Valfei softwoods?

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P38X2

Minister of Fire
Mar 11, 2012
1,670
Jaffrey, NH
Anyone have any experience with these? Their website only lists hardwood pellets; Ambience, Orford. Hmmmm....?
 
OK, just bought a test bag. Orford is the brand. 100% softwood. Didn't check but nearby was Ambience.

Any opinions?
 
First impressions. They smell and look GREAT! Haven't seen affordable softwoods since Walmart used to carry Eureka for $174. Seemed like very low fines but only judging by what I saw during the pour and what was left clinging inside of the bag.

Burning some now.
 
I have a ton of Ambiance and have burned a few bags with the recent cold weather - so far they are excellent. Very good heat and low ash. Nice consistent burn. Where are you finding your Orfords and how much are they?
 
If you look a little closer you'll see the Orford brand is made with Douglas Fir fiber. Should be hot and clean if they got the good stuff(fiber)!
 
I have a ton of Ambiance and have burned a few bags with the recent cold weather - so far they are excellent. Very good heat and low ash. Nice consistent burn. Where are you finding your Orfords and how much are they?

Nice :) Agway $250. I talked to the owner and he said it shouldn't be a problem getting more when it's pig out time...which is always. He said they're one of his main distributors for other products he sells.
 
Nice :) Agway $250. I talked to the owner and he said it shouldn't be a problem getting more when it's pig out time...which is always. He said they're one of his main distributors for other products he sells.
Is that the one in Keene?
 
If you look a little closer you'll see the Orford brand is made with Douglas Fir fiber. Should be hot and clean if they got the good stuff(fiber)!

Hoping so. I'm psyched like a true pellet head should be. Like I said, their website only listed Orford and Ambience in 100% hardwood so no info is listed for the softies. Nothing listed on the bag either. Only specifics are 100% softwood, Ash less than 1%.Fines less than. 5%. They seem to specialize in x-mas trees so maybe these pellets are all the Charlie Brown trees no one wanted.
 
Is that the one in Keene?

No, Peterborough. Same owner though so I wouldn't be surprised if there was some stock there. He said out of the 2 brands I listed, only the Orfords were softies.
 
Hoping so. I'm psyched like a true pellet head should be. Like I said, their website only listed Orford and Ambience in 100% hardwood so no info is listed for the softies. Nothing listed on the bag either. Only specifics are 100% softwood, Ash less than 1%.Fines less than. 5%. They seem to specialize in x-mas trees so maybe these pellets are all the Charlie Brown trees no one wanted.

Here's another thread on them and a link to a pellet dealers listing
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/anyone-try-orford-wood-pellets.92485/
This place is listing as Doug Fir.
http://www.cjspellets.com/Products/Orford-Wood-Pellets/30

I'll keep digging on them. I'll post what I find
 
True - the Ambiance are hardwood, mostly oak, hard maple, and cherry, according to their website. They smell like oak - low dust and almost zero fines; very low ash. I'm really happy with them - I'd say they're at least the equal of the Vermonts. I have a couple of tons of them too and burned a ton last year. I live near Lebanon so Keene isn't too bad a drive - Peterborough a bit worse. Because the Ambiance are so good I'd love to try the Orfords, and even though I'm stocked for the winter, if they have them in Keene maybe I'll go snag a few bags this weekend. Just out of curiosity, did you notice the price of the Ambiance?
 
Test over...after a whole hour ;)
Unloading the other 49 bags from the pallet.
 
True - the Ambiance are hardwood, mostly oak, hard maple, and cherry, according to their website. They smell like oak - low dust and almost zero fines; very low ash. I'm really happy with them - I'd say they're at least the equal of the Vermonts. I have a couple of tons of them too and burned a ton last year. I live near Lebanon so Keene isn't too bad a drive - Peterborough a bit worse. Because the Ambiance are so good I'd love to try the Orfords, and even though I'm stocked for the winter, if they have them in Keene maybe I'll go snag a few bags this weekend. Just out of curiosity, did you notice the price of the Ambiance?

Yep, $250

Lebanon to Keene is a bit of a haul, I hear ya. Same here on the winter stash but there's always more room to be found to put them. Unfortunately, there's a little too much room in my wallet.
 
Test over...after a whole hour ;)
Unloading the other 49 bags from the pallet.
Haha - good for you! I think you won't regret that. :)
 
I'm surprised I have a pellet that JT hasn't burned...YET.
 
True - the Ambiance are hardwood, mostly oak, hard maple, and cherry, according to their website. They smell like oak - low dust and almost zero fines; very low ash. I'm really happy with them - I'd say they're at least the equal of the Vermonts. I have a couple of tons of them too and burned a ton last year. I live near Lebanon so Keene isn't too bad a drive - Peterborough a bit worse. Because the Ambiance are so good I'd love to try the Orfords, and even though I'm stocked for the winter, if they have them in Keene maybe I'll go snag a few bags this weekend. Just out of curiosity, did you notice the price of the Ambiance?

The same guy also owns Agways in Brattleboro, VT and Walpole, NH. Both are a little closer to you.
 
I'm surprised I have a pellet that JT hasn't burned...YET.

Been a bit busy to hunt pellets lately. ;em Got a few more before winter projects and I will get to play more. I just found some Northeast pellets from the Ashland plant. I haven't seen them in 3 years or so. I grabbed a couple bags before the hogs swooped in!

I sent an email to Valfei and asked if the are DF. I'll post the response when I get it.
 
Nice thanks. Brat about the same as Keene for me but Walpole is decent. Will look into that.
 
I just found some Northeast pellets from the Ashland plant. I haven't seen them in 3 years or so. I grabbed a couple bags before the hogs swooped in!

I'll be all ears on this one. The 100% Recycled Wood thing scared me away. All I can picture is demo material. Besides, I can get the MWP blend AND softwood for less $$$. I went by their plant this summer but didn't see much activity. I talked to a couple of stove shop owners while I was up there and they didn't have much good to say about them. Everyone up there swears by the NEWP's out of the Jaffrey plant.
 
Nice thanks. Brat about the same as Keene for me but Walpole is decent. Will look into that.
The same guy also owns Agways in Brattleboro, VT and Walpole, NH. Both are a little closer to you.

You guys are making me a little homesick. I grew up in Hinsdale, still have a brother living there.
 
I'll be all ears on this one. The 100% Recycled Wood thing scared me away. All I can picture is demo material. Besides, I can get the MWP blend AND softwood for less $$$. I went by their plant this summer but didn't see much activity. I talked to a couple of stove shop owners while I was up there and they didn't have much good to say about them. Everyone up there swears by the NEWP's out of the Jaffrey plant.

Wow how things change. The Northeasts were pretty decent for a local pellet some years ago. The recycled wood doesn't sound good to me either. Tell you the truth, I didn't even read the bag yet. I saw them and just grabbed a couple. If I open them up and they smell like Inferno's, I probably will pass on the review. By the way TSC is where I saw them.
 
Wow how things change. The Northeasts were pretty decent for a local pellet some years ago. The recycled wood doesn't sound good to me either. Tell you the truth, I didn't even read the bag yet. I saw them and just grabbed a couple. If I open them up and they smell like Inferno's, I probably will pass on the review. By the way TSC is where I saw them.

They were a decent pellet before the fire. All the bags I saw when I was up north said 100% recycled wood right on the front.. I even think their website says that.
 
Quoted from their website:

Premium wood pellets made from 100% recycled wood in Ashland, Maine
 
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