# My Pellet Tests - Barefoot, Okanagan and Turman's



## DonD (Nov 7, 2011)

Being a pellet newbie I bought 3 different brands of high quality pellets and being an engineer I figured I would collect the data I need to make a decision on what to buy next year. I plan to test the heat output (temperature) of each pellet under various conditions over the course of the fall and winter. I thought I would share my results here.

See my test set up below. What I have done so far is let the stove stabilize on high and measure the temperature at the exit of each of the 10 heat output tubes of my Castile. I have already discovered a couple of interesting things...

The Castile has 10 tubes.  Exhaust air is drawn left to right, from tube 1 to tube 10. The stove top baffle has a baffle on the back between tubes 5 and 6 that slows the air and makes tube 5 run hotter. Tube 5 seems to be running a good 50 deg hotter than the average.

I tested the Barefoots first after burning 5 bags. Then I cleaned the stove and started burning Okanagans. I'll try the Turman's in a couple of weeks. All 3 brands were purchased from the same place at the same time and delivered together. You can see the sealed pallets below.


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## DonD (Nov 7, 2011)

My first results - Barefoot pellets.

Temperatures ran from a low of 171.4 deg F to a high of 241.5 deg F with an average of 192.5 deg F.

I cleaned the stove and measured the ash I have been collecting over the last 5 bags and measured only 6.7 oz ash after the first 5 bags, or .21% ash. I think this might be low because the ash vac is new an a lot of ash from this first run stayed on the filter. I'll probably get a more accurate results after a few more cleanings.

I must say the Barefoots were perfect. Low ash, good heat, no dust, few fines and zero clinkers. They were a consistent length (didn't measure them) and went through the stove flawlessly. Loved them. They were the most expensive of the bunch though


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## tjnamtiw (Nov 7, 2011)

Good luck on your testing.  Since you are new to pellet burning, you might find my experiments from last year interesting.  https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/70161/  There is a link within this link that shows the first testing.
One caution is that it appears you are using an IR detector.  It's hard to tell from the picture but IR detectors don't work so well for measuring air temps and air temps are what you want, not steel temps.  
Also for each test, readjust your feed rate to get the same general flame height.  Different brands and batches within the same brand will have different pellet lengths and therefore feed differently.  I like that you are using a large batch sample to get to steady state.
You'll see in my tests that the air temps and air flows vary GREATLY across the ten tubes.  With low flow rates, the temps go up even though BTU'S supplied probably are less.  My main focus was on improving the heat transfer of the tubes since smooth tubes are very, very old technology and are piss poor at heat transfer.

Good luck and looking forward to your results.  You might even be inclined to try my ('our' since others joined in the testing and supplying of parts) 'improvements and seeing what your results are.

Oh, and you will soon learn to lose those PITA logs.    Twice as much work to clean!


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## DonD (Nov 7, 2011)

My second results - Okanagan pellets.

First of all - my first bag of Okies didn't go so well. I won't repeat everything I commented on HERE but my initial impression of Okies isn't great. They are very dusty, the pellets are very broken up and the heat output wasn't as good as the Barefoots. I'm hoping it was a bad (damp?) top bag and I'll get better results farther down the pallet.

Temperatures ran from a low of 166.8 deg F to a high of 228.0 deg F with an average of 189.5 deg F. I noticed the left side of the stove was running 10 -20 deg F cooler than the Barefoots and on the other side of the baffle the Okies were a little hotter. I suspect this might be because the stove was dirty when I tested the Barefoots and clean with the Okies. Next test will be Okies with the stove dirty as a comparison.


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## DonD (Nov 7, 2011)

tjnamtiw said:
			
		

> Good luck on your testing.  Since you are new to pellet burning, you might find my experiments from last year interesting.  https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/70161/  There is a link within this link that shows the first testing.
> One caution is that it appears you are using an IR detector.  It's hard to tell from the picture but IR detectors don't work so well for measuring air temps and air temps are what you want, not steel temps.
> Also for each test, readjust your feed rate to get the same general flame height.  Different brands and batches within the same brand will have different pellet lengths and therefore feed differently.  I like that you are using a large batch sample to get to steady state.
> You'll see in my tests that the air temps and air flows vary GREATLY across the ten tubes.  My main focus was on improving the heat transfer of the tubes since smooth tubes are very, very old technology and are piss poor at heat transfer.
> ...



