Blazer Premium Pellets, $3.99 per bag

[Jims]

I am posting this here because I am not sure how many west coasters read the Fuel price board. I have not seen many west coasters posting prices there.

Home Depot in Portland, OR. has Blazer Premium pellets on sale for $3.99 per bag, there is no quantity discount.. Their regular price is $4.79 per bag, or $224 per ton. I believe these are the same Blazer pellets that are selling else where (east coast) for up to $6.00 per bag.

This is my second season burning these pellets and I am very pleased with them. I empty the ash into a two gallon metal bucket when I clean my stove. Last year I burned a little over two tons (the weather is usually very mild here), and I still had room in the bucket for an inch more ash. My guess is it weighed two pounds or less, so two+ tons of pellets reduced to two pounds of ash is less then .1% ash waste. I think that is extremely efficient.

Hopefully others can take advantage of the sale price.

 

[kbd627]

Too bad I couldn't pay that price and have them shipped to my HD in CT. Picked up a few bags today (Blazers) $5.98/bag.

 

[Jims]

It is kind of amazing that pellets made here in Oregon are being sold on the east coast, I guess you guys have a real shortage. Hope our Oregon grown pellets bring you lots of heat.

 

[Lobstah]

My pellets actually come from B.C., and I'm in Mass.

Go figure.

So much for keeping your money local, huh?


Jim

 

[scott_cuddy]

Those Blazer Pellets rock. Here in Maine, the local producers raised their production by more than P0, but the number of people who bought stoves when oil was at $4.09/gal outpaced it. Also, I think people look at wood pellets like cord wood, i.e. "I have to have all of my pellets in NOW". Around here, the pellet pigs aren't buying 4 or five tons, according to a major local dealer/warehouse, they've been buying 16 to 21 tons at a time. Speculation in wood pellets now?

 

[Lobstah]

"Around here, the pellet pigs aren’t buying 4 or five tons, according to a major local dealer/warehouse, they’ve been buying 16 to 21 tons at a time"

If they're doing that now, with prices where they are, I have a good bridge to sell them.

I got up this morning and turned my oil furnace Tstat up to 70. With HHO at $2.17/gal, and pellets at $320/ton, HHO heat is cheaper.

Couple that with the headlines that there's further downward pressure on oil, and the difference gets more extreme.

I won't touch more pellets until they come back down into the $200-$225 range.

Jim

 

[ResOps]

Home Depot Sux!!
There now that I have that out - up here in Northern Ontario the local Home Depot has been selling stoves (cheap charlies) but not pellets... They keep telling unsuspecting customers that the pellet suppliers factory burned down (I guess only one factory in Canada makes pellets - doh)
The problem is they tell the people you can get pellets anywhere but buy the stove here.
Well I was leary and bought my EF3 from a reputable dealer and now with all the box stores selling stoves its getting hard to buy pellets...MY dealer has enough to supply her customers but is turning away people who got their stoves elsewhere causing rifts. But at least they're guaranteeing their customers a supply(and at the same price as stated at the start of the year.
My question is why can home depot supply in the US but not here. Thats plain goofy

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Those Blazer Pellets rock. Here in Maine, the local producers raised their production by more than P0, but the number of people who bought stoves when oil was at $4.09/gal outpaced it. Also, I think people look at wood pellets like cord wood, i.e. "I have to have all of my pellets in NOW". Around here, the pellet pigs aren't buying 4 or five tons, according to a major local dealer/warehouse, they've been buying 16 to 21 tons at a time. Speculation in wood pellets now?

Doesn't have to be speculation, more likely they have large un(der)insulated homes to heat and they want a start on next years supply. The average house in Maine burns something like 1000 gallons of oil (8.3 tons of pellets) if you can believe the figures tossed around.

Then of course the newspapers trumpeting doom and gloom on the supply side.

I bought three tons and that should get me through the winter I'll slowly replace what I burn. But getting pellets delivered by the ton up the driveway in the winter I won't attempt. The all wheel drive car is one thing and as the poor kid that delivered some new furniture early last year discovered.

When the customer warns you that you'll need your 4 wheel drive truck in 4 wheel drive and you don't you have trouble. I had to a bite my tongue as I helped unload the truck. It was comical.

 

[wilbilt]

The Home Depot here (Oroville, CA) sells the Blazers for $5.08/bag.

I have had excellent experience with these pellets in the past, but the last bunch I bought is LOADED with fines.

The pellets are somewhat crumbly, not nearly as dense as past purchases. I don't know if this is a handling/storage issue on the part of HD, or if they left the plant that way.

I'll check to see if they are on sale here. At that price, it would almost be worth sifting them.

 

[Jims]

The Home Depot here (Oroville, CA) sells the Blazers for $5.08/bag.

I have had excellent experience with these pellets in the past, but the last bunch I bought is LOADED with fines.

The pellets are somewhat crumbly, not nearly as dense as past purchases. I don't know if this is a handling/storage issue on the part of HD, or if they left the plant that way.

