Favorite brand pellets/ worst brand pellets?

[justinc25]

Favorite Overall: Greene Team, but cost, and availability are making them prohibitive.

Current Favorite: Homestead from woodpellets.com
Heat and ash seem the same as Cleanfire Hardwood's this year.

Also in the stash:
Green Supreme
Logik-E
Fireside Ultra (from last year)
Maine's Choice (Free from a friend, not crazy about them, but free is free.)
Cleanfire Hardwood

Worst is a tie between 2 brands from the same manufacturer:
North American / Curran Renewable Energy Hard/Soft blend

By far the worst pellets I have ever run.
Total Junk, High Ash, Low Heat.
And the ash is the light fly ash that gets into everything, and insulates your heat exchanger, reducing your stove's effiency.

 

[Outerlimits]

Best: somerset, uncle jed's softwood, black hills gold, lignetics
Worst:Michigan/North country + Maeder brothers=pure junk-I will never buy again

 

[whit]

Great: Vermont, Barefoot
Okay: Green Supreme, North American
Marginal: Fireside Ultra
Suck: Inferno

 

[flynfrfun]

All the Oregon manufactured pellets are very good: Blue Mt, Bear Mt, & Blazers.

The worst are the Pennington's that the local Wal-Mart stocks.

I just tried Pacific Pellet out of OR and they are almost as hot as Bear Mtns, but hotter than Blazers. Just got 2 tons @ $211/ton. Never seen this brand until this year at my local Mclendon's hardware. Blazers burned at about 215F in my stove, Pacific pellet is 240F and Bear Mtn 250F. But, I can't get Bear Mtn for anything less than $300 around here, so they'll just have to sucker someone else into that price.

 

[jtakeman]

All the Oregon manufactured pellets are very good: Blue Mt, Bear Mt, & Blazers.

The worst are the Pennington's that the local Wal-Mart stocks.

I just tried Pacific Pellet out of OR and they are almost as hot as Bear Mtns, but hotter than Blazers. Just got 2 tons @ $211/ton. Never seen this brand until this year at my local Mclendon's hardware. Blazers burned at about 215F in my stove, Pacific pellet is 240F and Bear Mtn 250F. But, I can't get Bear Mtn for anything less than $300 around here, so they'll just have to sucker someone else into that price.

What heat setting are you burning at on the M55?

 

[johnnycomelately]

When you look at the pellets that people think are great, you see a wide variance in opinion. Yet universally, Inferno sucks. Hands down, sucks. I hate Maine Woods and New England too, but to their credit, there are a few members here who will retort and defend those brands. And this seems to hold true for almost all brands. Yet Inferno, (in-for-no heat!) has no friends. If I had a dollar for every post here that either praised or defended Inferno, I still would not have enough money to buy that pack of sugarless gum that I saw on sale at the market! Just goes to show you.....
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... but everyone knows ass-ugly!"
-Just sayin'

 

[flynfrfun]

J-...heat level 3, feed trim 3.

 

[76brian]

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… but everyone knows ass-ugly!â€

...so what you're saying is; You have the "Inferno" of avatars?

 

[DMZX]

All the Oregon manufactured pellets are very good: Blue Mt, Bear Mt, & Blazers.

The worst are the Pennington's that the local Wal-Mart stocks.

I just tried Pacific Pellet out of OR and they are almost as hot as Bear Mtns, but hotter than Blazers. Just got 2 tons @ $211/ton. Never seen this brand until this year at my local Mclendon's hardware. Blazers burned at about 215F in my stove, Pacific pellet is 240F and Bear Mtn 250F. But, I can't get Bear Mtn for anything less than $300 around here, so they'll just have to sucker someone else into that price.

I have not seen any Pacific Pellets over here on the eastside, but if do I will try a few bags. I can get Bear Mt.'s for $250/ton, but I get Blazers go fir $190/ton and Blue Mt.'s for $184/ton. So, I have mostly Blue Mt.'s (3 tons) in my cache.

 

[jtakeman]

J-...heat level 3, feed trim 3.

I run mine the same 3-3 and got 275ºF with Blazers. 262ºF with Okanagan's(westwood) Just thinking we can compare with some windage(mine eats a bit more!)? ;-)

 

[johnnycomelately]

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… but everyone knows ass-ugly!â€

...so what you're saying is; You have the "Inferno" of avatars?

