I Understand The Concept Of Shoulder Pellets But

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We mixed it up this year with three different pellets - two Ambiance, two Corinth, one OK Douglas Fir. The DF cost more than the others, but I wanted to try it out, consciously saving it for single digit weather. The DF difference in heat output is huge. The Ambiance is a distant third - I filled up last night with Ambiance and left the stove on our normal day setting all night, only to find the downstairs (near the stove) at 65 degrees, about seven degrees off its target. So I cranked it up even more this morning - we'll see.

Point being that the Ambiance is cheaper but turns out it does not have the nuts for windy 12 degree weather. Ambiance, at least in our stove, is probably fine for 30 degree weather with a light breeze. The way I see it it is that there are single digit pellets, pellets I can count on, and then there are the rest, which vary widely, and I do mean widely. If money were no object, there would be no point in messing around with different pellets like this.

This morning, "shoulder pellet" would be too kind a description for the Ambiance that is failing in its attempt to heat my drafty house.
 
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10 degrees overnight(and still the same) and windy as hell. Converted cottage with R11 in the walls and crappy windows. 75 degrees in the house when I woke up. Love my $239/ton shoulder pellets from HD.
 
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... Many would ponder, why pay $6.00 - $7.00 per bag for product from the boutique pellet store when a $4.50 - $5.00 bag of Blazers from HD or Somersets from TSC will heat my house just as well? .

Let's not believe that Blazers are only 4.50 a bag, because they happened to be that way to
fulfill a contract obligation....At least on the eastern part of the country.

As said before... pellet selection, and price paid is generally a consumer choice.
Those that choose to buy a high end product, do so willingly.
Those that choose BBS pellets, do so because they want to.
No right, no wrong...
Like stopping at a Mikey D's, or a Five guys.... It's usually a choice....

Dan
 
$239 at Home Depot (if you have their credit card, and use it to buy, then 5% comes off of that price - $227). Heck, even buying by the bag (as I do), at $4.98/bag comes out to $249/ton and if you use their CC it comes out to $236/ton. Naturally you don't want to carry a balance on that CC (I never do).

Of course if you don't have one close (delivery charges can be a killer if you are too far away), or a truck, or your particular HD is out, then that isn't helpful.

I said "around here"...
As of mid week, both HD stores, locally, had zero, and were not sure when they
were going to get more....
 
I hear this a lot but I don't see the point.

Just seems like buying different pellets for different parts of the season is more work than it's worth. My Harman adjusts feed rate to maintain the temperature I want. If I buy a hotter pellet it'll throttle back and burn less. Crummy pellets it feeds more.

Enlighten me please.

Thanks.

+1
Why buy cooler burning pellets for cooler temps? Never believed that theory either and a complete waste of time burning inefficient, dirtier burning pellets.
 
I said "around here"...
As of mid week, both HD stores, locally, had zero, and were not sure when they
were going to get more....

Where in New Hampster are you? Nashua HD has plenty of pellets. Bought a ton yesterday.
 
I burn Maine's Choice during the week, but AWF's are my weekend pellet. On holidays, I can go either way, not that there's anything wrong with that.
 
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Londonderry HD (<1 mi. off Exit 4, Rt 93) has many tons. Worker said they had "2 trucks" worth. FSU are indoors and ready to be picked up.
 
Kinda like chasing good looking women before I got married. . . . . . ;)
if I remember those days correctly, it was awfully expensive too, but worth every penny:)
 
I know Concord was out last weekend, and they may not have re-stocked. I happened to hit Manchester right as they were getting a delivery that same day. Doesn't mean Manch still has any.
Londonderry HD (<1 mi. off Exit 4, Rt 93) has many tons. Worker said they had "2 trucks" worth. FSU are indoors and ready to be picked up.

That is good to know. Manch ran out of FSU's - which is my preferred pellet for the St, Croix (okay, the stove's preferred pellet). I may have to wonder over Londonderrry way and pick up 10-15 more bags. still - a 35+ mile drive (Manch is close to where I work, so not too bad for me usually).
 
Let's not believe that Blazers are only 4.50 a bag, because they happened to be that way to
fulfill a contract obligation....At least on the eastern part of the country.
Far be it for me to question HD's inventory and pricing process, but the fact is I paid $4.50/bag for Blazers this season, as did countless others from ME all the way down to PA. That's not the point though, all I'm trying to say is shoulder pellets are not something a person intentionally tries to buy. The notion of going out of one's way to purposely buy "cooler burning" pellets is absurd. You also can't make the generalization that just because pellets cost less or were bought at a BBS automatically means they are shoulder pellets or perform worse than the $6.00 - $7.00 (ok, $8.00+ these days, apparently!) pellets. I have tested a variety of brands of pellets from TSC and HD this year, and the majority of them have performed as well as, some even better than the more expensive pellets in my stash.
 
Far be it for me to question HD's inventory and pricing process, but the fact is I paid $4.50/bag for Blazers this season, as did countless others from ME all the way down to PA. That's not the point though, all I'm trying to say is shoulder pellets are not something a person intentionally tries to buy. The notion of going out of one's way to purposely buy "cooler burning" pellets is absurd. You also can't make the generalization that just because pellets cost less or were bought at a BBS automatically means they are shoulder pellets or perform worse than the $6.00 - $7.00 (ok, $8.00+ these days, apparently!) pellets. I have tested a variety of brands of pellets from TSC and HD this year, and the majority of them have performed as well as, some even better than the more expensive pellets in my stash.
I picked up a few bags of Blazers at 5 something a bag but only saw them once about six weeks ago. Rest of the time HD gad garbage. The way people write it's almost as if they buy crap pellets purposely and use them.in fall and spring. My Lignetics cost me 235 a ton and I've been using them straight through letting my Harman determine the feed rate. 8f here tonight and the distribution blower just shut down 'cause the place reached set temperature.
 
