# How do you unload and store your wood pellets?



## ChrisWNY (Oct 3, 2014)

So my wife and I have a "system" for unloading and storing our pellets. The Fahrenheit pellet furnace sits in the basement (ducted to our first floor), so therefore all wood pellets are stored in the basement. I pick up wood pellets 1 ton at a time with my F-150 pickup, back the truck partially into the garage, then I remove all the bags off the pallet and onto a dry garage floor. Now comes the fun part, getting them into the basement. I don't have a direct entry way from the garage to the basement, but do have a doorway from the garage into the kitchen, and the basement door is just a few feet away in the kitchen. I had some cabinet paneling left over from when my house was built in 2008, so I cut the panel in half with a circular saw which I run down the left-side of my basement staircase, so it acts as a ramp (I duct tape the top of the panel to the top basement stair to hold it in place). I bring 1 or 2 bags in at a time from the garage, then slide them down the DIY ramp while my wife stays in the basement and stacks them on top of wooden pallets (to keep the bags off the concrete slab). We can get a whole ton unloaded into the basement this way in under 20 minutes. Definitely enough exercise for the whole week but it works well. I feel bad that she has to stack that many because one pellet bag is almost half her weight LOL but she manages to keep up with me. 

Just wondering what others do in their situations, whether it's stacking them outside somewhere and covering with a tarp, or creative systems that people have come up with to make unloading/storing wood pellet bags an efficient task...


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## dlavigne7324 (Oct 3, 2014)

ChrisWNY said:


> So my wife and I have a "system" for unloading and storing our pellets. The Fahrenheit pellet furnace sits in the basement (ducted to our first floor), so therefore all wood pellets are stored in the basement. I pick up wood pellets 1 ton at a time with my F-150 pickup, back the truck partially into the garage, then I remove all the bags off the pallet and onto a dry garage floor. Now comes the fun part, getting them into the basement. I don't have a direct entry way from the garage to the basement, but do have a doorway from the garage into the kitchen, and the basement door is just a few feet away in the kitchen. I had some cabinet paneling left over from when my house was built in 2008, so I cut the panel in half with a circular saw which I run down the left-side of my basement staircase, so it acts as a ramp (I duct tape the top of the panel to the top basement stair to hold it in place). I bring 1 or 2 bags in at a time from the garage, then slide them down the DIY ramp while my wife stays in the basement and stacks them on top of wooden pallets (to keep the bags off the concrete slab). We can get a whole ton unloaded into the basement this way in under 20 minutes. Definitely enough exercise for the whole week but it works well. I feel bad that she has to stack that many because one pellet bag is almost half her weight LOL but she manages to keep up with me.
> 
> Just wondering what others do in their situations, whether it's stacking them outside somewhere and covering with a tarp, or creative systems that people have come up with to make unloading/storing wood pellet bags an efficient task...


I lift them up .. I put them down ..


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## jotul? (Oct 3, 2014)

I know a way to do it in half the time with no effort at all. However, I don't want you rested enough to cheer for the Sabers so I can't tell you. If you were a Pens fan...


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## TimfromMA (Oct 3, 2014)

I pick up my pellets 1 ton at a time in my trailer.  I then load them 5 bags at a time onto a hand truck, wheel them into my walk in basement then unload and stack.


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## canuck_22 (Oct 3, 2014)

All 150 bags will be in my basement, better eat my spinach, no help.


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## kofkorn (Oct 3, 2014)

We use an old International tractor with a forklift attachment that is modified to fit on the bucket.  We get the pallets dropped in the driveway and then use the tractor to move them into my garage or shed.   Then I have a pallet jack to move them exactly where I want them.  I typically store two full pallets in the garage with 1 or 1 1/2 tons spread on top of them.  3 1/2 is usually enough to get me through to at least March.   

The bucket is just narrow enough to pick pallets off of my 6 1/2' wide trailer if I decide to haul them myself.  Normally, I don't need to move the bags more than once, from the garage to the house.  That is other than stacking the extra 1.5 tons on top of the two pallets.


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## ChrisWNY (Oct 3, 2014)

jotul? said:


> I know a way to do it in half the time with no effort at all. However, I don't want you rested enough to cheer for the Sabers so I can't tell you. If you were a Pens fan...



