I have a good setup for wood burning. EPA stove with new SS liner... But I saw a cheap pellet stove in the local paper. Now Im wondering if I should get the pellet stove for the first floor, and leave the wood stove in the basement. I dont know if pellets are worth buying. They are less maintenance for sure. Anyone switch from wood to pellets?
I buy wood, should I buy pellets instead
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BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
sebring said:
The stoves aren't less maintenance, though.
Some people love them, others hate them. I know enough to know that not all pellets are created equally. Some give longer burn times, some produce more ash, etc. Check out the pellet section of the forum and share your findings on pellets to find out what type of value they are. Might be a good deal or they could be cheap pellets that produce less heat.
Pellets are are convenient, but you should price them out comparatively with wood in your area. Pellet stoves also need maintenance. Some need it daily. And they want to be fed once or twice a day. When run right, they do burn cleanly and many can be connected to a digital thermostat for heat when you get up.
FWIW, I went the opposite way. We liked the pellet stove, but like the quiet warmth in our living room better. The fire view is much better too.
FWIW, I went the opposite way. We liked the pellet stove, but like the quiet warmth in our living room better. The fire view is much better too.
Jack768
Member
Where I am, pellets cost 50% more than cordwood . . . and also more than natural gas, and my neighbors never have a storm blow down a ton of pellets that I can grab for free.
I was kinda thinking it was more expensive.. I get a logging truck full for around 450 delivered.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
Jack768
Member
BrowningBAR said:
Which is cheaper than pellets, no? C/s/d where I am is $210. Pellets are like $290/ton and everything I read suggests that a ton of pellets contains less energy than a seasoned cord of hardwood. You're paying for convenience, which is fine and it's cheaper than oil/propane, but if it's the same as NG why am I hauling these pellets, reloading, etc. rather than just turning up the thermostat? Also, splitting wood is good exercise, pellets less so.
rottiman
Minister of Fire
sebring said:
Tried it for one year, they could pay me $290. a ton and I would NEVER do it again. Great living room heater with alot more stove maintanence, and you better hope your electricity is cheap and dosen't go out.
pellets are more expensive than wood here as well.
almost as expensive as propane/oil.
almost...
still cheaper, but I'd rather spend the extra money on propane and not have to deal with loading up a stove over the price difference.
almost as expensive as propane/oil.
almost...
still cheaper, but I'd rather spend the extra money on propane and not have to deal with loading up a stove over the price difference.
BrowningBAR
Minister of Fire
LIJack said:
Oh yeah, wood is still a lot cheaper for me than Pellets. I don't see me ever switching to pellets. At the very least, we lose power here far to often.
I have had one new in the crate down in the basement for three years. I moved it onto the flue that the F3 CB was on down there this year and bought three tons of pellets while they were cheap. Gonna heat down there when I am doing work there to give it a try. I may need to move to pellets in a couple of years because my new friend Arthur show up a couple of months ago. Arthur Itis.
Dix
Minister of Fire
Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:
Got three wood burning stoves and a pellet stove. And not a coal mine in sight. I went looking for coal around here years ago and found zilch available. Told the wife we have a few days to figure it out. We have 40,000 pounds of dry hardwood, six thousand pound of pellets and an oil filled radiator in every room. With ceramics in the bathrooms. And two generators that combined kick 8,000 watts.
Be awhile before it gets too cold in the joint. All of that wood is under cover within fifteen feet of the back door.
I am kinda curious to see how the pellet puppy does. It can't heat the house because it is in an un-finished basement. But I will get a handle on its care and feeding.
keninmich
Member
I just got my Keystone installed again after trying pellets last year in the new place we bought.
The pellet stove was nice enough...and dont let anyone tell you electricity is a big reason to get rid of it. My pellet stove used about $65 worth of extra electricity over the course of the winter, not a very big deal. What is a big deal (at least for me anyway) is the CONSTANT noise of the blowers on the pellet stove. I just simply could never get used to it. I heated with the Keystone for 10 years before thinking that pellets would be easier on the back. We used almost exactly 3 tons of pellets last year at a cost of just under $600, which is a damn sight better than using the propane furnace.
I just could not bear the idea of another winter listening to the blowers on that thing. Even on low its irritating to say the least when you are so used to the quiet of a wood-burner.
I worked out a deal with the chimney installer where i paid him $500 and gave him the pellet stove in return for all the pipe and his labor to install the Keystone.
He was pleased and i am THRILLED to have my QUIET heat source back.
Pellet stoves are ok....but they are certainly not for everyone. Especially me.
Whatever you decide to do...good luck!
The pellet stove was nice enough...and dont let anyone tell you electricity is a big reason to get rid of it. My pellet stove used about $65 worth of extra electricity over the course of the winter, not a very big deal. What is a big deal (at least for me anyway) is the CONSTANT noise of the blowers on the pellet stove. I just simply could never get used to it. I heated with the Keystone for 10 years before thinking that pellets would be easier on the back. We used almost exactly 3 tons of pellets last year at a cost of just under $600, which is a damn sight better than using the propane furnace.
