Big box store Pellet comparing! List and mini review!

[tgloersen]

Hey Jay,

Just my 2-cents, Picked up some Presto-logs, Somersets, and Marth from Lowes in Derby, CT. Was doing the same thing as far as testing. I beleieve they were 4.93/bag

Anyway i have only tried the Presto-logs so far. Found that they have allot of fines, heat output seemed to be Ok. Definetly allot more ash then say what Barefoots i was burning last year.

I'm saving my Hamers Hot Ones for the real cold months.

 

[globewyre]

This is a cool list. I have buyiing different brands from the box store becuase they are cheaper. $6 a bag is the avg cost from non box stores. HD is charging $5 right now.

 

[sinnian]

I don't believe I am not the first to say this, and am sure I will not be the last, but........

THANK YOU J

 

[saturngirl1]

Fireside Ultras are finish and I am not impressed with there performance. About 3/4 of a jar of ash. Its over the 2 1/2 cup mark. Black soot on the glass! Heat output was OK.

You be the judge. Beaten by the Rockies.

Also here is a photo of the samples so far. Yes the Prest O Logs are darker than the others! I will get the temps tonight.

Check post 1 Fireside results are in!
jay

Does the darkness of the pellet tell you anything about how they burn?

NO...that is an old wife's tale.. You can't tell how good/bad a pellet is by it's color, you have to burn it to find out.

I do have to disagree just a tiny bit. Sometimes pellets that are too dry will turn a dark brown, almost burned looking on the outside. They will not burn well.

Samantha Eldredge
Quality
Corinth Wood Pellets

why wont a too dry pellet not burn well?

We've noticed when a machine is running a little too hot and the moisture is a little low that the pellets will scorch a bit and they don't burn well. It isn't something that happens often thankfully but it does.

 

[jtakeman]

Check First post the results are in for the Inferno's

Hey, I got my first real CLINKER this year(so far) Check photo attachment.

I only have one thing to say about the Inferior's. I mean Inferno's. Not worth wasting your hard earned cash on.

I nominate them for this years MUSHY award. Worst pellet of the year (to date).

jay

P.S. I am having fun really. I might complain a little. But it is interesting. Wife is kinda joining in too!. She been pellet hunting for me. My goal is to have fun and learn! Maybe I can help someone else in the process!

Thanks

 

[jtakeman]

I don't believe I am not the first to say this, and am sure I will not be the last, but........

THANK YOU J

Awe shucks! Your making me blush! :red:

Here's a photo to compare the samples.

 

[schoondog]

Check First post the results are in for the Inferno's

Hey, I got my first real CLINKER this year(so far) Check photo attachment.

I only have one thing to say about the Inferior's. I mean Inferno's. Not worth wasting your hard earned cash on.

I nominate them for this years MUSHY award. Worst pellet of the year (to date).

jay

P.S. I am having fun really. I might complain a little. But it is interesting. Wife is kinda joining in too!. She been pellet hunting for me. My goal is to have fun and learn! Maybe I can help someone else in the process!

Thanks

This is my idea of reality TV (PC) !

Schoondog

 

[chrisasst]

Fireside Ultras are finish and I am not impressed with there performance. About 3/4 of a jar of ash. Its over the 2 1/2 cup mark. Black soot on the glass! Heat output was OK.

You be the judge. Beaten by the Rockies.

Also here is a photo of the samples so far. Yes the Prest O Logs are darker than the others! I will get the temps tonight.

Check post 1 Fireside results are in!
jay

Wow...those pres to logs are a whole lot darker than the one I currently have in my stove. The ones I have are light color almost like your fireside's..

 

[amick780]

Thats a big booger!

 

[jtakeman]

Thats a big booger!

Hard as a rock too. I had to really crank the heat on the stove to get any heat from the Inferno's. I am really surprised that it made it through the mixer( auger stirrer ) in my burn pot. I have gotten very small ones, But nothin like this rock!

jay

 

[amick780]

Thats a big booger!