Brian..I will admit, I ain't winning no handsome contests here, but I've got a nice personality.

 

[343amc]

Best: somerset, uncle jed's softwood, black hills gold, lignetics
Worst:Michigan/North country + Maeder brothers=pure junk-I will never buy again

OK, I gotta ask. Are you referring to the Michigan Wood Pellet based in Grayling or Michigan Wood Pellet Fuel based in Holland? I've got a couple tons, minus some bags, of the ones made by Michigan Wood Pellet Fuel in Holland. I have no major complaints about them. I bought a half ton of Somerset because they're highly regarded here, and they do burn nice, but are $50 more a ton so I'm saving those for really cold days.

 

[cuznvin]

Favorite Overall: Greene Team, but cost, and availability are making them prohibitive.

Current Favorite: Homestead from woodpellets.com
Heat and ash seem the same as Cleanfire Hardwood's this year.

Also in the stash:
Green Supreme
Logik-E
Fireside Ultra (from last year)
Maine's Choice (Free from a friend, not crazy about them, but free is free.)
Cleanfire Hardwood

Worst is a tie between 2 brands from the same manufacturer:
North American / Curran Renewable Energy Hard/Soft blend

By far the worst pellets I have ever run.
Total Junk, High Ash, Low Heat.
And the ash is the light fly ash that gets into everything, and insulates your heat exchanger, reducing your stove's effiency.

Im burning Homestead also. Havent got into the Cleanfire hardwood yet..

 

[flynfrfun]

J-...heat level 3, feed trim 3.

I run mine the same 3-3 and got 275ºF with Blazers. 262ºF with Okanagan's(westwood) Just thinking we can compare with some windage(mine eats a bit more!)? ;-)

I know mine burns 3.5lbs/hr on heat level 3, feed trim 2. I don't know how to figure what CFM is coming out of my heat exchanger. That could account for the difference if yours doesn't put out as much air. I know the new blower for the M55 puts out some serious air. Also, it depends on which tube you measure....my left outer tubes are hottest (lowest airflow). I take my temp on the 2nd one in from the left. I have one of these if you want to try to compare air velocity...

http://www.amazon.com/Windtronic-Wind-Speed-Meter-Anemometer/dp/B000WHPL14

 

[flynfrfun]

All the Oregon manufactured pellets are very good: Blue Mt, Bear Mt, & Blazers.

The worst are the Pennington's that the local Wal-Mart stocks.

I just tried Pacific Pellet out of OR and they are almost as hot as Bear Mtns, but hotter than Blazers. Just got 2 tons @ $211/ton. Never seen this brand until this year at my local Mclendon's hardware. Blazers burned at about 215F in my stove, Pacific pellet is 240F and Bear Mtn 250F. But, I can't get Bear Mtn for anything less than $300 around here, so they'll just have to sucker someone else into that price.

I have not seen any Pacific Pellets over here on the eastside, but if do I will try a few bags. I can get Bear Mt.'s for $250/ton, but I get Blazers go fir $190/ton and Blue Mt.'s for $184/ton. So, I have mostly Blue Mt.'s (3 tons) in my cache.

I like Blazers "OK", they leave way more ash than Cleanburn & Bear Mtn. If I could get Bear Mtns for $250, I'd do it as they burn hotter and real nice and clean.

I've been wondering though...what makes one pellet hotter than another assuming the same type of wood. Blazers are 100% Doug Fir and so are Bear Mtn...so what's the diff? I do know Bear Mtns are cut much shorter than Blazers, so probably more are getting fed into the stove each turn of the auger. So, maybe that's why they are hotter. But, why would one be cleaner burning than the other?

 

[Outerlimits]

Michigan wood pellets out of Holland, MI. Never tried the ones from Grayling.

 

[EZsteve]

J-...heat level 3, feed trim 3.

I run mine the same 3-3 and got 275ºF with Blazers. 262ºF with Okanagan's(westwood) Just thinking we can compare with some windage(mine eats a bit more!)? ;-)

275 out of the heat exchange? Or inside stove?

 

[flynfrfun]

I measure mine inside the heat exchanger.

 

[newf lover]

Favorites are Turman by far. A few years ago I bought 3 tons of NEWPs. I used to vacuum out my stove every 2 days because of the ash. I now vacuum my stove once a week, and I'm sure it could go longer; I'm just OCD about it. Heat is also great.

