# What pellets do you like this year?



## mik_kane (Jan 7, 2015)

Well it's cold outside and everyone here has been running their stoves. I just wanted to know what pellets you are liking and what pellets you tried are duds.


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## TimfromMA (Jan 7, 2015)

Burning Okanagan Douglas Fir. They're a bit pricey but VERY hot with an impressively small amount of ash.


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## SidecarFlip (Jan 7, 2015)

Somersets (3 rd year) little ash (actually finally emptied the ashpan after 2 tons consumed)  plus half field corn (old crop -14% RM

You get whan you pay for.....


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## bags (Jan 7, 2015)

Somersets and I like them. Still haven't been able to find any of these praised softwoods yet.


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## sportbikerider78 (Jan 7, 2015)

PA pellets are putting off great heat.  I think they have quite a bit of ash, but no clinkers.


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## roadking88 (Jan 7, 2015)

LaCretes....there a good pellet but i don't think i will get them again...not for 289/ton


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## Tonyray (Jan 7, 2015)

I posted on the Pellet forum today about these Energex Golden pellets..
give a read...


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## kniffin50 (Jan 7, 2015)

Went through 1ton of LaCretes not very impressed with them,lots of ash always caking up in the burn pot and never getting pushed off.Now burning Lignetics from Idaho,made from western conifer sawdust,red lettered bag.Much better than the LaCretes, hotter and barely any ash.Will see how good they really are in the next day or two with temps dropping to zero.


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## AndrewChurchill (Jan 7, 2015)

Spruce Pointe out of Canada.


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## CladMaster (Jan 7, 2015)

The ones that are FREE !         But, alas, I have not found any, or been given any yet this year.


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## ken372 (Jan 7, 2015)

Ligs,tsc red bag also


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## Ranger72 (Jan 7, 2015)

Don't hate, but I really enjoy burning this year's Fireside Ultra.


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## SESZOO (Jan 7, 2015)

Been burning Energex Golden ,Since Nov. , First year  and still getting used to stove ,They've kept the furnace from coming on though  ,we'll see tonight when it goes to -20 / -30


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## jim2074 (Jan 7, 2015)

Uncle jeds in shoulder months and Bear mtn doug. fir when cold.  The Bear Mtn. burn hot and have such low ash but expensive.


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## Husky (Jan 7, 2015)

Barefoot. Very hot, low to medium ash.


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## bioman (Jan 7, 2015)

MFA hardwood pellets here. Doing very good!


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## madge69 (Jan 7, 2015)

First year with Okanagan Doug Fir and could not be happier.  I don't have to clean the stove anymore!


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## dlavigne7324 (Jan 7, 2015)

madge69 said:


> First year with Okanagan Doug Fir and could not be happier.  I don't have to clean the stove anymore!


Tonight I'm burning Blazer can't beat them for $215 ton


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## Jackfire (Jan 7, 2015)

Vermont Wood Pellets  should be called   Vermont July wood Pellets


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## Tonyray (Jan 7, 2015)

SESZOO said:


> Been burning Energex Golden ,Since Nov. , First year  and still getting used to stove ,They've kept the furnace from coming on though  ,we'll see tonight when it goes to -20 / -30


burnin same here..Super Hot...


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## F4jock (Jan 7, 2015)

Lignetics and Blazers.


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## dlavigne7324 (Jan 7, 2015)

F4jock said:


> Lignetics and Blazers.


F4jock what feed rate do u burn blazer on ?


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## F4jock (Jan 7, 2015)

> "dlavigne7324, post: F4jock what feed rate do u burn blazer on ?


My Harman is set on Room Temp at 70f with max feed at 4, fan (Room Temp)pot  on the highest setting and igniter on "Auto." I let the stove's algorithms  handle the feed to attain the temp I want. I just feed it pellets, empty the ash pan and clean it every month or so.


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## Arti (Jan 7, 2015)

White Lightning.
Burns Clean
Low Ash
Leaves a Black Carbon in the bottom of the firepot that is rock hard !  Hit it with a putty knife every few days life is good.


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## dawg1419 (Jan 7, 2015)

Arti said:


> White Lightning.
> Burns Clean
> Low Ash
> Leaves a Black Carbon in the bottom of the firepot that is rock hard !  Hit it with a putty knife every few days life is good.


X2


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## woodmakesheat (Jan 7, 2015)

Ranger72 said:


> Don't hate, but I really enjoy burning this year's Fireside Ultra.



No other years experience here, but they seem to be fine pellets so far.


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## apandori (Jan 7, 2015)

Timber Heat sucks. 10 below here tonight. I did pick up a couple test bags at the beginning of the year going to throw a bag of green supreme in tonight and see how that does. Stove will be maxed. It's held up well so far. House was 66 and stove has brought it up to 68 since i's been turned up after work.


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## rich2500 (Jan 7, 2015)

Not sure yet, so far I burned north Americans, stove chow, fire side ultras, tsc brand in the red bag and just filled the hopper with greenways, still have cheat river and green team to try.


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## dlavigne7324 (Jan 7, 2015)

apandori said:


> Timber Heat sucks. 10 below here tonight. I did pick up a couple test bags at the beginning of the year going to throw a bag of green supreme in tonight and see how that does. Stove will be maxed. It's held up well so far. House was 66 and stove has brought it up to 68 since i's been turned up after work.


-14 here tonight so far ! Burning blazer in my Harman p35i stove temp 7 and first floor is at 74 degrees


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## earl764 (Jan 7, 2015)

Cubex has been amazing this year. Next to no ash.


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## funflyer (Jan 7, 2015)

Been using Heatrs from HD. Picked up a ton today. $199.00 with 10% off Military.


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## RKS130 (Jan 8, 2015)

Heatr's


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## Wilbur Feral (Jan 8, 2015)

Hamer's for Jan & Feb, otherwise Presto's. $61 / ton price difference.


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## Pass the Pellets (Jan 8, 2015)

Burning Spruce Point....ahhh, not as good as pellets I've burned in past seasons but certainly not the worst I've burned.


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## unbidden (Jan 8, 2015)

So far this year I'm liking the Somersets. The Greenways aren't bad either, very hot but not as clean as the Sets.


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## Sinzitu (Jan 8, 2015)

This year I have Somersets that I like a lot.

I've been burning Nations Choice - Heat is ok but there's a lot more ash.  I'll be cleaning the stove again by the weekend.

Picked up some Power Pellets as well.  I've had good luck with them in the past.


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## mbella1026 (Jan 8, 2015)

RKS130 said:


> Heatr's


 I am in Poughkeepsie and all the HD's up here have Green Supreme and Heaters.  I was afraid of the heaters.  What do you think of them so far?


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## Dougsey (Jan 8, 2015)

Burning Green Supreme and happy with them. Let the hating begin!


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## mbella1026 (Jan 8, 2015)

I usually use NEWP.  Place down the street from my house sells them so it is a convenience thing.  But they border on almost $300/ton.  You would think the price would drop with oil prices dropping. (cost me half to fill my oil tank compared to last year)  I can get Green Supreme for much less.  Are they the same pellet?


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## RKS130 (Jan 8, 2015)

mbella1026 said:


> I am in Poughkeepsie and all the HD's up here have Green Supreme and Heaters.  I was afraid of the heaters.  What do you think of them so far?




I love them.  Great heat, pretty clean, fluffy ash, and reasonable fines.  I also like the short length and that they are a hardwood/softwood blend.  

While I liked the GS about 3 years ago, this year's gave lesser heat in my stove and were incredibly dirty.  I decided after burning a bag or two of each at the beginning of the season to stick with Heatr's and am happy I did.


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## woodmakesheat (Jan 8, 2015)

RKS130 said:


> I love them.  Great heat, pretty clean, fluffy ash, and reasonable fines.  I also like the short length and that they are a hardwood/softwood blend.
> 
> While I liked the GS about 3 years ago, this year's gave lesser heat in my stove and were incredibly dirty.  I decided after burning a bag or two of each at the beginning of the season to stick with Heatr's and am happy I did.


I found the heat'rs to be about an inch average, which is about 2x as long as FSUs, how long is a 'long' pellet? [emoji15]


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## RKS130 (Jan 8, 2015)

woodmakesheat said:


> I found the heat'rs to be about an inch average, which is about 2x as long as FSUs, how long is a 'long' pellet? [emoji15]




I agree that FSUs are uniformly shorter, which I liked a lot over the past 2 season when I burned almost only FSU.  But, alas, none to be had around here this year.  

My experience with the Heatr's does not match yours, however.  I just grabbed a handful and sorted them out.  3 at 1"; over 10 at .5";  over 20 at .25".  Sorry no photo but one of my kids "borrowed" the cable to download pics to the computer.

But it is of no moment.  We all have different experiences.


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## md2002 (Jan 8, 2015)

I've been doing LaCretes and I like them, they're a little pricey but the heat is good, and the stove runs pretty clean. Ash is about average.... nothing special.


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## PutnamJct (Jan 8, 2015)

mbella1026 said:


> I am in Poughkeepsie and all the HD's up here have Green Supreme and Heaters.  I was afraid of the heaters.  What do you think of them so far?



No problems so far with the Green Supreme, also burned a 1/2 ton Heat'rs (no problem but they have an odd smell) and 2 tons of Stove Chow. They're all pretty much the same, all $249 ton at HD. Not much choice in this area from all other suppliers. I haven't checked on TSC in Patterson, DK what they have or if it is any good.
No way I was paying $300 a ton this year for Barefoot or anything else, cold day like today I burn the dead dinosaurs too. Getting close to the tipping point between pellets and oil......


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## md2002 (Jan 8, 2015)

PutnamJct said:


> No problems so far with the Green Supreme, also burned a 1/2 ton Heat'rs (no problem but they have an odd smell) and 2 tons of Stove Chow. They're all pretty much the same, all $249 ton at HD. Not much choice in this area from all other suppliers. I haven't checked on TSC in Patterson, DK what they have or if it is any good.
> No way I was paying $300 a ton this year for Barefoot or anything else, cold day like today I burn the dead dinosaurs too. Getting close to the tipping point between pellets and oil......



Not a fan of the Stove Chow..... burnt them this year for a week and the heat was OK but the ash was ridiculous, I had more ash in my stove from 1 day of burning SC as I had from 3 days of any other pellet. I agree with not paying $300 a ton for pellets but I wish I had the oil information 5 months ago when I paid $299 a ton not knowing that oil prices are incredibly low this year. The pellet shortage last year scared me this year into buying 6 tons over the summer... I've been keeping the stove on but not cranking it because when temps are this low there is no point, my stove becomes a space heater for the living room, I'm sure it helps with the rest of the house but why piss through pellets when oil is so inexpensive right now?


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## PutnamJct (Jan 8, 2015)

Further proof that there is no consistency. Ash doesn't seem to be high the Chow's I've burned so far, no worse then the Heat'rs or GS. Last year I burned Energex white bags and they were the same as far as ash content. When I crack open the next ton of Chow's hopefully they'll be as good as what I've burned already.
My layout works out well for the pellet stove keeping the house warm. I only turn on oil furnace when temps are consistently below freezing (like it is now).
Sucks that we have to gamble on what to buy in order to keep warm each year......


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## md2002 (Jan 8, 2015)

PutnamJct said:


> Further proof that there is no consistency. Ash doesn't seem to be high the Chow's I've burned so far, no worse then the Heat'rs or GS. Last year I burned Energex white bags and they were the same as far as ash content. When I crack open the next ton of Chow's hopefully they'll be as good as what I've burned already.
> My layout works out well for the pellet stove keeping the house warm. *I only turn on oil furnace when temps are consistently below freezing (like it is now)*.
> Sucks that we have to gamble on what to buy in order to keep warm each year......



Same with me, when temps are below 20 degrees for days on end the stove doesn't keep the house very warm , oil is needed.


