I am seeing a ton of pellet stoves for sale, I don't get it.

People are lazy, pellet stoves are a bother. People bought them 3 years ago, now they are losing their houses, pellet stove won't fit in the refrigerator box they're living in. Take yer pick.

I suspect....fossil fuel costs.
The panic is over for now so many don't want to be bothered anymore.
NG is cheaper than pellets in some cases.

Most folks are short sighted. They panic, make decisions when oil spikes (especially if it makes the news). We have a gas station in front of our shop. When gas "spiked" and it was newsworthy, all the pickups and SUVS vanished, folks were driving econonomy cars to get their milk, beer, smokes, etc and also driving much slower. When the prices dropped, they went back to the habits that helped (a little) to create the demand used to help justify the spike. This time, the falsely inflated oil market is moving at a much slower pace. Hell, we were 36 bucks a barrell for crude a year or so ago. New we're at almost 90 bucks. Gas is over $3.00 per gallon, so is heating oil. Pellets are at $200 per ton. At those prices, pellets will save you money on heat...but because its happening slowly this time and not really in the news (by design im guessing as the PTB are going for a slow bleeding of the working class instead of a rapid fleecing) folks are just staying numb. I'm guess that once people get their first few 6-700 dollar heating oil bills for the month, they may start going back to pellets/wood.

My last oil delivery last week was $3.09. That should last me into the summer at least. I'll keep my pellets as long as I can. It's a small price to clean the stove one a week and I'm happy to support local/U.S. companies that produced my stove and pellets.

DEATH to OPEC and oil cartels!!

Franks said:

Most folks are short sighted. They panic, make decisions when oil spikes (especially if it makes the news). We have a gas station in front of our shop. When gas "spiked" and it was newsworthy, all the pickups and SUVS vanished, folks were driving econonomy cars to get their milk, beer, smokes, etc and also driving much slower. When the prices dropped, they went back to the habits that helped (a little) to create the demand used to help justify the spike. This time, the falsely inflated oil market is moving at a much slower pace. Hell, we were 36 bucks a barrell for crude a year or so ago. New we're at almost 90 bucks. Gas is over $3.00 per gallon, so is heating oil. Pellets are at $200 per ton. At those prices, pellets will save you money on heat...but because its happening slowly this time and not really in the news (by design im guessing as the PTB are going for a slow bleeding of the working class instead of a rapid fleecing) folks are just staying numb. I'm guess that once people get their first few 6-700 dollar heating oil bills for the month, they may start going back to pellets/wood.

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Kind of like the frog analogy. If a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. Were slowly getting cooked by oil prices and most people aren't noticing!

I burn both oil and wood pellets, sometimes at the same time.
also light cigars with 50's but thats another topic .

Good story: we got his customer, an old french guy. He got a gas stove to get rid of the woodstove (an all nighter) because it was in his mobile home (all nighter + mobile home = not legal under any circumstance). The price of gas got too high. didn't like how much he had to burn to heat the place like he did with the mid moe in there. So, he switched to pellets ( a P38).. He actually did a little sidework on some properties the big guy owns, and he was getting pellets in exchange (or for cost). well... then oil went down, and he stopped doing the sidework for pellets gig. Now the pellet stove was the "worst idea" because good pellets run 250 or so now, and he sold it (and we hooked it up for the new owners), and he installed a couple monitors on k-1. people are fickle.

They realized that a pellet stove isn't really set it and forget it after all, and they aren't self cleaning, WTF?!?!

dmaclaren said:

With the cost of pellets so cheap from the box stores, I don't know why I see so many stoves/furnaces on craigslist in the New England area.

What am I missing?

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Same reason you see so many puppies up for sale after Christmas. Sounded like a great idea.....until the novelty wears off.

lordgrinz said:

They realized that a pellet stove isn't really set it and forget it after all, and they aren't self cleaning, WTF?!?!

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We are back to one of the favorite pellet myths told by dealers! Install, fill with pellets, light it and your all set for the season! ;-)

Wi Thundercat said:

lordgrinz said:

They realized that a pellet stove isn't really set it and forget it after all, and they aren't self cleaning, WTF?!?!

Click to expand...

We are back to one of the favorite pellet myths told by dealers! Install, fill with pellets, light it and your all set for the season! ;-)

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I would say if someone hasn't dealt with burning either in a fireplace or a stove, then they would probably be a little overwhelmed. Most people wouldn't know what to do if their TV remote stopped working, let alone their stove...lol

We, as a people, are lazy.

lugging a 40lb bag every day (sometimes multiple times a day), plus cleaning, plus the initial delivery/storage issues is a LOT of work compared to pressing or turning the 'up' button on a house thermostat. To some people, that's worth it to them.

I have to say, cleaning the stove every day is a PITA. BUT........the heat and warmth and savings is SOOOOO WORTH IT!!

I'll keep my stove going til I'm no longer able to do it myself. Then I guess I'll just have to freeze to death. LOL

Twojrts,

RE "I have to say, cleaning the stove every day is a PITA. BUT….....the heat and warmth and savings is SOOOOO WORTH IT!!
I’ll keep my stove going til I’m no longer able to do it myself. "

I agree.

I will keep my pellet stove AND my wood boiler going until no longer able to do it. It would be much easier to let the new Buderus oil boiler do the work, but what would I do with all the spare time that would create??

Regards,

Ranger

the old ranger said:

Twojrts,


I will keep my pellet stove AND my wood boiler going until no longer able to do it. It would be much easier to let the new Buderus oil boiler do the work, but what would I do with all the spare time that would create??