Thanks! I'll definitely take a look at that thread for pointers. I hadn't thought of adjusting the feed rate but my recollection is that the flame height was pretty much the same so far in my two tests. I guess this might be more important if testing lower quality pellets against better pellets.

My test set up is actually not IR. It's a Fluke 87-5 meter and Fluke 80PK-26 type K temperature probe (good for 1500 deg F) stuck into the center of the tube. In fact one of the interesting things I noticed is that the temperature was hotter at the very end of the tube, even slightly outside the end of the tube, compared to when the probe was stuck in the tube an inch or two. I don't understand why that would be, but need to make sure I'm consistent for each test.


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## tjnamtiw (Nov 7, 2011)

Very nice set up!  Yea, consistency is the main thing to control.  I took all my measurements in the center of the tube an inch inside.  Trying to compare actual stove heat output versus pellet brands has been tried here before with a lot a data collected.  IMHO there are a lot of variables to control, especially the pounds per hour input.


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## DonD (Nov 7, 2011)

Barefoots and Okies overlayed.


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## RiddleMasterMorgon (Nov 7, 2011)

Make sure to test the overall burn time of one bag of pellets, otherwise the testing is kind of off. Your auger will feed volume not mass and in case a clever pellet maker decided to produce shorter pellets you thrugh more pellets per time in the pot and burn hotter - desguising as high temp pellet, when in reality its just burning away faster.

google J takeman pellet review for a pretty comprehensive pellet overview

All three of your pellets are pretty good, differences should be minimal and not existant really. WHy people go overboard with the temp reading as the sole indicator of quality is beyond me to be honest - there is much more to a pellet than just temp read (see above) - say sodium content, which can help cause clinkers and corrodes you stove away over time - to name just some. A simple oven tem,p reader for 5 USD gives you the same (overall) exactness in your testing (which is not very precise).

Other than that, Pellet testing is always fun...


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## DonD (Nov 7, 2011)

Yeah, I expect all 3 to be pretty good. I'm just looking for a) any small differences, b) how they work in _my _stove and c) are the brands still as good as there past history would indicate, but a lot is, like you said, because it's fun.

If I can find any differences either in heat output in _my _stove or any other non-heat differences (see my thread I linked to with my Okie comments regarding my non-heat impressions) - that's the brand that will get my money next year...


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## tjnamtiw (Nov 7, 2011)

Fun for we techie's is probably why we do ANY of this!  Incidentally, how did you get italics on your post?  The key, like you said, is how the perform on your stove.  That will have more to do with ash content, clinkers, feed consistency, foreign material, dust.  Of course the only way to really know which brand has the best heat output is to do an in-lab test measuring actual btu's given off by a precise amount of pellets.


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## DexterDay (Nov 7, 2011)

tjnamtiw said:
			
		

> Good luck on your testing.  Since you are new to pellet burning, you might find my experiments from last year interesting.  https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/70161/  There is a link within this link that shows the first testing.
> One caution is that it appears you are using an IR detector.  It's hard to tell from the picture but IR detectors don't work so well for measuring air temps and air temps are what you want, not steel temps.
> Also for each test, readjust your feed rate to get the same general flame height.  Different brands and batches within the same brand will have different pellet lengths and therefore feed differently.  I like that you are using a large batch sample to get to steady state.
> You'll see in my tests that the air temps and air flows vary GREATLY across the ten tubes.  With low flow rates, the temps go up even though BTU'S supplied probably are less.  My main focus was on improving the heat transfer of the tubes since smooth tubes are very, very old technology and are piss poor at heat transfer.
> ...



Very nice work... And as noted above... Good luck with the logs.. I used them for the Wife around holidays when family is around.

I just purchased a Sunburst metal cut-out from a forum member here (Save$ did too) I leave this in constantly now. But its one piece and wont crack and bust up within a year. The hot and cold cycles end up ruining the logs.

