What pellets do you like this year?

99 posts to learn the obvious > everyone one either loves the pellets they burn or they hate them.................. DUH

tjnamtiw said:

99 posts to learn the obvious > everyone one either loves the pellets they burn or they hate them.................. DUH

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And some can't get any better ones.

I usually will burn my shoulder pellets during the day and save the better pellets as temps usually rise when sun comes out..
When night comes I dump a bag of the Hotter stuff since temps are colder..

may never happen again since the pellets come all the way from Oregon[Douglas Fir] and they could not have made much on them with shipping from 3,000 miles away..
Personally I think someone screwed up at Corporate HDQRS.
.Not like them to sell a quality pellet specially for the same price as most of the crap they sell....

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TonyRay, if you're interested in getting Blazers an opportunity in your neck of the woods may soon present itself. Not trying to be cagey, just not 100% on it yet. I bought some AWFs from a dealer in Central Bucks county recently (love them, btw) who is planning on buying a summer truckload Blazers and having them shipped from Oregon. Let me know if you want more info (or anyone else for that matter).

I really like the American Wood Fiber Pure White Pine I have found around locally this winter. Very good heat, low ash. And Minuteman Softwoods have been good as well. But those AWF White Pines are exceptional and priced decent too. To me just as good as Oakie DF for less money. I just have to be sure and rinse my hands when I handle them. I tend to break out from white pine.

alternativeheat said:

I really like the American Wood Fiber Pure White Pine I have found around locally this winter. Very good heat, low ash. And Minuteman Softwoods have been good as wrll. But those AWF White Pines are exceptional and priced decent too. To me just as good as Oakie DF for less money. I just have to be sure and rinse my hands when I handle on them. I tend to break out from white pine.

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X2

Barefoots have been the hottest for me this year. Cubex and Hamers have been good. But the Barefoots have been better.

I would like to try some of the softwoods, but the wife had allergic reaction last time I tried that.

Bryan Sacks said:

TonyRay, if you're interested in getting Blazers an opportunity in your neck of the woods may soon present itself. Not trying to be cagey, just not 100% on it yet. I bought some AWFs from a dealer in Central Bucks county recently (love them, btw) who is planning on buying a summer truckload Blazers and having them shipped from Oregon. Let me know if you want more info (or anyone else for that matter).

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I'D be interested.

cecil_archer said:

Barefoots have been the hottest for me this year. Cubex and Hamers have been good. But the Barefoots have been better.

I would like to try some of the softwoods, but the wife had allergic reaction last time I tried that.

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In the summer months I get allergies like so many people. White pine is one. I also had sneezing and broke out from white pine pellets. But not this time. Because I'm taking my summertime cure for allergies. It's local honey blended with fresh pineapple.. Now don't just go off figuring I'm some kind of nut job.. I have bad reactions to pharmacy type allergy meds. They are chemical based for the most part and my body just rejects them, I get all antsy and anxious or else fall asleep depending on the component. Fresh pineapple has a known anti allergy component and so is Local honey, not just any honey but local honey. . Combined and run through a blender they really put my allergies to rest with just a couple tablespoons full a day and do it naturally. How simple can it get. We don't always need a doctor to pump us with another chemical med.. This was my daughters way of dealing with allergies and it's working for me too.

Just FWIW.

My favorite. NEWP. They burn hot with low ash and the price is right.

Got timber heats. By far the worst pellets I ever had. Can't maintain the heat in the house, first year I have to keep stove on high. How bad? I switch to green supreme on cold nights.

After 2 successful years of stove chow i had trouble last year getting them. So i settled on Nature's Own at my local big box store. 2 of the 5 ton were AWF pellets. The nature's own were great, the awf an ok shoulder pellet. This years delivery should have been 5 ton of nature's own. Last week while opening a 3rd ton, i see a plain white bagged pellet was snuck in. Turns out to be AWF again. So I reluctantly put them in the hopper. Well. I have been able to decrease my heat settings by 2. I also went from 1-4-3, to 1-3-1. These things are hot. 100 degrees hotter than my current nature's own at the same setting. The awf also produce almost no ash. The nature's own would fill up around my burn pot and cascade over my air wash in 4 days. With the awf, I'm on day 5 and barely a dusting. Strange how each batch year of pellets are different. Like we all have said from the beginning, try a bag to see if you like it.

Indiana said:

After 2 successful years of stove chow i had trouble last year getting them. So i settled on Nature's Own at my local big box store. 2 of the 5 ton were AWF pellets. The nature's own were great, the awf an ok shoulder pellet. This years delivery should have been 5 ton of nature's own. Last week while opening a 3rd ton, i see a plain white bagged pellet was snuck in. Turns out to be AWF again. So I reluctantly put them in the hopper. Well. I have been able to decrease my heat settings by 2. I also went from 1-4-3, to 1-3-1. These things are hot. 100 degrees hotter than my current nature's own at the same setting. The awf also produce almost no ash. The nature's own would fill up around my burn pot and cascade over my air wash in 4 days. With the awf, I'm on day 5 and barely a dusting. Strange how each batch year of pellets are different. Like we all have said from the beginning, try a bag to see if you like it.

