I've done 0 scientific data accumulation with these. I do not have a scale, a grater/sifter for fines, or a temp meter to do all the things Jay does on his extensive tests. These results are my personal real-world results, thoughts, and opinions from USING them. I currently have all 3 types in the house, all have been burnt on the same stove setting of 'low' (no thermostat) in a clean stove and have kept my house comfortable, even with last nights' low of 26!
To preface, I would buy all 3 again. Each is a good pellet, but I need 1 more ton for the season. So, In trying to narrow down what I want to buy next, I decided to rate my top 3 into the 'best for me' so that I can get another ton of it and be happy with my decision.
To tally,
First gets 3 points, 2nd 2, and last 1 point.
Here's what I rate them on based on several factors that matter to ME.
Price
1 Cubex
2 Hamer
3 Oakies
At my local dealer, Cubex is the cheapest at 245, hamers are 250, and oakies are 255 per ton, as of this writing.
http://btpellet.com/price_list
Bag Quality
1 Cubex
2 Oakies
3 Hamer
Handling the bags as I do to pick up by the half ton (all my truck can handle), load, unload, handle, stack, and store in my basement area takes a manual effort and the quality of the bag is a big thing for me. Nothing worse than having a trail of pellets and 15 ripped bags in storage just from handling.
Cubex has the toughest bag. I would rate the Oakies and Hamer a tie for 2nd in terms of quality, but I actually ripped more hamer bags (8) than oakies (6) in my last stock, so oakies get the win over the Hamers. I ripped ZERO Cubex in moving.
Smell
1 Hamer + Cubex (tie)
3 Oakies
As i store in my finished basement behind a 'false' wall (those cheapo aluminum pre-fab stud kits forms a little wall around the furnace/oil tank/pellet storage room/electric box), smell is a factor to the living space.
The oakies, while not horrible in smell, do have a very STRONG scent to them. I KNOW they are in there. I cannot say the same for the other 2. This is likely related to the bag.
I rent out this basement room to a friend of mine, so keeping him not smelling like pellet is a big factor. He complained about it the day we brought them home. The scent has gone down a bit in the 2 weeks they've been in the house, but it is still noticeable.
Fines
1 Cubex
2 Hamers
3 Oakies
All are very low compared to other brands I've burned, but the Oakies clearly contain the most fines out of these brands. It usually settles to the bottom, So i'm able to keep most of them out of the hopper. I would say this is a non-issue with all 3 brands, and if weighted, I would leave this test with little weight.
Clinker output
1 Oakies
2 Cubex
3 Hamer
The Oakies just burn so well. The ash spread when a new pellet drops from the auger creates a perfect 'firework' of hot ash. The burn pot stays VERY clean, and even after manual stops mid-burn, nearly the entire burn pot is completely burned and dispersed.
The Cubex do leave some clinkers. I had to spoon out a few before re-starting the stove for night time burn after being manually shut of in the morning.
The Hamers produce the largest clinkers. A few days of burning these in a row and the burn pot is literally full of it.
flame height/output
1 Oakies
2 Cubex
3 Hamer
This is a weird test, sure. My stove doesn't have an air adjuster. The manual says its there, but, the picture does not exist on my stove. I even had a friend who burns come over and dig around inside to make sure i'm not retarded or blind. It isn't there.
As such, the flame that is generated is important to me. The Cubex and Hamer burn similar. On low, there is very little flame exceeding the burn pot. Very low flame, very orange.
The Oakies burn much taller. The flames come up a few inches above the burn pot. The flame is also a brighter white with hints of blue at the base. From my reading, this is the best flame to have for msot efficiency and least pollution.
Heat Output
1 Oakies
2 Cubex
3 Hamers
This is measured with my hand in front of the grate. There is a CLEAR difference in the Oakies being the hottest. The Cubex do seem to be a bit hotter than the Hamers, but not much.
Final sore:
Cubex: 18
Oakies: 14
Hammer: 11
So, it looks like i'm buying a final ton of the Cubex.
If Oakanagan improves their bag quality, they can easily gain 4 points, moving them into first/tie which would make them a contender based on price alone (which is the metric likely to change at will). Sadly, in this case, for me, it's the bag they are packaged in that is stopping me from buying them again.