If it's any consolation, I usually print out a nice color Pens logo onto photo paper and use it as a target, letting the sliding pellet bags crush the paper repeatedly. Last time I printed a photo of Crosby and he looked like this when I was done unloading...


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## Mr. Spock (Oct 3, 2014)

I grab a six pack and look at them in the driveway for while. When I don't give a hoot anymore I re-stack 'em in the garage.


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## hossthehermit (Oct 3, 2014)

Like this .....


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## thundercracker (Oct 3, 2014)

nice.  is there any problem with storing pellets in your basement?  does it attract rodents/insects?  i'm a newbie and i got 3 tons coming...


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## hossthehermit (Oct 3, 2014)

thundercracker said:


> nice.  is there any problem with storing pellets in your basement?  does it attract rodents/insects?  i'm a newbie and i got 3 tons coming...



Been keeping them there since 2008 ............. Burning a St. Croix Revolution furnace that's in the cellar ducted in parallel with my oil furnace which is only there for emergencies now. The slide system came after the second year of hauling them around by the door.


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## DneprDave (Oct 3, 2014)

I pick up one or two tons in my F350 truck, back it down the side of my house, unload them one at a time, carry them under my back porch and stack them on a pallet up against the house. 

Yes, I store them outside, but they don't get wet. I use the pellet stove to heat my enclosed porch in the winter, the pellet stash is almost directly under the pellet stove I don't have to carry the bags of pellets very far to reload the stove.

Dave


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## hossthehermit (Oct 3, 2014)

First year, hauled 'em myself, carted  'em all the way around ........










Second year, had 'em delivered, carted 'em in from half way ...........




The slide is the best .............


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## yrock87 (Oct 3, 2014)

I have room for 6 tons between both walls in my garage and under the staircase. The last two tons are outside under plywood and a tarp. I stack one row thick on both sides of my garage. Comes even with the garage door and my shelving / workbench.


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## stmar (Oct 3, 2014)

I keep mine in the barn, most years the supplier delivers and unloads with a forklift but this year I had to go get them and unload by hand. I have a firewood rack that holds about 20 bags in the garage. I try to keep it topped off between weather events, I use my ATV and cart, 10 bags at a time. I told my wife that the ATV was a tool and this is proof


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## Tonyray (Oct 3, 2014)

we remove those 2  basement windows on the right there and hand them in 1 at a time..
doesn''t take long..
Keep them covered just in case since all our water pipes travel above the pallets.
remaining 2 tons will be here next sat.


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## ttdberg (Oct 3, 2014)

I back my truck up to the walkout basement door and from there load the bags about 8 at a time onto a cart then wheel them over and re-stack them into pallets 15 to 17 rows high. It's actually very quick and easy to do this way.


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## hossthehermit (Oct 3, 2014)

Tonyray said:


> we remove those 2  basement windows on the right there and hand them in 1 at a time..
> doesn''t take long..
> Keep them covered just in case since all our water pipes travel above the pallets.
> remaining 2 tons will be here next sat.



How far ya haulin' them ??????????? Pretty good load for that truck .......


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## jotul? (Oct 3, 2014)

ChrisWNY said:


> If it's any consolation, I usually print out a nice color Pens logo onto photo paper and use it as a target, letting the sliding pellet bags crush the paper repeatedly. Last time I printed a photo of Crosby and he looked like this when I was done unloading...


I make one comment and poor Sid takes it right in the neck. Man. I guess I'll wait until the regular season starts before we start looking at win/loss stats.


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## LGTWhit (Oct 3, 2014)

Pretty simple, get delivered, use neighbors pallet jack and wheel 4 tons to back of garage, then stack another ton on top


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## bill3rail (Oct 3, 2014)

Pick up one ton at a time with my friend and his 1969 GMC P/U, he backs up to the front of my pellet shed and load one bag at a time into 7 stacks of 35 bags.

Bill


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## Ctcarl (Oct 3, 2014)

This year got 4 tons delivered from Loews  .carried one bag a time.then a few weeks did a run for 30 more bags in my SUV .had my daughter and her fb help me unload that one lol.


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## fmsm (Oct 3, 2014)

I would be concerned sliding them, doesn't it create substantially more fines?


