Where are pellet prices headed?

[krooser]

I'm just asking... they seem to be OK around here in NE/NC Wisconsin...from $169.00 to about $259.00... I bought western fir pellets (Western Elites) cuz i couldn't get bear Mountain this year. Paid $238.00/ton. Supplies are good from what I've seen... seems the shortages are a thing of the distant past.

 

[DMZX]

I was at Home Depot today and notice they had Blazer pellets on sale for $3.99/bag, $190/ton. That is the best price I have seen so far.

I grabbed a few bags to try them out.

 

[soupy1957]

I didn't choose a Pellet Stove for a couple of reasons, ..........

-If the power goes out, and you don't have a generator, .......you're screwed!

-There are mechanical parts you have to keep doing preventative maintenance on, that can fail.

-Unless you were very careful and educated in your Pellet Stove choice, the Pellet Stove can be a
noisy thing!

-Pellets are processed products; and on that basis, you are subject to pricing according
TO the processing. Wood cut out of the woods, only costs you sweat equity, and the gas
to run the chainsaw.

 

[Pellet-King]

Hang on soupy, soupy hang on...........

 

[soupy1957]

Oops..........sorry...........did I beat a dead horse? (lol)

I expect the price of Pellets to get a bit ridiculous, is all I'm saying. As long as some company has their labor issues, manufacturing cost issues, ......etc.........the price is gonna go up.

On the other side of the coin, ........in all fairness...........there could very well come a day when some jackass will make it illegal to cut wood, (unless you own a lot of property with lots of your OWN trees), or some committee will outlaw the burning of wood altogether (like they actually HAVE done in some parts of the world and here in the States), and I'll be SOL. But so will the Pellet Stove crowd, because they both make smoke.

-Soupy1957

 

[DMZX]

I quit burning cord wood, years ago for several reasons:

-I moved to an area where woodcutting areas were >50 miles away.
-I was at the mercy of commercial wood cutters, prices, availability, and quality varied greatly.
-The price of cord wood rose steadily with the price of gas.
-Pellet stoves burn much more efficiently, less ash, less emissions, no smoke.

 

[soupy1957]

"Less emissions, no smoke"

"Less emissions," ..........really? I'd like to read a study on that. Got one?

"No smoke," ............you're tellin me you don't have a chimney attached to your Pellet Stove?

I have no reason to believe that you are not putting into the atmosphere, the same carcinogens (sp?) as a wood stove. Aren't the Pellets just compressed wood? What am I missing here.

Willing to learn.........

In answer to the OP........the prices are going "up." (on wood too, if you buy it from a supplier).

-Soupy1957

 

[Jim H.]

I am not sure about the emissions, but the no smoke has a lot to do with the low moisture content of the pellets. After the initial startup, I get no smoke....you can smell a slight woodsy smell, but you would not know it is coming from my chimney.....

Jim

 

[JustWood]

With the price of Nat gas where it is , I'm guessing they won't go up much if at all unless Nat gas does or oil spikes up.
Have a friend in the Nat gas biz who sez the supply of new gas ready to come online is UNBELIEVABLE. This should keep gas prices low for a long time.

 

[tjnamtiw]

I didn't choose a Pellet Stove for a couple of reasons, ..........

-If the power goes out, and you don't have a generator, .......you're screwed!

-There are mechanical parts you have to keep doing preventative maintenance on, that can fail.

-Unless you were very careful and educated in your Pellet Stove choice, the Pellet Stove can be a
noisy thing!

-Pellets are processed products; and on that basis, you are subject to pricing according
TO the processing. Wood cut out of the woods, only costs you sweat equity, and the gas
to run the chainsaw.