Do yourself a favor and put them in the stove for Summer or on X-mas when family is over. Otherwise they will soon be cracking and falling apart.


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## DonD (Nov 7, 2011)

Actually, I'm not having any issues with the logs so far, which considering the stove has been running all of 2 weeks might not be worth much. It takes me about an extra 30 seconds to hit them with the vacuum and then pop them out and set them in front of the stove while I finish vacuuming the ash inside the stove. I really kind of like the looks enough to continue using them, at least for now. Maybe in February I'll feel differently.

What does concern me is there effect on heat generation, if any. They might be bad if they disrupt the flame pattern and keep the flame from evenly heating the top baffle. They might be good if they slow down the exhasut air. They might have no effect. I plan to do some of my tests with and some without the logs to see if I notice a difference.

As for the italics, they are like any of the formatting codes used on most forums. You can have _italics_, *bold*, [del]lined out[/del] and probably others by using the tags. In fact with this forum, when you are creating a reply you can double click a word and then select one of the buttons at the top *, , <del> to do this automatically or to add a hyperlink, quote, etc. What it does it put a special symbol on either side of the word to invoke the formatting.



		Code:
	

It looks like this: [i]italics[/i], [b]bold[/b], [del]lined out[/del]

*


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## jtakeman (Nov 8, 2011)

I am really surprised with the Okies and the short pwellets. Short pellets in my stove usually pack more into the burnpot. But the spring auger in the quad is not as small pellet friendly.

Did you get to the Turmans Yet? I honestly think you will see very similar results with all 3 of these brands. Maybe try some extremely bad pellets to see what you can get yourself into? Inferno's and Nations Choice seem to get very low scores. Just curoius on the good, bad and very ugly.


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## johnnycomelately (Nov 9, 2011)

Well, well, well,  look at here......Okies, Turman and Barefoot, all bought and paid for....ready to burn.
Ahhhh it must feel good to be king! definitely try some crap pellets like Jay says, and you will indeed see the difference. Get a few bags of Inferno, Bayou, New England or Nation's Choice and then report back to us....Your Majesty 
And how the hell did you get those pallets over the railings of your porch still intact? Royalty and Wizardry- a ruthless combination. Enjoy the heat.


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## DonD (Nov 9, 2011)

j-takeman said:
			
		

> I am really surprised with the Okies and the short pwellets. Short pellets in my stove usually pack more into the burnpot. But the spring auger in the quad is not as small pellet friendly.
> 
> Did you get to the Turmans Yet? I honestly think you will see very similar results with all 3 of these brands. Maybe try some extremely bad pellets to see what you can get yourself into? Inferno's and Nations Choice seem to get very low scores. Just curoius on the good, bad and very ugly.


I guess that, from what I was reading here, I was expecting the Oakies to be like 40 deg hotter than anything else. They burned fine and all the short ones and crumbs made it up the auger just fine. They just were not any better than the Barefoots. I haven't cracked open the Turman's yet.

In my other Okie thread you were going to get confirmation on the Oakie date code â€˜210 11 01â€™. Did you hear back if it means day 210 of 2011? Like I said, that seems right - day 210 would put them at the end of July and they were delivered on 9/23.

Not sure if I even want to try bad pellets.  I just might not need to know who ugly they can get. %-P


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## DonD (Nov 9, 2011)

johnnycomelately said:
			
		

> Well, well, well,  look at here......Okies, Turman and Barefoot, all bought and paid for....ready to burn.
> Ahhhh it must feel good to be king! definitely try some crap pellets like Jay says, and you will indeed see the difference. Get a few bags of Inferno, Bayou, New England or Nation's Choice and then report back to us....Your Majesty
> And how the hell did you get those pallets over the railings of your porch still intact? Royalty and Wizardry- a ruthless combination. Enjoy the heat.



Yeah, looks like we have the same purveyor of fine pellets. Only one place in CT that has Okies, Turman and Barefoot. What do you think of the Oakies? I had some issues.

Let's see - I guess I need a contest to see if anyone can figure out how the pellets got there. Levitation? Secret entrance? Hint - I already explained it elsewhere.  ;-)


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## jtakeman (Nov 9, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

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



I had no power for many days and forgot to ask Mr.Warm the scoop. I just sent the email and will post his reply when I recieve it.

