Which pellet brand would you recommend

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Jake86

Jake86

Burning Hunk
Oct 8, 2015
183
Plymouth, Massachusetts
How do yo determine which are the best pellets to burn? What you read on hearth.com? Personal experience? How much ash? How much heat produced? Rule of thumb tests? Color or smell of pellets? Hardwood or softwood or mix? Price? What's written on the bag? The number of bags left at the store (most popular) ? Price?
We all have are own way to determine which pellets we buy. Usually, it's just trial and error? And the beat goes on.
Here is another way: ccncheckpelletquality.pdf. by pd kofman; not sure if this pdf file will work, but it should get you close to how to check pellet quality article.
 
I don't, I'm recommending oil this year !
 
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Dino brand #2, it's all the rage this year.
Oh, and its no ash.
 
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I did not check those links, but this is what we recommend to new users.
1) buy good stuff. "Generally" BBS stuff is somewhat lower quality
than what you find at a stove, or pellet dealer.
2) do not buy (for the first time) 3 or 4 ton of one brand.
we try to get new people to buy a ton of each of brands they hear good stuff about.
Then, during a stretch of like weather, burn one brand for a day or two, clean out your stove,
and burn your next, then repeat with your last brand.
You will get a feel for what you like, regardless of what works for others, because..
3) different people have different results, based on appliance, setup, and region..
A good indicator is when you see a brand pretty much universally hated, or at least
spoken of poorly... it probly is.
When you see people loving a brand... there is a good reason..

Dan
 
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Much is what is available in your area so look into what others around you like and don't like. Research here by plugging in the brand names. If you can get Somersets or Pro Pellets I will vouch for them. Both are good with the Sets being slightly better IMHO. This is due to more consistent lengths and size of pellets wit the Sets. Other than that they are one in the same.
 
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I disagree with the "buy from a pellet stove dealer" idea. Dealers around here are pushing NEWP for the most part. Far better pellets and pricing from the BBS in comparison to NEWP. (Or buy GS which are exactly the same, from a BBS for far less than the NEWP from dealers)
 
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Buy a few different brands and try them out.

You will know what one you like and don't like.

PS.
I have bought from stove dealer and BBS....depends on the pellet and price, as to where I go!
 
SXIPro said:
I disagree with the "buy from a pellet stove dealer" idea.
Click to expand...
That is why I said "Generally", and not "always"....

Choosing pellet dealers is like choosing pellets..
Do your homework.
Guys, in your area may be indeed be pushing NEWP.
Guys around here do not. Just the BBS..........

Dan
 
SXIPro said:
I disagree with the "buy from a pellet stove dealer" idea. Dealers around here are pushing NEWP for the most part. Far better pellets and pricing from the BBS in comparison to NEWP. (Or buy GS which are exactly the same, from a BBS for far less than the NEWP from dealers)
Click to expand...

If you have an HD near you, look for Fireside Ultra's or Stove Chow to try. Check hardware chain stores like Aubuchon or Ace Hardware. As an example, Hamshaw Lumber (Ace Hardware) in Keene, NH has Barefoot's, Okanagan's, NEWP's and Cubex and I believe they are around $300 a ton, slightly more than Green Supreme since their recent price increase and a whole lot better. The other great thing about Hamshaw is they deliver for a flat fee of $16.00 if you're not too far from Keene.
 
Last edited:
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Okanagan
 
OP, seriously, oil is now on the verge of falling into the 30's. Schlepping pellets, storage, loading, cleaning, repeat. Do the math.
 
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I'm pretty sure I'm repeating myself again repeating myself again, but wouldn't it be neat if the pellet reviews here worked like Amazon reviews, users could rate the pellets 1-to-5 stars and the listings could be sorted by average review. I know I'd be looking for the "top ten' and to avoid the "bottom ten", adjusted for regional availability.
 
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Peterfield said:
If you have an HD near you, look for Fireside Ultra's or Stove Chow to try. Check hardware chain stores like Aubuchon or Ace Hardware. As an example, Hamshaw Lumber (Ace Hardware) in Keene, NH has Barefoot's, Okanagan's, NEWP's and Cubex and I believe there around $300 a ton, slightly more than Green Supreme since their recent price increase and a whole lot better. The other great thing about Hamshaw is they deliver for a flat fee of $16.00 if you're not too far from Keene.
Click to expand...

