Dragon Mountain pellets - my early take

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StrangeRanger

Member
Jul 9, 2008
37
Norhtern VT
Well, I couldn't pass up an offer our local co-op was offering this summer to buy early. I'd not heard of Dragon Mountain, but was assured that some of the folks at the co-op had used them and like them.

And I'm very glad to say that I really like them so far. Granted, I've only burned about 2.5 bags, on and off, but so far very little ash, ZERO clinker issues and decent heat output. It hasn't been real cold yet so most of the burning has been on 1 or 2 and those are the settings that usually cause clinker issues w/ other pellets. And I've had no clink-a-dinks at all. I peeked in the burn pot last night thinking I'd have to scrape and it was amazingly clear. Joooyyyy.

So if you get a chance to burn a bag or two I'd like to hear other folks opinions.

j
 
StrangeRanger said:
.....And I'm very glad to say that I really like them so far. Granted, I've only burned about 2.5 bags......
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Strange, this is compared to the pellet you normally burn, which is?
 
I have heard good things about the Dragon Mountain. But like macman, what are you comparing them to???

jay
 
Sorry, I didn't realize a comparison was required. I was simply talking about Dragon Mt. pellets.

But if it helps I've burned Fireside Ultras which IMHO sucked. Lots of ash, not very hot and clinkers the size of golf balls especially if burned on a low setting. Also, my glass was filthy after about one night's burn.

Before the Fireside Ultras I burned Boreal brand out of Quebec. These burned pretty good, but were on the ashy side. No clinkers to speak of really though. Pretty decent pellets that I would burn again for sure.

I've also tried a few bags of Pine Mt. or something, I can't remember the actual name. I think they were out of CO. Didn't care for them too much either, probably why I don't remember the name.

Burning on a low setting w/out clinkers is pretty important for me. Our house is only about 1,800 sq ft, very open and the stove gets it too hot very quickly so being able to do a low burn is handy.

j
 
StrangeRanger said:
Sorry, I didn't realize a comparison was required. I was simply talking about Dragon Mt. pellets.

But if it helps I've burned Fireside Ultras which IMHO sucked. Lots of ash, not very hot and clinkers the size of golf balls especially if burned on a low setting. Also, my glass was filthy after about one night's burn.

Before the Fireside Ultras I burned Boreal brand out of Quebec. These burned pretty good, but were on the ashy side. No clinkers to speak of really though. Pretty decent pellets that I would burn again for sure.

I've also tried a few bags of Pine Mt. or something, I can't remember the actual name. I think they were out of CO. Didn't care for them too much either, probably why I don't remember the name.

Burning on a low setting w/out clinkers is pretty important for me. Our house is only about 1,800 sq ft, very open and the stove gets it too hot very quickly so being able to do a low burn is handy.

j
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ranger i just tried a bag of firesides and thought they were the complete opposite of your experience with them, diff. stove maybe the difference
 
Having sold dozens of different biomass stoves and a half dozen different pellets, much can be said for "different stoves work better on different pellets"

What works great in one stove can work the opposite in another.

Aside from the obvious avoidance of the Home Depot/Walmart pellets, just try some out and use what works best in your stove. Remember, saving 15 bucks a ton may feel great, but that 50 -75 bucks you saved over the winter can be quickly forgotten after the first pellet stove problem.
 
jtakeman said:
I have heard good things about the Dragon Mountain. But like macman, what are you comparing them to???

jay
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What exactly is the WOOLY BUGGER??
 

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Franks said:
Having sold dozens of different biomass stoves and a half dozen different pellets, much can be said for "different stoves work better on different pellets"

What works great in one stove can work the opposite in another.

Aside from the obvious avoidance of the Home Depot/Walmart pellets, just try some out and use what works best in your stove. Remember, saving 15 bucks a ton may feel great, but that 50 -75 bucks you saved over the winter can be quickly forgotten after the first pellet stove problem.
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Oh absolutely I agree, the whole YMMV issue. Different stoves will burn different pellets in different ways. I'm making the assumption that if someone sees a negative post regarding X brand pellets they'll take pause and hopefully consider burning a few bags to test b/f jumping in w/ both feet.
 
Franks said:
Having sold dozens of different biomass stoves and a half dozen different pellets, much can be said for "different stoves work better on different pellets"

What works great in one stove can work the opposite in another.

Aside from the obvious avoidance of the Home Depot/Walmart pellets, just try some out and use what works best in your stove. Remember, saving 15 bucks a ton may feel great, but that 50 -75 bucks you saved over the winter can be quickly forgotten after the first pellet stove problem.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't consider anything from big box to be more than a shoulder pellets at best. Rocky Mountains are the exception, But TCS beats them up so bad the quality is out the window! I want the hottest pellet I can find when the temps dip below 20º. Of coarse low ash too! Then it will run 24/7 for weeks on end. Till I get bored and feel like cleaning it! I like the good stuff.

jay
 
StrangeRanger said:
Sorry, I didn't realize a comparison was required.....
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No, Strange, is wasn't required....we were just curious what you burned prior to these.

As for the Fireside Ultra's, I understand reading on this forum that last years pellets were crap, but the company has made improvements, and the pellets they make now are much better.