Hard as a rock too. I had to really crank the heat on the stove to get any heat from the Inferno's. I am really surprised that it made it through the mixer( auger stirrer ) in my burn pot. I have gotten very small ones, But nothin like this rock!

jay

As impressive as it is, goes to show you how bad those pellets are. I had spied them at our Price Chopper Grocery store for $5.99/bag.....I almost fell over! That was $1.00 off too

 

[CanadaClinker]

Great Info Jay.... I'm riveted..... hey maybe save up all the clinkers you get and after the testing is all done, use these little ingots to start your own foundry..... :lol:

 

[jtakeman]

Thats a big booger!

Hard as a rock too. I had to really crank the heat on the stove to get any heat from the Inferno's. I am really surprised that it made it through the mixer( auger stirrer ) in my burn pot. I have gotten very small ones, But nothin like this rock!

jay

As impressive as it is, goes to show you how bad those pellets are. I had spied them at our Price Chopper Grocery store for $5.99/bag.....I almost fell over! That was $1.00 off too

I got mine at Big Y. I paid $6.99 for them. I don't have the big y card.

Great Info Jay.... I'm riveted..... hey maybe save up all the clinkers you get and after the testing is all done, use these little ingots to start your own foundry..... :lol:

I think I will send it off to the manufactor. Maybe they can find another use for the pellets!

 

[SXIPro]

Thats a big booger!

Hard as a rock too. I had to really crank the heat on the stove to get any heat from the Inferno's. I am really surprised that it made it through the mixer( auger stirrer ) in my burn pot. I have gotten very small ones, But nothin like this rock!

jay

As impressive as it is, goes to show you how bad those pellets are. I had spied them at our Price Chopper Grocery store for $5.99/bag.....I almost fell over! That was $1.00 off too

I got mine at Big Y. I paid $6.99 for them. I don't have the big y card.

Great Info Jay.... I'm riveted..... hey maybe save up all the clinkers you get and after the testing is all done, use these little ingots to start your own foundry..... :lol:

I think I will send it off to the manufactor. Maybe they can find another use for the pellets![/quote]

Just squeeze it real tight between your two hands and it'll turn into a diamond. Didn't you ever see that episode of Superman???

 

[jtakeman]

It was a little colder today and I was able to burn about a ½ bag of the Bayou pellets. The glass has hazed over already. Not black but light gray. I was able to get the average heat output from them. I updated the chart on post 1. I don't have the ash yet. It will be a few days for that. The fines were more than expected. I got 1¼ cups per bag. So I called that medium for the fines. Heat seemed OK at 223º not great but good. I will keep you posted!

jay

 

[joefraser]

Jay,

So I've been burning the Boyou's for a while with my new stove. I've been taking temps periodically with a digital food stem themometer right at where the air comes out of the blower (I've been going right to the beginning not inside). On Heat of 8 and fan of 9 I got 183 degrees for the Bayou and 200 degrees for the Okanagans I just started burning. My only thought is, the Okies are a little bit smaller, how can we be sure that the smaller pellets aren't feeding faster accounting for the difference?

I'm sweating my ass off now! I only turned it up to high to see how hot they would get as I only bought 3 bags to try. Definatly alot less ash (softer and fluffier) for the Okies than the Bayou's. I imagine after 8-12 hras of burning without a clean there would be a bigger differance in temp do to the air being able to circulate better with less clinker.

 

[jtakeman]

Jay,

So I've been burning the Boyou's for a while with my new stove. I've been taking temps periodically with a digital food stem themometer right at where the air comes out of the blower (I've been going right to the beginning not inside). On Heat of 8 and fan of 9 I got 183 degrees for the Bayou and 200 degrees for the Okanagans I just started burning. My only thought is, the Okies are a little bit smaller, how can we be sure that the smaller pellets aren't feeding faster accounting for the difference?

I'm sweating my ass off now! I only turned it up to high to see how hot they would get as I only bought 3 bags to try. Definatly alot less ash (softer and fluffier) for the Okies than the Bayou's. I imagine after 8-12 hras of burning without a clean there would be a bigger differance in temp do to the air being able to circulate better with less clinker.

I never worried about it. But I assume you will get a minor amount more per turn. The test for that is how long the bag lasts. If the longer larger pellet is lasting for 24 hrs. and the smaller is 20 hrs. The quick fix is lowering the feed to get them close to the 24 hrs. Them recheck your temps.

If you think the Okies are small, Try to find some Barefoots. They actually use a smaller die for there pallets. You will get great heat but the you will go through more. Adjust the feed and it seems to even out.

