Easy Heats over Somersets

I have been burning Somersets for over 10 years. I wouldn't burn anything else unless i was forced to. Last week i stumbled across a pile of Easy Heats at a local store. I bought 10 bags to sample. The first bag i opened i wasnt too impressed. Lot's of fines. The color was good and the size was right but just so many fines. The smell was wonderful. My hopper holds four bags so i kept opening. Next bag no fines hardly, third bag the same, fourth was just like number one.

So i fire up the stove, ignition was quick. Flame looked good. Heat was wonderful. In a previous post my agitator on this stove broke so i fired up my Harman (WHICH I REALLY DISLIKE AND ONLY USE WHEN FORCED). I was ready for the typical Harman fight i get, lazy burn, instant speed bump, poor heat. Well im on the 4rth day with the Harman. No speed bump yet, great flame, no daily pot scrape, plenty of heat. It's actually heating my whole house which it has never done. It looks like Easy Heats are the Harmans saviour. I was getting rid of it next spring since it was essentially useless, but if i can keep finding Easy Heats i may just keep it. Too bad it only burns well with them.

Now for the Somersets. Ive got 4 tons sitting outside and i can only say i wish they were easy heats. I have noticed the quality of Someresets has diminished in the last few years. This batch i have now i was not impressed with at all. Not much heat, they have an odd smell and are multi colored so it is oretty obvious they are buying up pellets that don't sell and blending them off with their own. Having worked in many manufacture venues, I've seen this practice first hand on multiple occasions. No the Somerset of today is not the Somerset i had grown fond of. It'll be Easy Heats for me next year.

So i ran out of easy heats and thus is what happens when i burn any other pellet. Im on my second bag of somersets. A speed bump quickly forms and pushe that flame guide off. This happens with every other pellet i have tried except the easy heats. I basically don't use this stove except in emergency.

Yeh thats all i ever heard too...lol. Not the case. Running room temp 70*, feed trim 4.5, 3" chimney 10' up through the roof. Never ran worth a chit. My Cumberland ran circles around it. In fact out of the 6 pellet stoves I've had this has been the biggest let down. I'd never buy another. The Enviro is awsome. It burns more pellets then the Cumberland but it is just so damn easy to maintain it's worth the trade off.