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## Big papa (Oct 3, 2014)

ChrisWNY said:


> So my wife and I have a "system" for unloading and storing our pellets. The Fahrenheit pellet furnace sits in the basement (ducted to our first floor), so therefore all wood pellets are stored in the basement. I pick up wood pellets 1 ton at a time with my F-150 pickup, back the truck partially into the garage, then I remove all the bags off the pallet and onto a dry garage floor. Now comes the fun part, getting them into the basement. I don't have a direct entry way from the garage to the basement, but do have a doorway from the garage into the kitchen, and the basement door is just a few feet away in the kitchen. I had some cabinet paneling left over from when my house was built in 2008, so I cut the panel in half with a circular saw which I run down the left-side of my basement staircase, so it acts as a ramp (I duct tape the top of the panel to the top basement stair to hold it in place). I bring 1 or 2 bags in at a time from the garage, then slide them down the DIY ramp while my wife stays in the basement and stacks them on top of wooden pallets (to keep the bags off the concrete slab). We can get a whole ton unloaded into the basement this way in under 20 minutes. Definitely enough exercise for the whole week but it works well. I feel bad that she has to stack that many because one pellet bag is almost half her weight LOL but she manages to keep up with me.
> 
> Just wondering what others do in their situations, whether it's stacking them outside somewhere and covering with a tarp, or creative systems that people have come up with to make unloading/storing wood pellet bags an efficient task...


I have an 18 year old slave that takes small handouts so I don't touch a bag


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## m159267 (Oct 4, 2014)

TimfromMA said:


> I pick up my pellets 1 ton at a time in my trailer.  I then load them 5 bags at a time onto a hand truck, wheel them into my walk in basement then unload and stack.


+1


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## Tonyray (Oct 4, 2014)

hossthehermit said:


> How far ya haulin' them ??????????? Pretty good load for that truck .......


about half mile from dealers wharehouse to my house....


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## Big papa (Oct 4, 2014)

Here's how I do it I travel about 30 miles to pick them up


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## Tonyray (Oct 4, 2014)

Big papa said:


> Here's how I do it I travel about 30 miles to pick them up


I Would never travel 30 miles with an overloaded truck as u can see in my post. too dangerous and prob would get a ticket.
my dealer is in an Industrial park half mile from my house.. old gravel road off highway for 1/4 mile, then 1/4 paved  dead end road  to my house.
Wharehouse is behind those trees down the street.
Lucky for me he is so close... small town USA.
Home depot is 1/2 mile in other direction when I want to pick up some Stove chows for shoulder season.


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## Big papa (Oct 4, 2014)

Tonyray said:


> I Would never travel 30 miles with an overloaded truck as u can see in my post. too dangerous and prob would get a ticket.
> my dealer is in an Industrial park half mile from my house.. old gravel road off highway for 1/4 mile, then 1/4 paved  dead end road  to my house.
> Wharehouse is behind those trees down the street.. small town USA.


My truck is rated to tow 11,300lbs trailer in pick and pellets weigh 10,300lbs my truck was under loaded by 1000lbs and handled it fine. Neither vehicle trailer or truck was overloaded.oh and to spare any future questions I had a local DOT police officer review this set up and I am legal to 11300lbs just to be sure


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## OhioBurner© (Oct 4, 2014)

Big papa said:


> Here's how I do it I travel about 30 miles to pick them up


Wish I had a trailer like that!

I bought pellets for the first time last week. 2T on the truck and 1T on the trailer. About at trailer rating, slightly over on the truck but I often haul more than that for a lot longer distances.

Tractor bucket couldn’t pick up a whole tone, didn't figure it would but tried. However for going in the house it came in handy. Brought the bucket up to the load and slipped a smaller pallet on the bucket tines and through on a pile of bags. Then with the extra reach of the bucket I can pull up to the steps on the porch and the bags are right at the front door, raised up to perfect working height. I stacked 32 bags in by the stove on the brick hearth where I used to stack wood. Rest 2.x tons went in the back of the garage. They were packaged so well probably could have left them outside, but I don't really have a good spot by either door to put them. I'll just do the same when the time comes and fill up the tractor bucket and pull up over the porch to the front door.










^excuse the mess havent been using that room all year and just took out the leftover firewood that was stacked there. Got to clean out all the boxes and junk, and take out the woodstove, pellet stove is sitting right out the front door on the porch. Door is right next to that window, so luckily only have to carry those bags of pellets about 5 steps if I use the tractor bucket to get em right to the door.


