Home Fire Prest-Logs

  • 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.
Status
Not open for further replies.
BeGreen said:
That makes sense, wood is wood. The Home Fire Prest-logs don't expand at all. The turn into a glowing red coal that keeps integrity throughout the burn. They are not just extruded, but are heated at 400 degrees and extruded. This seems to work as a pregassification, like they do with briquettes, only no coal added.

But now I'm excited to try the Idyho logs too. I read up on them and they do sound interesting. The price is excellent. Has there been any emissions testing done on them?


oh geez!!!!! you guys got me running around hopeless there is no dealer over here in mass for idaho logs i had to drive 1 1/2 hrs to get the prestos!!
 
N.W. Fuels. Aren't you in Edmonds? I would not mind getting some of those Idaho energy logs, dont know about a pallet, but would like to try some, I think the CO-OP in Everett, and the CO-Op in Marysville sells them, I am in Everett, But would swing down to Edmonds if you had the better price
 
iceman said:
BeGreen said:
That makes sense, wood is wood. The Home Fire Prest-logs don't expand at all. The turn into a glowing red coal that keeps integrity throughout the burn. They are not just extruded, but are heated at 400 degrees and extruded. This seems to work as a pregassification, like they do with briquettes, only no coal added.

But now I'm excited to try the Idyho logs too. I read up on them and they do sound interesting. The price is excellent. Has there been any emissions testing done on them?


oh geez!!!!! you guys got me running around hopeless there is no dealer over here in mass for idaho logs i had to drive 1 1/2 hrs to get the prestos!!

I added a link to the MA distributer for the Home Fire Prest-Logs to the Wiki. It's at the bottom of the page. Thanks Virginia! Will do the same for the Idaho logs when I write up a review.
 
Are there any decent brands in NJ? The ones referenced in this thread are not distributed near here. In Jersey you probably need a permit and pay some sort of extra tax ;)
 
I read with much interest the posts about BioBricks and the presto logs. I recently added a 2nd stove in our house (1st is a wood/coal and I'm burning coal in that one). I had to trade our other coal stove to our son for his 1979 VC Resolute stove (no coal kit with it). I'm using it to heat approx. 1,100 sf.

Anyway, I bought 10 packs of the BioBricks a few weeks ago, and 50 of the pressed logs yesterday. Without performing any kind of controlled experiment, here are my thoughts on the 2.

BioBricks

My price - $7 for a 40 lb. package - 20 bricks in a package, or $.35 each - $.175/lb.
Their own web-site states that "BioBricks make for a cosy(sp) evening fire that can last for 6-8 hours per 40 lb pack." That's $21 - $28 per day - NOT cheaper than oil, propane, etc (which they also claim).

My own experience using these was that 9 bricks (18 lbs.) put in the stove at 11:00 PM and I would have a "cold stove" by 6:00 AM. Outside temp was about 25 degrees - inside temp 15 feet away was down to 58 degrees. Putting all 20 bricks in at once would be difficult and dangerous (again, their own web-site states that you should NOT OVERFILL!)


Home Fire Prest-Logs

My price - $1.25 each for a 5.25 lb. log - $.24/lb.
The claim is that these logs will burn 10 - 12 hours.

My own experience yesterday/today - 2 logs (10.5 lbs.) into the stove at 11:30 - "warm stove" (sorry - gave my stove thermometer to my son and haven't replaced it yet) at 6:00 in the morning and the logs were still glowing and was able to get 2 more burning pretty easily. Outside temp - about 30 degrees - inside temp 15 feet from the stove was 65 degrees. I would estimate that 6 or 7 logs might last for a day, or $7.50 - $8.75 per day.


The BioBricks do light fairly easily - I'll use up what I have left to help get the Prest-Logs going when necessary. The amount of ash seems to be considerably more with the BioBricks vs. the Prest-Logs, but nothing scientific - just an observation. The BioBricks tend to quickly "flake" and fall apart - the Prest-Logs hold their shape (and heat) much better.

The seller of the Prest-Logs told me that BioBricks wanted him to carry their product - he said he would as long as it was comparable to the Prest-Logs. He said from his own experience that the ratio of BioBricks to Prest-Logs was about 4-to-1 for the same amount of heat/duration of burn. He's NOT carrying the BioBricks. My estimate is approx. 4-to-1 for weight. More importantly, it's about 3.5-to-1 for price.