If Hamer drops their price just $5-$10 and improves their bag, they too can be right back in the contention mix.
Again, Your results may vary. You really can't go wrong with any of these 3 for the sole 'staying warm' factor.
To preface, I would buy all 3 again. Each is a good pellet, but I need 1 more ton for the season. So, In trying to narrow down what I want to buy next, I decided to rate my top 3 into the 'best for me' so that I can get another ton of it and be happy with my decision.
To tally,
First gets 3 points, 2nd 2, and last 1 point.
Here's what I rate them on based on several factors that matter to ME.
Price
1 Cubex
2 Hamer
3 Oakies
At my local dealer, Cubex is the cheapest at 245, hamers are 250, and oakies are 255 per ton, as of this writing.
http://btpellet.com/price_list
Bag Quality
1 Cubex
2 Oakies
3 Hamer
Handling the bags as I do to pick up by the half ton (all my truck can handle), load, unload, handle, stack, and store in my basement area takes a manual effort and the quality of the bag is a big thing for me. Nothing worse than having a trail of pellets and 15 ripped bags in storage just from handling.
Cubex has the toughest bag. I would rate the Oakies and Hamer a tie for 2nd in terms of quality, but I actually ripped more hamer bags (8) than oakies (6) in my last stock, so oakies get the win over the Hamers. I ripped ZERO Cubex in moving.
Smell
1 Hamer + Cubex (tie)
3 Oakies
As i store in my finished basement behind a 'false' wall (those cheapo aluminum pre-fab stud kits forms a little wall around the furnace/oil tank/pellet storage room/electric box), smell is a factor to the living space.
The oakies, while not horrible in smell, do have a very STRONG scent to them. I KNOW they are in there. I cannot say the same for the other 2. This is likely related to the bag.
I rent out this basement room to a friend of mine, so keeping him not smelling like pellet is a big factor. He complained about it the day we brought them home. The scent has gone down a bit in the 2 weeks they've been in the house, but it is still noticeable.
Fines
1 Cubex
2 Hamers
3 Oakies
All are very low compared to other brands I've burned, but the Oakies clearly contain the most fines out of these brands. It usually settles to the bottom, So i'm able to keep most of them out of the hopper. I would say this is a non-issue with all 3 brands, and if weighted, I would leave this test with little weight.
Clinker output
1 Oakies
2 Cubex
3 Hamer
The Oakies just burn so well. The ash spread when a new pellet drops from the auger creates a perfect 'firework' of hot ash. The burn pot stays VERY clean, and even after manual stops mid-burn, nearly the entire burn pot is completely burned and dispersed.
The Cubex do leave some clinkers. I had to spoon out a few before re-starting the stove for night time burn after being manually shut of in the morning.
The Hamers produce the largest clinkers. A few days of burning these in a row and the burn pot is literally full of it.
flame height/output
1 Oakies
2 Cubex
3 Hamer
This is a weird test, sure. My stove doesn't have an air adjuster. The manual says its there, but, the picture does not exist on my stove. I even had a friend who burns come over and dig around inside to make sure i'm not retarded or blind. It isn't there.
As such, the flame that is generated is important to me. The Cubex and Hamer burn similar. On low, there is very little flame exceeding the burn pot. Very low flame, very orange.
The Oakies burn much taller. The flames come up a few inches above the burn pot. The flame is also a brighter white with hints of blue at the base. From my reading, this is the best flame to have for msot efficiency and least pollution.
Heat Output
1 Oakies
2 Cubex
3 Hamers
This is measured with my hand in front of the grate. There is a CLEAR difference in the Oakies being the hottest. The Cubex do seem to be a bit hotter than the Hamers, but not much.
Final sore:
Cubex: 18
Oakies: 14
Hammer: 11
So, it looks like i'm buying a final ton of the Cubex.
If Oakanagan improves their bag quality, they can easily gain 4 points, moving them into first/tie which would make them a contender based on price alone (which is the metric likely to change at will). Sadly, in this case, for me, it's the bag they are packaged in that is stopping me from buying them again.
If Hamer drops their price just $5-$10 and improves their bag, they too can be right back in the contention mix.
Again, Your results may vary. You really can't go wrong with any of these 3 for the sole 'staying warm' factor.
