Pellet Shortage Already?

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Many, myself included, bought extra this year to give us a cushion. With our cushions already in place, we will not have a need to buy extra again.
 
I understand the logic, sort of like the wood burners that are a year ahead, although they are doing it to dry the wood. I also appreciate stores that limit amounts so they'll be some for anyone that needs some to stay warm. I read one sig-line where a poster allegedly has twenty tons but was still buying up. Really?? What really scalds me is the ads popping up now on Craigslist where buyers have "overbought" or "don't have room" so they are graciously offering there overage for up to $12 a bag. I sincerely hope it is a humid summer next year and people like that have their pellets turn into mush from the moisture.
 
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I understand the logic, sort of like the wood burners that are a year ahead, although they are doing it to dry the wood. I also appreciate stores that limit amounts so they'll be some for anyone that needs some to stay warm. I read one sig-line where a poster allegedly has twenty tons but was still buying up. Really?? What really scolds me is the ads popping up now on Craigslist where buyers have "overbought" or "don't have room" so they are graciously offering there overage for up to $12 a bag. I sincerely hope it is a humid summer next year and people like that have their pellets turn into mush from the moisture.
Ain't capitalism great! Buy low, sell high.
 
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I understand the logic, sort of like the wood burners that are a year ahead, although they are doing it to dry the wood. I also appreciate stores that limit amounts so they'll be some for anyone that needs some to stay warm. I read one sig-line where a poster allegedly has twenty tons but was still buying up. Really?? What really scolds me is the ads popping up now on Craigslist where buyers have "overbought" or "don't have room" so they are graciously offering there overage for up to $12 a bag. I sincerely hope it is a humid summer next year and people like that have their pellets turn into mush from the moisture.

Anyone spending $12 on a bag of pellets deserves to be paying that much. You can run just about any alternative heat cheaper considerably cheaper then that.
 
Anyone spending $12 on a bag of pellets deserves to be paying that much. You can run just about any alternative heat cheaper considerably cheaper then that.

Agreed. I actually emailed the guy to thank him for making me laugh that day.
 
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Still pellets at our HD. Nation's choice last I saw. Not a great pellet, but better than some. You can also buy Granules LG at a local nursery (new ownership this year) but at 7.50/bag. Really?
 
My DF pellets were less than $7 per bag.
 
I did a pre-order at Rural King in Clarksville Tn. on Sept. 9 and still have none...And we have 3 pellet factories within 100 miles ...
Tony
 
I did a pre-order at Rural King in Clarksville Tn. on Sept. 9 and still have none...And we have 3 pellet factories within 100 miles ...
Tony
Next time, pre-order in April.
 
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My dealer will email me when he gets in a shipment. When he does, I will call him up and buy my stash right over the phone.
 
Or you can wait until there's a shortage, due to high demand, and get lucky when your HD orders tons of DF Blazers from Oregon for less than $5 a bag.

Last Winter saw my local HD get DF Blazers to meet the demand, and so I told them in the Spring I'd take 5 tons please. They laughed, and said they had no idea what they were getting next year. So, of course, this year's huge pre-season demand led to them scavenging the country and ordering more DF Blazers. I got lucky and scored 3 tons for $239 a ton, delivered. I was supposed to get 5 tons, but the delivery guy didn't realize that he was offloading different types, since all the pallets were covered in white plastic. So, I got someone else's 2 tons of FSUs. I now burn Blazers during the week and FSUs on weekends, since I clean my stove on Sunday nights. That way the ashy FSUs get cleaned up fast. Surprisingly, the first 3 bags of FSUs were better than I recall from last year. Fines are less and so is ash. Anyone else find that to be the case? Did I mention my HD delivered for free?
 
I'm done with buying pellets at HD...
Actually, I just realized this year I didn't buy any there.
they got little too greedy this year selling the're normal lower end pellets 250.00 or more..knowing people will panic and pay any price... Interesting to see what the prices will start at next season..
I'll support the local stove and pellet dealers in the area. even further if necessary.
 
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I'm done with buying pellets at HD...
Actually, I just realized this year I didn't buy any there.
they got little too greedy this year selling the're normal lower end pellets 250.00 or more..knowing people will panic and pay any price... Interesting to see what the prices will start at next season..
I'll support the local stove and pellet dealers in the area. even further if necessary.

I'm not standing up for HD but they will let you come in with your 10% off coupon and most often honor it regardless of their policy. Heck I always take Lowes coupons there and they never bat a eye at it just give me 10% off. Plenty of folks rip off big box stores. Some folks talk of buying pellets at Lowes in 5-10 separate orders using 10 off 50 coupons. So they essentially get 20% off a ton.
 
Heating oil is well under $3/gal at the moment and the futures market is pointing lower (down another 3 cents today). Something to consider if you have an oil heating system as well. Provided your oil system is reasonably efficient it's almost certainly more cost effective to burn oil than $7 a bag pellets.
Given similar efficiencies, a $7 bag of pellets is just about equivalent to fuel oil at $3 per gallon. And you don't have to carry and pile those gallons of oil!! Take note you retailers of pellets.
 
Lucky is the key phrase. Id rather spend a few bucks more on a sure thing.
Calculated luck, as I explained. I suspected that we might get DF Blazers if there was another shortage and it worked out. That's why I waited to order my 5 tons. The bad luck is somebody got 2 of my 5 tons!

I will never buy $7 a bag pellets if oil is under $3 a gallon. My expensive oil company filled my tank last Monday and it was only $2.79 a gallon. That's thermo-equivalent to $336 a ton. A $7 a bag pellet is $350 a ton, not including delivery and all that labor of stacking, cleaning, etc. I like pellets, I particularly like clean DF pellets, but I also want to pay off my stove, so I need to find cheap pellets, but I'm not going to turn up my nose at cheap oil, since time is money. I'm super happy to be burning DF Blazers at $239 a ton delivered because I have a great pellet at a cheap price that is still saving me $100 a ton over oil. If I had to choose between $7 pellets and $2.79 a gallon oil, the oil would win every time. No labor, no delivery charge, no cold spots in the farthest reaches of the home.
 
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