All pellets are the same!

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

Pelletfisky

Member
Jan 3, 2012
149
Eastern Pennsylvania
So I head out to the local Lowes to grab pellets and they have three different brands. I liked burning the Greenway, but they had two bags left. I gathered 20 bags of Presto Log and walked to another pallet looking at the other brand and the manager asked if I had emptied the other pallet. I told him no just looking for Greenway. He said "they are all the same just different company names on them." I didnt have the time or care to educate him but found it funny.
 
Pelletfisky said:
So I head out to the local Lowes to grab pellets and they have three different brands. I liked burning the Greenway, but they had two bags left. I gathered 20 bags of Presto Log and walked to another pallet looking at the other brand and the manager asked if I had emptied the other pallet. I told him no just looking for Greenway. He said "they are all the same just different company names on them." I didnt have the time or care to educate him but found it funny.

You should have told him grass seed is all the same too. %-P
 
Yes, I hear that at least once a season. Do me a big favor and try to educate that idiot for me. At least give him a link to my test threads. It may take a while, But we will eventually convert them all!

Oh, Wait a minute here. Maybe we shouldn't and it might be better to leave it alone. When the box stores think they are all the same, We see pellets like Somerset going for the same low price as Inferno's. Should we just let them be???
 
j-takeman said:
Yes, I hear that at least once a season. Do me a big favor and try to educate that idiot for me. At least give him a link to my test threads. It may take a while, But we will eventually convert them all!

Oh, Wait a minute here. Maybe we shouldn't and it might be better to leave it alone. When the box stores think they are all the same, We see pellets like Somerset going for the same low price as Inferno's. Should we just let them be???

I agree because I even asked how Greenway Super Premium Is exact same price as Presto Log! Those Presto are rather large pellets. The biggest I have come across. I do believe Pres-to-log is made by same company as Lignetics.
 
Tell that to my stove, I'm still apologizing to my stove for trying Nature's Energy.
 
j-takeman said:
Yes, I hear that at least once a season. Do me a big favor and try to educate that idiot for me. At least give him a link to my test threads. It may take a while, But we will eventually convert them all!

Oh, Wait a minute here. Maybe we shouldn't and it might be better to leave it alone. When the box stores think they are all the same, We see pellets like Somerset going for the same low price as Inferno's. Should we just let them be???

Sorry, but where are your test posts?
 
I got fed the same line from the kid at Lowes...Told me Green Supremes are made by the same company as Somerset's!! He irrated me from the get go because I couldn't understand what he was saying because he had a tennis ball sized earring stuck in his tongue!! I just bought my pellets and left instead of straightening him out!
If it wasn't so far away, I would load up the Green's, take them to him and make him eat them!! Although they may be a better as food than they are pellet for me.
 
now, if you would of spent some money
and bought a Harman
it would not matter
they all burn the same
 
saladdin said:
j-takeman said:
Yes, I hear that at least once a season. Do me a big favor and try to educate that idiot for me. At least give him a link to my test threads. It may take a while, But we will eventually convert them all!

Oh, Wait a minute here. Maybe we shouldn't and it might be better to leave it alone. When the box stores think they are all the same, We see pellets like Somerset going for the same low price as Inferno's. Should we just let them be???

Sorry, but where are your test posts?

go here
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/60581/
 
roadking88 said:
saladdin said:
j-takeman said:
Yes, I hear that at least once a season. Do me a big favor and try to educate that idiot for me. At least give him a link to my test threads. It may take a while, But we will eventually convert them all!

Oh, Wait a minute here. Maybe we shouldn't and it might be better to leave it alone. When the box stores think they are all the same, We see pellets like Somerset going for the same low price as Inferno's. Should we just let them be???

Sorry, but where are your test posts?

go here
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/60581/

j-takeman ran two sets of test the year prior to that test and links to those results are in the stickies at the top of this section of the forum.

Specifically in the first post here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/58243/

In addition he has ongoing test results on another web site.
 
Eatonpcat said:
He irrated me from the get go because I couldn't understand what he was saying because he had a tennis ball sized earring stuck in his tongue!!

have you seen dennis leary's bit where he is buying coffee from the kid in the convenience store?

fair amount of f-bombs in this. probably not safe for work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQxgv4QtKM8

that particular bit picks up at about 3:40
but the lead up is pretty good too.
 
I am sure there are differences in pellets. There are a few in the upper tier and a few in the lower tier. The rest are in the middle range. This is my 4th year burning, I have used and tried a lot of different brands. No matter what pellets I use, I still empty the ash pan every 1/2 ton and clean it every ton, all pellets make ash and give heat.

The bottom line at the end of the year, I saved money, stayed warm and (drum roll please) used 4 tons of pellets. Happens every year. Other than a few brands on either end, I don't think there is a heck of a lot of difference for most pellets.

Tom C.
 
ironpony said:
now, if you would of spent some money
and bought a Harman
it would not matter
they all burn the same

Okay I accept the offer...I will bring you my ton of Green Supreme's and trade for a ton of your Somerset's...Since it doesn't matter what you burn in your stove, I assume this won't be a problem!!