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## railfanron (Jan 8, 2015)

Pro Pellets this year. Not to much ash good heat and 200 a ton.


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## jawquin (Jan 8, 2015)

Corn


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## LuvMyHarmanAccentra (Jan 11, 2015)

This is only the second year with my stove, Harman Accentra, and I love it. Learned the hard way this year to get out of the gate early when buying pellets.  So I had to buy a ton of Tractor Supply Company brand.  Burned OK, and gave out some good heat, but didn't burn very clean and there was a lot of dust in the bag.  Then bought some O'Malley Premium hardwood pellets which I had good luck with last year.  Let me tell ya, I think I got a bad batch.  Had a lot of dust,  long pellets, and they looked darker than normal.   Like they had gotten wet and then dried out.  Didn't burn very hot and went through half a ton in no time.  So I decided to try the Green Supreme and so far have been happy.  Burns hot, very little dust in the bag, uniformed pellets, and low ash.


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## F4jock (Jan 11, 2015)

LuvMyHarmanAccentra said:


> This is only the second year with my stove, Harman Accentra, and I love it. Learned the hard way this year to get out of the gate early when buying pellets.  So I had to buy a ton of Tractor Supply Company brand.  Burned OK, and gave out some good heat, but didn't burn very clean and there was a lot of dust in the bag.  Then bought some O'Malley Premium hardwood pellets which I had good luck with last year.  Let me tell ya, I think I got a bad batch.  Had a lot of dust,  long pellets, and they looked darker than normal.   Like they had gotten wet and then dried out.  Didn't burn very hot and went through half a ton in no time.  So I decided to try the Green Supreme and so far have been happy.  Burns hot, very little dust in the bag, uniformed pellets, and low ash.


Agree on TSC brand ((Indeks). Having good luck with Lignetics. Green Supremes I've used in past years were very ashy.


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## bogieb (Jan 11, 2015)

FSU's in the St. Croix. Just burned a bag of Heat'rs in the Harman and those are much better heat wise and ash wise than the Currans, and better than the Maine's Choice.


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## Old Spartan (Jan 11, 2015)

We have burned Curran, Heatr's, PA, LaCrete, Platinum Fire, Turbio (?), Pennington, and another I do not remember. With the exception of another I do not remember I found that each required a bit of stove tweaking to get the best burn. With that tweaking I find very little difference from one to the other and I believe the majority of that difference resulted mope from supplier handling / storage than material quality.

I settled on Heater's as my main pellet this year although we bought sufficient Platinum fpr those very cold nights because I did notice a slight difference in blower temp at the outlet.

Caveat: This is year one with a pellet stove as primary heat. Heated primarily with wood for about 35 years. Made the switch to take pressure off my back, shoulders, and arms.


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## m159267 (Jan 11, 2015)

I discovered Henry County pellets this year. Best pellet I ever used with Somersets a close second.


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## NHcpa (Jan 11, 2015)

Bought 4 tons of Ambiance in April. Little ash, good heat, but lots of fines in bag.  Also very much like heating oil #2 with the current price and continued decline in price.


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## Sinzitu (Jan 11, 2015)

I picked up a few bags of O'Malleys (same manufacturer as Power Pellets).  I'm cleaning the stove today and will see how these do.


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## stallau (Jan 11, 2015)

I'm burning Okanagan platinum and am really happy with the amount of ash. Not sure if they are as hot as the Vermonts I've usually had but have been doing a nice job with the cold we've had recently. 

How would the okanagan douglas fir compare with the platinum?


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## gfreek (Jan 11, 2015)

Finishing up last years TSC's  brown bag which burn OK & some  Green Supreme which are so so.   Then  2 ton of Pure Fire Pellets which I prefer


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## stevedc3 (Jan 17, 2015)

woodmakesheat said:


> No other years experience here, but they seem to be fine pellets so far.


Burning LG Granules and Okanagan Platinum. Like both. Burns HOT


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## ps50 (Jan 17, 2015)

This is my first year burning wood pellets. Tried 8 different brands, but pure fire are the hottest I've  burned so far


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## pageyjim (Jan 18, 2015)

Greene Gold and Green Supremes are the best I have burned. I guess that says a lot about what is available near me.


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## tony58 (Jan 18, 2015)

m159267 said:


> I discovered Henry County pellets this year. Best pellet I ever used with Somersets a close second.


I've been burning them for three years.They will give Somersets a run for their money.Best  part is if you go to Hwy 54 Lawn and Garden in Paris Tn.You can get the for $140.00 ton  during their early bird special.If you have a way to haul 6 tons,you can get them for $130.00 ton.These were 2014 prices...


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## johneh (Jan 18, 2015)

Cubix  must have reworked the plant very little fines
unbelievable heat no or very little ash
The old cubix is back


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## mralias (Jan 18, 2015)

American Wood Fibers Ultra Prem White Pine Pellet fuel. Hot, clean, very little ash. They are a bit small in size. They do burn pretty quick but have kept my house warm even when -8 F. No clickers, firepot stays real clean just a light fluffy ash. TSC purchase at 4.99 a bag. The bad news is they are all gone.


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## Phoenix Hatchling (Jan 18, 2015)

Jackfire said:


> Vermont Wood Pellets  should be called   Vermont July wood Pellets


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## Old Spartan (Jan 18, 2015)

My first year with pellets so I thought I would create a baseline for future consideration.

I burned 5 bags of each of the following Currans Blend, Heatr's, Stove Chow, Pennington with Light Orange Bag, Pennington with darker orange bag, PA, Somerset, Platinum, and LaCrete.

The stove was deep cleaned including the venting at the beginning of each sample burn. The heat comment is subjective not measured.

Results:

Curran Mix - Medium Heat -- 200 Lbs Burned -- .85% measured -- Brown to dark gray residue. 245 per ton

Heatr"s -- Moderately Hot Heat -- 200 Lbs burned -- .76% Ash -- Whitish residue. 239 per ton

Stove Chow -- Moderate heat -- 200 Lbs burned -- .97% Ash -- Brown to grey residue 239 per ton

Pennington Lt Orange -- Moderate Heat -- 200 Lbs burned -- ,93% Ashe -- Brownish residue 260 per ton

Pennington Dk Orange -- Moderate Hot Heat -- 200 Lbs burned -- .80% Ash -- Brownish Residue 260 per ton

Somerset -- Hot -- 200 Pounds Burned -- .68% Ash -- White residue 270 per ton

Platinum -- Very Hot -- 200 Pounds Burned -- 86% Ash -- White Residue 340 per ton

LaCrete -- Very Hot -- 200 Pounds Burned -- .94% Ash -- White to Grey Ash 340 per ton

Heatr's was my choice for the season based on value received for cost.


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## tmiller164 (Jan 18, 2015)

I'm about 2 weeks away from finishing my 2 tons of afi pellets. They work great. But it's also tHe first pellets I've used. Picked up a ton of somersets this morning. Can't wait to try them after things I've heard on here.


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## Pelleting In NJ (Jan 18, 2015)

I like the new batch (white bags) of Timber Heat (Biomaxx bought Dry Creek Pittsford NY). They certainly burn cleaner than this years Stove Chows.


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## ZBrooks (Jan 18, 2015)

Packsaddle Pellets.  If there's a better pellet out there, I'd love to burn it, but I doubt it exists.


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## zmedic (Jan 19, 2015)

Ambiance is best in my local area


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## Peterfield (Jan 19, 2015)

I tested about a dozen brands and so far this season and I would rank my top three in terms of good heat and low ash as Turman's, Country Boy White Lightening and AWF Ultras.  Just loaded some Maine's Choice (Geneva) and so far those are burning well and are the most economical of the brands I have purchased.


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## Snowy Rivers (Jan 19, 2015)

We see mostly Bear Mt and Goldenfire around here.

The B Mt are the cheapest and seem OK

We use a few bags of pellets every year now in the Quad as a backup and or a little help if it gets really cold.

The other use is to keep a can of them at each of the Whits to lite off with.

There is also 

Hot shots
Strawberry Mt.
Blue Mt
Olympus
Natures fuel Juniper
Blazer

I have seen and used Blazers but the others don't seem to end up in stores here in this part of the state

I love the pine pellets, but with the exception of the bedding pellets we don't see them much here.

Trucking cost are so high that it does not make sense to haul them in when the other brands are so close.


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## stellep (Jan 19, 2015)

AWFWPs sap on glass.  PTLs bridge the burn pot.  LaCretes ash.   Pellets are a compromise.  I consider these brands interchangeable .  All gave good heat with little problems.  I would buy any of them again.


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## whitetailscout (Jan 25, 2015)

Nearing the end of my 2 tons a TraeHeat pellets. I have absolutely nothing positive to say about them. Inconsistent pellet size(some 2+" long), huge piles of gray ash, very poor heat output, and 8 bags inches second ton were water logged. I had better luck with the Stove Chow, FSU, and Green Supremes I burned before these 2 tons of worthless sawdust arrived into our lives.

I just picked up 6 bags of the American Wood Fibers White Pine. I hope they are good, our local TSC has them for $239/ton.


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## Sinzitu (Jan 25, 2015)

whitetailscout said:


> I just picked up 6 bags of the American Wood Fibers White Pine. I hope they are good, our local TSC has them for $239/ton.



I've heard nothing but good reports from other customers I've talked to at the hardware store.  All have been happy with the heat output and especially the low amount of ash.  I've not tried them yet this year.  I still have 14 bags of Lignetics I'm going thru.  Plus some Somersets stashed away as well.

Still haven't tried the 3 bags of Forests pride yet.  Probably give them a run after the next cleanout.


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## Melissa220 (Jan 25, 2015)

Dougsey said:


> Burning Green Supreme and happy with them. Let the hating begin!


this is my first year of Green Supreme.  There's nothing wrong with them IMO.  They aren't as hot as some, and they seem to leave a lot of ash, but if they heat my house, I', good with it.  There's been only one pellet of the 5 brands I've tried I would not touch again -unless they were the last pellet on earth.


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## Tonyray (Jan 25, 2015)

Melissa220 said:


> this is my first year of Green Supreme.  There's nothing wrong with them IMO.  They aren't as hot as some, and they seem to leave a lot of ash, but if they heat my house, I', good with it.  There's been only one pellet of the 5 brands I've tried I would not touch again -unless they were the last pellet on earth.


Your in the minority but,
if they heat your house,[Even many of  Home Depot's Crap will heat homes] then good for you...
Ash is the b-product that we all eventually have to vacuum.. some more than others.


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## hcbad96 (Jan 25, 2015)

Somersets and Greenway are my go to pellets tried freedom fuel but not impressed.


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## Melissa220 (Jan 25, 2015)

Tonyray said:


> Your in the minority but,
> if they heat your house,[Even many of  Home Depot's Crap will heat homes] then good for you...
> Ash is the b-product that we all eventually have to vacuum.. some more than others.


Unfortunately, Tonyray, many of us are limited in what we can burn by what is available in our area. The majority of what members on this site like to burn is not available in Central Maine.  Also, unfortunately, some of us have limited funds with which to buy pellets, and so are reliant on the Home Depot 'crap' for year round use, not just shoulder use.   If I could afford a season's worth of Okanagan, I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but at over $300/ton, I have to pass.


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## Jman87 (Jan 25, 2015)

Lol it's funny how many people dislike GS. I'm on my 4th ton and I don't see anything wrong with them. I said it once and I'll say it again. There is no perfect pellet. There are better ones sure, but at $217 a ton back in Oct I can't complain. 

Also loving the FSU. 

Cleaned my stove and ran two bags of Okanagon (sp?) loved them. They're very pricy though but if you have the $ then it would be well worth the investment.


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## Tonyray (Jan 25, 2015)

Although very ashy, I burned Stove Chows from Home Depot when they we're 229.00 ton last year..
Now 260.00 ton so no way will I pay that much for a Shoulder pellet at best..
Rather put that 260.00 and 10-20 bucks more  towards better grade pellets.
It's not so much the money, but it's what HD and other BB stores think they can get away with assuming  most will pay whatever they charge regardless of Quality.
 which most do.