Are you sure we can get you to try some low grade stuff? ;-)


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## olddawgsrule (Nov 9, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

> Barefoots and Okies overlayed.



Really like the format! Good job.

My system of testing is primitive compared to yours, but... getting the same results for the Oakie's.

Barefoots and Turmans  I haven't seen in my area yet, so I can't compare..

If either of these are in the Southern NH area, please advise!
Would like to try them.


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## jtakeman (Nov 9, 2011)

I was way off. Here is the reply from Doug,



> that would be Nov 1st, 2010â€¦..why they can't print it like that I have no ideaâ€¦.this would be a green/white bagâ€¦..


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## johnnycomelately (Nov 16, 2011)

How did u gettem over the railing on your deck.


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## whit (Nov 16, 2011)

olddawgsrule said:
			
		

> Barefoots and Turmans  I haven't seen in my area yet, so I can't compare..
> 
> If either of these are in the Southern NH area, please advise!
> Would like to try them.


If SW NH, or north-central MA Hamshaw Lumber carries Barefoots, but tends to have them sold out before each truckload arrives.


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## DonD (Nov 23, 2011)

oldmountvernon said:
			
		

> ok lets get to the Turman's


I just finished bag 5 of the Okies and I'm waiting for the stove to cool down so I can clean it and get a good ash measurement on the Okies. Then I'll fill'er up with Turman's. I'll get some measurements over the weekend. I have to say I've seen a couple of posts expressing a little disappointment with the Turman's which surprised me. I'll be real curious how they compare.


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## DonD (Nov 23, 2011)

johnnycomelately said:
			
		

> How did u gettem over the railing on your deck.


The answer is one click away...  :coolsmile:


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## jwspinn (Nov 30, 2011)

Anyone know where I can find Okanagans or Turmans in the Hudson Valley area?  I'm in Clinton Corners, NY 12514 (Dutchess County)
Happily, I've found Barefoots.  I'm looking to round out the Holy Trinity of wood pellets and maybe do some fun tests of my own when the real cold hits.

Just inherited a CB 1200 w/ my new home.  Been reading on this forum 3 weeks straight and finally registered.  Safe to say, I have the Wood Pellet Flu and it looks terminal.

Thanks for any and all help!


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## JIBLANE (Nov 30, 2011)

These pellets are the most expensive in my area sometimes as much as $100 a ton more. I don't have your setup but I think it would be cool if you tossed in a test or two of a cheaper brand like American wood Fibers just to see why they cost that much less just to compare. If there is not much difference or close I wood stick to saving some money. Just a thought either way its nice that you are taking the time to let us in on the results thanks.


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## DexterDay (Nov 30, 2011)

jwspinn said:
			
		

> Anyone know where I can find Okanagans or Turmans in the Hudson Valley area?  I'm in Clinton Corners, NY 12514 (Dutchess County)
> Happily, I've found Barefoots.  I'm looking to round out the Holy Trinity of wood pellets and maybe do some fun tests of my own when the real cold hits.
> 
> Just inherited a CB 1200 w/ my new home.  Been reading on this forum 3 weeks straight and finally registered.  Safe to say, I have the Wood Pellet Flu and it looks terminal.
> ...



 The CB 1200 will burn any pellet with ease. Its the ash and heat that I look for. 

I dont have access to Okies and other "Super" brands (not really Super anyomore by PFI standards). But Somersets, AWF, Pro Pellet, Greenway, Green Supreme, and Lignetics (Presto's and Green label) all burn the best in my Quad.  Try before you buy for sure. 

Congrats on the inheritance of the stove and welcome to the "Sickness" er, I mean Forum.


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## DonD (Nov 30, 2011)

jwspinn said:
			
		

> Happily, I've found Barefoots.  I'm looking to round out the Holy Trinity of wood pellets...


 I like it!

I got my Holy Trinity at CT Pellet which looks to be no farther from you than they are from me. They don't claim to deliver outside of CT and are not cheap for the pellets or delivery but it depends on how bad you want'em. Might be worth a call.


