# My pellet brands this year



## crausch (Dec 24, 2008)

I have been in the mood for trying various pellet brands and reviewing how my stove handles with the various brands and types. I am burning in a Harman Advance with the bottom feed auger setup. I am hoping that I can narrow it down to the type that burns best in my stove. Sor far here are my brands purchased:

1. Turman (Hardwood) manufactured in VA. - Turman Hardwood flooring company.  Burns very well with little Ash.
2. Statesman Hardwood Heat (Hardwood) manufactured by Southern States. Burns good, flame not as active and a little more ash.
3. Freedom Fuel (Softwood) Manufactured by Natures Earth in Alabama.
4 Appling County Pellets (soft/hard mix) manufactured in Georgia.

I stopped down in MD to pick up a few bags of pellets where I bought the Statesman pellets. I was not sure what they would have this time around. All they had were the Appling COunty Pellets. I bought 4 bags to try. After I returned home I searched the forum. Yeah, looks like these babies don't get good reviews. I'll see how they do in my bottom feed stove and report once I have burned through the 4 bags.


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## hardingta (Dec 27, 2008)

We have used an Advance as our primary heat source for the past 5 years and have used several of the brands you mentioned, and others.

Generally, we have used Lignetics hardwood pellets with outstanding results.  We normally have to empty the ash pan 2 – 3 times a year while cleaning the glass and fire pot area once a week.

Right behind Lignetics in performance have been Turman and Hamer fuel pellets.  Perfectly happy with these two.  Only difference is slightly more fines.   

Once, I bought four bags of Freedom Fuel pellets (softwood), burned two and used the other two for kitty litter.

Because of shortages this year, our dealer is not able to get either Lignetics, Turman, or Hamer and we have had to use Heat Resource pellets from Fiber Resource in Pine Bluff Ark.  Although they are Oak, they produce much more ash on the glass and a thick sticky mass in the fire pot that tends to pile up quite a bit.  It's Dec. 26 and we have already emptied the ash pan three times and cleaning the stove has to be done twice a week.  Heat output is good and consistent, though.

With our Advance, we expect for inside temperatures to vary no more than 2-3 degrees over a day when the outside temperature may drop from near 50 in the daytime to 7 at night.  We see this performance with the best hardwood pellets but found as much as 6 degree swings with the softwood ones with a much narrower outdoor variance. 

Recommendations, Lignetics, Turman, and Hamer.  Stay clear of softwoods and pellets that don't declare that they are hardwoods.

I hope I have been of some help.


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## krooser (Dec 27, 2008)

Advance-man said:
			
		

> We have used an Advance as our primary heat source for the past 5 years and have used several of the brands you mentioned, and others.
> 
> Generally, we have used Lignetics hardwood pellets with outstanding results.  We normally have to empty the ash pan 2 – 3 times a year while cleaning the glass and fire pot area once a week.
> 
> ...



The best pellets I've used have always been softwoods... less ash and more heat...

I'm using a local brand that's bagged here in WI but comes from Canada.... 100% pine. The only pellet that's been better has been a western fir pellet but I like the cheaper price of the pine.

I quit buying hardwood pellets last year...


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## Revig (Dec 27, 2008)

In our neck of the woods, we do not have any hardwood pellets per se', due to the fact that there is no hardwood material available in are areas of pellet mills. Our best bet is the pellets that are douglas fir or a blend of woods. I sell the Atlas Ultra Premium Pellets, from Couer D'Alene ID, that are red fir, tamarac and cedar - producing excellent heat output and very minimal ash content. Also sell the Bear Mountain Premium Pellets, Cascade Locks, OR, that are douglas fir and red cedar, again producing great heat output and minimal ash content. Never tried any hardwood pellets -


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## crausch (Dec 27, 2008)

Thanks for the feedback "Advance-man". I have not tried the lignetics yet but I can agree that Turman are very good. So far the batch that I have been using barely have a tablespoon of fines in each bag. I don't think the Turman have been available too far north for the folks try. So far their my best. I also agree that with the Advance and hardwood pellets, my temp pretty much stays right on the money.

I have not tried the softwood pellets yet so we will see how they burn for me. This morning I opened up the first bag of "Appling County Pellets". I'll be dumping them in later today. They are the mix of hard and soft wood.

I have read  alot of good reviews on the "red fir" pellets.

I woke up yesterday morning on Xmas only to find that Santa had not left me a free ton of pellets in the driveway. Bummer...I think it is cause he got confused about which type of stove I have because he left me a lump of coal in my stocking. - lol

Won't burn that!


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## imacman (Dec 27, 2008)

Code,

I've burned 4 different brands in my Astoria so far, NEWP hardwood, Freedom Fuel softwood, Lignetics hardwood, and Fireside Ultra (soft or hard?), and without a doubt, the Lignetics are far and away the best pellet....very little ash, good heat, and no clinkers at all.

They are what I will be searching for this spring, and if I find them for a decent price, will be the ONLY pellet I will burn next winter.  As a matter of fact, I will even be willing to spend a little more than other pellets to get them....they are THAT GOOD!


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## crausch (Dec 27, 2008)

macman, Sounds like I am going to have to get some and try'em.

I passed some of the Lignetics up a few months back. The ACE Hardware store in town had some but only would sell by the ton. If there is one thing I have learned here, it is to try before you buy. I'll probably find some before the season is over. If you would ever see "Turman" pellets from Virgina, don't be afraid to try those. So far they have been my best.

Did you get any stove/pellet related presents? Oh...wait a minute, I seem to remember you buying a vacuum for yourself. How is that working out?


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## imacman (Dec 27, 2008)

In the case of Lignetics pellets, I don't think the "try before you buy" applies to them....I have never seen on this forum anyone who had anything but praise for them......I'd buy a ton in a heartbeat.

No, no other pellet stove Christmas presents.  The little vacuum I bought a while back works great.  Bought some drywall bags that actually are for different vac, cut them up, and made them fit......worked great, no dust flying.

The Astoria is humming along.  Did a big cleaning the other day (everything but the blowers & motors), and it's running great (as I knock on wood & my head....LOL).  Except for the cleaning downtime, it's been running 24/7 for a month.  

