Webmaster said:
I got rid of the Mercedes we had bought new. I like my Subarus and my VW much better - they cost less, and cost less to run.
:lol:
Anyway, the idea that a 5 degree difference in measured output from one persons pellet stove as being indicative of anything seems silly to me. So does the idea of 1/4 of a percent difference in ash content. Western softwood pellets are definitely good ones, but PRICE does make a big difference to many.
Oh, my VW does require premium gas. But I usually cheat somewhat there too - getting a middle grade instead of an upper.
The difference in particular stove brands, venting systems and other variables probably have more to do with consumer satisfaction than a tiny difference in the amount of ash in the pan.
The difference of say 5°F for 99% of the population is mute; it's like 2% on heat, so I totally agree with you there. But that 1/4 of a percent ash difference sure sounds small when you say it fast, but it represents
52% MORE ash you have to clean up after....now multiple that over 6 months which is a pretty typical burning season for most of you and you are talking about a good deal of ash. Take it one step further. Let’s say you take one the brands that fall closer to the bottom of the ash pile. How about a popular brand that has .75% ash content. That is
272% more ash or almost 3 times as much. For most people that are having to deal with this every 2-4 days, which for most is a pain in the rear. But it’s only about 1/2 percent more...what's the big deal? The big deal is far more maintanance on your stove, your time and trouble and in most cases a lot more elbow grease and effort come time for the yearly cleaning.
So what is your time worth?...For some the super cheap, dirt in a bag brand is just fine. For others, having something that is consistant year after year, smells like actual wood, has a consistant length and size, that doesn't cloud up your window in 48 seconds after your stove turns on, puts out great heat, maybe even to the point of having lower your auger speed, thus using less over the course of a season and is priced fairly for everyone does make a difference. Not all, but some.
I have stated before that pellets are like Baskin Robbins ice cream....31 flavors so there is something for everyone....is very true.
A products value is something that each of us may have a different definition of. I have dealers that I talk too that ONLY care about the price. Heat/Ash/Fines/pallet size/ all that is meaningless (I am totally not kidding on this). Chances are you see difference brands in their yard EVERY year, depending on who the flavor of the month is. I have other dealers that ONLY carry my brand, or Cubex, or Barefoot. Why, because they know it works, they don't have problems with it and they can depend on it preforming just about flawlessly season after season. Chances are they learned this the hard way, screwing with other brands that just didn't measure up and when you have a customer yelling at you over the phone in the middle of January because they can't keep their home warm or some other reason, he/she probably isn't telling them to remember the cheap price they paid....
If you have a professional stove cleaner come out and do your stove(s) once a year, ask them what they personally use (if they burn) and I bet it won't be the "cheapest I can get" answer. Most I bet use the good stuff and these guys see the results of hundreds/thousands of stoves each year, so they have seen it all. Ask them and I bet they will tell you that 80% of someone's stove problems are fuel related and it’s not from the better brands. So like the old Fram ads..."You can play now or you can pay later"... (Yes I know that isn't exactly what the saying was....but you get my drift)…
! I thought this FROUM is for us the consumer to talk with out SALES pitches or bashing their competitors.
