Vermont Softwoods...What a difference a year makes!!

[Phoenix Hatchling]

Burned Vermonts all last winter, and sample several other brands only to determine that the Vermonts worked for me the best. Clean, hot, smelled great. Yesterday I did my thorough cleaning after about fifteen bags of Vermonts and boy was it SCUZZYYYY! I started the fifteen bag run with a completely cleaned stove after burning around the same number bags of Barefoot pellets. The Barefoots burned clean and hot and left very little residue. These Vermonts this year look like a woolen coat is being spun in your firebox. The thick clinker crap buildup was near impossible to chisel off, and black sooty deposits needed extra TLC to remove completely. My next burning run is some of my Lacretes, which so far are awesome.

Very disappointing that the Vermonts were not what they have been cracked up to be. I have a little over a ton and a half of them remaining, but would almost consider finding an outlet to trade them outta here. Maybe I'll give them one more run just to validate my findings further, but it seems others have had mixed reviews on these as well this year. They do still smell incredible though!

 

[Crazy Ivan from CT]

Burned Vermonts all last winter, and sample several other brands only to determine that the Vermonts worked for me the best. Clean, hot, smelled great. Yesterday I did my thorough cleaning after about fifteen bags of Vermonts and boy was it SCUZZYYYY! I started the fifteen bag run with a completely cleaned stove after burning around the same number bags of Barefoot pellets. The Barefoots burned clean and hot and left very little residue. These Vermonts this year look like a woolen coat is being spun in your firebox. The thick clinker crap buildup was near impossible to chisel off, and black sooty deposits needed extra TLC to remove completely. My next burning run is some of my Lacretes, which so far are awesome.

Very disappointing that the Vermonts were not what they have been cracked up to be. I have a little over a ton and a half of them remaining, but would almost consider finding an outlet to trade them outta here. Maybe I'll give them one more run just to validate my findings further, but it seems others have had mixed reviews on these as well this year. They do still smell incredible though!

Where were you buying your pellets? I was getting mine at Tri county for years and not sticking to a specific brand.

 

[ChandlerR]

I mentioned before that this years batch of Vermonts were dirtier than last years. I must have gotten a mixed batch because the last few bags were just as good as last year. Hot and clean. As with many mass produced products made on an assembly line, they may have had an issue that was corrected.

 

[MarkSJohnson]

I had heard great things about Vermonts and assumed that they would be the best of the 12 different brands I tried with my new stove. For me, the Vermonts were only OK. They weren't doing anything wrong, but they didn't particulary stand out for any reason either.

I bought two tons of FSUs today, with another ton to buy tomorrow. I haven't tried all the brands I bought as of yet, but I can only back my truck up to my basement door until there is snow on the ground. The FSUs were the best I've found so far AND the cheapest, so I thought I can't go too wrong with them.

Thought for sure I'd be buying Vermont tonnage.

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

I mentioned before that this years batch of Vermonts were dirtier than last years. I must have gotten a mixed batch because the last few bags were just as good as last year. Hot and clean. As with many mass produced products made on an assembly line, they may have had an issue that was corrected.

Issue may have been corrected...or...had only now surfaced

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

Where were you buying your pellets? I was getting mine at Tri county for years and not sticking to a specific brand.

Bt pellets in Bristol. The Barefoots from Trading Post by you.

 

[briansol]

FSU's are looking to be the sleeper pellet of the year....