Been burning NEWP hardwood....their a good pellet, but the Lignetics are still better.  I still have 3/4 ton of the Lignetics hardwood left, and a ton of the Lignetics softwood.....saving them for Jan/Feb when it gets REALLY cold (I hope not).


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## newpelletstove (Dec 27, 2008)

In my limited experience, and living in upstate (WAY upstate) New York, I've gotten hooked on Energex pellets, as I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum.  Based on the above, I would try Lignetics if I saw them.  Does anyone else use Energex ?


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## tinkabranc (Dec 27, 2008)

My first year I burned: 
Energex 

Last year:  
Green Supreme (NEWP) 
Energex 
Fireside Ultra 
Narragansett (think they are out of biz now)

This year: 
Green Supreme (NEWP) 
Warm Front (NEWP) 
Energex (left over from last year) 

I prefer the Green Supreme over the other brands so far. 
Have not tried out the Lignetics but they seem to get rave reviews from many here.


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## crausch (Dec 27, 2008)

I tried to get Energex since they have a plant here in PA. I was hoping to keep my dollars local to the state. By the time I checked the dealers that carried them, the shortage was already under way and everyone one local has been out. I have noticed that the Energex gets good reviews here on the forum just like the lignetics.

This year I have just been trying different brands. Next year it looks like Lignetics, or Energex, or Turman.


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## 32acres (Dec 28, 2008)

1 ton pennington (type a) light in color, lots of fines, dont burn that hot, not too much ash or clinkers
1 ton pennington (type b) darker color, no fines, burn hot and little ash or clinkers
1 ton fireside ultra- very little fines, little ash, burns hot, forms a clinker that fills 1/2 the burn pot every 18 hours or so
1/2 ton green team-very little fines, little ash, burns hot, almost no clinkers(wish I had bought these first).
had a ton of corinth, in the newer blue bags. FILLED burn pot with clinker in 2 hours and the smell of them sitting in my cellar was overwhelming, stank up the whole house. had to take 'em back.


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## South of Boston (Dec 28, 2008)

Just opened a bag of Pres-to-logs got at Lowes in september. very litle dust no clinkers little ash. Seems like a good brand. THe bottom of the bag says from Lignetics of Idaho also West Virginia. Kind of wonder how many re-bagged pellet companies there are.


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## crausch (Dec 28, 2008)

I have a feeling that there are alot of rebranded pellets sales out there. I bought several bags awhile earlier this year that said "Statesman - Hardwood Heat". I could not find anything on the web about the brand. The bag said they they were Southern States, which made sense, but I could not find anything on the SS site about them.


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## South of Boston (Dec 28, 2008)

I know in the food industry most house brands are re-labled as well as most boxed beef. Kind of curious how many pellet factories are really out there. I have seen many different nam brands at HD and Lowes. I bought 2 tons of HEAT LLC from MO. seem to burn nicely.


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## South of Boston (Dec 28, 2008)

http://www.thelograck.com/pellet_manufacturers.html   Heres about 70


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## crausch (Dec 28, 2008)

I noticed that Southern States isn't on the list which means they are manufactured and branded for Southern States by some other manufacturer. After the shortage this year, I have read about many new manufacturers opening up around the states which I guess will only add to the mix. As long as their good quality, I'm not too concerned whos label they put on the bag. I think for consistency though, I would want to stick with a major brand.


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## foldsct (Dec 28, 2008)

I'm having issues with pellets............LOTS of clinkers and all that.

I know I got my pellets late, got stove late and all that, so I know that this winter is going to be a learning one for me.

WHERE in CT do most people go, and what brand is good?  I'm already thinking about next winter..............

Thank you!!

Oh--I'm East of the River in CT if that makes a difference, but would travel some if it was worth it.......


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## crausch (Dec 30, 2008)

This evening I will finally get around burning the Appling County Pellets as I mentioned in my original post to this thread. When I bought them I had a full hopper of Turman hardwood pellets that I wanted to burn so that I could analyze the APC pellets fairly. Then we had a couple warm days where I didn't hardly burn at all. Last night I only had a couple cups of the hardwood left in the hopper, so I went ahead and filled the hopper with the APC pellets.

A short time later I went to check on how things were burning and just my luck, I had my first hopper jam and of course I had just filled the hopper to the top. I was able to bore my hand down through the pellets deep enough to disturb the bridged pellets and then I could hear the tink...tink...tink of pellets falling in the auger again. As the pellets came into the burn pot I could tell these were still the hardwood pellets by their length and color, so I can't blame the jam on the APC pellets. By the end of tonight I'll have a feel for how the Appling County Pellets look to burn in my stove.


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## newf lover (Dec 30, 2008)

foldct, did you try Eastern Ct Pellet Sales?  Here's their site- http://www.pelletsdelivered.com/home. I haven't used them, but a friend did and he was very happy. Right now looks like they are selling Lignetics for $299/ton.


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## woodsman23 (Dec 30, 2008)

Got a call today that dry creek will be offering pallets of pellets again next monday at 246 per ton. I'll be there.... Dry creek and lignetics are by far the best pellets.


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## davester02 (Dec 30, 2008)

codebum said:
			
		

> I have a feeling that there are alot of rebranded pellets sales out there. I bought several bags awhile earlier this year that said "Statesman - Hardwood Heat". I could not find anything on the web about the brand. The bag said they they were Southern States, which made sense, but I could not find anything on the SS site about them.




True

Our Southern States carries a pellet labeled as Southern States but the owner told me they are actually Hammer.

I think this being the first year and with the pellet shortage I have been most happy with Hot Hammer


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## crausch (Dec 30, 2008)

davester02...I took another look at the last empty Statesman bag and it didn't say "manufactured by" but did say "distributed by" Southern States. The address was in Virgina.

Something I noticed when I bought these last four bags of Appling County Pellets is the strong oder coming from them. My hole basement smells from just the four bags. They smell like wood but there seemed to be something else in the ordor that smelled familiar but I just could place what it was. Then today I was reading an article where some manufacturers include vegatable oil in the process. The oil is used to lubricate their pellet die. Once I read that, it dawned on me that is what the odor smelled like...vegitable oil.

The first bag I poured in seemed to have a softer, duller finsh to them compared to the pure hardwood Turmans or Statesmans. When I get home tonight, I'll see how they have been burning.