Speaking of price, some places are charging $9 for a pack of the BioBricks, but I've seen them for $6 if you buy a pallet. The Prest-Logs drop to $1.10 each if you buy a "Full" pallet - 380 logs.

If you're using the BioBricks, you owe it to yourself to try the Prest-Logs.
 
Jersey Joe said:
Are there any decent brands in NJ? The ones referenced in this thread are not distributed near here. In Jersey you probably need a permit and pay some sort of extra tax ;)

I think I contacted via email the BioBrick folks and said that since there isn't a reseller in NJ, they would sell the biobricks to you direct from the mfgr them (in CT, I think). Of course, shipping is probably really expensive so I never really followed through..

Jay
 
abdickins said:
I read with much interest the posts about BioBricks and the presto logs. I recently added a 2nd stove in our house (1st is a wood/coal and I'm burning coal in that one). I had to trade our other coal stove to our son for his 1979 VC Resolute stove (no coal kit with it). I'm using it to heat approx. 1,100 sf.

Anyway, I bought 10 packs of the BioBricks a few weeks ago, and 50 of the pressed logs yesterday. Without performing any kind of controlled experiment, here are my thoughts on the 2.

BioBricks

My price - $7 for a 40 lb. package - 20 bricks in a package, or $.35 each - $.175/lb.
Their own web-site states that "BioBricks make for a cosy(sp) evening fire that can last for 6-8 hours per 40 lb pack." That's $21 - $28 per day - NOT cheaper than oil, propane, etc (which they also claim).

My own experience using these was that 9 bricks (18 lbs.) put in the stove at 11:00 PM and I would have a "cold stove" by 6:00 AM. Outside temp was about 25 degrees - inside temp 15 feet away was down to 58 degrees. Putting all 20 bricks in at once would be difficult and dangerous (again, their own web-site states that you should NOT OVERFILL!)


Home Fire Prest-Logs

My price - $1.25 each for a 5.25 lb. log - $.24/lb.
The claim is that these logs will burn 10 - 12 hours.

My own experience yesterday/today - 2 logs (10.5 lbs.) into the stove at 11:30 - "warm stove" (sorry - gave my stove thermometer to my son and haven't replaced it yet) at 6:00 in the morning and the logs were still glowing and was able to get 2 more burning pretty easily. Outside temp - about 30 degrees - inside temp 15 feet from the stove was 65 degrees. I would estimate that 6 or 7 logs might last for a day, or $7.50 - $8.75 per day.


The BioBricks do light fairly easily - I'll use up what I have left to help get the Prest-Logs going when necessary. The amount of ash seems to be considerably more with the BioBricks vs. the Prest-Logs, but nothing scientific - just an observation. The BioBricks tend to quickly "flake" and fall apart - the Prest-Logs hold their shape (and heat) much better.

The seller of the Prest-Logs told me that BioBricks wanted him to carry their product - he said he would as long as it was comparable to the Prest-Logs. He said from his own experience that the ratio of BioBricks to Prest-Logs was about 4-to-1 for the same amount of heat/duration of burn. He's NOT carrying the BioBricks. My estimate is approx. 4-to-1 for weight. More importantly, it's about 3.5-to-1 for price.

Speaking of price, some places are charging $9 for a pack of the BioBricks, but I've seen them for $6 if you buy a pallet. The Prest-Logs drop to $1.10 each if you buy a "Full" pallet - 380 logs.

If you're using the BioBricks, you owe it to yourself to try the Prest-Logs.

Aren't you talking about Smart-Logs???

First of all, you can pay $420 per pallet for Presto or $250 per pallet for BioBricks(tm) - getting the exact same BTUs in each case (uhhh? Duhh, what should I do??).

Second of all -NO WAY- is a presto log worth 4 times more heat - complete poppycock! My bricks are around 1000 kg/m3 and the prestos are around 1100 kg/m3. Moisture content is alike. So based on this alone you might argue 10%. This ignors the fact that presto and other logs made like them are round or mostly round so that its hard to keep the surface area down of the pire.

