# soft pellets or hard wood pellets ?



## chico (Sep 6, 2013)

I'm in Canada and for some reason most of the pellets available in my area ( Onterio ) are hard wood and they advertise as though the hard wood pellets are better then soft wood and also sell the hard wood at a higher price .  Last winter  I was in Massena new York and saw a pellet mill so I stopped in to se if they sold pellets to the public .  They gave me a price list and I saw that they were selling the soft wood pellets at a higher price than the hard wood ?????? I was a bit confused so I asked why ?? The women in the office told be that I had it all wrong and that the soft wood pellets burn much better ( cleaner and less ash) then the hard wood.  She then gave me 2 bags of each ( hard wood, soft wood , and a blend ) for free to try out and compare. I did find that the soft wood pellets burned much better and cleaner than the hard wood did . I had a better flame, less coals in the burn pot and it even seamed like less ash when I did my clean out...

    This year as I am starting to prepare for winter and shopping for pellets. I am seeing the same thing in my area. All hard wood pellets are selling at a higher price then the soft wood ????? and they claim hard wod is better.

* So witch is better hard wood pellets or soft ???*


   hear is a price example ...

    In my area ( Onterio Canada )  1 bag of hard wood pellets $5.99 soft wood $4.99  and blend is $5.49
    And the price at the pellet mill I visited in Massena NY last year  Hard wood pellets $4.99 soft wood $6.49 and blend $ 5.40


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## john193 (Sep 6, 2013)

Softwoods are cheaper in your area due to availability. Hardwoods are expensive up there as opposed to the US because of availability.

I'm afraid a lot of the information is just marketing. While there is argument that softwood pellets can deliver higher BTUs, the bigger variable is pellet composition and quality. There are hardwoods that would give softwood pellets a run for their money.

Since pellets are compressed they don't burn like wood in a woodstove.

You can find lots more info on the topic here.

http://www.wowpellets.com/hardwood-vs-softwood

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/wood-pellets-soft-vs-hard.5242/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/sotfwood-vs-hardwood-pellets.101068/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/softwood-vs-hardwood-pellets-useage.37871/


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## Markus38 (Sep 6, 2013)

I would buy the softwood if they were cheaper I like blends or softwood to hardwood


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## mralias (Sep 6, 2013)

Oh know...Here we go again.  The short answer to the question is* yes*. Anything after that is opinion only. IMO it depends on what your stove likes the best. Some burn softwood better and others burn hardwood better. Try a few bags of each before any large purchase.


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## Delta-T (Sep 6, 2013)

excellent question.....


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## will711 (Sep 6, 2013)

chico said:


> I did find that the soft wood pellets burned much better and cleaner than the hard wood did . I had a better flame, less coals in the burn pot and it even seamed like less ash when I did my clean out...


I think you answered your own question and they are a buck  less a bag


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## chico (Sep 7, 2013)

john193 said:


> Softwoods are cheaper in your area due to availability. Hardwoods are expensive up there as opposed to the US because of availability.
> 
> I'm afraid a lot of the information is just marketing. While there is argument that softwood pellets can deliver higher BTUs, the bigger variable is pellet composition and quality. There are hardwoods that would give softwood pellets a run for their money.
> 
> ...


 

wow allot of good info here  thank you


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## chico (Sep 7, 2013)

ok guys check this out  I found the website for the mill that I bought those softwood pellets from in Massena new York. take a look at these specs for there soft wood pellets  And they were the nicest burning pellets I have ever used in my 8 years of burning .. only problem is the cost allot and I bought them right from the mill

http://curranpellets.com/products.html


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## Harman p-68a (Sep 7, 2013)

I like the curran softies gosh I wish the softies were cheaper around here holy moly I am paying the extra this year and getting all softies my experience with them was very pleasing to me But this is just me!!


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## Hoot23 (Sep 7, 2013)

Softies


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## Lousyweather (Sep 8, 2013)

b-b-ut......hey, I burn only HARDWOODS in my woodstove.....have fer years......SOFTWOODS are certainly inferior in log form and pellet form as well......


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## jtakeman (Sep 8, 2013)

Lousyweather said:


> b-b-ut......hey, I burn only HARDWOODS in my woodstove.....have fer years......SOFTWOODS are certainly inferior in log form and pellet form as well......



The New England hardwood theory. Mythbusters won't even touch this!


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## movemaine (Sep 8, 2013)

john193 said:


> There are hardwoods that would give softwood pellets a run for their money.



This implication of this quote explains everything -  meaning, that there are hardwoods that might come close or even possibly tie with softwoods in terms of performance, but they are few and far between. There are obviously differences in pellet quality (a crap pellet is a crap pellet) and differences in stoves, but softwoods tend to outperform hardwoods.


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## Harman p-68a (Sep 8, 2013)

jtakeman said:


> The New England hardwood theory. Mythbusters won't even touch this!