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## jss227 (Jan 26, 2015)

Using Premium Wood Pellets from Maine Wood Pellets. Have used 5+ ton this year. I see no difference from previous years Green Supremes, Summers Heat, or Fireside Ultras. All of them make heat and ash.


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## RyansCAB50 (Jan 26, 2015)

So far 2 ton of energex premium. Not bad for a pellet I can get half mile away. 1 ton lingetics better heat than the energex premium. Right now burning a ton of energex golden pellet and by far the hottest I've tried. Still have a ton of hamers hot ones to burn and another ton of energex premium to end the year on. First year burning so I tried everything sold around me.


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## whitetailscout (Jan 26, 2015)

Sinzitu said:


> I've heard nothing but good reports from other customers I've talked to at the hardware store.  All have been happy with the heat output and especially the low amount of ash.  I've not tried them yet this year.  I still have 14 bags of Lignetics I'm going thru.  Plus some Somersets stashed away as well.
> 
> Still haven't tried the 3 bags of Forests pride yet.  Probably give them a run after the next cleanout.


We are on bag #3 of the AWF, and the difference between this and the crap we were burning is astonishing. This is the first time our stove has really pumped out heat, and we are loving it. To bad the power will probably go out due to this blizzard...


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## Tonyray (Jan 26, 2015)

RyansCAB50 said:


> So far 2 ton of energex premium. Not bad for a pellet I can get half mile away. 1 ton lingetics better heat than the energex premium. Right now burning a ton of energex golden pellet and by far the hottest I've tried. Still have a ton of hamers hot ones to burn and another ton of energex premium to end the year on. First year burning so I tried everything sold around me.


Finally..
someone else here who burns the Goldens...


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## Tonyray (Jan 26, 2015)

Tonyray said:


> Finally..
> someone else here who burns the Goldens...


I plan to just buy these exclusivly next spring from my dealer.
 maybe 1 ton of the reg hardwoods for early shoulder season.
Unless Douglas Fir Blazers from Oregon pop up again at HD.


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## dlavigne7324 (Jan 26, 2015)

Melissa220 said:


> Unfortunately, Tonyray, many of us are limited in what we can burn by what is available in our area. The majority of what members on this site like to burn is not available in Central Maine.  Also, unfortunately, some of us have limited funds with which to buy pellets, and so are reliant on the Home Depot 'crap' for year round use, not just shoulder use.   If I could afford a season's worth of Okanagan, I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but at over $300/ton, I have to pass.


Hey I bought Home Depot crap pellets maybe u have heard of them blazer .. What a great crap pellet


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## Tonyray (Jan 26, 2015)

dlavigne7324 said:


> Hey I bought Home Depot crap pellets maybe u have heard of them blazer .. What a great crap pellet


Dude,  I bought 30 bags  when I saw them at HD.. best I ever burned but,
the ONLY actual top shelf pellets they ever sold.. no brand they sell comes even close.
may never happen again since the pellets come all the way from Oregon[Douglas Fir] and they could not have made much on them with shipping from 3,000 miles away..
Personally I think someone screwed up at Corporate HDQRS.
.Not like them to sell a quality pellet specially for the same price as most of the crap they sell....


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## dlavigne7324 (Jan 26, 2015)

Tonyray said:


> So did I...30 bags.. best I ever burned but,
> they ONLY actual top shelf pellets they ever sold..
> may never happen again since the pellets come all the way from Oregon and they could not have made much on them with shipping from 3,000 miles away..


That's why I bought 8 tons


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## Tonyray (Jan 26, 2015)

dlavigne7324 said:


> That's why I bought 8 tons


I had 5 tons in my basement and had to move stuff around just to fit 30 more bags or I would have bought 5 tons right there.


----------



## RyansCAB50 (Jan 27, 2015)

Tonyray said:


> I plan to just buy these exclusivly next spring from my dealer.
> maybe 1 ton of the reg hardwoods for early shoulder season.
> Unless Douglas Fir Blazers from Oregon pop up again at HD.


I only got 1 ton of the goldens cause I missed the pre sale but my order for 6 ton of the golden pellet is already in for next season


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## The Coopers (Jan 27, 2015)

I would have to say Somersets pellets! 
We did not order or buy a ton(s) since we only run our stove when we are in the family room in the basement and we had the opportunity to try different pellets and I must say, Somersets by far exceeded our expectations.


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## Melissa220 (Jan 27, 2015)

dlavigne7324 said:


> Hey I bought Home Depot crap pellets maybe u have heard of them blazer .. What a great crap pellet


LOL.  the only pellets I have seen at my local HD are Maine woods, Green Supreme, Fireside (not this year) and something called ThermaGlo.  Lowe's this year is selling only Maine Choice, which I wouldn't touch unless it WAS the last pellet on earth.


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## Tonyray (Jan 27, 2015)

RyansCAB50 said:


> I only got 1 ton of the goldens cause I missed the pre sale but my order for 6 ton of the golden pellet is already in for next season


Good for you.. that's how to do it..


----------



## Midnight Rider (Jan 27, 2015)

Been burning okies premium in both of my stoves since 2010. Tried the cheaper route first, but preferred the lower stove maintenance route.  Burning 9 ton annually, no oil purchased since 09. Burn on!


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## lagger (Jan 27, 2015)

mik_kane said:


> Well it's cold outside and everyone here has been running their stoves. I just wanted to know what pellets you are liking and what pellets you tried are duds.


loved the AWF white pine .. hated the GS, the Timber Heats are decent, Heatr's were so so  Big heats were pretty decent, the generics I got from TSC with green lettering are nice good heat low ash, last years NEWPS are pretty good


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## F4jock (Jan 28, 2015)

Evaluated TSC Equine Bedding Pellets  (Pine)

Heat: Fairly high. Somewhere between.            Lignetics and Blazers.
Ash: Low
Consumption: Moderately high 
Dust: Low
Fines: Low 
Size: Uniformly small.
Feeding Problems: None 
Price: $5 a bag bought singly

Conclusion: If I'm looking for an end-of-season fill in when BBS are out I'd use these. Unless the pellet hogs "discover" them and drive up the price they are an acceptable pellet at an affordable price, even late in the season. The only drawback is their relatively fast burn rate.


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## Wilbur Feral (Jan 28, 2015)

Just a quick observation on Hamer's Hot Ones Ultra Premium, which I describe as my "cold weather" pellet.  Have burned these for four of last five years, one season exclusively and others when weather got coldest (Jan-Feb) because price has been so high.  I do measure about 30 degrees higher temperature off the heat exchanger (blower) compared to most "box store" pellets, which is helpful but probably something that could be equalled in terms of house temp with a slight increase in feed rate using most stoves.  The biggest thing I like about them, though, is the small amount of ash produced.  They are rated at 0.5% or less ash, and they really do produce well less than half the ash of a typical box store pellet.  So, if you want to maintain a regular cleaning schedule of, say, once per week despite burning more pellets In stoves with a good ash pan system, or if you want to avoid shutting down the stove every day for a cleaning with some older or smaller stoves, this is very helpful.  I do pay $60 more per ton for them compared to the box store pellet, but it is worth it for Jan-Feb.  My strategy for next year is to try for a summer buy within 15% of box store winter pricing, and if I can do that I'll move to them exclusively again.  If not, will likely use separate shoulder and cold weather pellets.


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## hcbad96 (Jan 28, 2015)

Somerset and Greenways


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## ironpony (Jan 28, 2015)

the Somersets I got this year are extremely ashy. I have to empty the ash pan every 5 days, never even emptied it before with biweekly cleanings. Not sure what is going on, great heat, burning normal, lots of ash. they are this years based on the bag style.


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## tjnamtiw (Jan 28, 2015)

99 posts to learn the obvious > everyone one either loves the pellets they burn or they hate them..................  DUH


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## F4jock (Jan 28, 2015)

tjnamtiw said:


> 99 posts to learn the obvious > everyone one either loves the pellets they burn or they hate them..................  DUH


And some can't get any better ones.


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## Tonyray (Jan 28, 2015)

I usually will burn my shoulder pellets during the day and save the better pellets as temps usually rise when sun comes out..
When night comes I dump a bag of the Hotter stuff since temps are colder..


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## Bryan Sacks (Jan 28, 2015)

> may never happen again since the pellets come all the way from Oregon[Douglas Fir] and they could not have made much on them with shipping from 3,000 miles away..
> Personally I think someone screwed up at Corporate HDQRS.
> .Not like them to sell a quality pellet specially for the same price as most of the crap they sell....



TonyRay, if you're interested in getting Blazers an opportunity in your neck of the woods may soon present itself. Not trying to be cagey, just not 100% on it yet. I bought some AWFs from a dealer in Central Bucks county recently (love them, btw) who is planning on buying a summer truckload Blazers and having them shipped from Oregon. Let me know if you want more info (or anyone else for that matter).


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## alternativeheat (Jan 28, 2015)

I really like the American Wood Fiber Pure White Pine I have found around locally this winter. Very good heat, low ash. And Minuteman Softwoods have been good as well. But those AWF White Pines are exceptional and priced decent too. To me just as good as Oakie DF for less money. I just have to be sure and rinse my hands when I handle  them. I tend to break out from white pine.


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## Peterfield (Jan 28, 2015)

alternativeheat said:


> I really like the American Wood Fiber Pure White Pine I have found around locally this winter. Very good heat, low ash. And Minuteman Softwoods have been good as wrll. But those AWF White Pines are exceptional and priced decent too. To me just as good as Oakie DF for less money. I just have to be sure and rinse my hands when I handle on them. I tend to break out from white pine.



X2


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## cecil_archer (Jan 28, 2015)

Barefoots have been the hottest for me this year. Cubex and Hamers have been good. But the Barefoots have been better. 

I would like to try some of the softwoods, but the wife had allergic reaction last time I tried that.


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## F4jock (Jan 28, 2015)

Bryan Sacks said:


> TonyRay, if you're interested in getting Blazers an opportunity in your neck of the woods may soon present itself. Not trying to be cagey, just not 100% on it yet. I bought some AWFs from a dealer in Central Bucks county recently (love them, btw) who is planning on buying a summer truckload Blazers and having them shipped from Oregon. Let me know if you want more info (or anyone else for that matter).


I'D be interested.


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## alternativeheat (Jan 28, 2015)

cecil_archer said:


> Barefoots have been the hottest for me this year. Cubex and Hamers have been good. But the Barefoots have been better.
> 
> I would like to try some of the softwoods, but the wife had allergic reaction last time I tried that.


In the summer months I get allergies like so many people. White pine is one. I also had sneezing and broke out from white pine pellets. But not this time. Because I'm taking my summertime cure for allergies. It's local honey blended with fresh pineapple.. Now don't just go off figuring I'm some kind of nut job.. I have bad reactions to pharmacy type allergy meds. They are chemical based for the most part and my body just rejects them, I get all antsy and anxious or else fall asleep depending on the component. Fresh pineapple has a known anti allergy component and so is Local honey, not just any honey but local honey. . Combined and run through a blender they really put my allergies to rest with just a couple tablespoons full a day and do it naturally. How simple can it get. We don't always need a doctor to pump us with another chemical med.. This was my daughters way of dealing with allergies and it's working for me too.

Just FWIW.


----------



## GeHmTS (Jan 28, 2015)

My favorite.  NEWP.  They burn hot with low ash and the price is right.


----------



## jlupi (Jan 28, 2015)

Got timber heats.  By far the worst pellets I ever had.  Can't maintain the heat in the house, first year I have to keep stove on high.  How bad?  I switch to green supreme on cold nights.