Thanks for the info, Strange! ;-)
 
sinnian said:
Strange (no reference to your name) no one mentioned what the Dragon Mountains really were, or that BTU has not commented here either ;-P
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Well with all the chatter about the Dragon Mountains and the Okanagans (is this what you were looking for? :) ) I am going to have to try them. It is a must for me. Kind of like the new Beer all your buddies are talking about. You just have to try it yourself!

jay
 
BTU said:
sinnian said:
Strange (no reference to your name) no one mentioned what the Dragon Mountains really were, or that BTU has not commented here either ;-P
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oh who me...sorry was trying to be good of once....Dragon Mtn pellets are made by Pinnacle out of BC, which probably doesn't mean much to most people. You may better remember them as the NEWP Green Supreme pellet that they sold and custom bagged in Palmer MA for 3 years. They stopped doing that this past Feb and we sell the very same product but in our bags that we call Dragon Mtn (It's an actual mountain right next to the mill...thus the name).

Many people used this pellet and really liked it when the GS were available, so now they still are, just in a different bag, but the same product..

Was I suppose to say something else?......... :cheese:

For full disclosure, I am also the distributor for a brand called Sure Fire which some of you may have seen in Canada, NY, NH, VT, and ME which is where it is generally sold. We just don't make enough of these for full market coverage, so its only available in a limited area currently. Great pellet also.
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BTU, You can add CT. to that list. I can get them in Bristol. At BTFuels. I haven't tried them yet. I got hooked on the Spruce Pointes. I liked the newp Green Supreme, Was baffled when they stopped bagging them. Well I thought newp made them. I thought the NEWP's we OK, But prefered the Green Supreme's. To me they were hotter and cleaner than the NEWP's.

How close are the Dragons compared to the Okies??

jay
 
sinnian said:
jtakeman said:
... Was baffled when they stopped bagging them. Well I thought newp made them.
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When one accepts a product, bags it, and sells it ~ but does not pay for the product. The product generally will no longer be given any longer.
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Gotcha, Well there loss. I will burn one of BTU's brands instead!
 
BTU said:
BTU said:
jtakeman said:
BTU said:
sinnian said:
Strange (no reference to your name) no one mentioned what the Dragon Mountains really were, or that BTU has not commented here either ;-)

oh who me...sorry was trying to be good of once....Dragon Mtn pellets are made by Pinnacle out of BC, which probably doesn't mean much to most people. You may better remember them as the NEWP Green Supreme pellet that they sold and custom bagged in Palmer MA for 3 years. They stopped doing that this past Feb and we sell the very same product but in our bags that we call Dragon Mtn (It's an actual mountain right next to the mill...thus the name).

Many people used this pellet and really liked it when the GS were available, so now they still are, just in a different bag, but the same product..

Was I suppose to say something else?......... :cheese:

For full disclosure, I am also the distributor for a brand called Sure Fire which some of you may have seen in Canada, NY, NH, VT, and ME which is where it is generally sold. We just don't make enough of these for full market coverage, so its only available in a limited area currently. Great pellet also.

BTU, You can add CT. to that list. I can get them in Bristol. At BTFuels. I haven't tried them yet. I got hooked on the Spruce Pointes. I liked the newp Green Supreme, Was baffled when they stopped bagging them. Well I thought newp made them. I thought the NEWP's we OK, But prefered the Green Supreme's. To me they were hotter and cleaner than the NEWP's.

How close are the Dragons compared to the Okies??
Click to expand...

Since BT isn't my account, I stand corrected...but that is the exception and certainly not the rule..
NEWP only custom bagged the Green Supreme in Palmer, it was NOT their own product.. They imported them in bulk from BC and then did the bagging in their plant in Palmer.

How close to the Okies are they?...razor thin close which is why we have them. In the event there ever any problem with either mill, we could substitute one for the other and I will bet you in a blind burn test you couldn't tell the difference. We produce far more Okies than the DM which is why you see them in more dealers...but again they are both really good pellets as some of you already know.
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BTU I was wrong. BT has Purefire. My BAD.

sorry you were right. I checked all the sites it know and no SURE FIRE near me.
jay

jay
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FratFart said:
did u analeyes the combustion air so to standardize the testing protocol before the conclusive asssumption?
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Why yes, yes I did. To accomplish this testing I ate a large, spicy supper, then ran around w/ my sons for a while to get the juices flowing before their bed time. Then, as my wife was sitting across the room watching a little TV I ripped a big fart right where the hot air exits the stove. Then, w/ my atomically pulsed and super accurate clock I timed how long it took for the smell to make its way across the room and smack my wife in the face. These pellets burning nice and hot w/ very little ash took almost no time at all for my wife to look at me and give me a solid "You're such an ass" and walk away.

I don't see how you can get much more scientific or precise than that. :)

j
 
StrangeRanger said:
FratFart said:
did u analeyes the combustion air so to standardize the testing protocol before the conclusive asssumption?
Click to expand...

Why yes, yes I did. To accomplish this testing I ate a large, spicy supper, then ran around w/ my sons for a while to get the juices flowing before their bed time. Then, as my wife was sitting across the room watching a little TV I ripped a big fart right where the hot air exits the stove. Then, w/ my atomically pulsed and super accurate clock I timed how long it took for the smell to make its way across the room and smack my wife in the face. These pellets burning nice and hot w/ very little ash took almost no time at all for my wife to look at me and give me a solid "You're such an ass" and walk away.

I don't see how you can get much more scientific or precise than that. :)

j
Click to expand...

Wow, Hope the wife servived! (Glad your not pellet testing near me). Carefull with explosives and pellet stoves, If them gases entered the intake we could have heard a loud BOOM! :cheese:
 
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