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## crausch (Dec 31, 2008)

And I can finally finish what I started, so here is my review of Appling County Pellets (ACP):

PROs:
1. Good length. All pieces average about an inch, maybe even smaller.
2. Seems to light/ignite quickly.
3. Burned with fierce flame, high flame, producing hotter distribution air compared to other brands.
4. Amount of fines in a bag was around 1/4 cup or a little more. Not bad but not excessive

CONs:
1. First off the pellets emit a strong wood+ odor even through the unopened bags. My whole basement smells. The wood+ means it smells like wood but something else also. Could possibly be vegetable oil used as a die lubricant.
2. My sinuses and eyes seem to react to the ACP dust more than the other brands I've used.
3. Lots of ash and fly ash. This is the most ash I have had from any of the brands so far.

My conclusion is that I would burn them again if my options were limited. Right now I am just now into wanting to thoroughly clean my stove and pipe any more than I have to. Turman pellets are my best so far. I still need to try the Freedom Fuel softwood pellets. I will definitely pick up Lignetics to try some day.

...THE END!


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## mark d fellows (Jan 17, 2009)

I got my Harman Accentra-2 installed on November 4,2008 and burn 24/7

I have thoroughly cleaned the stove about 4 times.

I scrap the burn pot twice a day in hopes of burning more efficiently.

I have tried Hammer Hot Ones, Southern States, Statesmen, Lignetics, and Appling County Pellets.

I will rate them in reference to performance.

1. Lignetics.  Large long pellets that burn very clean, with little ash and some clinkers.  You have to stir the hopper accasionally as they can cause a kind of log jam since they are so big and long. Very few fines and about a half cup of sawdust per bag.

2. Hamer Hot Ones,  A decent pellet.  Much dirtier than the Lignetics and maybe hotter.  A decent pellet overall. Some fines. Slightly more clinkers

3. Southern States, Statesman(yes made by Hamer)  about as dirty as Hamers, maybe slightly more.  More fines that make my Auger bind up and make a growning/screetching noise. They burn ok though and are hot enough. slightly more to the same clinkers as regular Hamers.  Lots of "fuzzy" ash all over the inside of the stove.

4.Appling County Pellets. ACP.  Just put a bag in today.  They are darker in color and there is a lot of fines.  I will get back and let you guys know how they do.   I am not impressed so far.  I am expecting more auger screeching at least.  Just based on how many  fines are in the bag, I would probably not buy them again. They also stink.  I think it is the pine in them.  I often have problems around unpainted pine furniture.  The smell doesn't bother me when they are burning but when I have them in the coal bucket in the basement.

Summary:

Lignetics keep my stove the cleanest and burn clean with little ash.  So far, by far the best. I get clinkers no matter what I burn.


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## crausch (Jan 18, 2009)

*Mark:* So there is someone else that burned the Statesman besides me. I hear that they will no longer be available. It sounds like your having similar burn experiences as I did. Let us know what you think after burning the Appling County pellets?

BTW...did you get those from the Hardwood flooring place off RailRoad Ave.? Thats where I bought my statesman and ACP pellets.

*MACMAN* (if your out there): My local ACE hardware advertised that the had pellets available. The last time I was there months ago they had Lignetics, but only by the ton. I stopped in this morning to see if they had Lignetics again and if I couold buy a few bags. I was disapointed when I got there because all they had were the Appling County Pellets...Yuck! Needless to say, I left pelletless. I'll find the Lignetics locally eventually.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 18, 2009)

Codebum,

I did in fact get the Appling County Pellets at the flooring place in Westminster. I think they have like 30 tons left but they are selling them for 6.54 a bag, which is way too much for a previously unknown hardwood, pine blend.  After burning them for a night I have to admit that they do burn fine. To my surprise, I heard no auger noise at all. I can't stand the smell though!  They smell like particle board which always upsets my sinuses. Just pouring them into the hopper makes the whole living room smell.

Some people, including me have sensitivities to pine, and the compounds used to form particle board.  I don't think the ACP has any VOCs like particle board but they sure smell like they do!  Must be the pine that is offensive to the nose.

I was told that Southern States in Hampstead has a whole warehouse full of Statesmen.  I personally don't like the Statesman because of the cleaning issues and the auger noise. If I was out, I would burn them though.

I plan on getting more lignetics when I can.

Home depot in Westminster sometimes carries a pure pine pellet called freedom fuels.  They want way too much for them though. I have no experience with these and would burn them only if I was desperate.

I have enough to last me the winter.

As a side note, I read once on the internet that we ship 800,000 tons of pellets over sea a year to Europe(who has been burning pellets a lot longer than the US).  Maybe that is part of the reason we are in such a shortage.  Maybe if more pellets stay at home it would help.

Summary:

ACP burns fine but smells.  I believe they burn better than statesman brand.


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## crausch (Jan 18, 2009)

I had bought some of the Freedom Fuel pellets from HD just to try them. They were not too bad. They were very small though. Small in diameter and and length. My stove seems to do better with 100% hardwood and medium length pellets.

I don't know what ACP puts in their pellets but I thought the smell was overwhelming. Must be that batch that Westminster has becuase some other folks on the forum that burned them, did not notice any bad odor.

I forget what I paid for the Freedom fuel from HD. I only bought 6 bags. I was glad I only bought 4 bags of the ACP.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 19, 2009)

You know, the more I burn the ACP pellets the more I like them.  They do stink bad when you're not burning them but they burn trouble free and warm.

The ash is very light and fluffy and the flame seems to burn fairly efficiently even when the front of the burn pot is loaded with ashes.  They may produce more ash but I don't notice as like you Codebum, I have a Harman with a large ash pan.

With my favorite Pellets the Lignetics, I have to stir the hopper occasionally to make sure the hopper doesn't get clogged around the inlet to the auger.  With the ACP, they stink so bad, I never open the hopper unless I am refilling.

If they come down in price significantly I might buy some more.

Mark


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## crausch (Jan 20, 2009)

Thats really good that they are working out for you. The burn of the ACP was probably not bad. If I remember they did put out good heat. Just too much ash for me compared to my Turman which hardly produce any ash.