Oh, I know the deal, believe me. I've been sourcing pellets in New England for 16 years. I was just putting my two cents in about the BBS versus Dealer statement. If you do the legwork you can find pellets of equal or sometimes better quality at the BBS than at Dealers, and always at a better price. Unless you are talking super extreme platinum designer pellets like Okanagan. In cases like that IMHO you are still better off going with a very good pellet versus a holy grail pellet considering how much they charge for Okies and the like. And in all honesty I would take Vermont softwoods in a heartbeat over Okies, but I have found them hard to come by.
 
Peterfield said:
If you have an HD near you, look for Fireside Ultra's or Stove Chow to try. Check hardware chain stores like Aubuchon or Ace Hardware. As an example, Hamshaw Lumber (Ace Hardware) in Keene, NH has Barefoot's, Okanagan's, NEWP's and Cubex and I believe they are around $300 a ton, slightly more than Green Supreme since their recent price increase and a whole lot better. The other great thing about Hamshaw is they deliver for a flat fee of $16.00 if you're not too far from Keene.
Click to expand...
Aubuchon here is selling GS for $6.85 a bag. And last I knew Ace was selling Spruce Point for $7+ per bag. So kind of depends on location I guess. I have not been back to either place to check on latest pricing.
 
SXIPro said:
If you do the legwork you can find pellets of equal or sometimes better quality at the BBS
than at Dealers, and always at a better price.
Click to expand...

I can help with the legwork in our area.
Lowe's $299 for all of their various like brands.
$349 for Greene Team
2 miles up the road, LG Granules $279
La Crete, North Country, Platinum... $285
Olympus Douglas Fir $349..

You are right, and I agree, as I mentioned... shop around.

Dan
 
299 a ton and up ???!!,,holy smokes,,right now I am paying 228 a ton for pro pellets,,bought 3 from TSC and 1 from local feed store all stored inside,hopefully 4 get me through the year (my first year),,are the 299 and up brands rated better or is the price difference in our regions?
 
Pete Zahria said:
I can help with the legwork in our area.
Lowe's $299 for all of their various like brands.
$349 for Greene Team
2 miles up the road, LG Granules $279
La Crete, North Country, Platinum... $285
Olympus Douglas Fir $349..

You are right, and I agree, as I mentioned... shop around.

Dan
Click to expand...
HD around here has theirs priced at 269 ton Green Supreme and Fireside Ultras and a few have PrestoLogs
Aubuchon has Still River for 259 ton
Tractor Supply has 3 or 4 brands for 259 ton "Premium" another from Maine, and their house brand
 
I buy the cheapest pellets I can find. I am currently burning $198/ton Cleanburn, douglas fir pellets. I get them at a local lumberyard, they stock them year round.
They are low ash with good heat output.

The local big box stores carry pellets but they cost $249/ton and they only have them seasonally.
 
DneprDave said:
I buy the cheapest pellets I can find. I am currently burning $198/ton Cleanburn, douglas fir pellets. I get them at a local lumberyard, they stock them year round.
They are low ash with good heat output.

The local big box stores carry pellets but they cost $249/ton and they only have them seasonally.
Click to expand...
That is a ridiculously good price for Doug Fir. That stuff around here can run up to 369 a ton or more. And people buy it!!!!!
 
Pete Zahria said:
I can help with the legwork in our area.
Lowe's $299 for all of their various like brands.
$349 for Greene Team
2 miles up the road, LG Granules $279
La Crete, North Country, Platinum... $285
Olympus Douglas Fir $349..

You are right, and I agree, as I mentioned... shop around.

Dan
Click to expand...

In today's market, these are really good prices, especially for reputable pellets versus some of the ash kings found in BBS for the same or higher prices.
 
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SXIPro said:
That is a ridiculously good price for Doug Fir. That stuff around here can run up to 369 a ton or more. And people buy it!!!!!
Click to expand...
He also lives in the area that they come from......
We should be so lucky on this side of the country!!

Dan
 
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