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## Big papa (Oct 4, 2014)

Nice set up there.that trailer is built like a tank and weighs as much too I like to get an ez loader weighs 2000lbs less so I can haul 4 tons at a time and still be under my trucks max lbs


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## ChrisWNY (Oct 5, 2014)

fmsm said:


> I would be concerned sliding them, doesn't it create substantially more fines?



Not that I've noticed. Depending on how strong the bags are, however, they can split when they hit the bottom of the slide. I had about 9 or 10 Pro Pellet bags split on me the other day just sliding them on my ramp on the basement staircase.


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## ChrisWNY (Oct 5, 2014)

hossthehermit said:


> How far ya haulin' them ??????????? Pretty good load for that truck .......



I wondered that myself. No way I'd load 2 tons into the bed of my 2014 Ford F-150 STX. 1 ton alone puts a lot of load on the suspension and I only have to haul them about 5 miles from TSC to my home.


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## Big papa (Oct 5, 2014)

I'm pretty sure that's a 250?


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## hossthehermit (Oct 5, 2014)

ChrisWNY said:


> Not that I've noticed. Depending on how strong the bags are, however, they can split when they hit the bottom of the slide. I had about 9 or 10 Pro Pellet bags split on me the other day just sliding them on my ramp on the basement staircase.



That's one of the reasons the bottom of my slide rests on a table, it shortens the drop. PLUS, it leaves the bags at waist height so I don't have to lift 'em up off the floor ..........


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## dlehneman (Oct 5, 2014)

I haul anywhere from 10-30 bags at a time home in my SUV, park in the driveway and lug them 1 at a time through the garage, through the kitchen and down the basement stairs, then stack them on racks I built along the walls. Up to 5.5 tons so far this year this way....I earn my dinner with all that work!
I stored them in the garage the first year I had the stove which saved a whole lotta work, but ate up way too much space. The basement can store over 6 tons on my racks and could easily accommodate more if I need it to (plenty of storage space there).


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## OhioBurner© (Oct 5, 2014)

ChrisWNY said:


> I wondered that myself. No way I'd load 2 tons into the bed of my 2014 Ford F-150 STX. 1 ton alone puts a lot of load on the suspension and I only have to haul them about 5 miles from TSC to my home.





Big papa said:


> I'm pretty sure that's a 250?


Not sure if your confusing me and TonyRay there Big Papa... his is obviously a Chevy. Cant tell if 1500-3500. If thats a 1500 thats one heck of a load! Bet the axle would be riding on the bump stops.  But like he said he's only got a very short distance, as long as there is not big potholes I can't see it being a major problem. If its a heavy duty then not as big of deal. 






Mines an F350 with heavy service suspension:


Even with that it drops the back end about a half of foot, but still two fingers between the springs and the big bumper thingies. The truck is rated around 4,000# payload but of course my gear inside plus the tongue weight of the trailer puts it over that. I do haul that or a bit more somewhat frequently for A LOT longer distances... bet I've clocked a couple thousand miles so far with >4,000# in the bed. Probably could have got a dually.

Only problem I've had so far is my bed floor is all warped


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## coobie (Oct 5, 2014)

Big papa said:


> My truck is rated to tow 11,300lbs trailer in pick and pellets weigh 10,300lbs my truck was under loaded by 1000lbs and handled it fine. Neither vehicle trailer or truck was overloaded.oh and to spare any future questions I had a local DOT police officer review this set up and I am legal to 11300lbs just to be sure


Ya gotta love folks who make DUMB comments when they don,t even know your towing weights.Good looking setup you have there,nice trailer.


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## UpStateNY (Oct 5, 2014)

Raised ranch, delivered to driveway in front of garage, put 5 bags at a time in traditional wheelbarrow, wheel to back of house and in outside room under back deck.   Fortunately rodents don't eat wood pellets.  During the winter I have to haul one to two bags a day upstairs to burn.  Its good exercise if I want to stay warm.


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## Big papa (Oct 5, 2014)

coobie said:


> Ya gotta love folks who make DUMB comments when they don,t even know your towing weights.Good looking setup you have there,nice trailer.


Well what tow ratings are you referring to


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## Big papa (Oct 5, 2014)

My truck is a 2012 f150 with the max tow package.7700lb gvwr-front gawr 3900 lb-rear gawr 4200lb tires LT. rated for over 3000lbs hitch class 4 rated at 1450lbs weight distributing BW reciever rated at 1500 lbs. my truck empty weighs 5577lbs.can legally handle a ton in the bed and pull 11,300 lbs.not sure what I'm missing here maybe you could shed some light


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## reg1952 (Oct 5, 2014)

I have an extension ladder and screwed Lexan onto it and put legs on one end. One end sat at top of stairs and the on the other end at bottom of stairs the legs held the ladder up about 3' of the floor. My back door comes into the house right at the stairs. I back the truck up to door and I place bags at top of ladder and they slide right down to the bottom where they stop and my son picks them up there and piles them. Now this year he got married and moved out. So I bored a 4'' hole though my wall, made a hopper in garage and they flow down the hopper though a pipe right into the stove. Lots of room in my garage now to store them now that his stuff is gone.

PS. My ladder/slid is for sale if anyone is close.


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## coobie (Oct 5, 2014)

Big papa said:


> Well what tow ratings are you referring to


I was referring to tonyray foolish comments.


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## ChrisWNY (Oct 5, 2014)

hossthehermit said:


> That's one of the reasons the bottom of my slide rests on a table, it shortens the drop. PLUS, it leaves the bags at waist height so I don't have to lift 'em up off the floor ..........



Yeah I'll have to figure something out to lessen the impact at the bottom of the "staircase slide". I hadn't ever experienced problems with bags splitting until the Pro Pellets. I chalked it up to cheap/weak bags. I could drop the Instant Heat pellet bags off the 2nd story roof and they probably would not have split on a concrete surface.


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## Tonyray (Oct 5, 2014)

coobie said:


> I was referring to tonyray foolish comments.


Was referring TO Myself NOT driving 30 miles with MY OVERLOADED TRUCK. Not Bigpapa.
Read it again and take your time so ya don't spit out  [Foolish] comments....


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## coobie (Oct 6, 2014)

Tonyray said:


> Was referring TO Myself NOT driving 30 miles with MY OVERLOADED TRUCK. Not Bigpapa.
> Read it again and take your time so ya don't spit out  [Foolish] comments....


I think you tweeked your post after you wrote it?


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## OhioBurner© (Oct 6, 2014)

coobie said:


> I think you tweeked your post after you wrote it?



Then maybe you should have quoted it. I for one had no idea what you were talking about. Very confusing when there are multiple responses going on at the same time and not sure who is talking to who. He may be overloaded (we don't really know he hasnt said maybe its a 3500 with extra springs or something, no one really asked) but even just half ton if your just going a short distance I don't see it as a big deal if its just an old beater truck (but again hard to tell from the pic).


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## Tonyray (Oct 6, 2014)

coobie said:


> I think you tweeked your post after you wrote it?


this was my comment [un-tweeked]
_I Would never travel 30 miles with an overloaded truck as u can see in my post. too dangerous and prob would get a ticket.
my dealer is in an Industrial park half mile from my house.. old gravel road off highway for 1/4 mile, then 1/4 paved dead end road to my house.
Wharehouse is behind those trees down the street.
Lucky for me he is so close... small town USA.
Home depot is 1/2 mile in other direction when I want to pick up some Stove chows for shoulder season._
Obviously you read it as commenting on Big Papa's rig but it was my Overloaded truck that I would not take on a 30 mile run..
Only a short half mile as I stated..


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## tiger (Oct 6, 2014)

OK, new to this, got my 2 tons delivered in the driveway, and over three days my wife and I carried them into the basement, right through the house (and unlike firewood, no debris to clean up afterward!) I'll say this, while she complained a bit she never slowed down; I could have stopped for a beer and she would have kept on going.

The stairs were of course the least-fun part. I have an outside stairwell I have not been using, and I just roofed it over (w/walls, doors, etc). I'm thinking about setting up to get the bags in via that, and at first thought about a schoolyard sliding board and was wondering about what angle would suffice to get them to slide. Then, here at the office, they are reconfiguring the warehouse and I was looking at a leftover section of roller-conveyor, and hmm, I know the bags should roll on that (foam rubber stopper at the bottom). I could load up, eh, 25 bags at a time in the utility trailer behind the car, drive the rig around behind the house, and as fast as the wife could toss them on the conveyor, I could pull them off at the bottom and stack.


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## Dustin (Oct 6, 2014)

I hit the easy button on this one. 

HD drops them just inside the carport, then i pallet jack them into the corner. Stove is just inside the carport door. 

I did however buy a bucket to keep near the stove. I fill this bucket, holds about one bag and leave it next to the stove. 

Happy wife.. Happy life


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## Polar Bear (Oct 6, 2014)

I ask my father to bring his dual axle trailer... otherwise I'm only loading 10-20 bags at a time.


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## Deromax (Oct 7, 2014)

New stove and first year on the pellet scene!

I wasn't home when the delivery was made.  They used some kind of fork lift as it left tires marks in the dirt driveway.  They placed the two 1.5 tons pallets near the basement entrance like I had asked.

I then moved the bags one by one into the basement and stacked them just like they were on the shipping pallets.  I only have 4 steps down to the basement from back yard level.  Took a tad over an hour, and actually went better than i had envisoned!


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## JonSkow (Oct 8, 2014)

Don't let her fool you.  The puppy did most of the work.  2.5 tons should keep things toasty for the season.  It's nice living in a small house.


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## Tim Linden (Oct 8, 2014)

I've always had mine delivered inside the garage. Unfortunately the 3rd pallet
started to fall apart so that one is in the driveway. I'm debating stacking them
on the sides of the garage for more space but haven't decided yet.


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## ScotL (Oct 9, 2014)

tiger said:


> OK, new to this, got my 2 tons delivered in the driveway, and over three days my wife and I carried them into the basement, right through the house (and unlike firewood, no debris to clean up afterward!) I'll say this, while she complained a bit she never slowed down; I could have stopped for a beer and she would have kept on going.
> 
> The stairs were of course the least-fun part. I have an outside stairwell I have not been using, and I just roofed it over (w/walls, doors, etc). I'm thinking about setting up to get the bags in via that, and at first thought about a schoolyard sliding board and was wondering about what angle would suffice to get them to slide. Then, here at the office, they are reconfiguring the warehouse and I was looking at a leftover section of roller-conveyor, and hmm, I know the bags should roll on that (foam rubber stopper at the bottom). I could load up, eh, 25 bags at a time in the utility trailer behind the car, drive the rig around behind the house, and as fast as the wife could toss them on the conveyor, I could pull them off at the bottom and stack.


You may want to throw them on the conveyor and let her stack - if you're stacking right next to the conveyor. I use a plastic slide through my basement window and set the bottom on a table. The stacking part in the basement isn't as much work as bending down and putting every bag on the slide. If your conveyor (or slide) just barely sticks out of the basement window, the part outdoors is harder work and hard on the back.

Someday I'd like to get one of those roller conveyors that's long enough so I can set it on the table inside and support the outside at waist height. Then both ends would be easy on the back. If your conveyor is like that, will you update the thread so I can hear how it works out?


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## tiger (Oct 9, 2014)

Good point on having the spouse at whichever end of the conveyor is easiest. Also, yes, it occurred to me to have both ends of the conveyor at waist height -- if possible. I did a little on-line shopping, a 10' length might cost over $200 unless I can grab a used length on Craigslist, from a business shutting down or whatever. As I think I may be mostly good-to-go for this winter, I can take my time on finding one. And no, where I will stack is NOT right at the end of the conveyor, unfortunately.



ScotL said:


> You may want to throw them on the conveyor and let her stack - if you're stacking right next to the conveyor. I use a plastic slide through my basement window and set the bottom on a table. The stacking part in the basement isn't as much work as bending down and putting every bag on the slide. If your conveyor (or slide) just barely sticks out of the basement window, the part outdoors is harder work and hard on the back.
> 
> Someday I'd like to get one of those roller conveyors that's long enough so I can set it on the table inside and support the outside at waist height. Then both ends would be easy on the back. If your conveyor is like that, will you update the thread so I can hear how it works out?


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## mr47930 (Oct 9, 2014)

Dump truck backed up to the garage as close as they could with still being able to open the swinging doors. Put 2 empty pallets in the back corner of the garage and took 10 bags off the dump truck onto a fridge dolly, wheeled them over to the empty pallet and re-stacked. Took less than an hour for 4 tons with just me and the delivery guy. I was almost able to fit the entire 4 tons onto the 2 pallets by about 15 bags.


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## dlehneman (Oct 9, 2014)

First year I stored them in the garage, 4 tons which I restacked onto 3 pallets. Garage humidity gets pretty high and they were in my way there, so last year I moved to basement storage along the walls. I built simple racks to store one row deep, made from 2 x 4's (3 per rack) and 3/4" thick high density particle board. Saved a lot of room versus pallets (at least for me). 

This year I've added a second stove in the basement and moved some things around. Modified  2 of the racks to fit into an alcove area (lost about 1 ft each) , so 2 rows deep now, and put the 3rd along an adjacent wall. So here is 6 tons stacked nicely in a small amount of space while still being accessible.


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## Polar Bear (Oct 9, 2014)

Looks good. Drawn to the clouds/drywall mud haha


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## Tim Linden (Oct 9, 2014)

That looks really nice! I'll be honest, the reason I haven't taken them off the pallets..
I'm not too sure I'll be able to stack them in a neat way LOL


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## dlehneman (Oct 9, 2014)

Polar Bear said:


> Looks good. Drawn to the clouds/drywall mud haha


Those are actually clouds painted by my wife. This was a kids lounge area and she wanted it to be less "basement like". Now they have moved to the other side of the basement where they have a lot more space but no clouds (at least not yet).

I had my first pellet bag collapse of the season last night while restacking...you definitely have to stack very carefully if you don't overlap the bags like they are on the pallet!


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## dlehneman (Oct 9, 2014)

This was last years setup along the walls.


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## mr47930 (Oct 9, 2014)

dlehneman said:


> This was last years setup along the walls.


 
How'd those green Lignetics burn for you last year? Ive heard mixed reviews. I've got 2 tons sitting in the garage waiting for winter.


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## dlehneman (Oct 9, 2014)

The Lignetics were very hot, with a little less then average ash. One of the hottest pellets I tested last year and I would buy more if they were so expensive here. Only one dealer locally and they want $300 ton! For that much I can get Lacrete's which should be even hotter and significantly cleaner. The Lignetics were almost identical to the Green Team Platinums (within 1 degree) and similar ash, but I can buy GTP's for MUCH less money, so I went with several tons of those instead.


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## mr47930 (Oct 9, 2014)

dlehneman said:


> The Lignetics were very hot, with a little less then average ash. One of the hottest pellets I tested last year and I would buy more if they were so expensive here. Only one dealer locally and they want $300 ton! For that much I can get Lacrete's which should be even hotter and significantly cleaner. The Lignetics were almost identical to the Green Team Platinums (within 1 degree) and similar ash, but I can buy GTP's for MUCH less money, so I went with several tons of those instead.


 
Thats good to hear! A local dealer by me was selling the Lignetics for $239 a ton so I picked up 2. We got 2 tons of O'Malleys for free from the stove shop for buying the stove and from what I hear they are garbage. I'll burn those up this spring/fall and save the Ligs for the cold months.


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## tjnamtiw (Oct 9, 2014)

dlehneman said:


> First year I stored them in the garage, 4 tons which I restacked onto 3 pallets. Garage humidity gets pretty high and they were in my way there, so last year I moved to basement storage along the walls. I built simple racks to store one row deep, made from 2 x 4's (3 per rack) and 3/4" thick high density particle board. Saved a lot of room versus pallets (at least for me).
> 
> This year I've added a second stove in the basement and moved some things around. Modified  2 of the racks to fit into an alcove area (lost about 1 ft each) , so 2 rows deep now, and put the 3rd along an adjacent wall. So here is 6 tons stacked nicely in a small amount of space while still being accessible.



That's just too darn neat!  Makes me sick!


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## tjnamtiw (Oct 9, 2014)

I told my wife if she wants to be warm this winter, she better darn well get her lazy butt out there and stack those bags up neatly.

I feel great!  This is the first day I could see out of both eyes since I told her that!  Doctor says the concussion wasn't too severe, either!


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## BrotherBart (Oct 9, 2014)

I envy anybody that can see the walls and floor of their garage.


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## t5eu9eb7 (Oct 9, 2014)

I pick up 4 or 6 tons at a time in my truck depending on how good the fork lift operator is.




I carry 4 bags at a time down to the basement and stack them not so neatly. 




That is only 8 tons there. I like the way you guys stack in single file along the walls. I need to try that. I bet I could get all 10-12 tons in less space.


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## thundercracker (Oct 9, 2014)

1st time burner this year.  for you guys who store in the basement  - do you have any issues with insects/rodents?