I just could not bear the idea of another winter listening to the blowers on that thing. Even on low its irritating to say the least when you are so used to the quiet of a wood-burner.
I worked out a deal with the chimney installer where i paid him $500 and gave him the pellet stove in return for all the pipe and his labor to install the Keystone.
He was pleased and i am THRILLED to have my QUIET heat source back.
Pellet stoves are ok....but they are certainly not for everyone. Especially me.
Whatever you decide to do...good luck!
Ditto that. Had one about 17yrs ago and that was too soon ago. Tempermental thing, put out about as much as a 1500 watt hair dryer, and had to listen to those blowers all the time. And they don't give those pellets away either.rottiman said:
I think the noise is what most people dislike about them. I know 3 people that live close to me that tried them for one season, yeh just one season was enough to figure out they didn't like em.
I was in the pellet business back in the day and can honestly say that I cannot understand why anyone would want a wood burner that required electricity. When the balloon goes up, I want to be able to kick apart my treasured 200 yr old Windsor to heat the house. I don't want to have to whittle pellets and figure out how to work the hand crank. Oh, wait, there is no hand crank. Pellet stoves are fuel sensitive, noisy and have motors and boards. If you want that technology buy a high quality gas direct vent wall furnace and be done with it...imho and experience!
I think the place for pellets is in a central stoker fed boiler. That way you get a few tons of pellets in a bin or hopper similar to the old coal bin I grew up with.
I think the place for pellets is in a central stoker fed boiler. That way you get a few tons of pellets in a bin or hopper similar to the old coal bin I grew up with.
Only because I have heated my whole home for 3 seasons (this is season 4 and have the Fahrenheit and 30-NC to help) with my Quadrafire. Blowers they do have. But if used properly, and put in a setting where noise can be a factor, they work Very Well.
Keep my 2,180 sq ft Ranch at 76* the last 3 yrs. I run the stove on low 24/7. Noise really depends on the unit. My old Englander and the New Fahrenheit Endurance (pellet furnace) are much louder than the Quad.
Pellets around me are $175 at Menards right now and $177 at Home Depot. So $700 and no mess of bark and letting it sit around for 1-3 yrs (depending on species) before its ready to burn.
I love mine. All 3 of them. Love the woodstove too. But to ask which is I
easier and more forgiving? Its the pellet stove. Dont have to babysit the air on a reload, nor does it need tending to 2-4 times a day. Quad takes about a bag (or more) every morning. Only takes a second and I can walk right away and go to work.
Dont get me wrong. I love my 30. Nothing like the Nuclear heat of a woodstove. But if given the ultimatum? I would go Pellets. $700-$900 a yr is cheaper than the time it takes for me to C/S/S 3-5 cord and let it sit for? ?????????
I guess its easy because it worked for me. My house is pretty long (about 70 ft) so 1 pellet stove from tue center of the house, had me speculating about whether or not I would need the LP furnace. Well after 3 yrs, I dont need it. Not one bit.
Sebring - Did you ask the same question in the Pellet Mill?
Lots of well educated folks in therr that will give you the info needed.
Keep my 2,180 sq ft Ranch at 76* the last 3 yrs. I run the stove on low 24/7. Noise really depends on the unit. My old Englander and the New Fahrenheit Endurance (pellet furnace) are much louder than the Quad.
Pellets around me are $175 at Menards right now and $177 at Home Depot. So $700 and no mess of bark and letting it sit around for 1-3 yrs (depending on species) before its ready to burn.
I love mine. All 3 of them. Love the woodstove too. But to ask which is I
easier and more forgiving? Its the pellet stove. Dont have to babysit the air on a reload, nor does it need tending to 2-4 times a day. Quad takes about a bag (or more) every morning. Only takes a second and I can walk right away and go to work.
Dont get me wrong. I love my 30. Nothing like the Nuclear heat of a woodstove. But if given the ultimatum? I would go Pellets. $700-$900 a yr is cheaper than the time it takes for me to C/S/S 3-5 cord and let it sit for? ?????????
I guess its easy because it worked for me. My house is pretty long (about 70 ft) so 1 pellet stove from tue center of the house, had me speculating about whether or not I would need the LP furnace. Well after 3 yrs, I dont need it. Not one bit.
Sebring - Did you ask the same question in the Pellet Mill?
Lots of well educated folks in therr that will give you the info needed.
iceman
Minister of Fire
It's all on the person... Many new pellet stoves are a lot quieter than even 2 yrs ago... The blower on my summit makes noise when its up , but not as much as my pellet stove- that said my pellet stove is an 03 accentra or 04 .
Most pellet stoves are set it and forget it . There is no babysitting time required, however most do require a weekly clean out . Some models can go a mo.th .. on mine cleanout is about 15 min ... A little Longer if I do monthly.
I have about a winters worth of pellets stacked in the same room as the stove ...
No waiting 2 yrs for the right mc, no mess, no bugs and a much smaller footprint...
No nice secondaries either....
In the end, I like both my stoves ! But like wood better....
Pellet or wood its a personal choice
Most pellet stoves are set it and forget it . There is no babysitting time required, however most do require a weekly clean out . Some models can go a mo.th .. on mine cleanout is about 15 min ... A little Longer if I do monthly.