I'll check to see if they are on sale here. At that price, it would almost be worth sifting them.

I have not noticed any increase in fines in the bags I have been burning this year. I don't sift so I don't know how much fines are in a bag, but I would guess less than 1/2 cup. I load and stack the bags my self, so I do all of the handling. I have never worried about being to gentle with them, I just plop them on the stack, and throw them over my shoulder when I carry them up stairs to the stove. Should I be more careful? They seem to take the abuse OK?

 

[wilbilt]

I think if the pellets are well-consolidated, they should not be affected by tossing them around. The last ones I got are kind of crumbly, which is probably the reason for the large amount of dust in the bags.

It's possible they got damp, as HD keeps them in their semi-enclosed garden area. I hope it's just an isolated incident, as I have been very happy with the Blazers in the past.

 

[hossthehermit]

Those Blazer Pellets rock. Here in Maine, the local producers raised their production by more than P0, but the number of people who bought stoves when oil was at $4.09/gal outpaced it. Also, I think people look at wood pellets like cord wood, i.e. "I have to have all of my pellets in NOW". Around here, the pellet pigs aren't buying 4 or five tons, according to a major local dealer/warehouse, they've been buying 16 to 21 tons at a time. Speculation in wood pellets now?

Based on my experience, most of us in Maine that are buying 16/20 tons at a time are groups that can get a trailer load delivered to one guy's garage/barn/shed with good access, in a central area to all, and picking up a ton at a time until we get them all home. We can't all get delivery, store isn't around the corner, and a truck with 4 ton of pellets won't make it down my road. If they aren't in my cellar before snow flies, they ain't getting there.

 

[sundown127]

I am posting this here because I am not sure how many west coasters read the Fuel price board. I have not seen many west coasters posting prices there.

Home Depot in Portland, OR. has Blazer Premium pellets on sale for $3.99 per bag, there is no quantity discount.. Their regular price is $4.79 per bag, or $224 per ton. I believe these are the same Blazer pellets that are selling else where (east coast) for up to $6.00 per bag.

This is my second season burning these pellets and I am very pleased with them. I empty the ash into a two gallon metal bucket when I clean my stove. Last year I burned a little over two tons (the weather is usually very mild here), and I still had room in the bucket for an inch more ash. My guess is it weighed two pounds or less, so two+ tons of pellets reduced to two pounds of ash is less then .1% ash waste. I think that is extremely efficient.

Hopefully others can take advantage of the sale price.

Gee, that price for good quality pellets out there makes me wonder if it would be worthwhile for my fiance to get a ton or so, and bring them back here to CT. He is moving back here, from Salem, OR, and leaving today or tomorrow with a 16 foot rental truck with plenty of extra room in it. Since poor quality pellets are selling for $365 a ton around here, if they are available at all, that price of $200 a ton would make up for quite a bit of extra gas to bring them back. I wonder if the Home Depot in Salem, OR has the same sale price?
I will at least pass the info on to my fiance, as soon as I can get through to him on his cell phone (he is busy loading the truck). Thanks.

 

[Jims]

Gee, that price for good quality pellets out there makes me wonder if it would be worthwhile for my fiance to get a ton or so, and bring them back here to CT. He is moving back here, from Salem, OR, and leaving today or tomorrow with a 16 foot rental truck with plenty of extra room in it. Since poor quality pellets are selling for $365 a ton around here, if they are available at all, that price of $200 a ton would make up for quite a bit of extra gas to bring them back. I wonder if the Home Depot in Salem, OR has the same sale price?
I will at least pass the info on to my fiance, as soon as I can get through to him on his cell phone (he is busy loading the truck). Thanks.

It might work, I don't know how you calculate the gas needed for the extra weight, but even at a few extra cents per mile in gas cost you should be well ahead of CT prices. Be sure to ask for the sale price, like I wrote, the cashier first rang the pellets up at $4.79 per bag, until I pointed out they were on sale. The cashier had to get a new product number from the Service Desk to ring up the $3.99 price.

FYI, my guess is your fiance will be taking Interstate 84 East out of Oregon, so, he most likely will be driving North on I5 to Portland, where I84 starts. If I am correct, he will drive right by the Tigard Home Depot. He will be able to see it from I5 (on the left side of the freeway), but not until he has passed the exit. Directions from Salem are:

Merge onto I-5 N toward PORTLAND. approx. miles = 31.39
Take the CARMAN DR. exit, EXIT 291, toward KING CITY. 0.23
Turn LEFT onto CARMAN DR. 0.06
CARMAN DR becomes SW UPPER BOONES FERRY RD. 0.19
Turn RIGHT onto SW SEQUOIA PKWY. 0.49

Home Depot is a couple of blocks, on the right.

To return to I5 North, he can backtrack to I5, or he can continue on Sequoia Pkwy about 1/2 block to Bonita Rd., turn right, go over I5, turn left at the first light, this is Bangy Rd.. Stay on Bangy a few blocks until it becomes the on ramp to I5 North. I84 is just a few miles down the road (no more than 10 miles).