This morning, "shoulder pellet" would be too kind a description for the Ambiance that is failing in its attempt to heat my drafty house.

Un-draft the house and the "shoulder pellets" would heat your home.
 
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I picked up a few bags of Blazers at 5 something a bag but only saw them once about six weeks ago. Rest of the time HD gad garbage. The way people write it's almost as if they buy crap pellets purposely and use them.in fall and spring. My Lignetics cost me 235 a ton and I've been using them straight through letting my Harman determine the feed rate. 8f here tonight and the distribution blower just shut down 'cause the place reached set temperature.
My stove loves lignetics too. Early in the season, I picked up around 10 bags for testing, now I wish I had bought more. Fantastic heat and not a lot of ash. Would definitely buy them again!
 
Un-draft the house and the "shoulder pellets" would heat your home.

I did replace the windows downstairs last summer, and that has helped. But I've got knob and tube wiring in the walls, so I can't insulate the wall cavity unless I rewire the house.

The Ambiance did rise to the occasion yesterday after the P-68 was cranked way up. One of the issues is also that the Ambiance may get it done at a setting very different from another (better) pellet, which also makes heating the house that much more complicated.

It is easier to settle on one pellet for a year and go with it. We first got this stove in 2007 and used Bearfoot for the first couple of years with great results. Then they had some delivery issues of some kind, so we switched to Logik-E, which was okay. I forget why we don't have Logik-E anymore. I think next year I might pick a non-shoulder pellet and just roll with it all year. Life is complicated enough already.
 
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I'm glad I have a stove where I can just set it and forget it regardless of pellet brand, hardwood versus softwood, pellet length or any other variable. I've got better things to do than 'tune' my stove every time there is a ripple in the universe.
 
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A
I'm glad I have a stove where I can just set it and forget it regardless of pellet brand, hardwood versus softwood, pellet length or any other variable. I've got better things to do than 'tune' my stove every time there is a ripple in the universe.
Agree wholeheartedly!
 
Dogone Harmones strike again..... I need to get one for next year.:)
 
I'm glad I have a stove where I can just set it and forget it regardless of pellet brand, hardwood versus softwood, pellet length or any other variable. I've got better things to do than 'tune' my stove every time there is a ripple in the universe.

For some of us pressing a button a couple times really isn't a big deal.

Un-draft the house and the "shoulder pellets" would heat your home.
That would be of course the best alternative. However in some of our cases, like mine as well, the cost of reinsulating and sealing up a 100+yr old timber house with multiple additions could be tens of thousands of dollars. I'll just move before I sink that much into here. Realistically though, moving is likely at least 2 yrs away so I'll have to keep 2 stoves cranked up for a couple more winters.
 
..but the fact is I paid $4.50/bag for Blazers this season, as did countless others from ME all the way down to PA.
I know. I never said you didn't. They were that price here too. For a few days. Then they were gone.
Never to return.
I just said, It would not be wise to think you will see that again next season..
...all I'm trying to say is shoulder pellets are not something a person intentionally tries to buy.
I have to respectfully disagree with that.
We constantly read about people using XXX during the "shoulder" season.
Or people buying YYY "shoulder "pellets, and AAA for the "colder" months.
People do indeed buy "shoulder" pellets.. on purpose..
but I will give you, that many call "cheaper" pellets, "shoulder" pellets..
Justified, or not..
I have tested a variety of brands of pellets from TSC and HD this year, and the majority of them have performed as well as, some even better than the more expensive pellets in my stash.
So have I. And I agree with your findings..
Heat wise, I found some, what people call 'junk', to burn quite warm. Just nasty..

If you look at my position, you will see that I don't think one is stupid
to buy cheap stuff, nor are is one stupid to by high end stuff.
It's all up to the individual to purchase what they please.. What they can afford..
What works best for their application..

Dan
 
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I filled up last night with Ambiance and left the stove on our normal day setting all night, only to find the downstairs (near the stove) at 65 degrees, about seven degrees off its target.

Had you run the stove in thermostat mode, the proper temp would have been maintained. It would have ramped up automatically.
 
I said "around here"...
As of mid week, both HD stores, locally, had zero, and were not sure when they
were going to get more....

I just picked up a ton of FSU "shoulder" pellets at Londonderry HD on Friday. They told me they had "plenty" of tons available. I only bought one ton. Hooksett had them, too but they're farther away for me. I threw a few bags of FSU's in Saturday and the temp in my house dropped from 72 to 68 by evening. We just dug out and brought in my only ton of Purcell DF pellets. I'll burn them until they're gone and then start on the FSU's once it starts to warm up. I have to agree with Wilbur Feral's points. I only want to do a complete cleaning once a week, usually Sunday's. With the LaCrete's, that was fine. I don't think I could do that burning FSU's in the dead of winter. I love the Austro but the ash handling leaves something to be desired.

If I could get a pellet as good as the LaCrete's for $239/ton, I wouldn't bother with the FSU's. Between fuel to get them, and at $280/ton, the LaCrete's cost more than I want to spend for every ton. Fricken' fuel oil is still $2.39 a gallon.......
 
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