I talked to my local pellet guy in Western Maine and he has an April deal on Maine Woods pellets for $199 per ton. Supposedly the family who owns the Athens based mill fired the management team that was in charge of production, and they are now under new management. They are the cheapest price around in my area, obviously trying to win back some market share they lost to poor production and quality practices of the past. I bought 10 bags last week to try but it hasn't really been cold enough to run the stove long enough to see how they compare. They certainly burn cleaner than last years "dirt in a bag" that were reviewed on this forum, but I was wondering if anyone else has tried a recent production batch?
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
well, they have alot of room to move up, dont they? I believe they are at best middle of the road, but they certainly have their place.....my stove, a P61a will burn nearly anything, but i think I will hold out for a better burning pellet....not rolling dice again this year.
summit
Minister of Fire
they are very much improved, and I would say better than the Corinth pellets, which would probably be their main competitor.... I have seen some stoves burning Maine's choice pellets, and i think the Athens are better than those as well. They willl probably never be an Okie, Cubex, Barfefoot, Lg, what have you.. but they are a good middle of the pack pellet, 199/ ton is a helluva deal and it would not bother me to pick up a couple tons at that price...
I called the mill in Athens, you can pick up there Mon thru Fri. Regular price $225 a ton, if you bought from them in the past it's $200 a ton until the end of June. You can start a co-op and get them for $210 a ton the rest of the heating season, and there are already many co-ops now, state employees for example have one. They said it's very easy to start a co-op with a group of co-workers for example.
smalltown
Minister of Fire
I posted some pellet prices in the "BEST POSSIBLE PRICES ON PELLETS AND CORN" area and last week when I was at the Wood Pellet Warehouse in Dixfield ME and he was selling the Maine Made Pellet (Athens) delivered for $220. I think he delivers all over the state.
maineheat
New Member
I got the post card from athens for $200 a ton. I was going to head up there and noticed Wood Pellet Warehouse was selling them for the same price a few miles away. I picked up two tons for Oct - early Dec and late Feb - April burning. My strategy is to burn Okies or the likes in between. This worked well for me this year, plus I'm keeping my $$$ in state.
PS. Sparkydog, at this price you can come and buy them for traction for your icy walkway!! I figured I'd beat you to the punch, I've seen you say that in every review of Maine Wood Pellets
All kidding aside these do create more ash than the Lignetics, Okies, and Penningtons I've tried. But it just means I empty the ash once a week vs. every 10-14 days. Burn em if you can!
PS. Sparkydog, at this price you can come and buy them for traction for your icy walkway!! I figured I'd beat you to the punch, I've seen you say that in every review of Maine Wood Pellets
All kidding aside these do create more ash than the Lignetics, Okies, and Penningtons I've tried. But it just means I empty the ash once a week vs. every 10-14 days. Burn em if you can!
lessoil
Minister of Fire
DMKNLD said:
Yes I did burn 2 bags about 3 weeks ago.
Dealer in Jay gave them to me to try. They burned very well.
We have ordered 4 tons of them for next Wintah.
maineheat said:I got the post card from athens for $200 a ton. I was going to head up there and noticed Wood Pellet Warehouse was selling them for the same price a few miles away. I picked up two tons for Oct - early Dec and late Feb - April burning. My strategy is to burn Okies or the likes in between. This worked well for me this year, plus I'm keeping my $$$ in state.
PS. Sparkydog, at this price you can come and buy them for traction for your icy walkway!! I figured I'd beat you to the punch, I've seen you say that in every review of Maine Wood Pellets
And they are much easier on the Masonary then salt...
maineheat
New Member
Sorry Sparkydog, I couldn't help myself!! 
I'm hoping that this company survives as it's a woods to product operation. The loggers, truckers, land owners, and people of maine should come out as winners. I'm still seeing okies for $275 per ton, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes all still want prime $$ for pellets. It seems like we're paying a pretty high price when the wood is in our back yards!! Although I guess Alaskans pay a premium for gas.
I'm hoping that this company survives as it's a woods to product operation. The loggers, truckers, land owners, and people of maine should come out as winners. I'm still seeing okies for $275 per ton, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes all still want prime $$ for pellets. It seems like we're paying a pretty high price when the wood is in our back yards!! Although I guess Alaskans pay a premium for gas.
