I just paid eight bucks a bag for Somersets!!

[Countryboymo]

Paying a high price out of curiosity is nothing bad. I was in the regular burner forum browsing and got involved in a hedge (osage orange) conversation and ended up shipping some short logs on a pallet to someone out east where it does not exist and but only charged shipping but that is a really expensive way to get firewood. I pulled one trunk out of a old brush pile that had been pushed up and sitting for 15+ years by a previous owner and sent a 4' long chunk of it a long with a few other 4' chunks that had been seasoned for a couple years to split and burn. He couldn't believe it and after his wife almost burned up the stove with it I think only keeps it hidden for the coldest of days and to occasionally burn to show a friend.

 

[jawquin]

LOL on this thread. Sorry about the allergies.

 

[F4jock]

They are very good but don't be disappointed if your stove doesn't melt down. They are also an awesome pellet to cook with if you have a pellet cooker and I use them to cook for my lovely wife.

I hope your test works well and look forward to the results.

I tried cooking with them.last night but they tasted dry and woody. . . . . .

 

[hcbad96]

Which Lowes is that?

Carrollton

 

[SidecarFlip]

I tried cooking with them.last night but they tasted dry and woody. . . . . .

If you soak them in water, they 'puff' like cereal does and they become easier to digest.....

 

[SidecarFlip]

Paying a high price out of curiosity is nothing bad. I was in the regular burner forum browsing and got involved in a hedge (osage orange) conversation and ended up shipping some short logs on a pallet to someone out east where it does not exist and but only charged shipping but that is a really expensive way to get firewood. I pulled one trunk out of a old brush pile that had been pushed up and sitting for 15+ years by a previous owner and sent a 4' long chunk of it a long with a few other 4' chunks that had been seasoned for a couple years to split and burn. He couldn't believe it and after his wife almost burned up the stove with it I think only keeps it hidden for the coldest of days and to occasionally burn to show a friend.

My cousin makes long bows from Osage Orange btw.

 

[pageyjim]

Isn't cedar a softwood and aren't Somersets suppose to be 100% hardwood?

Manufactured from Appalachian Oak, Maple, Hickory, American Cherry

http://somersetpellets.com/home/index.php/where-to-buy

 

[riverat]

As a custom game call maker myself one has to be very careful on skin contact and especially breathing dust from domestic and many woods from overseas, like yew wood is very toxic, few years back I got a bad rash on my face and eyes making a crow call out of cocobolo wood, I always run a vacuum up against my work piece and wear a good mask for some of you folks that think wood can,t have health effects check out one of many links about different woods and side effects (broken link removed)

jeff

 

[chken]

So with oil at least locally down to 2.20 a gallon and my oil burner tech tell me I will burn about 3 gals of oil on the coldest of cold days. I need to ask at what point is it not cost effective to burn the pellets? I paid 279 a ton for what I got or about 5.60 a bag and burn a bag and a half a day or so.

A bag is BTU-equal to 2.4 gals of oil. So, at $2.20 a gallon, that's comparable to $5.30 for a bag, meaning that your oil is now cheaper than $279 a ton pellets.

Now, since your oil heating system and pellet heating system aren't the same, you can also compare that you're burning 1.5 bags to 3 gallons, though that's not really the best comparison since you said you burn 3 gallons on the coldest days. That's still like $8.40 for the pellets to $6.60 in oil on the coldest day. Sounds like your oil is making a strong case for being your fuel of choice when it's this cheap.

 

[tjnamtiw]

As a custom game call maker myself one has to be very careful on skin contact and especially breathing dust from domestic and many woods from overseas, like yew wood is very toxic, few years back I got a bad rash on my face and eyes making a crow call out of cocobolo wood, I always run a vacuum up against my work piece and wear a good mask for some of you folks that think wood can,t have health effects check out one of many links about different woods and side effects (broken link removed)

jeff

I've used cocobolo too. I always wear a respirator and face shield but the fine dust when you get down to 600 - 1200 grit penetrates everything! I use a lot of laminated woods too where the dust from the glues becomes part of the equation.



Black Ash Burl treated with stabilizer



Crazy colors that inexplicably sold over night!

 

[Lake Girl]

...Crazy colors that inexplicably sold over night!

Works of art tj ... not as easy to misplace and someone else can't mistake them for theirs with those colours!

As to the Somersets, not that impressed when I tried them. Love the softwoods and the smell of pine!

 

[bags]

Yes KY has plenty of cedar trees depending on where you are. Somerset is in southern KY close to TN and that area along with many areas of KY are mostly hard woods. Very close to Lake Cumberland. It is very doubtful they use cedar dust in their pellets and likely do not mill any cedar at all. Not saying Rufus or Billy Joe Bob didn't have some ran thru for some siding or other projects and some may have been introduced briefly. LOL! Cedar is a soft wood and insect resistant. It will spring up in fields and on hill sides and grows fairly quickly. This is seen a lot on farms that are no longer farmed.

$8 a bag? AARe ya crazy? OUCH! They go for $4 to $5 a bag here. They are good pellets from my experience. Seem to be consistent in all aspects from ton to ton thus far here and a great burning pellet. They can and will vary somewhat in color and texture depending on what they were milling for flooring. many types of hardwood flooring and they simply use the dust from whatever they are producing at a given time. For the most part the pellets are very consistent but i have caught some bags that look a little odd. Still burned well.

 

[Lake Girl]

Yes KY has plenty of cedar trees depending on where you are. Somerset is in southern KY close to TN and that area along with many areas of KY are mostly hard woods. Very close to Lake Cumberland. It is very doubtful they use cedar dust in their pellets and likely do not mill any cedar at all. Not saying Rufus or Billy Joe Bob didn't have some ran thru for some siding or other projects and some may have been introduced briefly. LOL! Cedar is a soft wood and insect resistant. It will spring up in fields and on hill sides and grows fairly quickly. This is seen a lot on farms that are no longer farmed.