Regards,

Ranger

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Sitting around with a blanket wrap around us, wishing it was warmer, fighting with the wife about the settings on the thermostat. Listening to the furnace running, waiting for the fuel man to do his monthly fill..... Sure glad I bought that pellet stove.

lordgrinz said:

Wi Thundercat said:

lordgrinz said:

They realized that a pellet stove isn't really set it and forget it after all, and they aren't self cleaning, WTF?!?!

Click to expand...

We are back to one of the favorite pellet myths told by dealers! Install, fill with pellets, light it and your all set for the season! ;-)

Click to expand...

I would say if someone hasn't dealt with burning either in a fireplace or a stove, then they would probably be a little overwhelmed. Most people wouldn't know what to do if their TV remote stopped working, let alone their stove...lol

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Gotta say, I'd have no idea what to do without the tv remote. Ain't got no knobs or dials to turn, can't read the little pics beside the tiny invisible buttons

Bank said:

My last oil delivery last week was $3.09. That should last me into the summer at least. I'll keep my pellets as long as I can. It's a small price to clean the stove one a week and I'm happy to support local/U.S. companies that produced my stove and pellets.

DEATH to OPEC and oil cartels!!

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I agree!!
We had 100 gal delivered yesterday @ $3.02/gal. $2.82 if paid within 10 days.
With the prices of oil and pellets this year, we will save just over $600 and warmer too!!
We go through 4 tons (Made in Maine) which has reduced our oil use by 500 gal.
At this rate, the stove has just about paid for itself.
Maybe I can find a good deal on a stove for the basement!!

The lists of reasons are long and varied.

Many folks buy a pellet stove simply for the "Ambiance" of having a fire.

Ohhh I dont want a fire burning when Im not at home.
Ohhh I have to clean it and its messy.
Ohhh I have to buy, store and pack those heavy bags (I see some 25 pound sacks now)
The stove is such a hastle to have to deal with.
The list goes on and on and on.

My reasoning is very simple.

The pellet stoves I own can run on cheap, readily available to me, biomass fuel (nut shells) that I can deal with readily.

My choice for heat here are full Elelectric (not happening) oil, propane, wood.

The Pellet stove is and was a great choice.

So many folks dont want to do a thing when it comes to keepimg their house warm, except set the computer controled thermostat and forget it.

Their house stays at a comfy 70F year round as long as they pay the BILL that comes every month.


I too have seen the large number of stoves on Craigs List.

The reasons for the sales vary, from moving, redecorating, bought a new stove, did not like it to ?????????

Last winter when I bought our two Whitfields, the one was sold because it had been a temporary heat source during a remodel (complete heating system in an older home replaced)

The other stove came from an estate where the old folks had passed on and the family was selling everything off.

You can just about name a reason and find it.

The numbers of households that heat totally with a Pellet stove/stoves are probably a small number, present company excluded.

Those of us who have migrated to this forum are certainly not the mainstream.

City appartment dwellers, I would think would be the least likely to use this sort of appliance.

Folks who live in rural settings would seem to me to be more apt to buy such things.

We did have the pellet stove in the home we had in town years ago.


I think the word mentioned previously covered it well, LAZY

Around here the stove is an integral part of the day to day operations.
Get up, check the stove, add fuel (shells or pellets) go to work, come home, check the stove, add fuel.

Clean the burner quickly late in the eavening, add more fuel before retiring, get up in the morning and start all over again.

Think about getting nut shells (Pellets) go get the stuff, put it away for the winter.

Clean the stoves on the weekend and on it goes.

When not doing this stuff, get online and talk about it with the folks at the forum.

OMG we all must need some form of therapy.

Just amounts to how you want to SPEND.
Spend a little time or spend a bunch more $$$$$$$$

Take your pick of reasons.

Snowy

Maybe they love pellet stoves and simply upgraded their stove before the 30% tax credit ran out. They could be selling their old stove!

Your hard core pellet stove owners are much like your hard core swimming pool owners....

Some people were put on this earth to maintain a pellet stove..... Others were put here to maintain swimming pools....

I have the privilege of maintaining both... and you know what..... it's worth every minute of my time.

I laugh at people who say, "pools are a lot of work" or "pellet stoves require too much maintenance", but what do I know? I still change my own oil and cut my own lawn. I can't get over how many people have landscaping services these days. And I don't mean older folks. I mean young healthy folks who just don't want the hassle of cutting a lawn, raking leaves, or shoveling snow. It truly baffles me.

Snowy,
Very well said.

ANybody sees a gently used Harman P kicked to the side of the raod, Let me know

Glosta said:

Your hard core pellet stove owners are much like your hard core swimming pool owners....

Some people were put on this earth to maintain a pellet stove..... Others were put here to maintain swimming pools....

I have the privilege of maintaining both... and you know what..... it's worth every minute of my time.

I laugh at people who say, "pools are a lot of work" or "pellet stoves require too much maintenance", but what do I know? I still change my own oil and cut my own lawn. I can't get over how many people have landscaping services these days. And I don't mean older folks. I mean young healthy folks who just don't want the hassle of cutting a lawn, raking leaves, or shoveling snow. It truly baffles me.

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Ditto Glosta,

I don't change the oil in my car, but that's about it. I never understood why people say a pools a lot of work. I probably spend the same amount of time on both the pellet stove and the pool come to think of it, on a weekly basis, around a 1/2 hour or so. Obviously that doesn't include the opening or closing of the pool, or cleaning the pellet stove after a couple of tons and at the end of the burning season. I love them both and the slight hassles are well worth it!!