Pellets to Avoid

As we all know, every year is different in the pellet world as far as quality and brands available due to geographic location. However, there are a few brands of pellets that I have found to consistently be low performers. Just to be clear, I run a Harmon P38 which is running strong into its 8th year. As already discussed in many prior threads, every stove burns pellets differently. What pellets should be avoided or not worth spending those hard-earned dollars on?
1. Michigan/North Country wood pellets
2. Maeder Brothers

Unfortunately, these brands seem to be clogging up the market in my area as I am from Michigan. Anyways, love the website and great discussions. I wish I would have had the information that many people freely give out here when I first started burning pellets as this site has really helped me with maintaining my stove and giving me ideas as far as what pellets to try. Again, thanks and have a great Thanksgiving!

X2 on the michigans they are very bad.

Bayou, Inferno, Appling County, Tree Cycle, American Energex, Michigan's, Corinths

Down here in the South, avoid Carolina Wood Pellets. They vary in length from 4" to crumbles in EVERY BAG! Emails to them go unanswered and they still demand $250 a ton! I have two tons of the junk to go through before I can get some RockWood pellets, which were great last year but unavailable around me this year. I'll drive to get them now!

Marth pellets sold in the midewest in the brown bag. RUN away....

Also didn't care for the Pennywise pellets made by Marth!

Fire Masters. Very dusty, smell like dirt, very ashy.

x2
its hit or miss with them.
mostly miss.

My last batch of Pro-pellets were terriable,high ash.coobie

Carolina Wood Pellets and infernos, lousy heat and way to much ash

Marth in brown bag - I found way too much ash and dirt

Marth hardwoods... way too much ash. The softwoods aren't too bad...

avoid pellets stored outside.

Eric

I'm having a difficult time finding any decent pellets locally. OK and as far as locally, I mean within 70 miles.

I do NOT like OHP brand, they are extremely ashy and don't put out a super amount of heat. This is the only brand in town I can find.

I just tried a new to me brand of eco flame pellets and they are not putting out crap for heat and I hate them. I'd rather have the ash clogging OHP brand.

I'm COOOLD tonight and can't go get any more summerset, and I pray they have more, till tomorrow.

PA Pellets

Natures Own.... Sold at my local Lowes. JUNK

Michigans, Maeder Bros..

ACP - Appling County Pellets

Just wondering how ashy are your OHP's? This is my 3rd season with them and I think this batch is probably the most ash I have had with them. What your date on the bag?

ur Pellets have Born On Dates?

Yeah, in the upper right hand corner of the bag.

That has been said to be just the bags printing date. It isn't the actual date the product was bagged or batch date. Some do put a batch/bagging date on there products. Something that I think should be there for batch tracking.

Avoid Curran from Massena, NY, unless your stove can handle long pellets and you don't mind bags that break easily.
http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=11422&highlight=curran

Their QC standard is to keep the pellet length within 1.5", which is too long for my augerless stove.

My quibble about weak bags is based upon last year's experience. I don't know if they have improved this year.

Other than the length problem and the bags, I was happy with them.

+ 10

zap

Potomacs. Will not burn on any setting besides heat range 8 or 9. And then in just a couple hours burn pot is a solid block and windows are black. I bought the potomacs and a skid of lignetics(west Virginia) from pelletsdirect. The lignetics burn on any setting adequately. The potomacs fail! I am beginning to think the potomacs are wet.