Next, this guy skims when he reads - I am talking about a fireplace fire when I say you get 6-8 hours of cozy fire. My BioBricks can be used for that but they excel in a wood stove or other modern combustion apparatus. The bricks are designed after brown coal bricks burned in EU for generations. Because they are made in one push of a slug of sawdust and come out rectangular you can pack them tight into a stove (like a brick wall) and they do not fall apart. The presto logs are made with a layering process and unfortunately this causes them to expand outward when they burn, thus giving up their gases too fast for the stove. I regularly get 12 hour burns with 20 bricks - see the data I publish on my site.

I would suggest that the author rerun the test and plot the temp of the stove during each burn. Take a look at my web site for tips on how to burn. Be sure to start the test with the stove at similar temps. Also, it is somewhat important to have similar outdoor temps and wind conditions
 
Biopellet the man did not say "Presto Logs". He said Home Fire Prest-Logs. Two different products.
 
abdickins said:
I read with much interest the posts about BioBricks and the presto logs. I recently added a 2nd stove in our house (1st is a wood/coal and I'm burning coal in that one). I had to trade our other coal stove to our son for his 1979 VC Resolute stove (no coal kit with it). I'm using it to heat approx. 1,100 sf.

Anyway, I bought 10 packs of the BioBricks a few weeks ago, and 50 of the pressed logs yesterday. Without performing any kind of controlled experiment, here are my thoughts on the 2.

BioBricks

My price - $7 for a 40 lb. package - 20 bricks in a package, or $.35 each - $.175/lb.
Their own web-site states that "BioBricks make for a cosy(sp) evening fire that can last for 6-8 hours per 40 lb pack." That's $21 - $28 per day - NOT cheaper than oil, propane, etc (which they also claim).

My own experience using these was that 9 bricks (18 lbs.) put in the stove at 11:00 PM and I would have a "cold stove" by 6:00 AM. Outside temp was about 25 degrees - inside temp 15 feet away was down to 58 degrees. Putting all 20 bricks in at once would be difficult and dangerous (again, their own web-site states that you should NOT OVERFILL!)


Home Fire Prest-Logs

My price - $1.25 each for a 5.25 lb. log - $.24/lb.
The claim is that these logs will burn 10 - 12 hours.

My own experience yesterday/today - 2 logs (10.5 lbs.) into the stove at 11:30 - "warm stove" (sorry - gave my stove thermometer to my son and haven't replaced it yet) at 6:00 in the morning and the logs were still glowing and was able to get 2 more burning pretty easily. Outside temp - about 30 degrees - inside temp 15 feet from the stove was 65 degrees. I would estimate that 6 or 7 logs might last for a day, or $7.50 - $8.75 per day.


The BioBricks do light fairly easily - I'll use up what I have left to help get the Prest-Logs going when necessary. The amount of ash seems to be considerably more with the BioBricks vs. the Prest-Logs, but nothing scientific - just an observation. The BioBricks tend to quickly "flake" and fall apart - the Prest-Logs hold their shape (and heat) much better.

The seller of the Prest-Logs told me that BioBricks wanted him to carry their product - he said he would as long as it was comparable to the Prest-Logs. He said from his own experience that the ratio of BioBricks to Prest-Logs was about 4-to-1 for the same amount of heat/duration of burn. He's NOT carrying the BioBricks. My estimate is approx. 4-to-1 for weight. More importantly, it's about 3.5-to-1 for price.

Speaking of price, some places are charging $9 for a pack of the BioBricks, but I've seen them for $6 if you buy a pallet. The Prest-Logs drop to $1.10 each if you buy a "Full" pallet - 380 logs.

If you're using the BioBricks, you owe it to yourself to try the Prest-Logs.