$8 a bag? AARe ya crazy? OUCH! They go for $4 to $5 a bag here. They are good pellets from my experience. Seem to be consistent in all aspects from ton to ton thus far here and a great burning pellet. They can and will vary somewhat in color and texture depending on what they were milling for flooring. many types of hardwood flooring and they simply use the dust from whatever they are producing at a given time. For the most part the pellets are very consistent but i have caught some bags that look a little odd. Still burned well.

While the bulk of Somerset feedstock likely comes from their own processes, it is possible that they purchase some from other mills to keep up with the demand for pellets...

I know it's spring when I can smell the cedar trees off my front deck Definitely not there yet as we just got another drop in temps

 

[tjnamtiw]

Redcedar is regarded as a nuisance tree that grows wild and can infest any forest so, while they are clear cutting an area for pellet stock, redcedar will most likely be gathered up as well.

 

[F4jock]

Works of art tj ... not as easy to misplace and someone else can't mistake them for theirs with those colours!

As to the Somersets, not that impressed when I tried them. Love the softwoods and the smell of pine!

Gee thanks Lake. Everyone else is apparently in love with the things which is why I bought four bags to test. So far I'm not impressed either. Softees burned well but seemed to use more. I agree on the fragrance but I don't buy pellets to sniff them.

 

[F4jock]

Yes KY has plenty of cedar trees depending on where you are. Somerset is in southern KY close to TN and that area along with many areas of KY are mostly hard woods. Very close to Lake Cumberland. It is very doubtful they use cedar dust in their pellets and likely do not mill any cedar at all. Not saying Rufus or Billy Joe Bob didn't have some ran thru for some siding or other projects and some may have been introduced briefly. LOL! Cedar is a soft wood and insect resistant. It will spring up in fields and on hill sides and grows fairly quickly. This is seen a lot on farms that are no longer farmed.

$8 a bag? AARe ya crazy? OUCH! They go for $4 to $5 a bag here. They are good pellets from my experience. Seem to be consistent in all aspects from ton to ton thus far here and a great burning pellet. They can and will vary somewhat in color and texture depending on what they were milling for flooring. many types of hardwood flooring and they simply use the dust from whatever they are producing at a given time. For the most part the pellets are very consistent but i have caught some bags that look a little odd. Still burned well.

Lighter color than my Lignetics. Only bought four to test as most here seem to think they are the next best thing to canned beer. Frankly after about a bag I'm not all that impressed.

 

[F4jock]

A bag is BTU-equal to 2.4 gals of oil. So, at $2.20 a gallon, that's comparable to $5.30 for a bag, meaning that your oil is now cheaper than $279 a ton pellets.

Now, since your oil heating system and pellet heating system aren't the same, you can also compare that you're burning 1.5 bags to 3 gallons, though that's not really the best comparison since you said you burn 3 gallons on the coldest days. That's still like $8.40 for the pellets to $6.60 in oil on the coldest day. Sounds like your oil is making a strong case for being your fuel of choice when it's this cheap.

Right for me now oil is still the equivalent of 82 cents more expensive on a bag / gallon equivalent.

 

[Lake Girl]

Gee thanks Lake. Everyone else is apparently in love with the things which is why I bought four bags to test. So far I'm not impressed either. Softees burned well but seemed to use more. I agree on the fragrance but I don't buy pellets to sniff them.

I did some testing a couple of years ago - trying "good" ones mentioned as well as some of the basics offered at fleet stores in Minnesota (daughter was attending RN program in Hibbing and drove with her as they were long days plus 3 hour drive each way).

I purchase on heating capabilities; the nice pine smell is just a side benefit! The Indecks I had to put up with smelled like swamp

 

[F4jock]

I did some testing a couple of years ago - trying "good" ones mentioned as well as some of the basics offered at fleet stores in Minnesota (daughter was attending RN program in Hibbing and drove with her as they were long days plus 3 hour drive each way).

I purchase on heating capabilities; the nice pine smell is just a side benefit! The Indecks I had to put up with smelled like swamp

Indecks are one of the ashiest I've burned and it's a strange ash to boot. Clumpy and sticky. So far Hammers and Lignetics are the best I've used.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Isn't cedar a softwood and aren't Somersets suppose to be 100% hardwood?

Manufactured from Appalachian Oak, Maple, Hickory, American Cherry

http://somersetpellets.com/home/index.php/where-to-buy

Interesting website.

 

[riverat]

I've used cocobolo too. I always wear a respirator and face shield but the fine dust when you get down to 600 - 1200 grit penetrates everything! I use a lot of laminated woods too where the dust from the glues becomes part of the equation.

tjnamtiw, very nice work on your calls, here are a few that I traded with other call makers that are good friends of mind

a few duck calls single & double reeds

Osage Orange & Stabilized Box Elder & Stainless Band


Olivewood with ivory Barrel



Squirrel call Osage orange & purpleheart









Elk Antler predator call



Jeff

 

[pageyjim]

Interesting website.

Yeah I tried to find out more about them, what they were made from and if I could find any near me.

 

[tjnamtiw]

BEAUTIFUL calls, riverat. That's interesting with the nut in the middle of the first one! All are excellent! Almost too nice to actually use!

 

[riverat]

Thank you tjnamtiw,some of my call trades really are working calls but most call makers that I know collect them and never see hunting trips.

jeff

 

[tjnamtiw]

Thank you tjnamtiw,some of my call trades really are working calls but most call makers that I know collect them and never see hunting trips.

jeff

Most of mine are used in the field and I've made several improvements to them based on early feedback.

Tom