I guess I would have to say pellets are like wine (except for pellets don't age well)...a really good wine does not have to be one that is expensive, but just one that YOU like. With pellets stoves, each persons stove and settings are like out taste buds, everyone is a little different, each stove burns pellets a little different. So, like wine you just have to find the pellets that YOU are happy with.
 :cheese:


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## swalz (Jan 20, 2009)

davester02 said:
			
		

> codebum said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...





			
				codebum said:
			
		

> davester02...I took another look at the last empty Statesman bag and it didn't say "manufactured by" but did say "distributed by" Southern States. The address was in Virgina.
> 
> .



I emailed Hamer Pellet Fuel Co last year to see where I could buy and they said Southern States was  re branded Hamer Pellets. I was also told that the Hardwood Heat from Tractor Supply was also re branded Hamer fuel by the sales person at TSC.


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## crausch (Jan 20, 2009)

That's good to know. Thanks for the info.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 20, 2009)

Yes the person at the Southern States did call them Hamer, Southern States, Statesmen.    Still for some reason, they didn't burn as good as the Hamers I had with a lot more Auger noise.

It might have been the handling of the bags as the pallet was outside and had obviously been picked through.  I did get 5 bags from a new pallet that was sitting outside though.

They smell a little different as they burn than the regular Hamers.  If I was a pellet manufacturer, I would probably use the worst of the batch in an off brand bag and use the best of the batch in my Brand.

Perhaps the Statesmen brand is the lowest quality Hamer makes, while the Hamer Hot ones are the cream of the crop.

Otherwise, why would someone re-badge there product unless, A it had a bad reputation(which I don't think Hamer's have)
or B. they have some sawdust that is not "premium" so to speak, or the process for those are cheaper.

I know that a lot of brands in electronics, etc. Re-badge their products and sell them under a different brand but they are often cheaper in price and build and features.

As far as the APPLING COUNTY PELLETS (ACP), they still burn very well, with more light fluffy ash, and more black soot than any other brand.  

I wonder if the black soot I see is in fact creosote? I still think they are ok as long as the black soot isn't building up in the vent pipe.

P.S. HD just got in some Stove Chow brand, that I have read is rebadged Energex(which is another entirely pine, soft wood pellet)


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## ORiley (Jan 20, 2009)

Dejnos - just finished my first ton. A softwood "Premium" pellet, they went OK. Heavy fines and dark fly ash. Experienced two log jams with long pellets and had three bags of oatmeal.
Lignetics - picked up two bags (for giggles). Burned very hot, little to no fines, uniform length. Would burn more if they weren't $5+ per bag!
Rocky Mountain - A softwood "Super Premium" pellet, I'm midway through a 10 bag trial. Fewer fines than Dejnos, less fly ash and lighter in color (the glass doesn't dirty as fast). SO far so good...
Uncle Jed's Cold Remedy - 10 bags in waiting. Supposed to be a very hot hardwood. We'll soon see....


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## mark d fellows (Jan 20, 2009)

ORiley,

At 5 dollars a bag I would pick up quite a few at that price.  We are paying 6.0 a bag on average in Maryland, and some are even trying to charge more.

For everyone else,

I Just picked up 5 bags of "Stove Chow" brand.  I should start burning them in a day or two.  I will let everyone know what I find out.


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## Raven20 (Jan 20, 2009)

I paid 6.29 a bag for Hamers on Friday.....Tried the Stove Chow.....Left my stove brick and glass black......The Hamers cleaned that right up.....


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## crausch (Jan 20, 2009)

Mark: 


> I Just picked up 5 bags of “Stove Chow” brand.  I should start burning them in a day or two.



Let us know your thoughts on those. I'm going to run down this coming weekend to pick some up if they still have them. The last time I was in they had the Freedom Fuel. The HD up here in Hanover has not had any pellets all season. The Westminster HD is only 20+ minutes away.


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## ORiley (Jan 20, 2009)

Mark Fellows said:
			
		

> ORiley,
> 
> At 5 dollars a bag I would pick up quite a few at that price.  We are paying 6.0 a bag on average in Maryland, and some are even trying to charge more.
> 
> ...



The Lignetics were being sold at the local Farm & Barn store with a 5 bag limit, LOL. I s'pose that's not a bad price if you're buying retail but at $5+ a bag it's cheaper to run the LP unit.

I may be getting preferential treatment from my stove dealer; pellets at the "pre-buy" price.


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## crausch (Jan 20, 2009)

About a month ago I went in the Southern States store in Westminster, MD and they wanted $8/bag for their pellets. I drove basically one street over and got them from a Hardwood Flooring place for $5/bag.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 20, 2009)

Raven20 said:
			
		

> I paid 6.29 a bag for Hamers on Friday.....Tried the Stove Chow.....Left my stove brick and glass black......The Hamers cleaned that right up.....



Raven20,

Yeah that is about what I am used to seeing, thanks for the confirmation. 

I will let everyone know if the Stove Chow brand  turns my stove black as well.  I think they probably will as they are "100% White Wood" (pine, I guess) I think the pine in the ACP is probably what contributes to the slightly higher amount of black soot I see while burning the  ACP brand so I bet it will be worse for the Stove Chow.  We'll see. I will give everyone the details.

 Oriley, at that price a bag that isn't bad compared to what we see.  I know of no place around here where we can buy them by the ton and get close to 5 per bag this time of year.

All,
I would rather not burn pine, but I see a future where pine pellets are the norm and quality hard wood pellets are hard to come by as hardwood product production is slowing down.

A few factors to consider:

The trend for the last five or so years has been that quality furniture is increasingly hard to come by. Most stuff I see today is either "quality real wood"(pine) or engineered wood with a wood vener.  I have been told that it is getting nearly impossible to buy hardwood if you want to build furniture yourself.

Also factor in that fewer people are probably putting in hard wood floors, and that definitely less houses are being built as a result of the economy.  I am even starting to see Bambo wood flooring becoming popular.

All in all, less hardwood sawdust.  Pine for now is fairly plentiful and cheap and I expect to see a lot more of it. I think the profit margin for pine pellets is probably higher than hardwood pellets as they are definitely the premium but still places like Lowes, and Home Depot are now charging the same prices for pine pellets as has been seen just a year ago with quality hardwood pellets.

Factor in the pellet shortages and that people are getting disparate to get pellets of any kind and would use almost anything to heat their homes.

