Softwood pellet burners

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titanracer

titanracer

Feeling the Heat
Nov 10, 2011
257
South Central PA., Newville
I think I know the answer to this question, but I'm going to ask it anyhow. I live on the east coast, I have only burnt hardwood pellets, seems to be about all we can get here in PA.. But got my hands on a few bags of Blazers to try. They are definitely softwood pellets, you can tell by there feel and sound when falling into bucket when cleaning. They say on bag from Oregon. They are darker in color then the Hamer's and or Somerset's. They seem to break into, rather easily to. Well anyhow, my question is; do you normally use less air to burn them, do to being a soft pellet. It seems to me, with hard pellets, they burn a little better with more air flow to them. With my stove, you can't control/fine tune the flow of pellets, that's set by heat levels within the stove. But I do have a draft control, where I can open to give your fire/pellets more air. Would it be the opposite with softwood pellets, and you give it less air. Just asking a questions, not use to softies.
 
Softwood hardwood has nothing to do with how hard or dense the pellets are. Its the fiber Softwoods pellets are generally made from Spruce-Pine-Fir ect. Hardwood are made form oak-maple-cherry or other leaf bearing trees.

Once a pellet is compressed, The pellets no matter what fiber is used is to a similiar density(between 40 to 46 pounds per square foot). So air ratio should be fairly simliar as well. But slightly leaner is common when burning softwoods in my stove. It may be the same with yours or not.
 
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Glad you visited the Home Cheepo for some of these pellets. I'm saving my Blazer stash for real cold stretch. Of the few softwood pellets I've tried, I did not adjust any of my air. My air was set for burning hardwoods. The softwoods I've tried were very hot, short in length, seemed to burn a little faster than my hardwoods. How many tons did Home Depot have left?
 
stillersnut said:
Glad you visited the Home Cheepo for some of these pellets. I'm saving my Blazer stash for real cold stretch. Of the few softwood pellets I've tried, I did not adjust any of my air. My air was set for burning hardwoods. The softwoods I've tried were very hot, short in length, seemed to burn a little faster than my hardwoods. How many tons did Home Depot have left?
Click to expand...

Yea, drive right by Carlisle HD on way to work. Saw your post last night, so swung in over lunch today and grabbed a few bags to try/burn, to see what all the hipe is about with blazers pellets. Don't see softies around here much, plus never tried a softwood pellet. They had maybe 15-16 ton setting there yet, would be my guess. trying them tonight, may go tomorrow night after work and purchase a ton. Will see how they burn tonight, check stove in morning and go from there. You kind of get a feel on how they burn over 12 hours, atleast I can, if lots of ash or not and base your thoughts on what you seen in past.
 
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titanracer said:
Yea, drive right by Carlisle HD on way to work. Saw your post last night, so swung in over lunch today and grabbed a few bags to try/burn, to see what all the hipe is about with blazers pellets. Don't see softies around here much, plus never tried a softwood pellet. They had maybe 15-16 ton setting there yet, would be my guess. trying them tonight, may go tomorrow night after work and purchase a ton. Will see how they burn tonight, check stove in morning and go from there. You kind of get a feel on how they burn over 12 hours, atleast I can, if lots of ash or not and base your thoughts on what you seen in past.
Click to expand...
Your going to be very disappointed if u go back for more and there all gone :(
 
Buy em, and if your stove doesn't like em, you can sell em for more because $239 a ton is cheap for a douglas fir pellet.
 
dlavigne7324 said:
Your going to be very disappointed if u go back for more and there all gone :(
Click to expand...

It's not like I don't have enough pellets to get me thru the season. It would just give me more next year. But, yes if there really good, I would wish to have a ton.
 
I've only seen one softwood pellet in my area, WD (wayne davis), and they made their best heat using a little less air than all the hard wood pellets I've tried.
 
Bob E said:
I've only seen one softwood pellet in my area, WD (wayne davis), and they made their best heat using a little less air than all the hard wood pellets I've tried.
Click to expand...

Of all the pellets I've tried so far, the one softwood (AWF Ultras) beat all the hardwoods hands down for both heat and little ash. Who woulda thunk it?
 