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## Indiana (Jan 29, 2015)

After 2 successful years of stove chow i had trouble last year getting them. So i settled on Nature's Own at my local big box store. 2 of the 5 ton were AWF pellets.  The nature's own were great, the awf an ok shoulder pellet. This years delivery should have been 5 ton of nature's own. Last week while opening a 3rd ton, i see a plain white bagged pellet was snuck in. Turns out to be AWF again. So I reluctantly put them in the hopper.  Well. I have been able to decrease my heat settings by 2. I also went from 1-4-3, to 1-3-1. These things are hot. 100 degrees hotter than my current nature's own at the same setting. The awf also produce almost no ash. The nature's own would fill up around my burn pot and cascade over my air wash in 4 days. With the awf, I'm on day 5 and barely a dusting. Strange how each batch year of pellets are different.  Like we all have said from the beginning, try a bag to see if you like it.


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## alternativeheat (Jan 29, 2015)

Indiana said:


> After 2 successful years of stove chow i had trouble last year getting them. So i settled on Nature's Own at my local big box store. 2 of the 5 ton were AWF pellets.  The nature's own were great, the awf an ok shoulder pellet. This years delivery should have been 5 ton of nature's own. Last week while opening a 3rd ton, i see a plain white bagged pellet was snuck in. Turns out to be AWF again. So I reluctantly put them in the hopper.  Well. I have been able to decrease my heat settings by 2. I also went from 1-4-3, to 1-3-1. These things are hot. 100 degrees hotter than my current nature's own at the same setting. The awf also produce almost no ash. The nature's own would fill up around my burn pot and cascade over my air wash in 4 days. With the awf, I'm on day 5 and barely a dusting. Strange how each batch year of pellets are different.  Like we all have said from the beginning, try a bag to see if you like it.


Be careful here, there are reports of the AWF hardwoods being ashy but I can tell you first hand that the AWF White Pine are hot and not very ashy at all ( .25% ash content actually). Anyway, point being there evidently are various AWF pellets out there. Look at what one you have that are working well for you.


----------



## Peterfield (Jan 29, 2015)

alternativeheat said:


> Be careful here, there are reports of the AWF hardwoods being ashy but I can tell you first hand that the AWF White Pine are hot and not very ashy at all ( .25% ash content actually). Anyway, point being there evidently there are various AWF pellets out there. Look at what one you have that are working well for you.



Two different animals, I think.   AWF Ultras are 100% softwoods and they burn great with minimal ash but I think there is another AWF that is either a hardwood or mix and that burns different.


----------



## woodmakesheat (Jan 29, 2015)

Indiana said:


> Strange how each batch year of pellets are different.



I've found variation bag-to-bag with 2 different BB brands (FSU & ThermaGlo). One bag of FSUs burned 50 degrees hotter than the previous. I just shrug and fill, what're ya gonna do?


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## Augmister (Jan 29, 2015)

Somersets.   I have a batch bought three years ago and another 4 tons bought this year.  Hot, low ash and the Castille loves 'em.  -6 this morning and did a double take looking at the outdoor thermometer.   House nice and warm.


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## bogieb (Jan 29, 2015)

Augmister said:


> Somersets.   I have a batch bought three years ago and another 4 tons bought this year.  Hot, low ash and the Castille loves 'em.  -6 this morning and did a double take looking at the outdoor thermometer.   House nice and warm.



I did a double take in seeing you are from RI. Not such a big deal at -10 at 4 AM here in NH - but in RI, I would think that is almost unheard of!


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## whitetailscout (Jan 29, 2015)

Peterfield said:


> Two different animals, I think.   AWF Ultras are 100% softwoods and they burn great with minimal ash but I think there is another AWF that is either a hardwood or mix and that burns different.


I picked up 6 bags of AWF this weekend to give them a try. I was blown away by the heat they pumped out, and the ash was minimal. I bet I could burn 15 bags of them before I need a cleaning. I went back to Tractor Supply tonight and bought a whole ton for $230. They are great!


----------



## Peterfield (Jan 29, 2015)

I'm very jealous.  If I see them when I start looking for next year's supply, that will end my search.


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## Augmister (Feb 5, 2015)

bogieb said:


> I did a double take in seeing you are from RI. Not such a big deal at -10 at 4 AM here in NH - but in RI, I would think that is almost unheard of!



I'm in the NW part of the state which has its own "micro climate", away from the bay and ocean.   The land rises west of Providence, all the way up to Worcester, to the NW.  We were -2 on Tuesday night and glad to have the Sets on hand, for sure!   Supposed to be -6 again tonight but I would not be surprised to see double negative digits.


----------



## outsid4evr (Feb 5, 2015)

Burned 1 ton of Turmans.  They are great as far as cleaning and heat.  Local store ran out, so I switched to Hamers.  They are dirtier than Turman, yet the same price, I believe.  Burned a ton of them.  I am on to Forest's Pride, because store didn't have either Turman or Hamer when I needed more.  I like Forest Pride a lot, but price is higher than the other 2.  I will probably restock with Turman for next season.  Probably ought to buy 3+ tons in off-season.  I am currently heating house with Heatilator Pointe, as oil burner is down and heat pump doesn't cover whole house for heating.


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## skidozer (Feb 6, 2015)

2nd year with my Integra II , bought 2 tons of Dry Creek and 1 ton of P.A. pellets dry creek plant is 3 miles from house and PA 5 miles from work.

They both have pretty much the same heat output, PA has a bit more ash fines are about the same not to bad. This stove is not to fussy on what it burns.
Both of these brands seem better than the box store brands I had to burn last year due to installing stove in February and had a hard time finding pellets last season.


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## irocrob (Feb 6, 2015)

Turmans.  Pretty good heat this year and very little ash.


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## titanracer (Feb 14, 2015)

Here's the list of different pellets that I have tried/burnt this year thru my pellet stove.

3 year old Somersets - burnt 15 Bags - Good Heat, ashy
3 year old Hamer Hot Ones - burnt 10 bags - Good heat, low ash
Eco-Blazer - burnt 5 bags - OK heat, ashy, long pellets stove didn't like & errored out several times on
Natures Choice - burnt 3 bags - Very ASHY & NO Heat
TSC Brand - trialed 3 bags, not sure who packaged them, TSC had several different suppliers w/different SKU #'s - Good heat, but ashy
This years Somersets, trialed 3 bags, Liked & Bought a ton, burnt all 50 bags of ton - Excellent heat, low ash
Blazer  - 3 bag trial, Liked & Bought a ton, still 50 bags of ton left yet to burn - Excellent heat & VERY low ash, could burn 5 days with this low of ash
North Eastern Pellets - burnt 3 bags - OK heat, but ashy
This years Hamer Hot Ones - burnt 3 bags - Good heat, but very ashy
AWF White Pine Softwoods - trialed 5 bags, burnt 1-1/2 so far, 3-1/2 bags left yet - Excellent heat, ashy for me
Pro Pellets - trialed 2 bags yesterday, will finish those today - Good to Excellent heat, low to medium ash

Out of all these different pellets I have burnt thru the stove, I liked this years Somerset's & Blazer's the most.
Pellet I did not care for was, Natures Choice, they were ashy & no heat

I don't take fines/dust amounts in bags to account, because I clean my pellets before burning them.


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## LordmetalZ28 (Feb 14, 2015)

So far this years lignetics and okanagan Douglas firs are doing great for me


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## GeHmTS (Feb 14, 2015)

I have been burning Lignetics all season and my house is 80F where the stove is and 72 in the coldest part of the house.  So I'm good!


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## Twinturbo6.4 (Feb 14, 2015)

whitetailscout said:


> I picked up 6 bags of AWF this weekend to give them a try. I was blown away by the heat they pumped out, and the ash was minimal. I bet I could burn 15 bags of them before I need a cleaning. I went back to Tractor Supply tonight and bought a whole ton for $230. They are great!


Whee did you get the Trae heat? Quarry brothers?you like them?


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## Penn (Feb 14, 2015)

mik_kane said:


> Well it's cold outside and everyone here has been running their stoves. I just wanted to know what pellets you are liking and what pellets you tried are duds.


We have done extensive research and tried various brands..for best all around (very low ash, consistent burn and consistent heat) we love Somerset. Green Gold is mediocre at best and Walmart sucks.


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## Tonyray (Feb 14, 2015)

Penn said:


> We have done extensive research and tried various brands..for best all around (very low ash, consistent burn and consistent heat) we love Somerset. Green Gold is mediocre at best and Walmart sucks.


Wallyworld here sells bottom of the food chain when it comes to wood pellets.
I pop in once in a while, and I can say the most pellets they sell are truly for the desperate. Not cheap either..Tractor supply will sell ya some doozies also at times.


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## 3650 (Feb 15, 2015)

Somersets. Best around these parts. I did grab a bag of TSC equine bedding tonight and I'm trying them out now. Burning good, heat seems down a bit from Somerset's and they are burning much faster. They would work in a pinch I think but I don't think I would use them otherwise. They are definitely much better then that ton of garbage I bought from Menards' last year.


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## Edward Hughes (Feb 15, 2015)

skidozer said:


> 2nd year with my Integra II , bought 2 tons of Dry Creek and 1 ton of P.A. pellets dry creek plant is 3 miles from house and PA 5 miles from work.
> 
> They both have pretty much the same heat output, PA has a bit more ash fines are about the same not to bad. This stove is not to fussy on what it burns.
> Both of these brands seem better than the box store brands I had to burn last year due to installing stove in February and had a hard time finding pellets last season.


Skidozer Hello:
Are you able to buy direct from the mill, for the dry creeks. And if so, what was the price?
Thanks


----------



## olmec (Feb 16, 2015)

Anyone have issues burning NEWP? They seem to make good heat, but never really burn completely for me.


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## jjashwor (Feb 16, 2015)

1 Ton of Dry Creek Super Premium from Attica Packaging Company in Attica, NY + 1 Ton of Greene Team Platinum from Lowes. Very surprised that the Dry Creeks are outperforming the Greene Team's...but they are in terms of ash, heat output & quality of flame. For $250 per ton, I would definitely buy Dry Creek again.


----------



## Tonyray (Feb 16, 2015)

jjashwor said:


> 1 Ton of Dry Creek Super Premium from Attica Packaging Company in Attica, NY + 1 Ton of Greene Team Platinum from Lowes. Very surprised that the Dry Creeks are outperforming the Greene Team's...but they are in terms of ash, heat output & quality of flame. For $250 per ton, I would definitely buy Dry Creek again.


surprised here too about dry creek..


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## rich2500 (Feb 17, 2015)

Greenways are the best of the several brands that I have burned this year, FSU is a close second


----------



## Sinzitu (Feb 17, 2015)

Sinzitu said:


> I picked up a few bags of O'Malleys (same manufacturer as Power Pellets).  I'm cleaning the stove today and will see how these do.



These produced good heat for me but were very ashy.  Pan filled up quicker than other brands I've used.


----------



## Sinzitu (Feb 17, 2015)

The past week I've been burning the Forest's Pride Pellets.  the heat is really good but more ashy then most.  had to dump the Ash pan in about a week.  There's no way I could go 2 without dumping it using these pellets.  They also produced more black ash than I've seen with any other brand.

I've tried adjusting feed rates and stove temp  as well to see if I can get a cleaner burn.  So far no luck.  I doubt I'll get these again.

Cleaned the stove today and will finish up the few bags I have left this week.


Anyone else have experience with these?


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## Tonyray (Feb 17, 2015)

Sinzitu said:


> These produced good heat for me but were very ashy.  Pan filled up quicker than other brands I've used.


agree.. good heat but Ashy and  too many long pellets in the bag


----------



## GeHmTS (Feb 17, 2015)

olmec said:


> Anyone have issues burning NEWP? They seem to make good heat, but never really burn completely for me.


No issues.  There's some of the best pellets around and they keep a good supply of them on the market.