This year, fuel costs went down for the first time in a long time briefly, but I expect them to definitely go back up in the near future.

I am trying to stay ahead of the curve and try the pine pellets now so that when hardwood pellets becomes almost impossible to get in the future, I know which brands of softwood pellet burn well.

You can be I will snatch up Lignetics when I see them though!


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## crausch (Jan 20, 2009)

Mark:
A couple weeks ago I bought "Freedom Fuel" pellets from HD down there. The are 100% pure pine. They are small overall and fill the auger up more then some others. I would burn them again. Since they were so small, you either need to adjust the air on some stove when burning these, on on a Harman, you would probably need to cut the max feed of the auger back some. I had no problems with black sooting.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 20, 2009)

codebum said:
			
		

> Mark:
> A couple weeks ago I bought "Freedom Fuel" pellets from HD down there. The are 100% pure pine. They are small overall and fill the auger up more then some others. I would burn them again. Since they were so small, you either need to adjust the air on some stove when burning these, on on a Harman, you would probably need to cut the max feed of the auger back some. I had no problems with black sooting.



thanks for the info.  Your the third person I have read that used them.  So far, two people said they were good and Advance man said he used the other two bags he had for kitty litter.  I read the later as he didn't like them.

I always run my stove in Room Temp mode.  Do you still think I would need to cut the feed rate down?  Do you run your stove in manual mode?


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## crausch (Jan 20, 2009)

I have tried both, but for my situation I run in Room temp mode. The reason I say to cut the feed back is given the small size of the freedom fuel, your auger will feed more than with other pellets even when left on the same feed rate. The extra fuel could cause the black that some see as the burn becomes a little richer with more pellets. For those that have air adjustments, they could increase the air to the fuel ratio to equal out the efficiency of the burn. They certainly were not the best that I have burned, they were different (small size) but I thought they burned ok, and I did not have the quantity of ash that I saw from the ACP pellets.

I am starting to run low on my pellet supply, so when I go to HD if they have "Stove Chow" I'll try them. If they Freedom Fuel, I'll probably get some more of those.


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## ORiley (Jan 21, 2009)

Mark Fellows said:
			
		

> Oriley, at that price a bag that isn't bad compared to what we see.  I know of no place around here where we can buy them by the ton and get close to 5 per bag this time of year.
> 
> I am trying to stay ahead of the curve and try the pine pellets now so that when hardwood pellets becomes almost impossible to get in the future, I know which brands of softwood pellet burn well.



The only curve I try and stay ahead of is the price curve. My stove isn't heating living space so I pretty much keep it running cuz it's 'spiffy-neat-o' to watch burn and my truck likes a warm shop (50 on a thermostat). If LP goes through the roof (again) you can bet I'll replace the (house) LP insert with a pellet burner but for now, I'm happy being a "pellet miser".  :bug:

P.S. - I was wrong when I said Uncle Jed's was a hardwood. It's a softwood.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 21, 2009)

Yeah, I have another form of heat in my house.  I have one of those wonderful "heat" pumps that runs constantly and keeps the house at a balmy 67 degrees!

I have hated it since we moved in and considered Natural Gas(800.00 just to get it run to the house) and LP(800.0 just get the tanks and run the lines)

the cost of the LP gas alone in this area was outrages when I called, and that isn't considering install price. For the cost, I would just as soon run Natural gas which is usually as cheap as pellets with less daily maintenance.  

Dealing with BGE though was  a pain in the arse.  You would think they would be more help in me adding more of thier product and a greater dependence on them to my home but nope. 

If this post seems pointless, it is because I want one more of those neat little green square thingies, and am trying to get the magic number so I can graduate from Fire Starter!  Just a little humor. ....but seriously, I want one.


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## doghouse (Jan 21, 2009)

Up here in northern Maine, many of us Northeast Pellets.  They come from a mill in Ashland, Maine.  Softwood pellets, anywhere from $265 to 300 a ton.  Slightly above average grade of pellets.  They burn, what more can I say.


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## Raven20 (Jan 21, 2009)

Mark, I think you get your 2nd little square greenie after 25 post.....I have 4 and only been on here about a month.....(bored at work)...


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## mark d fellows (Jan 22, 2009)

Raven20 said:
			
		

> Mark, I think you get your 2nd little square greenie after 25 post.....I have 4 and only been on here about a month.....(bored at work)...



Hehe, Thanks.

An update on the Stove Chow brand:

I started mixing them in with the ACP last night and filled the Hopper this am with about half them and half leftover ACP, and Stove Chow mixed.  So far, they burn great!

They burn very clean with light fluffy ash, little to no black soot, and seem to burn as long as any pellet I have used.

There are are almost no fines per bag, and the pellets are large, well formed and more uniform in length.  They are a weird kind of greenish brown color and kind of shiny.

Tonight I will wait as long as I can for the hopper to run out and then refill with them and keep you guys posted.  So far, I like them but they are mixed with the ACP Brand.

Mark


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## mark d fellows (Jan 22, 2009)

Update on Stove Chow brand:

I am very pleased with this pellet.  In fact, I would campare Stove Chow to any hard wood pellet I have used favorably.  They have moved into my number two spot for my pellet preference.

They burn very clean.  Where as the ACP flame was tinged orange heavily, the flame from the Stove Chow is whiter and is comparable to Lignetics.

There is no black soot covering the stove.  The glass stays as clean as lignetics.

They seem to burn at a comparable rate as Lignetics also.  Last night it got down to 17 and when I woke up, I had only burned a quarter hopper, which again is comparable to hard wood.

Based on my findings so far, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a pallet of these at comparable prices to hardwood.

I am very pleased to have found a quality softwood pellet, that I can compare to hardwood.

There is no nasty smell as with ACP brand either.

Summary:

Stove Chow is an excellent pellet based on my experience.  I am on my third bag.  I can't speak about consistency as I only bought 5 bags, but they are all the same.


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## crausch (Jan 22, 2009)

I called the HD in Hanover, PA today. They said they had got pellets in. They said they had Eureka pellets. I did a quick search on the forum and the reviews don't look the best for Eurika pellets. So, I only picked up 3 bags to try then myself. When I got back from picking them up, I tried to get more information on them on their website. I can't even find a website for them. Next I am on the Westminster, MD, HD to get Stove Chow.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 23, 2009)

Codebum,

Please let us know how the Eureka's are.

Update on the Stove Chow:

Still liking them.  They burn hot and clean with about the same ash as hardwood, no soot, consistent size, little to no fines, and little sawdust per bag!

Based on my experience, I would buy a pallet at regular prices. Perhaps white wood is not just pine?

Mark


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## mattbell (Jan 23, 2009)

That’s right, up here in Northern Maine, we have many many brands of pellets to choose from but Northeast Pellets seem to have the best BTU’s with the lowest ash.   Less than .5 of 1 % and the BTU’s are between 8600 and 8750.   I believe they are a blend of hard and soft wood.   Very light in color and clean, low dust


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## mattbell (Jan 23, 2009)

That’s right DogHouse, up here in Northern Maine, we have many many brands of pellets to choose from but Northeast Pellets seem to have the best BTU’s with the lowest ash.   Less than .5 of 1 % and the BTU’s are between 8600 and 8750.   I believe they are a blend of hard and soft wood.   Very light in color and clean, low dust


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## crausch (Jan 23, 2009)

Mark:  I am burning tonight trying to empty my hopper before I burn the Eurekas so I get a good opinion. I opened a bag and poured into my pails to get them ready. They have a strong wood smell, but thats good. They don't smell like something odd (like the ACP did). Also they are uniformly small in length. Given their small size I am surprised that others have reported that they do not output high heat. In my experience, the smaller pellets fill up the auger and burnpot more, so there is usually more heat.

A few things that I am not thrilled about is the bag has no PFI logo on it and it does not state what type of wood it is (hardwood/softwood). It smells like pine but is colored like my hardwood pellets. The other thing that concerned me was when I went to grab the bags inside the store at HD, the bags were wet. The bags state right on the front "Store in a dry place". I said something to the sales associate and it was obvious from the conversation, they had no clue about what wood pellets even were. One other thing that bothers me is the manufacturer appears to not have a website.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 23, 2009)

Codebum,

Doesn't sound promising.  I guess you'll have to see how they burn though.  If it is any consulation, when I bought my Lignetics they had been sitting in the rain and each bag was wet.  I let them sit for 3 weeks. There were even holes in the bag where you could see wet, swollen sawdust.  They burned fine though.

Mark


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## doghouse (Jan 23, 2009)

pelletpro said:
			
		

> That’s right DogHouse, up here in Northern Maine, we have many many brands of pellets to choose from but Northeast Pellets seem to have the best BTU’s with the lowest ash.   Less than .5 of 1 % and the BTU’s are between 8600 and 8750.   I believe they are a blend of hard and soft wood.   Very light in color and clean, low dust



I hear ya, bro.  You are probably correct on the blend.  EDIT: they sure are a better product than when they first hit the market.   Had a bag once with a 4" pellet.  Still have it.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 23, 2009)

Update on the ACP:

It has only been 1.5 to 2.0 weeks since I last thoroughly cleaned the stove and emptied the ash pan.  I cleaned it today as it shut off from the mild temps and the stove was filthy!  The ash pan was 3/4 full which is something I haven't seen since I got the stove.

3/4 full of ash in maybe 2.0 weeks.

Based on this, I would burn ACP again only in a dire shortage.

Stove Chow:

I am still liking them.  I plan on getting some more today and after that run, I will clean the stove again to see how dirty it is and report back!

Mark


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## Raven20 (Jan 23, 2009)

They say when you have good thing going don't mess it up....Well I've been using Hamers for a week now and they are the best pellet I have tried yet.....After all the talk on here about Lignetics I'm going to get 5 bags tonight and try them this weekend....


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## mark d fellows (Jan 23, 2009)

Raven20 said:
			
		

> They say when you have good thing going don't mess it up....Well I've been using Hamers for a week now and they are the best pellet I have tried yet.....After all the talk on here about Lignetics I'm going to get 5 bags tonight and try them this weekend....



Good point, and if I could get Hamers or Lignetics locally I would buy them.  I got my first two tons from where you get yours but it is about an hour away from me and I don't have a truck which means I have to rent one.

Mark


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## Raven20 (Jan 23, 2009)

xxxx


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## nautiquer95 (Jan 24, 2009)

Stove Doctor said:
			
		

> In our neck of the woods, we do not have any hardwood pellets per se', due to the fact that there is no hardwood material available in are areas of pellet mills. Our best bet is the pellets that are douglas fir or a blend of woods. I sell the Atlas Ultra Premium Pellets, from Couer D'Alene ID, that are red fir, tamarac and cedar - producing excellent heat output and very minimal ash content. Also sell the Bear Mountain Premium Pellets, Cascade Locks, OR, that are douglas fir and red cedar, again producing great heat output and minimal ash content. Never tried any hardwood pellets -



It's my first year burning and the Atlas Ultra Premiums that Stove Doctor mentioned are all I've burned - I just started into my second ton.  Since these are all I've used, I don't have anything to compare them to, but I bet the ash pan in my XXV could have held all of the ash produced so far and I only have to clean the glass once a week.  I searched the web and found an outfit about 2 1/2 hours from me that sells the Lignetics everyone raves about, but I can get the Atlas' 10 minutes from home for $245/ton.  The Lignetics are going for essentially the same price @ $250/ton.  Ever burn these Stove Doctor?  If so, how do they compare?  I'm also curious what you get for a ton of your Atlas Pellets.


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## crausch (Jan 24, 2009)

Mark; and others,

I've burned a bag of the Eureka pellets so far. I would have to say their not too bad. I left the feed setting just a little over 4 where it was for my Turman pellets, but the burn pot built up several inches of ash. I bumped the feed setting up to 5 and they have been burning good all night and this morning. I have not compared the heat output which is what some others have complained about with these pellets, but they seem to be putting out the heat to me.

Initially the bags were went at HD when I got them, but the bags were in good shape and there is no sign of moist or swollen pellets.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 24, 2009)

Thanks for the info.  I guess the bag has no Pellet Fuel Institute logo on it?  I was reading last night that if it has that symbol it is required to list what is in it.

The Stove Chow does have the logo but simply says "100% white wood" The way I read the requirements it seems they had to list the wood that "white wood" composes in the bag but maybe not.