Hope you can take advantage of the price. May be you can take up a collection from CT. forum members to rent a bigger truck . The Beaverton HD has 14 tons he could pick up.

 

[Bank]

Bought three bags of Blazers at a Home Depot while working up in Augusta, ME today..They burn hot and very little ash..Paid $5.98 a bag, Ouch $3.99 in Oregon, that's a hell of a bargain

 

[Lobstah]

Let's see...

Oregon to Boston?...about 2800mi?
Peterbuilt mileage?....about 4mi/gal?
Fuel needed...about 700gal?
Diesel costs...about $4/gal?

So $2800 worth of fuel...Peterbuilt can haul what?...60-70tons?
At $200profit/ton? $14,000?

That'd buy the baby a new pair of shoes.

Jim

 

[Jims]

Let's see...

Oregon to Boston?...about 2800mi?
Peterbuilt mileage?....about 4mi/gal?
Fuel needed...about 700gal?
Diesel costs...about $4/gal?

So $2800 worth of fuel...Peterbuilt can haul what?...60-70tons?
At $200profit/ton? $14,000?

That'd buy the baby a new pair of shoes.

Jim

Yeah, and if you were to buy 60-70 tons you could buy wholesale from Western Oregon Wood Products and make even more money. But isn't there some indications that supply is increasing on the east coast and prices are coming down?

 

[Lobstah]

I've seen a few prices around $290-$300/ton...but that's a long ways from $200.

If someone was dead-heading back from the West Coast, they could move a lot of pellets at $250/ton, and walk away with some pretty good pocket money.
I'd bet if they talked to a mill out there about buyint 70tons, they'd get a good discount?...say maybe $150/ton? Math is off in the first example...they'd easily clear $100/ton, so $7K for the 70ton load?

Still a good penny.

Jim

 

[cac4]

last I knew, max weight for a tractor/trailer is like 80,000lbs. The rig weighs quite a few tons, all by itself. TT loads are typically only 22 tons. Re-do the calcs....it probably ain't worth it to truck pellets that far. But thats why they have freight trains.

 

[Rattlesnake]

It appears that suppliers are beginning to catch up in So NH. HD in Londonderry had pellets on display yesterday for $299/ton, their second shipment in three weeks. Their first shipment was gone in two days, no display or signs needed. Dodge Grain in Salem, called yesterday and asked if I was still interested as they had received their yearly shipment....$345/ton. They have been selling to anyone who walked thru the door for over a month, only now contacting the people who are on their early fall list.

I'll wait until the 3 1/2 ton in the barn are mostly used up.

 

[MainePellethead]

I bought 20 of these pellets for 5.75 a bag and are burning up the last of them thank god. They are not a good pellet(as least the batch I got). Lots of fines and not the heat I am use to with pellets.

 

[staplebox]

Blazer - Paid 300/ton here in Eastern CT @ HD a few months back. They were supposed to be something else but I got em home and pulled this plastic off and found these. I love em. Great heat - low ash - and few fines/dust. I don't even need to hand sift these. I've probably dumped about 30 bags straight in, no problems.

I have noticed the prices dropping a bit. Some can be had for 280/ton + delivery - with a choice/variety.

 

[Jims]

Blazer - Paid 300/ton here in Eastern CT @ HD a few months back. They were supposed to be something else but I got em home and pulled this plastic off and found these. I love em. Great heat - low ash - and few fines/dust. I don't even need to hand sift these. I've probably dumped about 30 bags straight in, no problems.

I have noticed the prices dropping a bit. Some can be had for 280/ton + delivery - with a choice/variety.

I have had the same experience, except they are $200 - 224 per ton here in Oregon. When other posts talked about sifting pellets I was surprised that would be needed (I don't need to scrap my burn pot either, there is never any ash build, nor any clinkers), but I guess all pellets are not the same. Western Oregon Wood Products (WOW) web site says they have been making pellets since 1985, I guess they have got it down.

This is my second season using a pellet stove and I have burned Blazer pellets almost exclusively. When I first got the stove I experimented with different pellets, buying five bags of different brands, starting with the Blazer pellets. The only brand I found that are slightly and only slightly, better are a local competitor to WOW, they are Bear Mountain's Golden Fire pellets. The Golden Fire seemed to burn a little hotter and with sightly less ash, but every time I have compared prices, the Golden Fire are 5% more. With only minor differences I will stick with Blazer pellets because of the lower price.

Disclaimer: Other pellet burner's experience with Blazer pellets may differ, I do claim your experience with Blazer pellets will match mine. :coolsmile:

 

[wilbilt]

Like I said, Jims...
My previous experience with Blazers has been excellent. I hope this is an isolated incident, as I like the price, too.

 

[Jims]

Sorry wilbilt, my disclaimer was not directed at any one. I was just trying to be funny, seems that burning pellets is a varied experience depending on many factors, such as pellet quality, pellet storage, stove settings, etc. The disclaimer was intended to make light of the varied experience. Again I am sorry if you thought it was directed at you.