----------



## dotman17 (Dec 25, 2018)

ZBrooks said:


> Packsaddle Pellets.  If there's a better pellet out there, I'd love to burn it, but I doubt it exists.



I finally was able to pick up a couple bags of Packsaddles on my way up from Portland.  Indeed these burn quite hot.  Based solely on feel, I think they may burn slightly hotter than Bear Mountain (Oregon) or Olympus (Washington).  They are Douglas Fir pellets and w/o a doubt, that is the hottest biofuel pellet out there.  Again, based on feel, you may actually be right.  They might burn the hottest.  But they're a smaller outfit and their prices are higher and their market doesn't reach the greater Seattle area.  Honestly, if I lived in Portland, I'd by whatever was cheaper between Olympus, Bears/Golden Fires, and Packsaddle. 

There is another firewood/stove/pellet website out there that actually goes through some rankings of many bags of pellets.  They are based out of the East coast and they rank the three I mentioned the hottest based on their results.  I believe it.

If you live in the PNW and you aren't burning DFs... then I hope you're getting a good deal on that fuel your burning because you're burning more of it.


----------



## AndrewChurchill (Dec 25, 2018)

I'm burning Vermont wood pellets this year.  So far, so good.  I've burned 3.2 ton so far this year for an average of 108 pounds per day.  I'm heating roughly 4200 sq plus DHW.


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## Hot Foot (Dec 26, 2018)

Ranger72 said:


> Don't hate, but I really enjoy burning this year's Fireside Ultra.


I also have found the Fireside Ultra pellets to be much better this year. Consistent heat, low dust and less ash than last year.


----------



## Lifeline25 (Dec 27, 2018)

I’m nearly half way through my first ton of Hammer Hot Ones and I’m not sure how I feel about them. They put off a ton of heat but the ash build up is very interesting. I have to empty the ash pan about every 4 bags.


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## jerrieric (Dec 27, 2018)

I'm burning Nature's Own I got at The Big Box store two years ago. Stored in my basement and they're burning great and zero clinkers. I burn 4 to 5 ton a year. I always look for the cheapest pellets I can get I can't see spending $50 more a ton for premium pellets


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## dotman17 (Dec 27, 2018)

I can't see spending $50 less for cheaper, non-premium pellets.


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## jerrieric (Dec 27, 2018)

dotman17 said:


> I can't see spending $50 less for cheaper, non-premium pellets.


All the pellets I buy say premium pellets on the bag and they're about $50 less then the so called better brands


----------



## dotman17 (Dec 27, 2018)

jerrieric said:


> All the pellets I buy say premium pellets on the bag and they're about $50 less then the so called better brands



Oh I'm just busting your chops.  I live out West and the premium DF pellets are on the cheap out here.  If lived back East, I certainly would be approaching it the same way you are.  It's highway robbery out there for the same thing I get.


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## jerrieric (Dec 27, 2018)

Considering stove gel at the local Home Depot for 219 a ton. I usually just buy anything that's available at Lowe's or Home Depot and considering earlier this year than in the past since I have a feeling come spring they're going to be out


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## Tonyray (Dec 27, 2018)

I prefer the lower Ash myself. My name is Tony and I am a softwood addict. I have been heavy ash clean for past 3 years.


----------



## jerrieric (Dec 27, 2018)

Tonyray said:


> I prefer the lower Ash myself. My name is Tony and I am a softwood addict. I have been heavy ash clean for past 3 years.


I've been burning the Home Depot pellets in Lowe's pellets for 10 years. I only need to clean my stove every 5 days and the glass is still almost clear. That's why I have a hard time justifying spending over 220 first a ton of pellets. I'm used to spending below $200


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## dotman17 (Dec 27, 2018)

Tonyray said:


> I prefer the lower Ash myself. My name is Tony and I am a softwood addict. I have been heavy ash clean for past 3 years.



Yep.  Heavy ash is just not emptying the ash pan.  All that chit likes to filter its way in the stoves mechanical parts.  For this reason alone, I burn hotter and less on DFs and my cleanings are kept at a minimum.


----------



## greg13 (Dec 27, 2018)

Barefoot in the small bags, easier for the wife to handle.


----------



## dotman17 (Dec 27, 2018)

greg13 said:


> Barefoot in the small bags, easier for the wife to handle.



how big?


----------



## Tonyray (Dec 28, 2018)

jerrieric said:


> I've been burning the Home Depot pellets in Lowe's pellets for 10 years. I only need to clean my stove every 5 days and the glass is still almost clear. That's why I hav e a hard time justifying spending over 220 first a ton of pellets. I'm used to spending below $200


Clean my Harman freestanding every 3 weeks. Ash pan is maybe half full. HD sells stove chows here.mega ash.


----------



## The Grintch (Dec 28, 2018)

Burning Hamer Hot Ones...I've never seen so much ash from a pellet.  Can't wait to burn them up and move on!  I'll never buy these again!


----------



## JR52 (Dec 28, 2018)

I'm also on the Lowes/Home Depot train. Yes, there is a ton of ash but, if you time it right and can store pellets, you'll never pay more than $180-$190/ton.  I go through 1.2 tons/month so the savings are worth the extra cleaning required.


----------



## GeHmTS (Dec 28, 2018)

The ones that are burning in my stove now!  The only good pellet is a burning pellet.  All other pellets be dammed.


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## greg13 (Dec 28, 2018)

dotman17 said:


> how big?



23 pound bags. I still buy full tons are just smaller. they are supposed to cost $5 more per ton, but my guy charges the same.


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## dotman17 (Dec 29, 2018)

greg13 said:


> 23 pound bags. I still buy full tons are just smaller. they are supposed to cost $5 more per ton, but my guy charges the same.



Smokin rockets


----------



## Pete Zahria (Dec 29, 2018)

JR52 said:


> I'm also on the Lowes/Home Depot train. Yes, there is a ton of ash but, if you time it right and can store pellets, you'll never pay more than $180-$190/ton.



You'll never see that price around here....

Dan


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## JR52 (Dec 29, 2018)

Pete Zahria said:


> You'll never see that price around here....
> 
> Dan


I would think you would at Lowes/HD if you time it right.  There are a couple ways of doing it.  You can wait until the end of the season and try to talk to a local store about giving you a deal on a volume buy or even get HD corporate to give you a discount.  I did that 2 years ago and paid $183 delivered. The way I did it this year was to buy from Lowes on Thanksgiving.  Originally priced at $259/ton, you get 4% off for the ton discount, 10% normal Lowes coupon and they had 15% rebate on anything bought online on Thanksgiving.  Came to around 189/ton delivered.  If you are willing/able to hold a couple years of pellets there is almost always a deal out there to be had given enough time.


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## greg13 (Dec 30, 2018)

I think that I will stick with paying more for a quality pellet, $260/ton and buy from a local guy. I never have to worry about him not having any and he will work around my schedule. He's a local guy that has a big barn full of heat (pellets, coal & wood bricks) used to run the local pizza shop until his kids grew up and moved out. I just don't want to support corporate america any more than necessary.


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## JR52 (Dec 30, 2018)

greg13 said:


> I think that I will stick with paying more for a quality pellet, $260/ton and buy from a local guy. I never have to worry about him not having any and he will work around my schedule. He's a local guy that has a big barn full of heat (pellets, coal & wood bricks) used to run the local pizza shop until his kids grew up and moved out. I just don't want to support corporate america any more than necessary.


Completely get and respect that.  To me, helping a local guy vs. big box wasn't worth the $100/month for 6 months year.


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## Pete Zahria (Dec 30, 2018)

A lot of people don't want 6 ton or whatever, hanging around, for whatever reason.
Plus, our local guy is currently less, for much better stuff, than the Box stores, so like others,
buying local is nice. They need the business more than Lowes/Depot...

Dan


----------



## george255 (Dec 30, 2018)

I'm wondering if these Golden Pellets are the same ones that everyone is talking about? The bags look quite a bit different.. These are sold at my local Lowes here in north Idaho for
$5.79 per bag. Roughly $250.00 A Ton.


----------



## JR52 (Dec 30, 2018)

Pete Zahria said:


> A lot of people don't want 6 ton or whatever, hanging around, for whatever reason.
> Plus, our local guy is currently less, for much better stuff, than the Box stores, so like others,
> buying local is nice. They need the business more than Lowes/Depot...
> 
> Dan


Well, they are currently less because of timing, like I said was the key if you want to spend $180-190/ton.  Glad you support local, I just can't justify it.


----------



## JR52 (Dec 30, 2018)

george255 said:


> I'm wondering if these Golden Pellets are the same ones that everyone is talking about? The bags look quite a bit different.. These are sold at my local Lowes here in north Idaho for
> $5.79 per bag. Roughly $250.00 A Ton.
> 
> View attachment 236973


These aren't available in most of the northeast, but I've heard they are great.


----------



## dotman17 (Dec 30, 2018)

george255 said:


> I'm wondering if these Golden Pellets are the same ones that everyone is talking about? The bags look quite a bit different.. These are sold at my local Lowes here in north Idaho for
> $5.79 per bag. Roughly $250.00 A Ton.
> 
> View attachment 236973



Golden Fire Pellets are made by Bear Mountain in Oregon -- which has merged with Liggies.  They are basically the same pellet as Bear Mountain except they have a little bit cedar in them to make the flame "golden".  Yes, a very good Douglas Fir pellet.


----------



## Tonyray (Dec 30, 2018)

greg13 said:


> I think that I will stick with paying more for a quality pellet, $260/ton and buy from a local guy. I never have to worry about him not having any and he will work around my schedule. He's a local guy that has a big barn full of heat (pellets, coal & wood bricks) used to run the local pizza shop until his kids grew up and moved out. I just don't want to support corporate america any more than necessary.


I agree 100%.......don't mind spending a bit more for good softwoods..my neighbor spends that 100.00 month or more on fancy Starbucks drinks [with nothing in return like warming his house].. guess it all boils down to priorities OR AFFORDABILITY..I know a couple guys who buy Easy Heat pellets around here because of the cheaper price... doesn't matter that they are close to Ole Roy's Dog food in quality].. to each his own...


----------



## Pete Zahria (Dec 30, 2018)

JR52 said:


> Well, they are currently less because of timing, like I said was the key if you want to spend $180-190/ton.  Glad you support local, I just can't justify it.


They also may be less because of your location....
The lowest I have seen is 199 when there was a horrendous glut at the Box stores a couple of years ago.
They were 219 if you bought 6 tons earlier this spring. 
If they get down to 189, I will certainly post it here..

Dan


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## jerrieric (Dec 30, 2018)

Yeah I think the days of the sub 200 / even sub 220 is over. I'm hoping by the end of the season round March April the big box stores will still have enough and I'll buy 4 or 5 ton if price is right. Home Depot doesn't give a 10% veterans discount on pellets like they used to so I'll probably get them from Lowe's


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## Alisajg16 (Dec 30, 2018)

Lifeline25 said:


> I’m nearly half way through my first ton of Hammer Hot Ones and I’m not sure how I feel about them. They put off a ton of heat but the ash build up is very interesting. I have to empty the ash pan about every 4 bags.



Me too. It’s my first go ‘round with a pellet stove, and this is what my dealer sells. The ash seems excessive to me, but the heat seems to be pretty good. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JR52 (Dec 30, 2018)

Pete Zahria said:


> They also may be less because of your location....
> The lowest I have seen is 199 when there was a horrendous glut at the Box stores a couple of years ago.
> They were 219 if you bought 6 tons earlier this spring.
> If they get down to 189, I will certainly post it here..
> ...


I checked out where my parents are in Manchester and they are the same price as here ($259 base / ton).  Again, it's all about the timing if you go that route but everyone could have got the same $189 deal I got on Thanksgiving.