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## jwspinn (Dec 1, 2011)

Thanks people!  Great advice.
Who knew hunting, gathering and burning bags of compressed sawdust could be so much fun?!


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## DonD (Dec 4, 2011)

Here's my Turman's results. Generally speaking I liked them a lot but not as much as the Barefoots. They were very dusty and seemed to leave my glass dirtier than the Barefoots. The Turman's measured the hottest so far but my Barefoot results are suspect. It was my first run and I didn't clean the stove before testing them. I suspect that resulted in lower temps and might explain why tubes 1-5 were hotter but tubes 6-10 were cooler than with Okies. I'm going to retest the Barefoots next. Hopefully the more I do this, the more consistent my methods (and results) will be.


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## DonD (Dec 4, 2011)

Here's the test results with the axis scale changed.


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## newf lover (Dec 4, 2011)

Looks like 3 great pellets there. I've burned all 3 and liked them, but you can tell from my signature which one my stove liked best!


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## johnnycomelately (Dec 4, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

> Here's the test results with the axis scale changed.


At the end of October, when the big storm hit the northeast, there wasn't a generator to be found anywhere, except at the Home Depot near where I live. There was one left, but the associate admitted to me that it was still on the shelf because it was missing a dipstick and therefore the engine will not run without spewing oil all over the place

You will see soon enough where I am going with this........

So, I found a pressure washer in the painting department with the same engine, and asked the associate if I could rob the dipstick off of that pressure washer. He said sure, no problem. So there I am, in the midst of a big power outage. Nobody around has power, no generators are to be found, lines are miles long at gas stations where there ere generators pumping gas, and I just scored myself a generator.....

Give me a minute here..........

So, up at the checkout counter, the girl at the register congratulates me and then notices a manufacturer's sticker on the generator that is peeling a little bit. She (meaning to be helpful, I know) procedes to tell me that a little soap and hot water will get the rest of the sticker off with out hurting the nice orange paint of the frame. I'm thinking to myself "are you freaking kidding me?...It's a freaking sticker!" I mean, nobody areoun has power, I got a generator, and she thinks I care about a damn sticker peeling? Sweet Jesus! Then she procedes to tell me that in aisle "such and such" there is a non-abrasive detergent that might do the trick. I very politely (well at least not rudely) told her that I cant wait for the day in my life where I have that kind of leisure time to worry about a sticker, and then thought to myself, if there exists anywhere, a man with that Kind of free time. 

Well.....Iv'e found that man. 
Enter DonD.
Don, I envy you like I envy Tom Brady. You're that man that the sales associate at H.D. mistook me for. Don't know how you do it, but you are the doctor, mayor, chief and wizard of time management. 

But seriously, thank you for your time in putting this together and contributing this information. It is actually very useful, and you have great taste in pellets...... If I only had your spare time.
Well anyways...Gotta go- I need to go iron my socks before I go out to pollish the insides of my gutters.


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## smoke show (Dec 4, 2011)

johnny is my new idol.  ;-)


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## DonD (Dec 4, 2011)

I'm not entirely positive but I think it took me less time to run the tests, put the results in Excel and post them than it took you to write that.

Good story though, just sayin'...

Anyway, what's your favorite?

So far for I like Barefoots best then Turman's (dusty) and Okies pretty far behind them. They were dusty, didn't burn clean at all on low and are looking less hot than the others. at least in my stove.


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## johnnycomelately (Dec 4, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

> I'm not entirely positive but I think it took me less time to run the tests, put the results in Excel and post them than it took you to write that.
> 
> Good story though, just sayin'...
> 
> ...


I like the Turmans first, then Okies second and then Barefoots. But, actually the difference between the three, to me, is so minimal, that I would say they are all beauties. To me, Turman, Barefoot, and Okies are like the three Kardashian sisters. Maybe you like one a little better than the others, but c'mon, aint none of us gunna say no to any of them...Right?


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## DonD (Dec 4, 2011)

Yep, I agree with you 100%. No sense in burning crap pellets. But... I'll take Kim over KhloÃ© or Kourtney any day. Kim is more like Barefoots to me.