I can't do any time studies. My stove is on Auto/off and is on a T-stat. There is no way to judge the amount of time it has run per day. And every day has been different. You really need to run a stove on manual for the start to the end of such a test to get true time studies. I don't plan on doing that. I like my stat feature and my house temp maintained. I will leave that to another forum member. One that runs there's 24/7 on one set speed.

 

[gbreda]

Jay

Thanks for this test, I am looking forward to the Greene Team results. Being my first year, I took the advice of not trying to over analyze and just get some decent quality pellets.

I still caught the P1P1 virus anyway.

Geno

 

[jtakeman]

Jay

Thanks for this test, I am looking forward to the Greene Team results. Being my first year, I took the advice of not trying to over analyze and just get some decent quality pellets.

I still caught the P1P1 virus anyway.

Geno

Doing this test has helped with the side effects from the P1P1 flu. Givin me some good pellet hoarding excuse's too! I really do need to get to Lowes in Danbury before all the other piggies get the good brands before I do! The best relieve is always been having multiple brands to try and choose from. I still get excited when I find a brand I have been looking for. Like Xmas and birthdays excited.

I only see one brand in your sig, look's like you need some relief too. Better get shopping. :lol:

Hay is the P1P1 contagious? Think the wife and kid got it too!

jay

 

[gbreda]

I only see one brand in your sig, look's like you need some relief too. Better get shopping. :lol:

Hay is the P1P1 contagious? Think the wife and kid got it too!

jay

Well, last weekend was the only time that I used the stove full time (warmed up again as of Tuesday, so its shut down since). Even with the stove in the basement, my better half liked the warmth of the house much better than when I use the oil monster, since I am stingy with the thermostat there. I must say that I did too. Plus the oil monster did not run all weekend, except for hot water :cheese:

That said, she is most definitely in favor of anything that keeps her warm. She has offered to fill her Durango with bags to help out, so contagious it is.

Geno

 

[jtakeman]

Bayou pellets are finished. See post one for results There was a lot less ash from the Bayous than I expected. The ash was also white colored on the glass and sides.

I put the Penningtons in and I will update the heat from them tonight. Fines were 1½ cups. Ash amount when finished burning.(may take a few days)

I stopped at lowes on the way home and picked up 2 bags of Marth pellets. Added to the list on post 1.

Jay

 

[odlaw]

Great thread and great job.
Have you tried to put any in a glass of water to see if they float? I personally have never seen a pellet float but have read thats a sign of a good pellet.
Thanks again

 

[CanadaClinker]

.......great job ....keep it up Jay..... still riveted to see the results unfold .....speaking of water test, i conducted a type of water test last winter on a couple of pellet brands to see their makeup (heard someone mention it on this forum)..... I let them dissolve in water then mixed them up in a clockwise direction and then let them settle in their layers ..... not sure if this test tells you anything or not....does show the sediment layers of the 2 products to be different.... the one on the right was almost pure white wood while who knows what was in the one on the left..... the on on the left did burn terrible...way too much ash, lots of 4th of july sparks all of the time....... I burn neither of these 2 types anymore since I found a quantity of hardwood lignetics.......... got to love this pellet research eh?.... CC :lol:

click pic to enlarge it....

 

[jtakeman]

Interesting! I never seen the water test. I see what you mean about the layers. Heavy stuff on the bottom and lighter on top. The one on the left even stained the water to a dark color.

I have never tried floating pellets either for that matter. Wife's tail?

I know what you mean about the brands. We all have our favorites we like to stick with. This year with the higher prices has made me search the other options available. But I do have enough to keep me warm when it turns real cold. Who knows maybe I will find a brand that out preforms my favorite.

Once I find a good one I think I am going to do some extended tests with them. See how the different batches preform. (Or maybe I am just bored and need something to do for the winter).

I found a neat scale at work. And I have permission from above to use it. It can measure in any format. I want to measure the ash from all the burns. Maybe try to figure the % of ash per brand too!

jay

 

[CanadaClinker]

Jay... re "(Or maybe I am just bored and need something to do for the winter)" ....... bet your retired......that will be me in 2 years from now (only been at it 31 now) ...... lookn' forward to it for sure.... then watch out.... might be testing the testing ........ ha......CC :lol: