Hello -
I just purchased my stove about 3 weeks ago. I was coming here long before the purchase and continue to come here after the purchase. The people on here have been incredibly helpful. Since I don't know much about stoves yet I thought I would give back by giving some reviews of all the pellets I have used and tested. I'm sure for the veterans this wont be much help because you've been through this but perhaps this could help out some new comers who are looking to try out pellets. Here is what I've found.
Clean Fire Hardwood Pellets - $259.00 a ton - Lots of sawdust, Glass was very dirty in about an hour full of ash, not much heat at all, the stove would not run on low I was waking up in the morning to a stove that was off and a burn pot full of Pellets, 1 bag lasted about 24 hours on 2/3 setting, heat exchanger was full of ash and the ash content was average
Clear Choice Hardwood pellets - $299.00 a ton - Least amount of sawdust of all the pellets I tried, A little hotter than above pellets, the stove stayed on on low setting, 2 bags lasted about 48 hours on 3/4 setting, not the lowest ash content but there was a bit of ash in the ash pan and the heat exchanger was full of ash, living room was about 70 degrees (where the stove is)
Curren Hardwood/softwood Blend Pellets - $279.00 a ton - Little sawdust in bag, hotter than the (2) above, not allot of ash high flames, the ash seemed to be clogging the burn pot, the ash was sticky and crusty in the burn pot, not much window ash at all it seemed, the glass stayed very clean, Living room where the stove is was only 68 degrees in the morning but it was the coldest day of the year. It was only about 8 degrees that night and it was 11 degrees in the morning, 2 bags lasted about 30 hours on 3/4 setting
Green Gold Premium Hardwood pellets - $289.00 a ton - Not allot of ash, sawdust was the same as others, hotter than the 3 above but nothing special, 2 bags lasted about 38 hours on 3/4 setting, temp in the living room was about 70 it never went over 70 degrees, Long big pellets in the bag, lots of ash in the heat exchanger,
Lignetics - $294.00 a ton - Lots of dust in bag , Very hot and noticeably hotter than any of the others I had tried to this point, these were hotter than all the ones above on 2/3 setting where the others were on the 3/4 setting, 70 degrees in the living room (where the stove is) all night and in the morning, no ash on glass and what was on the glass wiped right off with a soft cloth (no water necessary), not much ash in the tray or heat exchanger, some big pellets, 2 bags lasted 47 hours, living room got the hottest it has ever gotten it hit 75 degrees but it was 35 degrees outside
Geneva Hardwood - $264.00 a ton - TONS of dust - there was a cloud of dust when I poured these into the hopper, hottest that I tried except Lignetics but as hot as Lignetics, they burned very slow and living room (where the stove is) got up to 72 degrees besides lignetics this was the only pellet to get up to 72 degrees, hard ashes in the burn pot, black ash in the ash tray, NO ash on glass but there was a white sticky haze that needed more than a cloth and water to get off - I needed to use a ceramic stove sponge and water but it came right off with that, no ash in the heat exchanger, room was a constant 70 degrees, no ash on back walls of stove, very good ash content or lack of ash, 2 bags lasted about 30 hours, nice high flames
Spruce softwood - $289 a ton - tons of sawdust and allot of small wood chips bigger than sawdust but not really wood chips ( maybe these are what you call fines?), not overly impressed with the heat and had a lazy flame, the living room temp was at 68 degrees, I had to give the stove more air to get big flames, even with more air the flame still seemed lazy, not much ash on the back wall, tray or heat exchanger, glass stayed clean, when I did get good heat I had to set it to the 4/5 setting which is the highest the stove can go, black ash in tray, 66 degrees in the morning on 3/4 setting, I had to play with the stove way to much to get these to burn properly, 2 bags lasted about 36 hours
Barefoot Super Premium Hardwood - $304.00 a ton - Not much dust, some black pellets and long pellets in the bag, hot as Lignetics and Geneva but not hotter, big flames, living room stayed at 72 degrees with ease, not much ash on heat exchanger or tray, the glass stayed clean but these had a white haze on the glass as did the Geneva's, Auger was making noises - I heard a pop once in awhile and these were the only pellets where I heard that, the room stayed at 72 degrees on 2/3 setting but the outside temps were in the 40's and 50's, cigarette like ashes in the burn pot - big, black and crusty, light brown ash, 2 bags lasted about 32 hours,
That's what I have. I hope this is helpful for someone and I didn't waste everyone else's time with such a long post. I still have Oakies at home to test but that will be the last ones I test. I think I'm going to go with the Geneva's. The price is right and from what I saw the Lignetics and Barefoot aren't worth the extra money. All prices above do not include the $60.00 delivery charge. I'm still looking for shoulder pellets but these aren't them. As you can see all these brands are pretty pricey.
I just purchased my stove about 3 weeks ago. I was coming here long before the purchase and continue to come here after the purchase. The people on here have been incredibly helpful. Since I don't know much about stoves yet I thought I would give back by giving some reviews of all the pellets I have used and tested. I'm sure for the veterans this wont be much help because you've been through this but perhaps this could help out some new comers who are looking to try out pellets. Here is what I've found.
Clean Fire Hardwood Pellets - $259.00 a ton - Lots of sawdust, Glass was very dirty in about an hour full of ash, not much heat at all, the stove would not run on low I was waking up in the morning to a stove that was off and a burn pot full of Pellets, 1 bag lasted about 24 hours on 2/3 setting, heat exchanger was full of ash and the ash content was average
Clear Choice Hardwood pellets - $299.00 a ton - Least amount of sawdust of all the pellets I tried, A little hotter than above pellets, the stove stayed on on low setting, 2 bags lasted about 48 hours on 3/4 setting, not the lowest ash content but there was a bit of ash in the ash pan and the heat exchanger was full of ash, living room was about 70 degrees (where the stove is)
Curren Hardwood/softwood Blend Pellets - $279.00 a ton - Little sawdust in bag, hotter than the (2) above, not allot of ash high flames, the ash seemed to be clogging the burn pot, the ash was sticky and crusty in the burn pot, not much window ash at all it seemed, the glass stayed very clean, Living room where the stove is was only 68 degrees in the morning but it was the coldest day of the year. It was only about 8 degrees that night and it was 11 degrees in the morning, 2 bags lasted about 30 hours on 3/4 setting
Green Gold Premium Hardwood pellets - $289.00 a ton - Not allot of ash, sawdust was the same as others, hotter than the 3 above but nothing special, 2 bags lasted about 38 hours on 3/4 setting, temp in the living room was about 70 it never went over 70 degrees, Long big pellets in the bag, lots of ash in the heat exchanger,
Lignetics - $294.00 a ton - Lots of dust in bag , Very hot and noticeably hotter than any of the others I had tried to this point, these were hotter than all the ones above on 2/3 setting where the others were on the 3/4 setting, 70 degrees in the living room (where the stove is) all night and in the morning, no ash on glass and what was on the glass wiped right off with a soft cloth (no water necessary), not much ash in the tray or heat exchanger, some big pellets, 2 bags lasted 47 hours, living room got the hottest it has ever gotten it hit 75 degrees but it was 35 degrees outside
Geneva Hardwood - $264.00 a ton - TONS of dust - there was a cloud of dust when I poured these into the hopper, hottest that I tried except Lignetics but as hot as Lignetics, they burned very slow and living room (where the stove is) got up to 72 degrees besides lignetics this was the only pellet to get up to 72 degrees, hard ashes in the burn pot, black ash in the ash tray, NO ash on glass but there was a white sticky haze that needed more than a cloth and water to get off - I needed to use a ceramic stove sponge and water but it came right off with that, no ash in the heat exchanger, room was a constant 70 degrees, no ash on back walls of stove, very good ash content or lack of ash, 2 bags lasted about 30 hours, nice high flames
Spruce softwood - $289 a ton - tons of sawdust and allot of small wood chips bigger than sawdust but not really wood chips ( maybe these are what you call fines?), not overly impressed with the heat and had a lazy flame, the living room temp was at 68 degrees, I had to give the stove more air to get big flames, even with more air the flame still seemed lazy, not much ash on the back wall, tray or heat exchanger, glass stayed clean, when I did get good heat I had to set it to the 4/5 setting which is the highest the stove can go, black ash in tray, 66 degrees in the morning on 3/4 setting, I had to play with the stove way to much to get these to burn properly, 2 bags lasted about 36 hours
Barefoot Super Premium Hardwood - $304.00 a ton - Not much dust, some black pellets and long pellets in the bag, hot as Lignetics and Geneva but not hotter, big flames, living room stayed at 72 degrees with ease, not much ash on heat exchanger or tray, the glass stayed clean but these had a white haze on the glass as did the Geneva's, Auger was making noises - I heard a pop once in awhile and these were the only pellets where I heard that, the room stayed at 72 degrees on 2/3 setting but the outside temps were in the 40's and 50's, cigarette like ashes in the burn pot - big, black and crusty, light brown ash, 2 bags lasted about 32 hours,
That's what I have. I hope this is helpful for someone and I didn't waste everyone else's time with such a long post. I still have Oakies at home to test but that will be the last ones I test. I think I'm going to go with the Geneva's. The price is right and from what I saw the Lignetics and Barefoot aren't worth the extra money. All prices above do not include the $60.00 delivery charge. I'm still looking for shoulder pellets but these aren't them. As you can see all these brands are pretty pricey.
