st_earl how are you crabbes doing

[slls]

Been burning any?

 

[sinnian]

WELL???

 

[St_Earl]

i'm burning the remaining mwp blend right now.
i think i have a little less then 40 more bags of those.
i will definitely report in later this winter on the crabbes.

 

[MCPO]

I thought he would be itching to tell us.

 

[movemaine]

I burned around 10+ bags of Crabbes last year, and didn't like them. Dirty for a softwood. No where near a LaCrete.

 

[LMPS]

I burned some last year, did not think they were anything special for the price.

 

[slls]

I burned around 10+ bags of Crabbes last year, and didn't like them. Dirty for a softwood. No where near a LaCrete.

I bought 1 bag and burned this weekend, same dirty. Going to call SIB Monday and change to MWP softies, ya what I said.
Broke rule #1, burn a bag first. I did before the delivery thank heavens.

 

[St_Earl]

the mwp softies just weren't enough hotter than the blend to be worth the extra money.
if the crabbes turn out the same, i'll consider going back to the blend.

if they're hotter, then that's what i want.

if the local stove shop still has the crabbes at $219 like they do now, i'll be doing 1/2 ton runs in the subaru next spring regardless.

 

[LMPS]

if the local stove shop still has the crabbes at $219 like they do now, i'll be doing 1/2 ton runs in the subaru next spring regardless.[/quote]

At $219 I would consider buying them again, I think they are as good as the MWP Softies. I am going to double check the price down this way but I believe the last year they were $269. At $269 they are not worth it to me, would rather go with the Cubex or something like that for a few bucks more. But again at $219 I would buy them.

 

[St_Earl]

just started burning them last night (-7f). very pleased with the result .
from the "trade a ton" thread-

MWP's are not a SP in my estimation; very little heat output.

^i'm going to have to agree with this.
burned them last year and was underwhelmed at the heat difference between them and the mwp blend. and i've been burning them for several weeks this season as well.
and damn are they dirty. maybe a little less ash in the bottom of the firebox than the mwp blend, but dark fuzzy ash clinging to the baffles and walls. (and , of course, the flue) and more of it than with the blend.
i'm oaked up, have a good vertical with 4 inch venting, and have good air flow with a vigorous flame.

-7f last night and i switched over to the white spruce crabbe pellets. with them the cooler side of the output is at least as hot as the hot side was before w/ the mwp softies and the hotter side is much much hotter.

and the crabbe have almost no fines at all.
i guess the double vacuuming they do isn't just a gimmick.

honestly, if my only choice were mwp blend and mwp softies, there is no way i'd spend the extra for the softies.
i'm just hoping like hell the local stove shop has the crabbe at $219 a ton again next spring.
i'll be doing 1/2 ton runs in the subaru for sure.

*i'm sure there are better pellets than the crabbe. but they are by far the best i've burned and the best available to me without going over $300 a ton.
and between them and the mwp softies, it's no contest.

i'm shutting down the stove now to clean and will judge the ash from a clean start and post here with results.

 

[chken]

I've been burning Crabbés and LGs. The LGs have been burning just a tiny bit cleaner than the Crabbés, with little ash and no fines. I've tried MWP soft and blend, and the soft were acceptable, but dusty, and the blend had a cupful of fines in the bottom of the bag. The blend left about double the ash. The Piazzetta has a tiny ash pan, so finding low ash pellets really make a difference!

 

[St_Earl]

I've been burning Crabbés and LGs. The LGs have been burning just a tiny bit cleaner than the Crabbés, with little ash and no fines. I've tried MWP soft and blend, and the soft were acceptable, but dusty, and the blend had a cupful of fines in the bottom of the bag. The blend left about double the ash. The Piazzetta has a tiny ash pan, so finding low ash pellets really make a difference!

i agree on the dustiness of the mwp. and the crabbe i opened last night had almost no fines at all.
they do a double vacuuming at the plant, and evidently it's not a gimmick.

both flavors of the mwp always left very dark ash.
with the crabbe on the same settings, the ash on the vertical faces is white. what a concept. : )

* been running these alone since cleaning. they are indeed much less ashy than the mwp softies.
and much hotter too.