Mark


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## WestonFire22 (Jan 24, 2009)

Burning Fuel King here in Nebraska.  Got 5 tons from Bomgaars for 3.49 a bag.  I burned about half Marth and half Fuel King last year and am happy with the Fuel King.  I got a few other assorted bags last year, one I can't remember the name of (Ozark something maybe, made in Arkansas I think) I really didn't care for, burned fast and little heat.

Fuel King are made in Iowa, so I would consider that local I guess since I am in eastern Nebraska.

Bruce


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## crausch (Jan 24, 2009)

Eureka pellet fuel update...

After burning about a bag and a half of the Eureka pellets, I took advantage of the warmer temps today (around 38 deg) and cleaned out the fire box. Well, the Eureka pellets are about the 5th brand of pellets that I have burned and they broke a record for me. They are the first pellets that have gave me a case of the clinkers. When I cleaned out my burn pot, it felt and sounded like I was cleaning out buckshot. After burning them all night and and half the day, I had hard round formations like BBs or black nerds candy. After burning 4 other brands and never experiencing this, I think the pellets must have more to do with clinker formation than any stove. Even though they seem to burn just fine, I am now glad that I only bought 3 bags.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 25, 2009)

Stove Chow update:

I am on  my fifth bag and first bag from a different pallet.  They are the cleanest burning pellet I have used.  Cleaner than Lignetics it seems.  The reason I say this is the glass seems to stay cleaner, longer than with any other pellet I have used.  They burn as long or longer than even the hard wood pellets I have used.  It got down to 15 last night and I woke up to a hopper that was almost half full.  I have consistently run out of pellets over night with any other brand.

They would be my number one brand, however I don't have the experience of use with these as the Lignetics as I have burned almost a ton of the Ligs.

Also, they make the house smell like gingerbread and cinnamon and as they burn I hear harps playing!

Mark


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## ORiley (Jan 26, 2009)

ORiley said:
			
		

> Dejnos - just finished my first ton. A softwood "Premium" pellet, they went OK. Heavy fines and dark fly ash. Experienced two log jams with long pellets and had three bags of oatmeal.
> Lignetics - picked up two bags (for giggles). Burned very hot, little to no fines, uniform length. Would burn more if they weren't $5+ per bag!
> Rocky Mountain - A softwood "Super Premium" pellet, I'm midway through a 10 bag trial. Fewer fines than Dejnos, less fly ash and lighter in color (the glass doesn't dirty as fast). SO far so good...
> Uncle Jed's Cold Remedy - 10 bags in waiting. Supposed to be a very hot hardwood. We'll soon see....



I hope that by quoting myself I don't send the forum into a violent spin...

Burning the Uncle Jed's Cold Remedy now - Burns dirty, like the Dejno's, leaving a dark film on the glass with a heavy fly ash collection on the heat exchange tubes. Dangled a meat thermometer in front of the tubes and hit 190 degrees on high heat - schweet! They have a nice smell to 'em but I'm not hearing harps like that other fella 'round here <he says as he rolls his eyes>.

So far I like the Rocky Mountain the best cuz it's the cleanest burn. I'll throw some of them back in the hopper and see what I get for a temp reading. Anybody else do temp readings, or is this a precursor to the harps? LMAO.


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## katecurry (Jan 27, 2009)

Anyone ever heard of clean fire pellets from american bio mass.  Got 12 tons from pelletsales.com.  had nothing but trouble with the stove since.  Three hopper fires in the past two months from burn pot build up.  Stove and vent are clean.  Cant figure it out...pellets? or coincendence?
KC south jersey


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## OSHOW (Jan 29, 2009)

I've been burning Natures heat pellets this season and I'm very pleased with them.


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## crausch (Jan 29, 2009)

> *Mark Fellows:*
> Stove Chow update:
> 
> I am on my fifth bag and first bag from a different pallet.  They are the cleanest burning pellet I have used.



I finally made it down to the HD in Westminster to get some Stove Chow pellets. All I could find were some "Fireside Ultras". I picked up 4 bags to try. I only got 4 because I thought the reviews here were not the best. Sorry I missed the Stove Chow pellets though.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 30, 2009)

codebum said:
			
		

> > *Mark Fellows:*
> > Stove Chow update:
> >
> > I am on my fifth bag and first bag from a different pallet.  They are the cleanest burning pellet I have used.
> ...



You know I scanned through some threads on here and I really don't see bad things said about the Fireside ultras.

I think HD might have a policy of providing decent pellets.  I like some others think the Stove Chow are pretty good.  You said the Freedom Fuels were pretty good, and the Fireside Ultras don't get bad reviews.

I am waiting until I burn through all 15 bags of the Stove Chow and clean the stove to give an update.  I still like them and think they are a good pellet.

The first five bags were excellent pellets!  The last ten bags after that I am going through from the second pallet are good  to fair pellets.  Overall, I would buy a ton of them.

As I said, I will update you guys when I am done burning them and get a chance to look at the inside of my stove.

Mark


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## investor7952 (Jan 30, 2009)

Anyone ever use BIG HEAT Pellets? They are a softwood


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## crausch (Jan 30, 2009)

> Mark Fellows Posted: 29 January 2009 09:46 PM
> 
> You know I scanned through some threads on here and I really don’t see bad things said about the Fireside ultras.



You are right...it looks like they do have good reviews. If I had remembered that correctly I would have picked up more bags. I just wasn't expecting to see them as I thought I would be picking up the Stove Chow. Oh well, it sounds like either pellet brand would have been ok.

I agree that HD seems to carry good pellets (at least the local locations). What HD needs to do though is educate their employees about proper handling of the pellets.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 30, 2009)

codebum said:
			
		

> > Mark Fellows Posted: 29 January 2009 09:46 PM
> >
> > You know I scanned through some threads on here and I really don’t see bad things said about the Fireside ultras.
> 
> ...



As far as the handling of the bags, I don't worry about it as I pick mine up roughly and throw them on a shoulder and when I get to where I want to place them I just roughly toss them off my shoulder and let them drop about three feet flat onto either the floor or stack of pellets.

I have found that if they are a quality pellet it just really doesn't matter much as they won't usually break apart.  The lesser quality does seem to break easier.