Oh yeah the hardwood hard heads , I get the dont the softwood burn up quicker, or the look of your a fool and crazy.I just go with the attitude of if you get a chance buy a few bags and give em a try and or wouldnt matter if they burned better or not just not going to admit the softies do better . Thats good all the more softies for me


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## Lousyweather (Sep 9, 2013)

it can get pretty weird, as not ALL softwoods are great, nor are ALL hardwoods great....sometimes folks just aren't comparing apples to apples, quality-wise. Even within the "Premium" grade, there is  quite a range of ash contents, and to a smaller extent, BTU's , within the just one grade.....   .48% versus .21% might not SEEM like a lot, but hey, its less than half the ash! As for the ash itself, many consumers don't realize its a percentage BY WEIGHT, not volume (which is how the rank-and-file tend to measure their ash.....ie; "the ash pan is full ALREADY?!").......  

part of the issue as well is likely that the consumer may figure that as a salesperson you have some sort of vested interest in selling softwoods, but they know better than any dumb pellet salesperson, and they aren't gonna let you trick them into thinking otherwise (softwoods are more heat/less ash than hardwoods!? yea....BS....)......

on another note....42 degrees this morning......all you fence-sitters still sitting there waiting for the prices to drop?......


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## chico (Sep 11, 2013)

chico said:


> ok guys check this out  I found the website for the mill that I bought those softwood pellets from in Massena new York. take a look at these specs for there soft wood pellets  And they were the nicest burning pellets I have ever used in my 8 years of burning .. only problem is the cost allot and I bought them right from the mill
> 
> http://curranpellets.com/products.html


I went to the Curran pellt mill in new York this morning and got me some softies they told me At this time of year they sell them cheaper $4.60 a bag but the price will go up in winter. So I'm stocking up now


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## Bioburner (Sep 11, 2013)

Man went into the iron age with softwood charcoal firing the kilns.


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## will711 (Sep 11, 2013)

Bioburner said:


> Man went into the iron age with softwood


She didn't like that.


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## save$ (Sep 11, 2013)

mralias said:


> Oh know...Here we go again.  The short answer to the question is* yes*. Anything after that is opinion only. IMO it depends on what your stove likes the best. Some burn softwood better and others burn hardwood better. Try a few bags of each before any large purchase.


 Bam! x2 you got that this one right on


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## SmokeEater (Sep 11, 2013)

I just ordered 8 tons of Curran's softwood-hardwood blend from a local store and the price was $229.50 per ton, same as the hardwood.  It's not over yet because I'll have to pay 8% tax and delivery which is about $8/ton to my home.  They cut the price from $10 delivery per ton because I can unload the pallets with my Kubota.  It all comes to about $255/ton delivered with tax included.  This same store put my name in a jar for a draw and the award is a ton of pellets.  Added a ticket for each ton I bought.  Who knows???  Another store nearby is asking $250 per ton before tax and delivery and a third was asking $4.99 per bag for Curran hardwoods or $234/ton is they were bought that way.  Last year I bought a couple of tons from this last store and was charged $209 once and $219 for the second ton later.


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## Pellet-King (Sep 11, 2013)

People think of there woodstove experiance, where hardwoods would always be better, but a quick burn of a pellet is where softwoods are dominate


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## stillersnut (Sep 11, 2013)

Pellet-King said:


> People think of there woodstove experiance, where hardwoods would always be better, but a quick burn of a pellet is where softwoods are dominate


I wish I could get my hands on some soft woods.  I only tried some Rocky Mountains years ago, that my local TSC got in, I loved them.  I'm smack dab in the hardwoods of Pa.


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## Paul Raz (Sep 12, 2013)

chico said:


> I went to the Curran pellt mill in new York this morning and got me some softies they told me At this time of year they sell them cheaper $4.60 a bag but the price will go up in winter. So I'm stocking up now


Where is the Curran pellet mill in NY?


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## chico (Sep 12, 2013)

Paul Raz said:


> Where is the Curran pellet mill in NY?


Just off of main st in Massena N.Y


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## Paul Raz (Sep 12, 2013)

chico said:


> Just off of main st in Massena N.Y


Thanks


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## chico (Sep 12, 2013)

Paul Raz said:


> Where is the Curran pellet mill in NY?


20 Commerce Drive
Massena, NY 13662

phone: 315-769-2000

fax: 315-769-2001


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## Paul Raz (Sep 12, 2013)

chico said:


> 20 Commerce Drive
> Massena, NY 13662
> 
> phone: 315-769-2000
> ...


Thanks. I looked it up and forgot how big New York is...this is 6 hours from me. Would have been nice to swing in and visit. My daughter goes to College in Oswego NY, maybe i can swing over on a weekend visit when i go to see her. I should map that one out, otherwise I guess I'll just stick with the Hamers.


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## SmokeEater (Sep 12, 2013)

Paul Raz said:


> Thanks. I looked it up and forgot how big New York is...this is 6 hours from me. Would have been nice to swing in and visit. My daughter goes to College in Oswego NY, maybe i can swing over on a weekend visit when i go to see her. I should map that one out, otherwise I guess I'll just stick with the Hamers.


Check with Curran's and I'll bet that you find they wholesale to stores in your area.  I know that they sell some along the Southern Tier.


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## chico (Sep 13, 2013)

SmokeEater said:


> Check with Curran's and I'll bet that you find they wholesale to stores in your area.  I know that they sell some along the Southern Tier.


They have a list on there web sight


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## Countryboymo (Sep 13, 2013)

I can buy hardwoods for 145 a ton and almost hate to because the cleaning and maintenance is more than double compared to the cheapest softwood I can find.    My stove does much better with soft woods.


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