Those softwoods I tried were junk. Lowest heat so far and sooty. They also had a bad smell to them. Kind of like old cooking oil with a pine note in back...

--edit-- they were the lowest ash producers though.
 
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The best pellets I have ever burnt were softwood from south Dakota. They use a little less air than hardwoods and pump out a little more heat in my opinion. They burn really clean, only problem I have with them is I have to drive quite a ways to get them when I can go a coupe miles down the road and pick up some Greenway pellets for about the same price. If all else was the same I would prefer the softwood over the Greenway pellets.
 
Just look at the flame and see how they are burning and adjust as needed.
 
titanracer said:
Yea, drive right by Carlisle HD on way to work. Saw your post last night, so swung in over lunch today and grabbed a few bags to try/burn, to see what all the hipe is about with blazers pellets. Don't see softies around here much, plus never tried a softwood pellet. They had maybe 15-16 ton setting there yet, would be my guess. trying them tonight, may go tomorrow night after work and purchase a ton. Will see how they burn tonight, check stove in morning and go from there. You kind of get a feel on how they burn over 12 hours, atleast I can, if lots of ash or not and base your thoughts on what you seen in past.
Click to expand...

dlavigne7324 said:
Your going to be very disappointed if u go back for more and there all gone :(
Click to expand...

Well, checked the stove out this morning after burning Blazers for 14 hours, WOW, it really looked good inside, just some real little fly ash laying around, but no ash in burn pot at all. I was really impressed, SO, I stopped at the Carlisle Home Depot after work and brought a ton. They had 18 ton of Blazers there when I bought mine, and 1 ton of Stove Chow. Going to stop tomorrow night and buy another ton of Blazers. Mise well build up next years supply.
 

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Caleb Joens said:
The best pellets I have ever burnt were softwood from south Dakota. They use a little less air than hardwoods and pump out a little more heat in my opinion. They burn really clean, only problem I have with them is I have to drive quite a ways to get them when I can go a coupe miles down the road and pick up some Greenway pellets for about the same price. If all else was the same I would prefer the softwood over the Greenway pellets.
Click to expand...
They have trees in South Dakota?==c
 
titanracer said:
Well, checked the stove out this morning after burning Blazers for 14 hours, WOW, it really looked good inside, just some real little fly ash laying around, but no ash in burn pot at all. I was really impressed, SO, I stopped at the Carlisle Home Depot after work and brought a ton. They had 18 ton of Blazers there when I bought mine, and 1 ton of Stove Chow. Going to stop tomorrow night and buy another ton of Blazers. Mise well build up next years supply.
Click to expand...
Yep, that's pretty much their calling card, little ash to speak of. I was surprised at how thin the loose white bag they use to cover a pallet with. All my other pellets had multiple layers or a top sheet at a minimum. And, the Blazer bag material is thinner than other bags. But, you can't beat DF pellets for $239!
 
titanracer said:
I think I know the answer to this question, but I'm going to ask it anyhow. I live on the east coast, I have only burnt hardwood pellets, seems to be about all we can get here in PA.. But got my hands on a few bags of Blazers to try. They are definitely softwood pellets, you can tell by there feel and sound when falling into bucket when cleaning. They say on bag from Oregon. They are darker in color then the Hamer's and or Somerset's. They seem to break into, rather easily to. Well anyhow, my question is; do you normally use less air to burn them, do to being a soft pellet. It seems to me, with hard pellets, they burn a little better with more air flow to them. With my stove, you can't control/fine tune the flow of pellets, that's set by heat levels within the stove. But I do have a draft control, where I can open to give your fire/pellets more air. Would it be the opposite with softwood pellets, and you give it less air. Just asking a questions, not use to softies.
Click to expand...
This is my third year burning softies...Love em! No stove adjustments required. Remember this , when it's cold outside better to be soft then hard!;lol
 
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F4jock said:
They have trees in South Dakota?==c
Click to expand...
A very nice drive is the Needles Hiway not far from Mt. Rushmore if I remember right.
 
can't find 100% softwood anywhere near here :(
 
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