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## smoke show (Dec 4, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

> Yep, I agree with you 100%. No sense in burning crap pellets. But... I'll take Kim over KhloÃ© or Kourtney any day. Kim is more like Barefoots to me.


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## johnnycomelately (Dec 4, 2011)

Oh, what a coinsidence.....
Barefoot and Turman are Hardwood too!


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## johnnycomelately (Dec 4, 2011)

Suddenly, on a chilly Sunday morning in December, this thread is really starting to kick some ass!


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## johnnycomelately (Dec 4, 2011)

oldmountvernon said:
			
		

> what stove are you running johnny ?


Oh...Nice Mount....way to kill a great thread.
Harman 
Now, back to the Hollywood T&A
Is there any doubt that we were the kids in school always getting yelled at by the teacher?


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## jtakeman (Dec 4, 2011)

Boy, Did this thread head south! :red:

Johnny, I agree! All 3 brands are so close that many couldn't tell the difference on a cold winter day. One thing they'd have in common is the house would be toasty warm.  :coolsmirk: 

DonD, Here is where putting an average pellet in the mix has some leverage. It makes these better brands shine. Just saying! ;-)


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## tjnamtiw (Dec 4, 2011)

smoke show said:
			
		

> DonD said:
> 
> 
> 
> > Yep, I agree with you 100%. No sense in burning crap pellets. But... I'll take Kim over KhloÃ© or Kourtney any day. Kim is more like Barefoots to me.



And she promised me she wouldn't pose for anymore pictures  I'm crushed.


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## DonD (Dec 11, 2011)

At the risk of causing Johnny C to have to concoct another elaborate story in wonderment as to how I could possibly have a spare hour in my life to do it, I decided to retest the Barefoots I tested earlier. Last time I didn't clean the stove first. Let's see if it makes a difference.

Waiting for the stove to cool so I can clean it...


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## johnnycomelately (Dec 11, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

> At the risk of causing Johnny C to have to concoct another elaborate story in wonderment as to how I could possibly have a spare hour in my life to do it, I decided to retest the Barefoots I tested earlier. Last time I didn't clean the stove first. Let's see if it makes a difference.
> 
> Waiting for the stove to cool so I can clean it...


Fortunately for you I don't have time to comment on that.....Right now, I must go outside and change the air in my tires.


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## DonD (Dec 11, 2011)

Air or nitrogen?


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## 76brian (Dec 11, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

> Air or nitrogen?



It's that time of year to change out the summer air for winter air.

Better change the headlight fluid while you're at it, and check out the carburetor bearings!

On a side note, I would love to see you test some cubies and LG if you can find them around there.


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## DonD (Dec 11, 2011)

76brian said:
			
		

> DonD said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



LOL That's why I asked Johnny if he was using nitrogen in his tires. I hear you don't have to change it as often. The other things you mentioned - yeah better do that before it's too late.

I was thinking of trying some Cubies but not sure I'm going to get to it. The local retailer that has them doesn't have Turman's and vice versa. Might be worth it to try so I know what I want to load up on next year. After all, that's what I'm doing this for. But after CT Pellet did such a great job getting them up on my porch I'm inclined to stick with them and Barefoot or Turman's. We'll see...


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## DonD (Dec 12, 2011)

First results - a clean stove burns hotter. Duh!

This shows it. Same stove/same pallet of pellets - clean stove burned an average of 13 deg hotter. This kind of explains the earlier results where the left side was hotter with Barefoot and the right side was hotter with Okies. Seems the dirty stove effected the right side more when I tested the Barefoots. Granted the left side didn't change much and the hot #5 tube didn't change much but a lot of air comes out tubes 6 and 7 and the difference there was pretty big. Keep them stoves clean! ;-)


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## DonD (Dec 12, 2011)

Next results - Barefoot/Okie/Turman's comparison with the new Barefoot data.

Both hardwoods were virtually identical (just over 1 deg average difference), and this I didn't expect, both were a pretty good margin hotter (15 - 16 deg average) than the Okies.

Looks like next year I'll be one of those northeast hardwood heads or whatever it was Jay called them (us). I'm gonna burn Okies for the next couple weeks and then I'll see if I get any better results.