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Be careful here, there are reports of the AWF hardwoods being ashy but I can tell you first hand that the AWF White Pine are hot and not very ashy at all ( .25% ash content actually). Anyway, point being there evidently are various AWF pellets out there. Look at what one you have that are working well for you.

alternativeheat said:

Be careful here, there are reports of the AWF hardwoods being ashy but I can tell you first hand that the AWF White Pine are hot and not very ashy at all ( .25% ash content actually). Anyway, point being there evidently there are various AWF pellets out there. Look at what one you have that are working well for you.

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Two different animals, I think. AWF Ultras are 100% softwoods and they burn great with minimal ash but I think there is another AWF that is either a hardwood or mix and that burns different.

Indiana said:

Strange how each batch year of pellets are different.

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I've found variation bag-to-bag with 2 different BB brands (FSU & ThermaGlo). One bag of FSUs burned 50 degrees hotter than the previous. I just shrug and fill, what're ya gonna do?

Somersets. I have a batch bought three years ago and another 4 tons bought this year. Hot, low ash and the Castille loves 'em. -6 this morning and did a double take looking at the outdoor thermometer. House nice and warm.

Augmister said:

Somersets. I have a batch bought three years ago and another 4 tons bought this year. Hot, low ash and the Castille loves 'em. -6 this morning and did a double take looking at the outdoor thermometer. House nice and warm.

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I did a double take in seeing you are from RI. Not such a big deal at -10 at 4 AM here in NH - but in RI, I would think that is almost unheard of!

Peterfield said:

Two different animals, I think. AWF Ultras are 100% softwoods and they burn great with minimal ash but I think there is another AWF that is either a hardwood or mix and that burns different.

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I picked up 6 bags of AWF this weekend to give them a try. I was blown away by the heat they pumped out, and the ash was minimal. I bet I could burn 15 bags of them before I need a cleaning. I went back to Tractor Supply tonight and bought a whole ton for $230. They are great!

I'm very jealous. If I see them when I start looking for next year's supply, that will end my search.

bogieb said:

I did a double take in seeing you are from RI. Not such a big deal at -10 at 4 AM here in NH - but in RI, I would think that is almost unheard of!

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I'm in the NW part of the state which has its own "micro climate", away from the bay and ocean. The land rises west of Providence, all the way up to Worcester, to the NW. We were -2 on Tuesday night and glad to have the Sets on hand, for sure! Supposed to be -6 again tonight but I would not be surprised to see double negative digits.

Burned 1 ton of Turmans. They are great as far as cleaning and heat. Local store ran out, so I switched to Hamers. They are dirtier than Turman, yet the same price, I believe. Burned a ton of them. I am on to Forest's Pride, because store didn't have either Turman or Hamer when I needed more. I like Forest Pride a lot, but price is higher than the other 2. I will probably restock with Turman for next season. Probably ought to buy 3+ tons in off-season. I am currently heating house with Heatilator Pointe, as oil burner is down and heat pump doesn't cover whole house for heating.

2nd year with my Integra II , bought 2 tons of Dry Creek and 1 ton of P.A. pellets dry creek plant is 3 miles from house and PA 5 miles from work.

They both have pretty much the same heat output, PA has a bit more ash fines are about the same not to bad. This stove is not to fussy on what it burns.
Both of these brands seem better than the box store brands I had to burn last year due to installing stove in February and had a hard time finding pellets last season.

Turmans. Pretty good heat this year and very little ash.

Here's the list of different pellets that I have tried/burnt this year thru my pellet stove.

3 year old Somersets - burnt 15 Bags - Good Heat, ashy
3 year old Hamer Hot Ones - burnt 10 bags - Good heat, low ash
Eco-Blazer - burnt 5 bags - OK heat, ashy, long pellets stove didn't like & errored out several times on
Natures Choice - burnt 3 bags - Very ASHY & NO Heat
TSC Brand - trialed 3 bags, not sure who packaged them, TSC had several different suppliers w/different SKU #'s - Good heat, but ashy
This years Somersets, trialed 3 bags, Liked & Bought a ton, burnt all 50 bags of ton - Excellent heat, low ash
Blazer - 3 bag trial, Liked & Bought a ton, still 50 bags of ton left yet to burn - Excellent heat & VERY low ash, could burn 5 days with this low of ash
North Eastern Pellets - burnt 3 bags - OK heat, but ashy
This years Hamer Hot Ones - burnt 3 bags - Good heat, but very ashy
AWF White Pine Softwoods - trialed 5 bags, burnt 1-1/2 so far, 3-1/2 bags left yet - Excellent heat, ashy for me
Pro Pellets - trialed 2 bags yesterday, will finish those today - Good to Excellent heat, low to medium ash

Out of all these different pellets I have burnt thru the stove, I liked this years Somerset's & Blazer's the most.
Pellet I did not care for was, Natures Choice, they were ashy & no heat

I don't take fines/dust amounts in bags to account, because I clean my pellets before burning them.

So far this years lignetics and okanagan Douglas firs are doing great for me