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## JR52 (Dec 30, 2018)

jerrieric said:


> Yeah I think the days of the sub 200 / even sub 220 is over. I'm hoping by the end of the season round March April the big box stores will still have enough and I'll buy 4 or 5 ton if price is right. Home Depot doesn't give a 10% veterans discount on pellets like they used to so I'll probably get them from Lowe's


I've bought 4 years of pellets over the last two years for less than $190 so I don't believe this is true.  I randomly checked a few places around the country and it seems to be steady pricing across the country.  I'll make sure to post here next time I see a good big box deal.  Make sure to get the 10% off if you use Lowe's.


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## jerrieric (Dec 30, 2018)

JR52 said:


> I've bought 4 years of pellets over the last two years for less than $190 so I don't believe this is true.  I randomly checked a few places around the country and it seems to be steady pricing across the country.  I'll make sure to post here next time I see a good big box deal.  Make sure to get the 10% off if you use Lowe's.


I live in Maine and the lowest price that I can find in the whole state is Home Depot 219 a ton if you buy 6 tons and that is not delivered


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## dotman17 (Dec 30, 2018)

jerrieric said:


> I live in Maine and the lowest price that I can find in the whole state is Home Depot 219 a ton if you buy 6 tons and that is not delivered



The best I've done is $180 for douglas firs in Washington state.  It was a 25% off any one item in the store -- including a ton of pellets.  I can sometimes get them for $200 but often get them on sale for around $210. Regular prices are typically $230.


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## george255 (Dec 30, 2018)

Let's all just not buy pellets for one season and see what happens to their prices? Oh wait, I know what happens, never mind..


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## JR52 (Dec 30, 2018)

jerrieric said:


> I live in Maine and the lowest price that I can find in the whole state is Home Depot 219 a ton if you buy 6 tons and that is not delivered


Yes, but that's before any discounts either negotiated locally/online or timing it to coincide with other deals that the big box stores offer.  North Windham Maine Lowes has them for $259/ton.  If you bought them at Thanksgiving, you would have received a 4% ton discount, 10% off coupon and then a 15% store credit for $189 (all discounts offered nationally).  I was also able to receive free shipping as part of it because I called afterwards.


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## JR52 (Dec 30, 2018)

dotman17 said:


> The best I've done is $180 for douglas firs in Washington state.  It was a 25% off any one item in the store -- including a ton of pellets.  I can sometimes get them for $200 but often get them on sale for around $210. Regular prices are typically $230.


Buying pellets in the Northwest must be nice.  In the Northeast you really have to work hard to find a reasonable price.


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## dotman17 (Dec 30, 2018)

JR52 said:


> Buying pellets in the Northwest must be nice.  In the Northeast you really have to work hard to find a reasonable price.



I feel for you guys.  We don't even have hardwood pellets out here.  I wouldn't even know where to get them.  I've never seen them.  In the pellet game, we have the advantage.  But the hardwood cords -- you guys got us beat. In Western Washington, we don't really have any hard wood to buy or cut for that matter.  Some maple.  Some madrona. But you got look hard for them or pay a higher price. And cord wood can get expensive.


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## george255 (Dec 30, 2018)

I used to go out and cut my own firewood and when I got lazy I would just call someone and buy a cord of red fir in the rounds for $85.00 White fir was about $ 65.00 in the rounds. That was back in the late 80's early 90's It was easy to come by back then. Today a cord of red fir around here will cost you close to $300.00 + and here in north Idaho when it gets cold a cord might last a month if your lucky. Yeah were lucky up here, we have plenty of forest resources and mill waste and nearby pellet Manufacturers. Can't help but feel for the folks on the East side of the US


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## dotman17 (Dec 30, 2018)

No doubt.  I belong to another firewood website and I talk to those guys all the time back East.  It's a scramble and, if I lived out there, it'd be a completely different ball game.  As it is, I go to one store now that constantly beat the prices of their competitors in the area and it's a DF pellet.  It's a bit boring actually because I always know what I'm getting.  I'm going to buy 1 of 3 pellets at the best price.  Actually it means I going to buy 1 of 2 pellets because I'm not paying an extra $10 for Golden Fires over the Bears just to watch a slightly prettier flame.


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## george255 (Dec 31, 2018)

I saw golden fire advertised at lowes back in October and saw the price per bag and about s h i t, hell no , no way would i pay that price. either for that miracle flame and no ash bullsht. like i said earlier North Idaho Pellets are by far the way to go around here @ 4.80  per bag.


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## dotman17 (Dec 31, 2018)

george255 said:


> I saw golden fire advertised at lowes back in October and saw the price per bag and about s h i t, hell no , no way would i pay that price. either for that miracle flame and no ash bullsht. like i said earlier North Idaho Pellets are by far the way to go around here @ 3.80  per bag.



I'm not that far away from you and I can get those pellets but for another $30 more.  And in my test runs, I found that pellet to be a little less than my Bears or Olympus.  Still a quality pellet. I would buy a whole bunch of them but I keep thinking about what I could do with that $30.  It all seems to boil down to economics.  What's the best pellet for the price in your area.


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## dotman17 (Dec 31, 2018)

george255 said:


> I saw golden fire advertised at lowes back in October and saw the price per bag and about s h i t, hell no , no way would i pay that price. either for that miracle flame and no ash bullsht. like i said earlier North Idaho Pellets are by far the way to go around here @ 4.80  per bag.



You ever try Purcells?  It's a mixed fir and not just Douglas Fir made by North Idaho.  I've been tempted to try them sometime.


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## george255 (Dec 31, 2018)

Purcells in my opinion are a bit dirty for my liking , have tried and don't likey. Our North 40 Outfitters here in town had some red fire pellets called Rocky Canyon Premium Red Fir Pellets @ $4.00 per bag. I really liked them for their low ash output and clean burn but they left this hardened build up on my slide plate cleanout that I had to chip away all the time just to get it to work. That's the cheapest I have found next to the Purcells. The Rocky Canyon Pellets were a big hit from what I saw this season, they sold out fast and i can see why @ 4.00 per.


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## dotman17 (Dec 31, 2018)

george255 said:


> Purcells in my opinion are a bit dirty for my liking , have tried and don't likey. Our North 40 Outfitters here in town had some red fire pellets called Rocky Canyon Premium Red Fir Pellets @ $4.00 per bag. I really liked them for their low ash output and clean burn but they left this hardened build up on my slide plate cleanout that I had to chip away all the time just to get it to work. That's the cheapest I have found next to the Purcells. The Rocky Canyon Pellets were a big hit from what I saw this season, they sold out fast and i can see why @ 4.00 per.



I spent a week in McCall in September and that was the only pellet they offered up there in town. They seemed a bit high in price (compared to what I can get others here for) but what seemed so great is that they delivered all their pellets anywhere in town for $10.


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## george255 (Dec 31, 2018)

That's pretty good delivery price, can't beat it and sure as hell can't get that here. I sold my 4X4 a few years back so I buy them by the bag, 6 at a time and throw them in the back seat of the nissan next to the six pack of beer. A bit of a pain in the ass but it all works out in the end, I have some beer to drink and a mobile storage shed.


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## Pete Zahria (Dec 31, 2018)

dotman17 said:


> The best I've done is $180 for douglas firs in Washington state



We can't even come close to that wholesale...
The shipping is brutal. and they get handled quite a few times,
so everyone needs a little slice!

Dan


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## jerrieric (Dec 31, 2018)

JR52 said:


> Buying pellets in the Northwest must be nice.  In the Northeast you really have to work hard to find a reasonable price.


Yes and my local Lowe's store does not allow you to stack discounts upon discounts they only allow one discount.


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## JR52 (Dec 31, 2018)

jerrieric said:


> Yes and my local Lowe's store does not allow you to stack discounts upon discounts they only allow one discount.


Just checked North Windham and, if you do it online, you can stack coupons.  See below.  I didn't have a 10% coupon handy but checked using a $25 off $250 for example purposes.   I had to add 51 bags to meet the $250 minimum, but you get the point. This nets to $224/ton but, iff you time it right when the 15% store credit is offered, you can get to the price I quoted.  There may be other deals that Lowes/HD offer.  Again, only beneficial if you are OK with the lower grade pellets big box stores offer.  You'd also have to reach out to the store to negotiate delivery, if needed.


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## Dataman (Dec 31, 2018)

Have found them for 175 Ton.  North Idaho Pellets.    Ones I like best are the DRY ONES.


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## jerrieric (Dec 31, 2018)

Dataman said:


> Have found them for 175 Ton.  North Idaho Pellets.    Ones I like best are the DRY ONES.


Kind of a long drive to Washington for me


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## lagger (Jan 1, 2019)

jerrieric said:


> Yeah I think the days of the sub 200 / even sub 220 is over. I'm hoping by the end of the season round March April the big box stores will still have enough and I'll buy 4 or 5 ton if price is right. Home Depot doesn't give a 10% veterans discount on pellets like they used to so I'll probably get them from Lowe's


my  local lowes gave me a 10% contractors discount because I bought 3 tons or more this year .. unfortunately it was \ is 3 tons of green supremes and they are dusty, sooty, more clinkers and much more ash than the Greene Teams ... but a buck a bag cheaper... I have 2 tons of the GT's left from last year ... much better pellets but I still have 2 tons of the GS's to burn through first ... as I have an insert I have to empty the ash pan and clean the glass every 4 bags .... next year I will just bite the bullet and pay the extra for more GT's .... better heat, cleaner and much less ash


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## jerrieric (Jan 1, 2019)

Yes Lowe's gives me 10% veterans discount but there at 259 now and I can get better pellets from the manufacturer 4 the same price.


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## george255 (Jan 1, 2019)

jerrieric said:


> Kind of a long drive to Washington for me


Yes, I would say so.


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## dotman17 (Jan 1, 2019)

ZBrooks said:


> Packsaddle Pellets.  If there's a better pellet out there, I'd love to burn it, but I doubt it exists.





Dataman said:


> Have found them for 175 Ton.  North Idaho Pellets.    Ones I like best are the DRY ONES.





jerrieric said:


> Kind of a long drive to Washington for me





george255 said:


> Yes, I would say so.



It depends on what side of Maine he lives on.


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## jerrieric (Jan 1, 2019)

You're really funny. I've had pellet stoves probably for the last 10 or 15 years but it could be longer cuz I'm old and I forget. I buy all my pellet from the big box stores and have never really been disappointed but maybe that's just my stubbornness. Can someone convince me why I should spend 50 to $60 more a ton for pellets? Ask really doesn't bother me because I'm burning the big box store pellets and I only have to empty my trash box every 5 days.


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## dotman17 (Jan 1, 2019)

Emptying an ash bin is the least of your concerns.  I burn a cleaner pellet because the 'ash' doesn't gunk up my stove. And the heat is way better.  Less cleanings and hotter burns equal less maintenance and less pellets burned.  I can't tell you if that's worth $50 or not -- but for me it is.  But then I get those things for $210 a pallet anyway.


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## jerrieric (Jan 1, 2019)

dotman17 said:


> Emptying an ash bin is the least of your concerns.  I burn a cleaner pellet because the 'ash' doesn't gunk up my stove. And the heat is way better.  Less cleanings and hotter burns equal less maintenance and less pellets burned.  I can't tell you if that's worth $50 or not -- but for me it is.  But then I get those things for $210 a pallet anyway.


Wish I could get pellets for 210 a pallet. That would be a no-brainer


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## dotman17 (Jan 1, 2019)

jerrieric said:


> Wish I could get pellets for 210 a pallet. That would be a no-brainer



I think and wish you could as well.  Again, if I lived out where you do -- I'd totally be playing the pellet game as you are.  I would not pay those prices for the higher end pellets.  It defeats the whole purpose of a pellet stove.  You might as well just burn electricity.


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## george255 (Jan 1, 2019)

dotman17 said:


> It depends on what side of Maine he lives on.


Be one
one hell of a road trip..I'll drive..