 

[DMZX]

I like Blazers "OK", they leave way more ash than Cleanburn & Bear Mtn. If I could get Bear Mtns for $250, I'd do it as they burn hotter and real nice and clean.

I've been wondering though...what makes one pellet hotter than another assuming the same type of wood. Blazers are 100% Doug Fir and so are Bear Mtn...so what's the diff? I do know Bear Mtns are cut much shorter than Blazers, so probably more are getting fed into the stove each turn of the auger. So, maybe that's why they are hotter. But, why would one be cleaner burning than the other?

I always thought that Bear Mt added cedar and cedar bark into their mix. I can not remember where I heard or read that, but it sounded right. Bear Mt pellets do have a hint of cedar smell to them.

 

[jtakeman]

J-...heat level 3, feed trim 3.

I run mine the same 3-3 and got 275ºF with Blazers. 262ºF with Okanagan's(westwood) Just thinking we can compare with some windage(mine eats a bit more!)? ;-)

275 out of the heat exchange? Or inside stove?

I measure mine inside the heat exchanger.

Mine is measured just outside the heat exchanger.

I know mine burns 3.5lbs/hr on heat level 3, feed trim 2. I don't know how to figure what CFM is coming out of my heat exchanger. That could account for the difference if yours doesn't put out as much air. I know the new blower for the M55 puts out some serious air. Also, it depends on which tube you measure....my left outer tubes are hottest (lowest airflow). I take my temp on the 2nd one in from the left. I have one of these if you want to try to compare air velocity...

http://www.amazon.com/Windtronic-Wind-Speed-Meter-Anemometer/dp/B000WHPL14

Flyin, Mine eats slightly more. About 3.8lbs/hr on heat level 3, feed trim 3. We probably can only get somewhat close. But if we use your temps as a base to mine. I bet I would see something like 307ºF from the Pacific pellet and 320ºF from Bear Mtn.

Using your 215ºF from the blazers to my 275ºF. A little ratio to proportion and I get the above numbers. Should be in the ball park anyways??

 

[flynfrfun]

Flyin, Mine eats slightly more. About 3.8lbs/hr on heat level 3, feed trim 3. We probably can only get somewhat close. But if we use your temps as a base to mine. I bet I would see something like 307ºF from the Pacific pellet and 320ºF from Bear Mtn.

Using your 215ºF from the blazers to my 275ºF. A little ratio to proportion and I get the above numbers. Should be in the ball park anyways??

J,
If I had to guess, mine probably burns about 3.8lbs/hr on feed trim 3. Too bad you haven't gotten any Bear Mtns to test. Sounds like they would blow the doors off everything else. But, I suspect it is because they cut the pellets so short, so it is actually feeding more lbs/hr than a longer pellet. A lot are 1/4" pebbles instead of the typical 3/4"+ pellets we typically see.

 

[flynfrfun]

...I always thought that Bear Mt added cedar and cedar bark into their mix. I can not remember where I heard or read that, but it sounded right. Bear Mt pellets do have a hint of cedar smell to them.

I LOVE the smell of Douglas Fir pellets as I load the hopper!

 

[jtakeman]

Flyin, Mine eats slightly more. About 3.8lbs/hr on heat level 3, feed trim 3. We probably can only get somewhat close. But if we use your temps as a base to mine. I bet I would see something like 307ºF from the Pacific pellet and 320ºF from Bear Mtn.

Using your 215ºF from the blazers to my 275ºF. A little ratio to proportion and I get the above numbers. Should be in the ball park anyways??

J,
If I had to guess, mine probably burns about 3.8lbs/hr on feed trim 3. Too bad you haven't gotten any Bear Mtns to test. Sounds like they would blow the doors off everything else. But, I suspect it is because they cut the pellets so short, so it is actually feeding more lbs/hr than a longer pellet. A lot are 1/4" pebbles instead of the typical 3/4"+ pellets we typically see.

I asked them for a sample for a review, They just laughed and said NO! Too far from them and way to pricey to ship.

I love the smell and about everything else from the Doug Fir pellets. Best is the ash percentage is so low its nuts. 0.17% or close is the lowest of any pellet I ever seen!

Maybe some day???

 

[Utilitrack]

Favorites-Cubex, Okanagans, Spruce Pointes, Lignetics
Decent-Corinth, Northeast Pellets, LG's
Mehhh-Energex, MWP

Pellets that i would like to try based on the reviews on here...VERMONT Pellets.