that looks a little nicer than having plastic bags lying on the floor.  Doesn't have to be huge, either; I'm willing to refill it fairly often.

How much volume (in cubic feet or gallons) is equivalent to a 40-pound bag?  What size containers do other people use?  I'd think that a container big enough for 2 bags ought to be sufficient.

Another stupid question: if you don't completely empty all the pellets from the container into the stove hopper, and then you pour a new bag into the container, are the pellets at the bottom of the container still going to be good indefinitely?  Or will the old pellets go bad for some reason (e.g., could they eventually disintegrate into "fines")?  Is it better to "rotate your stock", emptying the container completely before pouring in a new bag?

I'd like to get a nice big scoop for transferring pellets from the container into the stove hopper.  Where do you find such a thing?  Someone told me I could just use a cut-off bleach container, and that might be more practical than a tiny little scoop.  But a nice big scoop would be good, if I could find one somewhere.


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## 23westwood (May 6, 2009)

I use a clothes hamper that I bought from Bed Bath and Beyond last year.  One of my reasons for buying it was it was easier for my wife to scoop pellets into the hopper instead of lifting the 40lb bags.  This hamper has worked out really well.  It holds just over two 40lb bags of pellets.  It is also lined on the inside which helps reduce the dust when I pour a new bag in.  For a scooper I use a dust pan which also works out well because it is just a bit smaller than the hopper fill door.  My stove has a 70lb hopper so when it's low I can usually put a full bag in it but if there is any left over I dump it into the hamper.  This also helps out with the fines too because they tend to go to the bottom of the container.
I attached a couple of pictures to show you what it looks like.  It's not a perfect solution but is a bit neater than 40lb bags sitting around.

I'm also interested to see what others are using.


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## imacman (May 6, 2009)

I bought an antique copper wash tub that I found on eBay.....they seem to pop up there quite often....I think I paid about $50.  You can see it in the pic sitting next to my stove.  I will hold about 1 1/2 bags (approx. 60 lbs).  The one I bought was painted, but the one in the auction below could be cleaned up and polished.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Large-Antique-C...yZ163058QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I also bought an inexpensive grain/feed scoop at the local feed store for about $7


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## Delta-T (May 6, 2009)

each 40lb bag of pellets is approx. 1 cubic foot. I've seen rather large scoops intended for animal feed at Tractor Supply that might be useful.


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## mjbrown (May 6, 2009)

i use an 18 gallon tote from walmart...about $7, and cut the bottom out of a 1 gallon laundry detergent bottle with the cap left on. the tote holds exactly 2 bags of pellets,and i refill daily...no worries about leftover pellets.  you can use a larger bottle to get a larger scoop,i chose the one gallon because the hopper lid on my harman P38 is narrow and the bottle is just the right width.

hope this helps


mike


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## Panhandler (May 6, 2009)

10 gallon galvanized garbage can with lid, painted to match stove, holds 40 lbs. Tractor Supply


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## Xena (May 6, 2009)

I use this copper bin that's been in my living room
since the 70's when we burned wood in the fireplace.  
It holds about 80lbs of pellets.
You can't really tell from the pic, but it's on a small
pedestal to avoid having to bend over.  You can see
it there to the left of the stove in my avatar. It works great
and looks cool too.


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## smoke show (May 6, 2009)

Panhandler said:
			
		

> 10 gallon galvanized garbage can with lid, painted to match stove, holds 40 lbs. Tractor Supply


and this is what it looks like


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## defield (May 7, 2009)

A galvanized feed scoop, like the ones shown in the link below are excellent for transferring pellets from a storage container to a stove.  They come in three sizes,  load nicely, and the handle placement makes the scoop well balanced and a pleasure to use.  Really like mine!

http://www.petvetsupply.com/fescandstbi.html


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## CanadaClinker (May 7, 2009)

I'm not a cabnet maker but do own a chop saw and table saw.  Put this pine chest together this January.  Holds 8 to 10  40lb bags.  It serves as a kind of coffee table.  Stove takes 80lbs so use a black coal hod to fill it.  When not using the coal hod, we put either flowers or pine cones or bullrushes in it (whatever the season).  Oh, at one end of the pine chest, we keep whatever stove cleaning tools and a small vacuum hose for connecting to the home-made centra vac system we have next to the stove (for cleaning the stove).  This way everything is kept relatively neat and tidy.  :coolsmile:


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## imacman (May 7, 2009)

CanadaClinker, that is a GREAT pellet bin you made...great job!!  I'm jealous..... ;-)


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## CanadaClinker (May 7, 2009)

Thanks macman..... wife and I are happy with it and I still have all my fingers......!  :lol:


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## LewLasher (May 7, 2009)

the old ranger said:
			
		

> A galvanized feed scoop, like the ones shown in the link below are excellent for transferring pellets from a storage container to a stove.  They come in three sizes ...
> 
> http://www.petvetsupply.com/fescandstbi.html



Which size would you recommend?


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## defield (May 7, 2009)

Firestarter,

I like the 4 Qt. size.  

Ranger


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## brian22 (May 7, 2009)

CanadaClinker said:
			
		

> I'm not a cabnet maker but do own a chop saw and table saw.  Put this pine chest together this January.  Holds 8 to 10  40lb bags.  It serves as a kind of coffee table.  Stove takes 80lbs so use a black coal hod to fill it.  When not using the coal hod, we put either flowers or pine cones or bullrushes in it (whatever the season).  Oh, at one end of the pine chest, we keep whatever stove cleaning tools and a small vacuum hose for connecting to the home-made centra vac system we have next to the stove (for cleaning the stove).  This way everything is kept relatively neat and tidy.  :coolsmile:


Wow thats nice....Thats the kind of container I will be getting for my pellets..I'm bulding a 28 x 30 addition for a family room and that would be a nice container to have.


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## sydney1963 (May 8, 2009)

I just dump right from the bag into the stove.  The more you handle the pellets the more dust that collects all over everything.


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## CygnusX1 (May 8, 2009)

I use 3 coal hods for my pellets.

You can buy them new for $50.00, but I got mine at yard sales for about $10.00 each.

http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Fireplace-Hearth-Bucket-Carrier/dp/B0002277JI


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## smoke show (May 8, 2009)

coal hods are $19.00 at the local farm supply store.


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## tjnamtiw (May 8, 2009)

sydney1963 said:
			
		

> I just dump right from the bag into the stove.  The more you handle the pellets the more dust that collects all over everything.



My fireplace dealer had this large plastic square container with legs that he dumps the bags into.  Then he puts a bucket in front of  it under a chute.  When you pull the chute down, the pellets drop onto a screen and roll down into the bucket.  All the fines collect in a pan under the screen.  He uses it to run all his demo stoves.  Pretty neat setup but you would want it in your garage, not your living room.


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## drizler (May 8, 2009)

sydney1963 said:
			
		

> I just dump right from the bag into the stove.  The more you handle the pellets the more dust that collects all over everything.



I have to agree here, why all the bother?    When I need a bag I just wander down the stairs to the basement hoist one onto my shoulder and go up with it.   Lay it inside the stove's bin and slit the entire bottom of the bag across end to end and just slide the bag off the pellets.   Much less dust tossed around that way.    For staging area I just toss a few bags in the closet.


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## geek (May 8, 2009)

CanadaClinker said:
			
		

> I'm not a cabnet maker but do own a chop saw and table saw.  Put this pine chest together this January.  Holds 8 to 10  40lb bags.  It serves as a kind of coffee table.  Stove takes 80lbs so use a black coal hod to fill it.  When not using the coal hod, we put either flowers or pine cones or bullrushes in it (whatever the season).  Oh, at one end of the pine chest, we keep whatever stove cleaning tools and a small vacuum hose for connecting to the home-made centra vac system we have next to the stove (for cleaning the stove).  This way everything is kept relatively neat and tidy.  :coolsmile:



very nice job....nice looking stove too...!!


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## Xena (May 8, 2009)

Driz said:
			
		

> sydney1963 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Will be going into 5th season with the pellets.  Never had a problem
with excess dust on anything, but then again I make certain I only
buy pellets that have very little to no dust. 

This has been discussed before.  A container near the stove
is helpful for many people for many different reasons.  Some have to
store their pellets outside and would rather have immediate access
to fill the stove.  Some people have family members that might be
the ones left to load the stove but *cannot lift a 40lb bag of pellets.*

My deal, the copper tub had been sitting next to the fireplace for 30+ years
so I figured why not make use of it plus my brother is a lazy ass
and most of the time if the pellets aren't right there he won't fill the damn stove.


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## CanadaClinker (May 8, 2009)

Thanks Geek.... think'n of new projects is half the fun of own'n a stove.  To clean the 10 bags of pellets that go into the new pine chest is easy now that I built this pellet cleaner with an attached vacuum hose.  I made 2 of them. The second one I built an inch wider and moved the vacuum hose attachment port to the other side to work better with our setup.  It removes all the fines and dust in the air right in our living room.  With the pine chest holding 10 bags, I can go a long tiime between fillings and I know that what's in the chest is clean product. Pellet brands containing a lot of fines don't bother us anymore as long as the pellets burn hot and clean.  :coolsmile:


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## smoke show (May 8, 2009)

I'd like to see close up pics of the cleaner if you could. thanks


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## CanadaClinker (May 8, 2009)

Here's a couple of pics I had ..... basically anywhere between 35 and 40 degree slope of the 1/4 inch screen does a great job.  A little shelf at the top to rest the bag and I even added a rope handle later at the top serves two purposes.... to carry the unit as well as prevent a bag from sliding down the screen. The board half way down the slide is what I call 'flow control'.  It regulates how much goes down the slope in case too much goes at one time.   Simply rest the bag on the top shelf, cut a 4 inch slit on the bottom side corner and let gravity do the rest.... takes about one minute clean a bag.   

The 10 bag pellet chest, the cleaner with the vacuum hose attachment is our recipe for keeping pellets in bulk ready to use in our living room.   :coolsmile:


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## rowerwet (May 9, 2009)

a relative of my wifes uses a cast iron coal hod for storage near the stove, also a black cast scoop, actualy dresses up the hearth area.


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## LewLasher (May 18, 2009)

Well, yesterday I went down to the feed store and got a 4-quart galvanized scoop - thanks, *the old ranger*!

Still thinking about what to use for a container.  Lots of really good ideas here; I'm glad I asked.


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## kbjelka (May 19, 2009)

I use a Pellet Pail http://www.pelletpail.com and love it.  Just drop the bag in and lift it out.  Comes with a scoop.  Holds a full 40 pounds and works like a charm.  It's expensive but it's built like a tank and works as advertised.  Four tons later, no regrets.


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## flowercat (May 19, 2009)

I use a plastic storage container and a cat liter scoop.  The cat liter scoop allows the dust to stay in the container when I fill the hopper.  The pellets stay in the scoop and dust flows thru the scoop. I don't poor directly from the bag as much becasue I was pooring dust in the hopper.


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## tjnamtiw (May 20, 2009)

This is the contraption that my stove store uses.  It takes up quite a lot of space but gets rid of all the fines.  Kind of pricey, though.

http://woodheatstoves.com/the-hopper-pellet-dispenser-p-2174.html


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## Steve_in_NH (May 20, 2009)

I'm very happy with my Coal Hod from Northline Express.com.  It's heavy gauge and holds one full bag.  Makes it easy to fill from bags out on the porch (and keep the dust from pouring out of the house) and pouring into the hopper is easy with the secondary handle.  About $50.00 and it looks good in the living room.


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## LewLasher (May 20, 2009)

Steve_in_NH said:
			
		

> I'm very happy with my Coal Hod from Northline Express.com.  It's heavy gauge and holds one full bag.  ...  About $50.00 and it looks good in the living room.



I looked at their site (after first mistyping it as Northern Express and getting a newspaper in Michigan ...).  They have a heavy gauge coal hod/pellet bucket (SMM-C-66) for $67.80, a smaller coal hod/pellet bucket (SMM_C-65) for $52.80, and a much lighter coal hod (SUC-1704) for $19.90.

The large heavy-gauge "coal hod/pellet bucket" weighs 24 pounds.  That would seem to make it noticeably more difficult to lift than just lifting 40 pounds of pellets without the coal hod (I'd use the scoop in that case).  The smaller "coal hod/pellet bucket" weighs 6 pounds, and the even lighter "coal hod" weighs just 3 pounds.  The heavier hod/bucket is 18" high x 17" wide, the lighter hod/bucket is 14" high x 15" wide, and the "coal hod" is 17.5" high and 16" wide.

I wonder why some of the coal hods are also labelled as pellet buckets.  The one that's just called a coal hod seems like a good deal at $19.90, unless there's some reason why it would be inappropriate for holding pellets.  (The description on the Web site claims that it is "[a]lso perfect for storing pellets, wood, or kindling"!)


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## mandkj (May 20, 2009)

I have been using the same $19.90 version to carry pellets for almost 5 years and its as good as the day I got it.


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## tinkabranc (May 20, 2009)

I also have had the $19.90 version for a few years now and it still is holding up well.


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## defield (May 21, 2009)

I have a 14" Coal Hod/Pellet Bucket, from Northline,  like Steve_in_NH and love it.  Brother-in-law saw it and bought one.

I screen pellets, in the basement, into a plastic tote.  Use a 4Qt. galvanized grain scoop to scoop pellets from the tote to the pellet bucket.  Lug the pellets up to the main level in the bucket.

The 14" is a great size for me, very sturdy and well balanced, looks great by the stove, and because of the shape of the bucket and side handle placement pours into the stove in comfort with no spills.


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## LewLasher (Jun 23, 2009)

I ordered the $20 coal hod from Northline Express, but it is much smaller than advertised.  It's supposed to be 17.5" high, but it's actually barely 10" high.  I guess I'll have to return it, but now I'm not especially eager to buy any other products from them.


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## defield (Jun 23, 2009)

Lewlasher,

I have purchased from Northline on numerous occasions and found them to be an excellent company to deal with, from properly represented products, fast order response, and very good customer service.

Please give them a call as there must have been a misunderstanding.

Ranger


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## imacman (Jun 23, 2009)

LewLasher said:
			
		

> I ordered the $20 coal hod from Northline Express, but it is much smaller than advertised.  It's supposed to be 17.5" high, but it's actually barely 10" high.  I guess I'll have to return it, but now I'm not especially eager to buy any other products from them.



Not sure where you got the 17.5" measurement from....the $20 coal hod they sell clearly states that it's 9 1/2" high.

www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5IM-LT0163

The only one I saw that stated it was 17.5" high was listed as $30, but even that one probably is using the handle as part of the measurement.


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## LewLasher (Jun 23, 2009)

macman said:
			
		

> Not sure where you got the 17.5" measurement from....the $20 coal hod they sell clearly states that it's 9 1/2" high.
> 
> www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5IM-LT0163
> 
> The only one I saw that stated it was 17.5" high was listed as $30, but even that one probably is using the handle as part of the measurement.



The one I got is now listed for $30, but was on sale a couple of weeks ago for $20. Sorry about the confusion.
If they are using the handle as part of the measurement, they are pretty sleazy.


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## ducker (Jun 24, 2009)

wow... I use an ultra cheap solution.  I bring up a bag from the basement, and then use a cleaned out 1 quart yogurt container to scoup it out of the bag... and then use my hand to get the final pellets out of the bottom of the bag.  I then pour the fines and handful of pellets left in the bottom in to a single bag, to be sifted through later.


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## lindsey777 (Jun 24, 2009)

CanadaClinker, that is a very nice pine chest. I am handy with saws and have no fingers missing..... Did you buy plans for the chest or design it yourself? Can you share plans to build, or pointers? Thanks!!


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## woodsman23 (Jun 24, 2009)

I buy rocky mountain pe;;ets and there is never any fines or dust to worry about ever. I have a wicker bin next to the stove with a cloth lining and it holds 4 bags no problem, was 20 bucks at big lots..


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## LewLasher (Jun 24, 2009)

The $20 coal hod would have been a good deal if it were actually the size as advertised.  But it doesn't seem worth it to spend $60+ for a coal hod, when there are lots of other, more reasonably-priced, containers, like the galvanized trash cans.


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## LewLasher (Jun 25, 2009)

I went to Target to see some alternatives to coal hods.  For less than $60, I can get a very fancy hamper, or a storage ottoman.  I like the idea that the hamper or ottoman is covered when you are not in the process of scooping pellets.  And you can sit on the ottoman or rest your feet on it.  The smallest storage ottoman, costing $20, looked like it was just about one cubic foot.  (The exterior dimensions were more like 15".)  That doesn't look like it would be big enough, but it's difficult to compare a compact shape to an oblong one.   I could get 2 of the small ottomans, or a larger one for about $50.  Either way, it would cost less than the coal hod of appropriate size.

In other news, I called Northline Express customer service, and they were GREAT.  They were sympathetic to my complaint about the measurement of the coal hod, and called the supplier, and the upshot is that I don't have to pay the shipping charges for returning the item.


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## LewLasher (Jul 11, 2009)

I did get one of the small $20 ottomans at Target, and, it turns out, it's just a little too small, so I'm going to blow another $20 and get a second one.  (They seem to be a limited, seasonal item, so I'd better not delay on that.)  They're small enough that I have room for 2 of them in my living room, and I think they'll actually look better with 2 of them.

The good news is that the ottoman seems to be strong enough that it did not collapse under the weight of not quite 40 pounds of pellets.


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## Stentor (Jul 12, 2009)

Are these the storage ottomans you looked at? What's the material? I'm looking for a container but I wonder what material can be left close to the side of the stove. One in the catalog is made of rattan. I haven't checked the others. 


http://www.target.com/b/ref=in_br_d...d_s=left-3&pf_rd_m=A1VC38T7YXB528&pf_rd_t=201


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## LewLasher (Jul 12, 2009)

Stentor said:
			
		

> Are these the storage ottomans you looked at? What's the material? I'm looking for a container but I wonder what material can be left close to the side of the stove.



For some reason, I can't find the $20 storage ottoman pictured online anywhere.  (The tag says "REdecorate" and "Room Essentials".)  The fabric is "microsuede" polyester.  I don't know what the melting point of polyester is.

The other thing about storing pellets in your living room, and, bear with me because I am new to this, is that my living room is starting to get that "woodsy" smell that my car had yesterday when I had the back of the car all filled up with bags of pellets.


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## Stentor (Jul 12, 2009)

Thanks for checking. I'm in no rush, so I'll look around. And that point about a "woodsy smell" was something I hadn't thought of.  I've mostly just been carrying in a bag and dumping it into the hopper, so there usually isn't much left open. The smell might be OK but better to try it and find out.


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## tonyd (Jul 14, 2009)

To avoid scratching the stove,Try using a PLASTIC bucket or scoop. Keeps the stove looking new around the loading hopper.


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## Shortstuff (Jul 14, 2009)

I use a Rubbermaid storage container and coffee container as a scoop.  It holds 5 bags and of course I use my pellet vac to clean them before use.

Steve


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## LewLasher (Jul 30, 2009)

Finally got a picture of the 2 storage ottomans I got at Target for $20 apiece.  As you may recall, one of these storage ottomans was just a little too small to hold one bag of pellets.  But I think it looks better in my living room with two of them.


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## Shortstuff (Jul 30, 2009)

LewLasher I like the looks of that, almost like an advertisement.

Steve


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## LewLasher (Jul 30, 2009)

Ask me again next winter whether they turned out to be practical.


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