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## dlehneman (Oct 9, 2014)

I haven't had any issues with insects or rodents, but my basement is dry, pretty tight and humidity controlled year round, so that could be why. Spiders and beetles sometimes find there way in but they don't bother the pellets at all.


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## t5eu9eb7 (Oct 9, 2014)

I am only heading in to my third season but so far no issues. I do use most of my pellets and in the summer I rotate whats left and clean around them.


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## thundercracker (Oct 9, 2014)

thanks for the replies.   my basement is dry for the most part, especially in the winter.  just want to make sure i dont have any issues.


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## Tonyray (Oct 9, 2014)

You guys are sooooo neat with your pellet stacking...
Tell me when u take a bag or 2 off the stack you straighten out any that dared Move left or right....!!


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## BrotherBart (Oct 9, 2014)

Wait till ya see how he arranges the pellets in the hopper.


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## dlehneman (Oct 9, 2014)

BrotherBart said:


> Wait till ya see how he arranges the pellets in the hopper.


That's when the OCD really comes out


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## Tim Linden (Oct 9, 2014)

You guys don't smooth it out in the hopper?


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## dlehneman (Oct 9, 2014)

Oh no I do, I was being serious about the OCD tendencies!


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## johninwi (Oct 9, 2014)

tiger said:


> sliding board and was wondering about what angle would suffice to get them to slide



15 degrees, i was using hardboard, similare to masonite, a bag set on the board would stay put but a light bump and it would slide to the end. i built 2 8' long slides and a 40 degree starter ramp to go out the window, the lower end was set on saw horses about 25" off the floor with an old door for a level "table". total was 9 bags on the slide, 1st bag or bag and a half one made it onto the flat of the table, the remaining bags would collect on the slope and could be slid down easily.
after using it once i may scrap it, think i might try and build a roller slide using pvc tubing and 2x4's as stringers, space the rollers about 5-6 inches apart and i should be able to get them across the room, which then leeds to can i put the rollers at an angle and arc the stringers to go around a corner, but that might be a bit much


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## johninwi (Oct 9, 2014)

dlehneman said:


> Oh no I do, I was being serious about the OCD tendencies!


your not alone


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## cmartin (Oct 10, 2014)

I carry them inside from the garage, remove the fake air vent, set the bag on the first step, cut the bottom corner, and they fall out of the bag into my bin in the basement.  The bin holds about one ton.  Then I fill one bucket at a time and carry 20' to the stove.  I have never carried a bag down the stairs.


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## mr47930 (Oct 10, 2014)

cmartin said:


> View attachment 140834
> View attachment 140832
> View attachment 140831
> 
> ...


 
And drink the beer when you're finished!


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## dlehneman (Oct 10, 2014)

I have a long trip with my pellets, but the liquor cabinet is near the start and there's a beer fridge near the end, so either way, I'm all set


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## tiger (Oct 10, 2014)

johninwi said:


> 15 degrees, i was using hardboard, similare to masonite, (SNIPPITY SNIP SNIP)  can i put the rollers at an angle and arc the stringers to go around a corner, but that might be a bit much



Thanks for the detailed answer. I have not measured yet but I'm thinking a sliding board might not work for me but a roller conveyor might.


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## Tim Linden (Oct 10, 2014)

cmartin said:


> View attachment 140834
> View attachment 140832
> View attachment 140831
> 
> ...


I love the fake vent idea!


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## amynrichie (Oct 11, 2014)

TimfromMA said:


> I pick up my pellets 1 ton at a time in my trailer.  I then load them 5 bags at a time onto a hand truck, wheel them into my walk in basement then unload and stack.


That's how we do it.


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## bill3rail (Oct 13, 2014)

cmartin said:


> Pellet Bin Front.JPG Pellet Bit Side.JPG Pellet Chute.JPG
> I carry them inside from the garage, remove the fake air vent, set the bag on the first step, cut the bottom corner, and they fall out of the bag into my bin in the basement. The bin holds about one ton. Then I fill one bucket at a time and carry 20' to the stove. I have never carried a bag down the stairs.



Love this idea, how about build plans?  This is exactly what I need to build for the beautiful wife in our basement.
Even if you just sketched it out, we can recreate it and make it fit our space.  
I know exactly where I would build it, right below a basement window.

Bill


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