Here's an example of feedback I continually get on my product:

Hello Bio-Brick guys and/or gals.
I've just recently started burning the Bio-Brick vs. the seasoned hardwood I used to burn in my small wood stove. Everything you claim about them appears to be true. Not only do I not have to tend the stove every 2 hours or so, I can burn half a pallet before I have to remove the ashes. They start easy and my wife and daughter have no problems at all lighting them or keeping them going. Besides, there is no chain sawing, chopping, splitting, stacking, trudging and lugging in snow and cold, nor the various bugs, bark, ice and debris that gets tracked indoors. I've had days where the Bio-Bricks burning in my finished basement have kept the gas furnace from even coming on. All for about $5 a day!
Now the problem. (You didn't think it was going to all be a bed of roses...?) Seriously, I have to drive 45 miles one way to get them and my small pickup can barely handle a pallet. It still is cheaper driving all the way from Schenectady NY to Johnstown NY and back than to pay the delivery fee the retailer wants to charge. How about marketing them at say Lowe's or Home Depot? Maybe their sales volume could also help in reducing my final cost.
Also, do you have like a distributor network set up. Could I say for example get one for the Schenectady NY city/county area? Is there one already here I don't know about or a retailer that is maybe a bit closer?
Finally, I'd like to say that for the slight cost increase vs. wood, the benefits far outweigh any price difference! It's been a pleasure to write this note, and I eagerly await your reply.
 
BrotherBart said:
Biopellet the man did not say "Presto Logs". He said Home Fire Prest-Logs. Two different products.

They are very different products indeed. The Home Fire product is more analagous to burning a large characol briquette. No, they haven't added any coal dust to it and it's not as charred, but they burn like one. There is almost no ash and it's not an exageration to say that one will have coals 10-12 hrs. later. The current Presto Logs are more like a big version of the wood pellet made from compressed sawdust.

I am having the pleasure of trying out and testing the Idaho Energy Logs now which are the original Pres-To-Log. They sold the name, but the logs are still manufactured on the original machinery made back in the 1930's. Thomas at NW Fuels generously donated a batch so that I can do a review for the forum. They are a different product than the Home Fire Prest-Logs, but very impressive in their own way. I hope to have the review posted in a few days.
http://www.northidahoenergylogs.com/

If someone wants to send me a batch of BioPellets I'll be glad to put them through the same tests and will report the results to the forum.
 
Last night I loaded up my fireplace insert (cold) with some kindling and 3 of the HFPL logs at about 6:30pm. I ended up having to add a bit more kindling wood to get the prestlogs going but in about an hour everything was nice and warm and they were burning happily.

I was surprised when I woke up at about 8am to find that they were still putting out a decent amount of heat, each one was a bit over an inch in diameter and about 4-5 inches long.

I don't heat much during the day so I just let it be.

At 6:30pm today I was cleaning out the ash trey and reloading the firebox and I found about a dozen marble sized embers still glowing, over 24 hours after I first lit the fire. Just because I could, I managed to light the kindling from one of those embers and put in another 3 prest logs.

I got them on sale back in October for $0.64 CDN (was about $0.58 USD back then) per log when I bought 2 pallets.

I'm curious about the biobricks and there's a store here that sells them in 40 lb bags so I'll buy a bag and see how much heat they can give me for the same $2 that 3 prest-logs cost me.
 
sstanis said:
Hey guys, Loved reading your discussion on the compressed fire logs. I have researched these things entirely and if I could would love to get my hands on these things at a good price. I currently burn a Hearthstone heritage in a 1900 sq ft house with decent insulation R38 in attic, R19 in walls. Mind you house built in 1813. Have electrical resistance, wish the former owner when he tore down the walls to put up sheetrock had placed an electric heat pump.

However, to get to my retort, I am a resident physician and work 90+ hrs/week. When I leave in the morning, always have a coal bed to reload, but by 1pm to 2pm the electric baseboard kicks in until I get home at 9pm. So would love a compressed log that I could load to the gills, damper down, and at least have the burn go until 4pm to 5pm. Remember electric is expensive. Problem is that none of the dealers in my area carry these logs. I live in putnam/westchester NY. The nearest dealerthat I can get Bio-bricks is one hour away. Home Cheapo carries the enviro-log, which is 11,000 btus/lb. However, they will not give a discount in buying a 2ton pallet of these things. so, 2tons (equiv to a cord of white oak) is 530.00. Wood dealers in my area, offer "mixed hardwoods" for 200.00/cord. However, there is always a decent amt of softwood mixed in, and most of it never ready to burn unless bought in spring. Plus could never load my stove enough to get a 12hr burn. So, I am dammed either way. Could throw nut coal (anthracite) on in the mornin, but after a few yrs of doing that my stove and chimmney would be shot. So hopefully, as time goes on, the dealers in the area, one of the dealers in the area will start stocking these logs for people like me who could responsibly burn them without over-firing.