I actually started looking at Harman's, But my local dealers (At least the few that I checked out) didn't want to sell me a Harman, So I decided to get the Quad. That didn't work either, so with the help of a few of the boys in the know on this site, I got the M55.
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
roadking88 said:
saladdin said:
j-takeman said:
Yes, I hear that at least once a season. Do me a big favor and try to educate that idiot for me. At least give him a link to my test threads. It may take a while, But we will eventually convert them all!

Oh, Wait a minute here. Maybe we shouldn't and it might be better to leave it alone. When the box stores think they are all the same, We see pellets like Somerset going for the same low price as Inferno's. Should we just let them be???

Sorry, but where are your test posts?

go here
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/60581/

j-takeman ran two sets of test the year prior to that test and links to those results are in the stickies at the top of this section of the forum.

Specifically in the first post here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/58243/

In addition he has ongoing test results on another web site.

Thanks, good Sir.
 
Sad part is, they really believe it. I was at TSC looking at pellets and wanted the rebagged Hamers but was told by the people at the register that all the prices are the same because all the pellets are the same. I get whatever is easy for them to access at the moment. If it's the kind I want, then I luck out otherwise they don't shift pallets around like that. I tried to enlighten them about pellet qualities and bts but to no avail. I took my money and left. No point in arguing with people like that.

And yes, I haven't been burning pellets for long but I can certainly tell the different nuances of the pellets I've run through my stove. Big thanks to Jay for all his testing! I'll probably be burning Infernos right now if it wasn't for him and this forum!
 
I had a kid at Menard's move 8 pallets of Magic Sparks to get to the Somerset's I saw up on a higher storage rack!! Nice kid, if he called me any names, he did it under his breath!!
 
Thats funny, I can picture somebody out back in the pallet section of Lowes or w/e climbing up and over looking for a better brand. The usual employee who doesnt have a pellet stove is looking thinking WTF is wrong with the ten pallets up front?!!! 😄
 
Pelletfisky said:
Thats funny, I can picture somebody out back in the pallet section of Lowes or w/e climbing up and over looking for a better brand. The usual employee who doesnt have a pellet stove is looking thinking WTF is wrong with the ten pallets up front?!!! 😄

LOL! I've done that, trying to peer through the outside wrapping or circling ALL the pallets to find out what's under the covers. One good thing about some of the big box stores is their less then delicate handling of these pallets. I can usually count on them to poke holes through the wrapping with the forklift so I can see what's underneath. It's very helpful.
 
hotdawg said:
Pelletfisky said:
Thats funny, I can picture somebody out back in the pallet section of Lowes or w/e climbing up and over looking for a better brand. The usual employee who doesnt have a pellet stove is looking thinking WTF is wrong with the ten pallets up front?!!! 😄

LOL! I've done that, trying to peer through the outside wrapping or circling ALL the pallets to find out what's under the covers. One good thing about some of the big box stores is their less then delicate handling of these pallets. I can usually count on them to poke holes through the wrapping with the forklift so I can see what's underneath. It's very helpful.

Yes and it also leads to waterlogged pellets on more than just a few occasions.
 
ironpony said:
now, if you would of spent some money
and bought a Harman
it would not matter
they all burn the same

Ok, you have my attention, so is there any truth to this?

For with my limited experience most pellets need some tweaking of adjustments to burn cleanly, and some are just bad burners in my stove.

Jay's testing information has worked out super for me, and saved me much time and $$ with pellet selection. ;-)

I'm considering a Harman P38 to heat my basement.

1D
 
If all pellets are the same, how come they charge so much for those Oakies??!!! HAHAHAHA
 
1Dtml said:
ironpony said:
now, if you would of spent some money
and bought a Harman
it would not matter
they all burn the same

Ok, you have my attention, so is there any truth to this?

For with my limited experience most pellets need some tweaking of adjustments to burn cleanly, and some are just bad burners in my stove.

Jay's testing information has worked out super for me, and saved me much time and $$ with pellet selection. ;-)

I'm considering a Harman P38 to heat my basement.

1D

I'd like to know that answer too! Considering the P38 for my family room trying to decide between top feeder vs. bottom feeder and auto-ignite vs. manual. Good to know about the pellets though.
 
hotdawg said:
1Dtml said:
ironpony said:
now, if you would of spent some money
and bought a Harman
it would not matter
they all burn the same

Ok, you have my attention, so is there any truth to this?

For with my limited experience most pellets need some tweaking of adjustments to burn cleanly, and some are just bad burners in my stove.

Jay's testing information has worked out super for me, and saved me much time and $$ with pellet selection. ;-)

I'm considering a Harman P38 to heat my basement.

1D

I'd like to know that answer too! Considering the P38 for my family room trying to decide between top feeder vs. bottom feeder and auto-ignite vs. manual. Good to know about the pellets though.

Don't ever tell that to Sparkydog.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.