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## Hot Foot (Jan 1, 2019)

I would love to use the best premium pellets but I bought my pellet stove to save money on oil. I don't mind cleaning the stove once a week and also the leafblower trick every ton. I find that the big box store pellets are fine for my purposes. Having said that, the better pellets do make a difference, if you don't mind the extra cost.


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## UGLYDOG (Jan 1, 2019)

Around a ton of Somersets burned here. My favorite of the few that I've tried.


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## dotman17 (Jan 2, 2019)

I gave a deep clean to my stove today.  Pffft.  It needed it.  Heh, maybe I get even more heat now?


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## JRemington (Jan 2, 2019)

Have people in the Northeast noticed the pellets are dirtier this year?


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## jerrieric (Jan 2, 2019)

JRemington said:


> Have people in the Northeast noticed the pellets are dirtier this year?


Nope I'm still burning pellets from last year. Always by pellets a year ahead


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## Ssyko (Jan 2, 2019)

JRemington said:


> Have people in the Northeast noticed the pellets are dirtier this year?



Yes even the energex have me cleaning more.


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## tlc1976 (Jan 2, 2019)

I like Pro Pellets.  They burn clean and hot in my stove.  Comparing many bags of pellets I've seen, these still have about half the ash by spec.  Only thing is they are getting harder to find.  The local farm store quit carrying them, which is where I've bought them every time so far.  Only choice now is a store I'd have to take time off work to get to, or Lowes (Magic Spark bag).  Either would be a considerably longer drive.  Also I had been getting them for around $200/ton, but this year they went up to $250 or more.  I can still get junk pellets for $200/ton, but I'd rather pay more for something that actually burns well.


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## jerrieric (Jan 2, 2019)

Love my Revalli. Adjusts automatically for best burn.
*Ravelli Dynamic System*






RDS, the fire follows our rules

RDS. Or Ravelli Dynamic System. RDS is Ravelli’s innovative system for automatically regulating combustion parameters and ensuring maximum efficiency and safety from your stove. RDS is a brand new concept in the field of biomass fuelled heating. The system is the expression of an intelligent and environmentally compatible new technology developed thanks to major investments in R&D and close cooperation with the Technical Physics department of the Mechanical Engineering faculty of the University of Brescia.

 
*Dynamic operation, more efficient,*
*safer and cheaper *


Normal variations in pellet quality, flue draft, altitude above sea level and operating temperature make it impossible for conventional stoves to achieve optimal efficiency. Ravelli’s exclusive RDS system automatically varies combustion parameters to maintain optimum combustion parameters and ensure maximum efficiency.


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## Pete Zahria (Jan 2, 2019)

jerrieric said:


> Can someone convince me why I should spend 50 to $60 more a ton for pellets?


*Nope. Not going to try.

But with that reasoning, why do people spend $6.00 for a hamburger at Five Guys,
when you can get one at McDonalds for $1.00...
Why would a person spend 80 grand on a Corvette,
When a Camaro will get you to the same place?
Why buy a Harley, when there are better, for less?

It's really whatever the consumer wants to spend his money on..  
When it's all said and done, at the end of the year,
the difference in what I spend on pellets, would not have changed my life.


Dan*


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## KJA88 (Jan 3, 2019)

Hello everyone

New pellet stove user, being installed on 1/19, Enviro M55 insert.

I have been trolling the interwebs researching for pellets, recommendations, pricing, reviews for here on Long Island, NY.
For frellen sake the prices here are outrageous!.Below is from https://bravosdoor.com/

There is not many other places other then HD and Lowes.

$59 delivery and $25 pallet jack service

At these prices it will be cheaper to heat my 3000 sq ft home with NG with radiant baseboard.

I keep the first floor at 69 and 2nd floor at 66. 2nd floor heat barely comes on as the heat rises to satisfy my 2nd floor 2 zones.
I have a new Navien 240E combi on-demand system and my monthly NG bill in winter is anywhere from $175-$250
During summer my NG bill is about $20 a month.
House has new attic and roof rebuilt with also new blown-in insulation R49 value.
House was pressure tested and is now very tight.
Before work done on house there would be a 15 degree difference between 1st floor and 2nd floor.
Now I am within 2-3 degrees.

My dad who lives in Lancaster PA pays about $180-$220 for a ton(Hardwood or Softwood) delivered.
He has a Thelin going on about 20 years now.


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## Connecticut Yankee (Jan 3, 2019)

Ouch!  And I thought prices in Fairfield County were bad!


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## JR52 (Jan 3, 2019)

KJA88 said:


> Hello everyone
> 
> New pellet stove user, being installed on 1/19, Enviro M55 insert.
> 
> ...


You're going to be hard pressed to find a deal on pellets that would be cheaper than NG.  Most people I know who are using wood pellets to save money do not have LG as an option.  It's either electric, propane or a burning device.  People who have LG as an option and choose pellets typically have other reasons than money for using pellets.


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## KJA88 (Jan 3, 2019)

JR52 said:


> You're going to be hard pressed to find a deal on pellets that would be cheaper than NG.  Most people I know who are using wood pellets to save money do not have LG as an option.  It's either electric, propane or a burning device.  People who have LG as an option and choose pellets typically have other reasons than money for using pellets.



Yes I agree NG is the cheapest source of energy and then Pellets is next not too far behind.

Too heat my home and be somewhat comfortable thermostat for NG is set at 69. Still need a sweatshirt and blanket.

I would rather burn pellets then pay the "man" and with NG prices skyrocketing in December its a no brainer.
Plus got tired of cleaning the fireplace and the residual lingering smell was not very comforting.
Besides a fireplace will not produce much in regards to heat. Maybe a few degrees.
Yes the aesthetics of the fireplace is nice. But if I dont have a fire going the cold draft from the chimney fills up the room.

Fireplace is in my 20x30 den where I spend most of the time.

I could crank the M55 up and be toasty warm in minutes. In order to do that on NG boiler would run all day.

Plus I am actually paying more for delivery(transportation of the NG gas) then for what I actually burn in therms.

Same applies to my electric. I pay more in transmission fees then what I have used. And I turn off every light, phone, cell phone charges, clocks, cable boxes etc. everything but my 2 refrigerators and a wine fridge. I have timers on lights that come on and off thru ought the day.
I changed all bulbs to LED. Saved over $20 a month. Started unplugging my 2 cable boxes and saved over $20 a month. These cable boxes use more electricity then some refrigerators! According to my energy reports I receive quarterly my home in my area is the most efficient home for its size by 30% compared to 380 other homes of my size in my area. My electric company actually refunded me money last year about $400 because I didn't use what they forecasted.


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## Rascal08 (Jan 4, 2019)

HAVE ANY OF YOU FOLKS BURNED SPRUCE POINTE OF OF ALBERTA CANADA IF SO WHAT WERE THE RESULTS


----------



## dotman17 (Jan 4, 2019)

Rascal08 said:


> HAVE ANY OF YOU FOLKS BURNED SPRUCE POINTE OF OF ALBERTA CANADA IF SO WHAT WERE THE RESULTS



What?? I can't hear you -- err READ you.


----------



## Havilcek stole the ball (Jan 5, 2019)

I've been using Fireside Ultra's from Home Depot the last few years. I've tried all sorts of pellets over the years, some high end others not so much. My conclusion is that as long as the pellet is throwing good heat I'll deal with extra ash etc. I have run into a couple of big box brands that just could not do it in subzero weather. FSU's have been able to keep a good temp in the house even in the subzero zone, so that's all I ask. We paid around $219 per ton this year plus I think $65 delivery. 

To be honest, if the cheap stuff is not heating the house then I'll step up to the better stuff, but if the cheap stuff is doing the job, then why would I spend more. Then again, I could probably throw kibble in the P-68 and it would heat the house with it.


----------



## Ssyko (Jan 5, 2019)

Rascal08 said:


> HAVE ANY OF YOU FOLKS BURNED SPRUCE POINTE OF OF ALBERTA CANADA IF SO WHAT WERE THE RESULTS



Hi Rascal08 posting in all capitals is considered shouting. Just a lil frendly forum etiquette. Nope havent burned them


----------



## Pete Zahria (Jan 5, 2019)

JR52 said:


> You're going to be hard pressed to find a deal on pellets that would be cheaper than NG.



Right now in our area, pellets at $299 are cheaper than natural gas...

*Currently in my area:
Cost Per million BTU's

Wood pellets @250- 19.54 @299- 23.37
Natural gas....@1.98- 24.77
Fuel oil...........@2.99- 27.86
Propane**......@3.25- 45.60
Electric...........@.19- 55.69
**guess

Dan*


----------



## Rascal08 (Jan 5, 2019)

Thank you Ssyko for the friendly reminder. Other are not so nice.


----------



## Pete Zahria (Jan 5, 2019)

Rascal08 said:


> HAVE ANY OF YOU FOLKS BURNED SPRUCE POINTE OF OF ALBERTA CANADA IF SO WHAT WERE THE RESULTS


*Yes.
I like them. 
TBH, most of the stuff from that area is better than BBS stuff any day.

Dan*


----------



## JR52 (Jan 5, 2019)

Pete Zahria said:


> Right now in our area, pellets at $299 are cheaper than natural gas...
> 
> *Currently in my area:
> Cost Per million BTU's
> ...


That NG price....wow....has got to be quite rural, no?


----------



## george255 (Jan 5, 2019)

Bottom line, If ya wanna  keep warm, your just going to have to get your wallet out.


----------



## bogieb (Jan 6, 2019)

Average price for HHF in NH - stats supplied by the state. NG is available in very few areas and most of those are at the MA border or the seacoast. The difference between the cost that @Pete Zahria shows and the chart may be "delivery charges" or may just be his particular area. Not sure how a heat pump can be 250% efficient though - you can't produce more than available


----------



## JR52 (Jan 6, 2019)

That has to be delivered unless electric generation charges are really $0.18 or the chart is inconsistent.


----------



## SciGuy (Jan 6, 2019)

bogieb said:


> Not sure how a heat pump can be 250% efficient though - you can't produce more than available



The thing is that it's *extract* not produce. One kilowatt hour of electrical energy can be converted directly to 3412 btus of heat energy or it can be used to extract several times that amount of heat energy from air that's even at temperatures we sense as very cold. Remember that materials have heat energy at all temperatures above absolute zero which is minus 459.67 degrees Fahrenheit. So cooling air from -10*F to - 20*F there is still extractable energy within the air.


----------



## bogieb (Jan 6, 2019)

JR52 said:


> That has to be delivered unless electric generation charges are really $0.18 or the chart is inconsistent.



I don't know how they came to get 18 cents per kwh as an electric rate either since I'm paying 21 cents per kwh with the largest provider in the state (including all fees, taxes delivery charges etc).


----------



## Pete Zahria (Jan 6, 2019)

bogieb said:


> The difference between the cost that @Pete Zahria shows and the chart may be "delivery charges" or may just be his particular area.


*I live in the city.

It's what it cost, to get a therm into the house!
Sure.. the "therm" price is less..
But the bottom line is, you need to take the amount you write the check for,
and divide by the number of therms used..
THAT is how much a therm cost YOU...


Dan*


----------



## Pete Zahria (Jan 6, 2019)

JR52 said:


> That NG price....wow....has got to be quite rural, no?



*No.*


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## JR52 (Jan 6, 2019)

Obviously you need to calculate using the all-in cost but your all-in cost is significantly outside the norm.  As an example, utility set rates (higher than open market) where I am is $0.51 generation, $0.3625 distribution, small amount in taxes and a set fee of $11.75/month.  Based on a quick Google search, PA is in the top 10 for LG costs.  Your situation seems to be well beyond unique and, in most places, you'd really need to find a deal on pellets for it to be better than LG.


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## jerrieric (Jan 6, 2019)

I burn pallets because they're a hell of a lot warmer in our sun room watching TV then turning up the oil furnace. Cost aside wife and I really like the warmth of the pellet stove.