Hi gays , want to jump this conversation . I have tried the homefire logs they are very dense , but you cant fill the stove it would over heat they only recommend 3 to 4 at most . I burned a ton last year , in a quadra fire 3100i and could only but 3 at a time. Grate product but by the time get to n. h. there very pricey ruffly $ 400 a ton . Plus shipping , I get them from hearth wise from leominster Ma..
 
Jersey Joe said:
Are there any decent brands in NJ? The ones referenced in this thread are not distributed near here. In Jersey you probably need a permit and pay some sort of extra tax ;)

you mite be able to get the biobrics from canaticat pardon my spelling .
 
BeGreen said:
They are intersting. I'm enquiring to get more information on HomeFires. I would also like to know if they have done any emissions testing. They seems to burn very cleanly. It appears the sawdust has gone under a physical and chemical change by being extruded under high heat (400 deg.) and pressure. The company says they have some logs that are 19 years old and have not gained appreciable moisture. This may become my backup fuel if they have a good pallet price.
HI THE HEAT is from the high pressure , begreen.
 
BeGreen said:
BrotherBart said:
Biopellet the man did not say "Presto Logs". He said Home Fire Prest-Logs. Two different products.

They are very different products indeed. The Home Fire product is more analagous to burning a large characol briquette. No, they haven't added any coal dust to it and it's not as charred, but they burn like one. There is almost no ash and it's not an exageration to say that one will have coals 10-12 hrs. later. The current Presto Logs are more like a big version of the wood pellet made from compressed sawdust.

I am having the pleasure of trying out and testing the Idaho Energy Logs now which are the original Pres-To-Log. They sold the name, but the logs are still manufactured on the original machinery made back in the 1930's. Thomas at NW Fuels generously donated a batch so that I can do a review for the forum. They are a different product than the Home Fire Prest-Logs, but very impressive in their own way. I hope to have the review posted in a few days.
http://www.northidahoenergylogs.com/

If someone wants to send me a batch of BioPellets I'll be glad to put them through the same tests and will report the results to the forum.

yes ,begreen, they do burn for 12 hrs. but by that time there is not much heat unless stoke more logs in . I burned a ton last year , went threw 6 to 8 logs a day . grate product but pricey . And they are different companies , home fire logs are from british colombia canada.
 
True, as stated in the wiki review, they are just glowing coals after 10-12 hrs, but glowing enough to get a fire started again. Hearthwise sells them under license from HomeFire in Canada. They are the same product.
 
alfio said:
BeGreen said:
BrotherBart said:
Biopellet the man did not say "Presto Logs". He said Home Fire Prest-Logs. Two different products.

They are very different products indeed. The Home Fire product is more analagous to burning a large characol briquette. No, they haven't added any coal dust to it and it's not as charred, but they burn like one. There is almost no ash and it's not an exageration to say that one will have coals 10-12 hrs. later. The current Presto Logs are more like a big version of the wood pellet made from compressed sawdust.

I am having the pleasure of trying out and testing the Idaho Energy Logs now which are the original Pres-To-Log. They sold the name, but the logs are still manufactured on the original machinery made back in the 1930's. Thomas at NW Fuels generously donated a batch so that I can do a review for the forum. They are a different product than the Home Fire Prest-Logs, but very impressive in their own way. I hope to have the review posted in a few days.
http://www.northidahoenergylogs.com/

If someone wants to send me a batch of BioPellets I'll be glad to put them through the same tests and will report the results to the forum.

yes ,begreen, they do burn for 12 hrs. but by that time there is not much heat unless stoke more logs in . I burned a ton last year , went threw 6 to 8 logs a day . grate product but pricey . And they are different companies , home fire logs are from british colombia canada.

I am a short drive (maybe 20 minutes max) from where they make the HF logs, I'm going to poke around a bit and see how low a price I can find for them. I've seen pretty widely varying prices between about $0.65 and $1.00 CDN

Maybe I can get a good price from the factory on a dozen pallets or something, might even be cheaper than wood (roughly $225 a cord for Fir around here)
 
At this time of the year they sell off their non-standard logs, the ones that come out the wrong length. You might be able to work out a nice deal with them. The only problem is that they'll be loose. BYOSW.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.