QuadraBurner
Member
I picked up a few bags last weekend from Wood Pellet Warehouse, and I just dumped the first bag into my Mt. Vernon AE. As we are wrapping up the heating season, I can't help but think about how much I will miss my fire this summer!
lessoil
Minister of Fire
QuadraBurner said:
Too funny!!
I was thinking the same thing this morning while I was sitting watching the (small) fire while drinking coffee.
Cool & damp and in the low 40's so still burning a bit.
rowerwet
Minister of Fire
does the bag still have the big green state of maine shape on the front or are they the ones I just got that just say "premium wood pellets" and have a picture of a stove on them?
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
Maine Choice pellets come in a bag with a stove on it along with a Moose couple sitting in chairs on either side of the stove.
The last bag of Athens I saw a few weeks ago at Shaws still had the green State of Maine on it.
The last bag of Athens I saw a few weeks ago at Shaws still had the green State of Maine on it.
rowerwet
Minister of Fire
SmokeyTheBear said:
I had those Maine Choice (Moose couple) last season,along with neighbors,went through 10 tons.All 4 agree,never again.Too much ash,several bags had wet corners.
The dealer just gave me a price of 249 (same as NEWP), they expected them to go higher later this summer.
May go for a couple tons of NEWP (not a big fan of the company but pellets where better then the Maine Choice.
rowerwet said:
Are you sure those are from Athens ? they look like the 25 lb bags that the Big Apple stores are selling, and I don't know who is making those.
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
lessoil
Minister of Fire
Those look like the 2 bags I burned as a test. (I threw the bags out!!)rowerwet said:
As stated before, to me they burned as well or better than New England Pellets out of N.H.
defield
New Member
BJN64,
According to the owner of the Wood Pellet Warehouse in North Jay, Maine, the
pellets in black and white bags, sold at Big Apple stores, in 25# bags, are from the Athens, Maine, mill and, he states, are much improved.
He has been selling them for $199.00 a ton picked up or $220.00 a ton delivered.
I have not tried them.
I spoke with him because I wanted Okanagans, which he used to stock.
He tried to convince me to purchase the Athens, or at least halve the order Athens/Okanagans.
I purchased all Okanagans from Southern Maine Renewable Resources in Windham, Maine. Nice people and the low ash in the pellet stove is worth the extra cost.
Don't mind the high ash from the firewood burned in the wood boiler because it is designed for that, but that is an entirely different story. The wood boiler was also good for burning, a little at a time, the fines from my initial purchase of Athens pellets . . . . .
Ranger
According to the owner of the Wood Pellet Warehouse in North Jay, Maine, the
pellets in black and white bags, sold at Big Apple stores, in 25# bags, are from the Athens, Maine, mill and, he states, are much improved.
He has been selling them for $199.00 a ton picked up or $220.00 a ton delivered.
I have not tried them.
I spoke with him because I wanted Okanagans, which he used to stock.
He tried to convince me to purchase the Athens, or at least halve the order Athens/Okanagans.
I purchased all Okanagans from Southern Maine Renewable Resources in Windham, Maine. Nice people and the low ash in the pellet stove is worth the extra cost.
Don't mind the high ash from the firewood burned in the wood boiler because it is designed for that, but that is an entirely different story. The wood boiler was also good for burning, a little at a time, the fines from my initial purchase of Athens pellets . . . . .
Ranger
rowerwet
Minister of Fire
great so the extra money I spent on 3 tons of NEWP $245 instead of just getting 6 tons of MWP $219 may have been a waste!lessoil said:
lessoil
Minister of Fire
rowerwet said:
I did ask, before I paid for the 4 tons, that I wanted the 4 tons to be the same quality/mix as the 2 bags I tried.
The dealer said that they were. This dealer is in Jay and said he would deliver to a fairly wide radius.
$245 is still lower than what we paid last year $270 or the year before that $314!!
If the NEWP burn better than MWP then you are all set. We burned NEWP this past Winter and were very pleased.
So just to clarify things, Athens newest product is in the black and white bags shown in the picture ?
rowerwet
Minister of Fire
- Status
Similar threads