I have about a winters worth of pellets stacked in the same room as the stove ...
No waiting 2 yrs for the right mc, no mess, no bugs and a much smaller footprint...
No nice secondaries either....
In the end, I like both my stoves ! But like wood better....
Pellet or wood its a personal choice
joescho
Feeling the Heat
I have both. A wood insert in the basement, and a pellet insert on the first floor. They end up being about the same amount of work, but thw wood stove is the less headache. With the wood insert, you need to tend to the fire every few hours, and maybe clean out the ashes once a week or so.. With the pellet, you dump a bag of pellets in once a day (twice a day if you're really cooking), and use a vaccum to clean it out or it will eventually quit working because of the build up of ash.
With a pellet stove, you get all of your pellets and store them inside the house (at least I do) and in the winter when its frigid and snowy you don't need to go outside to get firewood. You also don't have to deal with wood that got wet with ice and snow, nor do you have to deal with fires that just don't want to start and you spend half the night trying to get it lit (I get those once in a while).
Having said all of that, I don't mind going out in the snow/cold to get firewood. Gets my fat rear-end off the couch for an hour or so.
The vaccuming I was talking about for the pellet stove takes all of 10-15 minutes, so its not a big deal.
So they both have their plusses and minuses. Just your preference.
With a pellet stove, you get all of your pellets and store them inside the house (at least I do) and in the winter when its frigid and snowy you don't need to go outside to get firewood. You also don't have to deal with wood that got wet with ice and snow, nor do you have to deal with fires that just don't want to start and you spend half the night trying to get it lit (I get those once in a while).
Having said all of that, I don't mind going out in the snow/cold to get firewood. Gets my fat rear-end off the couch for an hour or so.
The vaccuming I was talking about for the pellet stove takes all of 10-15 minutes, so its not a big deal.
So they both have their plusses and minuses. Just your preference.
fredarm
Minister of Fire
If you have a wood stove and are considering switching to pellets, try wood (Bio/Eco/Geo, etc.) bricks first. They have most of the advantages of pellets except for the "set and forget" aspect and work in your existing stove. No seasoning or splitting. Stack them in the garage or shed. They can be more expensive than pellets and are not as widely available, but it will take a while to amortize the cost of a new pellet stove versus the slightly higher price of wood bricks.
Milton Findley
Feeling the Heat
I put a pellet basket in my stove, and they burn just fine in there. They load easy with a scoop too. I am going to try the pellets this year due to the cost of wood here. I am pretty sure that the wood that I get delivered is not of the best quality, BTU and moisture wise, and that pound for pound, I will get more heat from the pellets. The price per BTU is cheapest with my natural gas furnace, but I am heating places with it that I ain't. Second cheapest is the wood stove with pellets, heating the places that I am. The ambiance is the same. The mess is much decreased, storage is easier. I don't think I will get overnight burns, but with soapstone, that is of less importance than one might think. The rocks stay hot and Super Cedars work very well.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Anyone with natural gas would be a fool to not consider a gas stove before a pellet appliance. The heater rated gas stoves are excellent at delivering cheap heat with zero maintenance and zero noise. They deliver that heat just like a woodstove but are thermostatic and completely mindless. The next stage of this is considering a propane stove before pellets. Even if you pay slightly more per btu for propane you will have all of the excellent benefits of the gas stove which make it superior to operate than a pellet stove.
I really can't see a good reason to own a pellet stove unless you have an extremely cheap source for pellets or other biofuel.
I really can't see a good reason to own a pellet stove unless you have an extremely cheap source for pellets or other biofuel.
3fordasho
Minister of Fire
sebring said:
I started my wood burning experience with a Quadrafire castile pellet stove. Used if for a good 5 years and burned 100% pellets and 50/50 corn/pellets. Things were great when pellets were $150/ton and corn was $2.25/bushel. Found out you better buy your pellets in the late summer/early fall and buy enough because if you need some in Febuary you're either out of luck or going to pay. Observations - pellet stoves are noisy and require regular maintenance, more than a wood stove in my experience. Parts are expensive - door gasket $50, igniter $40, auger motor $200+... One the plus side the thermostat control made it almost as user friendly as the gas furnace.
In 2007 I put an addition on the house and decided I would install a wood stove in it. A woodstock fireview was the stove of choice. I soon discoved I liked the quiet radiant heat from the fireview much, MUCH better than the convective heat from the pellet stove. Our 100+ year old home was now warm for the first time in the 20 years we had lived there. Two years later I replace the pellet stove with another fireview and have not looked back. Getting the wood is now my new hobby, either you love it or hate it and if you hate it you better get the pellet stove or turn up the thermostat on the gas/oil/propane furnace.
iceman
Minister of Fire
X2 on gas I have a gas stove as well easier of all better flame than pellet but not as real as wood if course
prescottonian
New Member
I had a pellet stove before going to a wood burning stove . If buying a pellet stove be sure to due your home work . The pellet stove I had drove me up a wall because of the noise of the 2 blowers . I 'am much happier now with the wood stove because of the heat and quite . AHHHHHH
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