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## Pete Zahria (Jan 6, 2019)

JR52 said:


> you'd really need to find a deal on pellets for it to be better than LG.



I don't understand what you are saying.
I use pellets.
Pellets are cheaper than NG.
I have both.
I pay more for gas than pellets.
I don't have to find a "deal" on pellets.
Everyone has pellets cheaper than NG here..


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## Pete Zahria (Jan 6, 2019)

JR52 said:


> where I am is $0.51 generation, $0.3625 distribution, small amount in taxes and a set fee of $11.75/month.


Where I am
the gas is .89... distribution is .67 ... customer charge is 21.36.
So yes.. if I used twice as much, the cost would be like 1.80 per therm, because of the fixed cost.


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## dotman17 (Jan 6, 2019)

@bogieb a cord of wood is $467 in NH?  I can get a green cord for $200 here or $300 for dry in the offseason. Delivered and stacked that probably goes up $50 or more. But often I'm able to get my wood free providing I do ALL the labor on it. And of course I have to season it.


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## dotman17 (Jan 6, 2019)

bogieb said:


> I don't know how they came to get 18 cents per kwh as an electric rate either since I'm paying 21 cents per kwh with the largest provider in the state (including all fees, taxes delivery charges etc).



You're not going to like me... but I pay 11 cents.


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## JR52 (Jan 6, 2019)

In most places (you left that out for some reason).... your price is nearly double mine when I already live in a place where NG is on the high side, seems unrealistic for a commodity to have that level of variation. I'm guessing you won't find many people on here that are saving using pellets vs NG but I could be wrong...


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## Pete Zahria (Jan 6, 2019)

I give up.


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## Mt Bob (Jan 6, 2019)

LOL Quite the conversation.Burning North Idaho again this year.245 ton LPG 2.75 gallon,had tank filled was so cheap,but,is still cheaper to burn pellets.


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## JR52 (Jan 6, 2019)

Pete Zahria said:


> I give up.


Probably for the best.


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## dotman17 (Jan 6, 2019)

Just move out west where electricity is cheap, douglas fir pellets are cheap, and so is natural gas.


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## JR52 (Jan 6, 2019)

dotman17 said:


> Just move out west where electricity is cheap, douglas fir pellets are cheap, and so is natural gas.


You guys have it so good....


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## dotman17 (Jan 6, 2019)

JR52 said:


> You guys have it so good....



Our hydroelectric power is cheap but it's still cheaper to go with pellets or gas.  I believe gas is cheaper here but pellets are close.


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## tlc1976 (Jan 7, 2019)

Even if I had natural gas in my area, my gas (LP) boiler heats the basement too and there's no reasonable way to change that.  The pellet stove heats the living area.  So pellets are WAY cheaper than gas for me.


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## greg13 (Jan 7, 2019)

Just me, but the way I look at it is the heat is paid for. I don't like surprises in the mail at the end of the month.

Just put another ton of barefoot in the shed yesterday.


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## dotman17 (Jan 7, 2019)

greg13 said:


> Just me, but the way I look at it is the heat is paid for. I don't like surprises in the mail at the end of the month.
> 
> Just put another ton of barefoot in the shed yesterday.



I'm with you.  It seems to be easier to fix into one's budget.


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## bogieb (Jan 11, 2019)

dotman17 said:


> You're not going to like me... but I pay 11 cents.



We have some of the highest electric (and LP) costs in the nation. The only surprise would be if you paid MORE than we do


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## bogieb (Jan 11, 2019)

dotman17 said:


> @bogieb a cord of wood is $467 in NH?  I can get a green cord for $200 here or $300 for dry in the offseason. Delivered and stacked that probably goes up $50 or more. But often I'm able to get my wood free providing I do ALL the labor on it. And of course I have to season it.



Yes, we understand all types of HH fuels are cheaper over there in WA - you can also get DF's for very cheap compared to us (if we can get them at all). .


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## batchman (Jan 12, 2019)

KJA88 said:


> Hello everyone
> 
> New pellet stove user, being installed on 1/19, Enviro M55 insert.
> 
> ...



Looks to me like those guys have your market cornered, but you should know that the black bag Okanagans are *old*.  They've been gone a couple years, that company is now Northern Warmth.  Just thought you should know - if you happened to buy them -yike$- they are well past their "sell by" date.  I store my pellets outside (well covered) and find they lose 15-20 degrees at my measuring point by the next season.  I'm stuck though, as I need to have a ton ready until the ground freezes and I can take delivery.

I will add though that since your M55 is the same burning guts as my Maxx-M, I run low ash pellets and clean the stove once a year or so "just because".  Actually one year I only cleaned the exhaust side, so it's "every year or two".  Yes, that's why I run low ash pellets - "I know what I'm like".



bogieb said:


> Average price for HHF in NH - stats supplied by the state.



That's great research, thanks for the facts.  Just wish I could get Propane anywhere near that price - my supplier is now $5.05/gallon.  Thank goodness it only heats my garage/outbuilding - I barely afford keeping it at 40deg.  Their cordwood cost looks wacky though, I've never seen >$300 (seasoned) unless there's a shortage.

Back to the thread topic, I'm running Turmans this year, after mostly Okie Plats (now Northern Warmth Spruce).  Lowest ash I've measured, including the DFs I tried.  Now I'm only worried somehow the ash is making it through to the vent, we'll see about that.

Cheers,
 Jeff


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## Connecticut Yankee (Jan 12, 2019)

batchman said:


> . . . you should know that the black bag Okanagans are *old*.  They've been gone a couple years, that company is now Northern Warmth. . . .


I'm confused, because we just bought some from our stove dealer, and they are from a current shipment.  I tried to do some research on the Interwebz, but the results are inconclusive.

As far as I can tell, the Okanagan Pellet Company was formerly owned by Viridis Energy and is now owned by American Biomass Distribution, LLC.  From what I can tell, the pellet mill is or was in British Columbia, but the bags I have all say "made in U.S.A."  I can, however, find no pellet mill on the pellet-makers' association Web site that says anything about Okanagan or American Biomass.

My stove dealer told me that the Okanagan Douglas fir pellets come from Oregon.  The Web site, www.okanaganpellets.com, says that American Biomass LLC, or at least its Okanagan Pellet Company division, is located in Bedford, New Hampshire.  That Web site also says that Okanagan is wholly owned by American Biomass, which acquired the operation from Viridis, and that Northern Warmth has nothing to do with Okanagan.

The American Biomass Web site, www.americanbiomass.com, mentions "a wide selection of brands," but the only pellet brands mentioned on that site are Cleanfire and Granules LG.  There is no street address or contact name, but Bloomberg gives their address as Goffstown, New Hampshire.

Northern Warmth does sell Dougls fir pellets, and their Web site gives a contact address in Upton, Massachusetts.

So _somebody_ is still making pellets under the Okanagan name, but it seems pretty clear it's _not_ Northern Warmth.

If anyone has information more accurate than this, I'd love to be brought up to date.


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## JR52 (Jan 12, 2019)

Pete Zahria said:


> You'll never see that price around here....
> 
> Dan


This comment and all the others regarding paying more for pellets make much more sense now that I saw on another site that you are a pellet distributor.  You should probably put this in your signature as you weigh in on topics that include discussions on buying from big box stores vs. the premium from the local guys considering you are a "local guy".


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## batchman (Jan 12, 2019)

Connecticut Yankee said:


> I'm confused, because we just bought some from our stove dealer, and they are from a current shipment.  I tried to do some research on the Interwebz, but the results are inconclusive.




Well how about that...  I stand corrected, thanks for the tech.

Both dealers that I used to get my Okie Plats from told me the company had changed hands and the same pellet was now NorWarm Super Spruce.
The prior "Gold" was now the Pine, and somehow they went to two grades of DF (which I have not figured out).

That's what I burned last year, along with a hold-over ton from the year before (actually two years prior).  They looked, smelled and burned the same although my 2yo ones had lost quite a bit of temperature.

I do recall however that the Okie's were shipped by rail and bagged locally.  Can't back that up either though.

In conclusion, "I dunno, me" and will quietly endeavor to _say nothing, act casual_....

Thanks,
- Jeff
_(some days you wake up and discover that everything you know is wrong...)_


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## johneh (Jan 12, 2019)

This may sound like a stupid question but could some one 
ex-plane to me how pellets a year or more old loss Heat ?


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## Pete Zahria (Jan 12, 2019)

JR52 said:


> This comment and all the others regarding paying more for pellets make much more sense now that I saw on another site that you are a pellet distributor.  You should probably put this in your signature as you weigh in on topics that include discussions on buying from big box stores vs. the premium from the local guys considering you are a "local guy".



I don't receive a penny from that business. (a dealer, not a distributor.)
We have been best friends for 40 years.
I do his internet work for him, he hates computers.
I am not a dealer, I don't have a dime invested in his.
I would also add, that my comments may or may not be consistent with his.

Dan


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## Mt Bob (Jan 12, 2019)

johneh said:


> This may sound like a stupid question but could some one
> ex-plane to me how pellets a year or more old loss Heat ?


If they draw in moisture,can affect the btu's,same as corn that has too high a moisture content.


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## Mt Bob (Jan 12, 2019)

Pete Zahria said:


> I don't receive a penny from that business. (a dealer, not a distributor.)
> We have been best friends for 40 years.
> I do his internet work for him, he hates computers.
> I am not a dealer, I don't have a dime invested in his.
> ...


Yes,you have helped lots of us for years,and I for 1 thank you sir.


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## Mt Bob (Jan 12, 2019)

Pellet manufacturers sell out,change hands,and rebag for other suppliers.Where I live,we do not have the option of 30 different suppliers,oakies have been good to me,but,have been using North Idaho last 4 years,this years seems fine.But,from all the problems and complaints,seems like back east is above and beyond poor quality/dirty pellets this year.Do not think I have seen it this bad in 5 years.


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## Connecticut Yankee (Jan 12, 2019)

I'm happy with the Okanagan Douglas Fir pellets we've been using.  The stove dealer recommends them, and I trust his judgement (the guy and his son have done really well by us so far, I'm very happy to report).

Next year, I want to get organized to get a better deal on the cost, however.  We orderered our first ton in September, and our second in December.  I shudder to think what the price will be in February!  At least it's my sister who's paying the pellet bill, and I'm getting a nice break on the heating oil, lol!


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## JR52 (Jan 12, 2019)

Pete Zahria said:


> I don't receive a penny from that business. (a dealer, not a distributor.)
> We have been best friends for 40 years.
> I do his internet work for him, he hates computers.
> I am not a dealer, I don't have a dime invested in his.
> ...


My fault then, sorry.  I looked at the web site and saw your name on it and saw it in your signature so I assumed it was yours.


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## bogieb (Jan 13, 2019)

JR52 said:


> This comment and all the others regarding paying more for pellets make much more sense now that I saw on another site that you are a pellet distributor.  You should probably put this in your signature as you weigh in on topics that include discussions on buying from big box stores vs. the premium from the local guys considering you are a "local guy".



He is not a dealer nor a distributer. Not sure how his knowledge of pellet prices from a specific place (and others, including BBS, in his area) are affected. He is passing along the facts. You will not find prices like what they find in WA and some other areas anywhere in NH unless there is a fire sale going on because of a total pellet glut (which has only happened once in the last 5 years).

If he were passing along bad information, those of us in NH would be calling BS - I have no quibbles with any comment he has made on pricing.


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## Ssyko (Jan 13, 2019)

man my head hurts now lol


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## jim2074 (Jan 17, 2019)

mik_kane said:


> Well it's cold outside and everyone here has been running their stoves. I just wanted to know what pellets you are liking and what pellets you tried are duds.



I have used Bear Mountain for the last couple of years.  Expensive but they burn soooo hot and almost no ash.  I can go over a month with out cleaning the stove.   Harman XXV


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