Are there really bad pellets out there?

[Mr._Graybeard]

In the Upper Midwest we have some chains that operate on the farm/fleet model. They sell everything from animal feed to auto parts to blue jeans. They also sell fuel pellets, often EasyHeats and Marth hardwoods. The one exception is Tractor Supply, which tends to do better. At TSC, though, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what brands they're gonna have until you load them on the trailer.
Selections in this area are mostly hardwoods and hardwood blends, although we see some softies from South Dakota. And, the local TSC is currently selling softwoods from a brand called Timberland (Peak) that I've been burning lately. They claim 8400 BTU, but again, who knows. My one complaint is that the bags are loaded with fines. They're part of a lumber/millwork company called Woodgrain, with mills in the PNW and VA/NC.

 

[Tonyray]

back here in Pa same issue.. softwoods are by far the hottest and usually least ash but,
many brands have lot of fines in the bags,, the 1 downside.. fines burn up same as pellets.

 

[Dataman]

back here in Pa same issue.. softwoods are by far the hottest and usually least ash but,
many brands have lot of fines in the bags,, the 1 downside.. fines burn up same as pellets.

I agree, Fines Burn up just Fine. Go thru my Harmon XXV without any hickup or problems. Even the places where water got in the bag burn up just fine (Dryed Out of Course).

 

[bogieb]

compared to what the average person spends on take out, restaurants in a week and and it's gone in few hours... silly logic but true if u think about it..

I don't know who the average person is that you hang out with, but, I am way below average apparently

 

[johneh]

Like above I guess that I am so far below
average that as low as you can get is up
That take-out food, we might as well say what the ----- is that
Then again you know that the new year starts with WTF
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

 

[Tonyray]

yeah,, maybe average was wrong word ......
wife and I eat at home 99% of the time but so many we know just either don't want to cook or can;t and do the above many times ..
but, if we dwell on that part then we missed the point of pellets last longer or more bang for your buck.
this isn't facebook is it lol?

 

[Ricks]

I find the better question is what does my stove burn best. Depending on your stove the quality of the pellets may not matter. For example my Quest stove prefers a good high quality pellet line Douglass fur northern warmth. Harmons for example are known to burn just about anything.

It comes down to what your stove prefers, how much you want to clean your stove, how much heat you want, and how much you want to pay.

 

[Tonyray]

I find the better question is what does my stove burn best. Depending on your stove the quality of the pellets may not matter. For example my Quest stove prefers a good high quality pellet line Douglass fur northern warmth. Harmons for example are known to burn just about anything.

It comes down to what your stove prefers, how much you want to clean your stove, how much heat you want, and how much you want to pay.

my Harman will burn most anything but I prefer doug firs most times for the high btu and zilch ash. I cannot get that with low to mid grade hardwoods from most box stores.

 

[bogieb]

I find the better question is what does my stove burn best. Depending on your stove the quality of the pellets may not matter. For example my Quest stove prefers a good high quality pellet line Douglass fur northern warmth. Harmons for example are known to burn just about anything.

It comes down to what your stove prefers, how much you want to clean your stove, how much heat you want, and how much you want to pay.

I agree, and would add circumstances to the list... I do not care if there is ash, as long as it is within reason.

I cannot run most top tier pellets in my big stove because it will short cycle so badly that it makes a mess inside and in the exhaust. With mid grade pellets, it runs longer so has a chance to get everything hot so I never get anything except some fine ash that is easy to take care of, and rarely builds up.

The P43 runs any really good pellets that I score off of CL without that issue. At the same time, when it gets to the point I need to run that stove on constant burn, any hot burning pellets would drive the room temp too high for my liking. As it is, with middling pellets I only run the P43 on max feed rate of 1 (or less), to keep the house temp comfortable for me, until the outside temp is close to the negative teens (or it is super windy).

I'd just spend more $$ for high end pellets when my entire reason for installing pellet stoves was to save money. And that doesn't even account for still needing to buy middling pellets for the basement stove.