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## johnnycomelately (Dec 12, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

> Next results - Barefoot/Okie/Turman's comparison with the new Barefoot data.
> 
> Both hardwoods were virtually identical (just over 1 deg average difference), and this I didn't expect, both were a pretty good margin hotter (15 - 16 deg average) than the Okies.
> 
> Looks like next year I'll be one of those northeast hardwood heads or whatever it was Jay called them (us). I'm gonna burn Okies for the next couple weeks and then I'll see if I get any better results.


All ribbing aside, you and I have a bit in common. You and I seem to like the good sh*t. I don't see as big of a big difference between the three as you do, and will continue to buy all three (as long as one doesn't become so outrageously expensive compared to the other two).  I like to mix it up, and as the old saying goes...."When in Rome, dont put all your eggs in is better than two in a bush ".


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## DonD (Dec 12, 2011)

johnnycomelately said:
			
		

> DonD said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yeah, good point. I probably should go up to BT and get some Cubex which I expect will be pretty similar to the other hardwoods and get which ever of the Barefoot, Turman's or Cubex I can get 4 ton of the cheapest. Certainly won't pay a premium for Barefoot like I did this year.

And yeah, I always go for the good sh*t.


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## jtakeman (Dec 12, 2011)

Couple of others you might want to try while your at BT besides the Cubex. MWP Super Premium Softwood and Spruce Pointes. A couple of sleepers might be Potomics and Logik-e! 

Couple more you might want to try at CTpellet as well! Platinum Fire and Geneva.

Both will have Hamers as well. 

But what do I know about pellet??? ;-)


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## Augmister (Dec 12, 2011)

Nice job with your testing Don, and thanks for sharing!   Would hope to try those Turman's at some point but the Barefoots run the best of all that I have used in my Castilles.   Barefoots not available to me this year, but I squirreled away a ton from a previous year and will crack into those in Jan-Feb.  Probably will be dumping the shoulder pellets soon (Fireside Ultras) and cracking open the Somersets (highly recommended, scored 2.5 tons last February at Lowe's in Killingly, cheap!)  

When you see Jonnycomelately, tell him to disconnect the hose from his pellet stove and plug it back into his CPAP, where it belongs....


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## DonD (Dec 14, 2011)

j-takeman said:
			
		

> Couple of others you might want to try while your at BT besides the Cubex. MWP Super Premium Softwood and Spruce Pointes. A couple of sleepers might be Potomics and Logik-e!
> 
> Couple more you might want to try at CTpellet as well! Platinum Fire and Geneva.
> 
> ...



Methinks you might know a thing or two about pellets.  :coolsmile: 

I called BT but they won't break up a ton of any super premium pellets (Cubex/Hamer) because of the 'shortage', she said. So much for my plan. I can carry home 1/2 a ton if anyone is interested in meeting up there and splitting a ton of Cubex. I'd love to give them a try.


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## jtakeman (Dec 14, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

> j-takeman said:
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This has made pellet testing fun this season! Maybe trade a couple of bags with another member to get a try of them before you go head over heals into a 1/2 ton? geek and I do it at times. He finds stuff I can't find and so on. I haven't had time to run to BT, So thanks for the heads up on that. I do need to get over there someday. When I do I'll let you know what they got on the open pallet/bag sales.


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## DonD (Dec 14, 2011)

Thanks for that. I'm not to worried about a half ton. After all I have to be a good little piggy. I bought my first 3.3 ton untried and sight unseen. That's one of the reasons, like JohnnyC, I like the good sh*t.


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## DonD (Dec 14, 2011)

oldmountvernon said:
			
		

> DonD said:
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That's what I mean - Cubex is right up there so I'm not too worried getting a bunch untried.


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## djs_net (Dec 14, 2011)

DonD said:
			
		

> j-takeman said:
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I work in Bristol and would be interested in splitting a ton of Cubex. Let me know here, or send me a PM.


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## DonD (Dec 14, 2011)

djs_net said:
			
		

> DonD said:
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Sounds like a plan. I'll PM you and we can make arrangements. I'm hoping the Cubex quality issues discussed in the other thread are behind us.


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## 76brian (Dec 15, 2011)

Yay! Looking forward to the results!


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