Final Stove Chow update:

I cleaned out the stove today as it was a little more warm and I  could shut it off. This was after about 13 bags of Stove Chow.  The stove was by no means clean.  I would say it was slightly more dirty than when using good hardwood pellets.  

Ash content,

        I had about 1/4 ash pail full of ash which is comparable to good hardwood pellets but a little higher.Slightly more ash than quality hardwoods but about 1/4 or less the ash of that  ACP    brand.

Black soot output,

       No more black soot or dirty glass than with hardwood.

Consistency,

       Was not as good as the Hamers or Lignetics yet I never had a problem with the burn I got.

Summary,

Sometimes the pellets were extraordinary, sometimes they were ok, but never bad.  The quality of the pellet seems to coinside with the darkness of the pellet.  The darker the better.


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## ORiley (Jan 30, 2009)

ORiley said:
			
		

> ORiley said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'm getting dizzy talking to myself...

After 6 bags of Uncle Jed's Cold Remedy I can say I'll burn these as a last resort; they're a very dirty pellet. Despite their claim to high heat (8,200-8,600 BTU) I see no difference in heat output compared to Rocky Mountain.

In a tightly controlled, highly scientific experiment, I hung Grandmother's meat thermometer in front of the blower and received 190 degrees from both brands running my Avalon on high heat (using a t-stat). On Medium heat both pellets warmed 'er up to around 170 degrees.


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## mark d fellows (Jan 30, 2009)

ORiley said:
			
		

> ORiley said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hey thanks for the update!

Have you considered starting a post with your findings so that people can search by "Uncle Jeds Cold Remedy"?

Good info!

Mark


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## ORiley (Jan 30, 2009)

Not a bad idea, but I don't want to bring the hammer down on anyone that hasn't done me wrong. I will continue to evaluate, record, and share my findings on pellets but...it's all subjective. My burn will certainly vary from yours and, who knows, material content will most likely change from year to year so is this is all for nothing?

Hey, how'd you get one more little green fella than I did? You better get back to work, Mister!


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## mark d fellows (Jan 30, 2009)

Oriley,

Are you talking to me?  As far as bringing the hammer down on someone I think that really isn't the case.  You post your experience with them and then people have a chance to counter you.  If others have the same experience you know the pellets are crap.  If others counter  you, we know you just got some bad pellets.

Consistency is an issue.  My opinion is for a pellet to be good, it should be good in anyone stove, and year to year, week to week.

If the green thing comment was for me, I guess I got more from being obsessed with one thing and posting constantly.

Mark


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## Lennyden (Feb 6, 2009)

I started the year finishing some old PA Pellets...not too good, very dirty, heat output was so so.  I just finished buring about 2 tons of Barefoot.  Best pellet I've found.  Produced some clinkers but very clean and very hot.  I just cracked into a ton of Applying pellets I split with a neighbor.  TERRRIBLE  Worst I've burned.  VERY VERY dirty, tons of ash (I have to clean the small ash pan in my Empress FPI every day with these pellets - Barefoot was every three days).  Don't buy Appling!


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## 32acres (Feb 7, 2009)

Update! Found a small rock in Pennington bag. Purchased in August. These are the light colored ones with all the fines in every bag. Bought 11 bags of Fireside Ultra to-day at Home Depot to augment my dwindling pile.  As I was sifting a bag I found lots of small wood chips. Was surprising, as I burned an entire ton of Firesides already with no signs of wood chips. I have burned 115 bags so far this season.


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## www_godzilla (Feb 7, 2009)

I have burned Fireside Ultras and LG Granules. I must say I like the Fireside Ultras better. The LG Granules are a softer wood. Therefore producing slightly more ash,but not much. The Fireside Ultras gave me clinkers about the size of a small dog poop,but more heat. So I guess it's what's important to me.... I like the better heat output. Because the Firesides still doesn't have much ash. I wish I could buy some more locally in Southern Maine.


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## mark d fellows (Mar 1, 2009)

I went and bought 10 bags of Freedom Fuel from Home Depot.   

My observations after about a bag are:

They burn ok with more ash, black clumpy ash, and black soot on the glass window.

I have come to expect this phenomena with softwood pellets and especially pine.  I still prefer hardwood pellets based on my experience but softwood burn fine.  My first five bags of Stove Chow were excellent.  My second batch of 10 bags were ok.

Mark


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## LIpelletpig (Mar 1, 2009)

I've burned 4 different brands this year.  This being the first year with a pellet stove I am really narrowing it down to the right pellet that is available in the area.  I initially got 3-ton of Country Boy all Oak hardwood pellet.  I am pleased with them and they burn hot.  My only complaint is they do form some big clinkers and the ash is quick to build up.  I constantly have to scape the burn pot.  The second brand was Rocky Mountain Soft Pine pellets.  I picked up about 10 bags to give them a try.  Initially I thought they were great, after about 6 bags I started noticing alot of ash build up and the heat was not as good as my hardwood pellet.  The third brand I picked up 4 bags from HD and they were Lignetics.  Yes, they are a good pellet and they burn hot and little fines in the bag.  In my own opinion they burn dirty.  A black soot covered my interior of the stove.  Not something I experienced with any other pellet.  The fourth pellet manufacturer I evaluated was Energex Hardwood.  Noticibly a darker pellet in nature.  Some were VERY long about 1+inches not what I was used to.  I had no problems with them though dropping in the auger.  They had very little fines in the bag, Energex hardwood burned the hottest out of all the brands and the cleanest.  I literally could go 2-3 days without scraping the burn pot.  Incredible!  Very little ash as well.  In my overall rating I would give Energex Hardwood pellet an A+.  The bad part is the Energex I purchaed were not local, but in Central PA.  I was visiting a friend and was able to stop by a store and pick-up a few bags and transported them back to Long Island.


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## THE ROOSTER (Mar 1, 2009)

We use kentucky Kernel Harwood Pellets or Country Boy White Lightning Oak Wood Pellets... Both burn very well with little ash content, the only other thing I have burned lately is Hardwood Heat from tractor Supply, and I am not at all in favor of them
http://www.hardwoodpellet.com/ or
http://southernkentuckyhardwoodflooring.com/country-boy-white-lightning-oak-fuel-pellets.html


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