I've done just that for 40 years but finally my back, my stamina, the dirt, the bugs, the weather, the getting up twice a night to re-stoke, and the complaints about the mess overwhelmed me. I've stacked my 2 1/2 tons of bags and the work is over. A once a week 5 minute cleaning isn't a bad price to pay to eliminate all of the above. The price WAS a bad price compared to a wood burner but they aren't cheap anymore either. If you have a backup source of heat, you're OK. If you don't, then it doesn't take a genius to figure out you need a small one. Most of the stoves are relatively simple devices with a few switches and motors but if you are mechanical enough to keep a chainsaw running and a house in order, it's no big deal. My two wood inserts were both noisy things. In fact, they were noisier than my pellet stoves.

To each his own. Been there and done that. The next choice will be a retirement home where I can sit in my recliner and groan about the heat and everything else!

 

[humpin iron]

Soupy Avg pellet stove puts out .5 to .7 grams per hour, a cigarette puts out about .5 So yes there are emissions but very low. Commercial pellet heating systems can burn cleaner than a nat gas system. Go to "fuels for schools.org" (I think). Ton's of documentation for how clean pellet stoves burn.

 

[jtakeman]

I see low NG prices and Oil isn't climbing either. Lots of pellet stacked all over the place. So like Mr Lee stated. We should see very little price spike this season. All bets are off if the NG or Oil prices spike! NG is about the only fuel pellets can't compete with right now. Of course that depends on you region too!

Lots of mills competing for the pellet sales this season, Most brands I have ever seen out there. everyday It seems I see another mill enter the game of pellets. Good for the buyer, Bad for the high stake mills.

Check this link you will see what I mean!

http://woodpelletreviews.com/Reviews/Pellets.html

 

[soupy1957]

That's not the first time I've heard a former wood burner talk about the mess, the hassle...........it's pervasive among those who are now burning Pellets, or not at all. It's ok,.........I understand..........it IS a "hassle" to burn wood, on some level. It's about embracing the "hassle" really (unless the person developed a disability that didn't allow them to carry the wood, or push a vacuum cleaner).

I remember reading a series of books about burning wood in a home, a few years ago, and they all agreed that the "work" associated with it, (and that's not to say that there isn't SOME "work" associated with burning Pellets, with regard to cleaning, hauling, etc....), CAN be considered a "hassle," but it's all in the way you choose to look at it.

On the other side of the coin, (for us "guys" at least) is how much #^$!^ we take from the wife, listening to her complaints about the bugs, the mess, ............. The "better half" can have a major effect (affect?) on what and how we do things!!

-Soupy1957

 

[Former Farmer]

On the other side of the coin, (for us “guys” at least) is how much #^$!^ we take from the wife, listening to her complaints about the bugs, the mess, ............. The “better half” can have a major effect (affect?) on what and how we do things!!

-Soupy1957

My wife is very happy with our pellet appliances. She did not appreciate the bugs and mess that was associated with cord wood that we burned in our previous two houses.

I chose to go the pellet route because I do not have wood of my own, I wanted the appliances inside and not outside, and I do not have room for the external storage that is need for a wood burning gasser unit.

Everyone has their own set of circumstances and makes their decision based off of those. As long as a person is happy with their decision, their is not right or wrong.

 

[lessoil]

I didn't choose a Pellet Stove for a couple of reasons, ..........

-If the power goes out, and you don't have a generator, .......you're screwed!

-There are mechanical parts you have to keep doing preventative maintenance on, that can fail.

-Unless you were very careful and educated in your Pellet Stove choice, the Pellet Stove can be a
noisy thing!

-Pellets are processed products; and on that basis, you are subject to pricing according
TO the processing. Wood cut out of the woods, only costs you sweat equity, and the gas
to run the chainsaw.

-If the power goes out, and you don't have a generator, .......you're screwed!

Yep same as heating with oil which was $4.80/gal when we bought the stove

-There are mechanical parts you have to keep doing preventative maintenance on, that can fail.

Yep again just like a furnace...Had to install a new burner motor last Spring $75.00 for the part.

-Unless you were very careful and educated in your Pellet Stove choice, the Pellet Stove can be a
noisy thing!

Ours is on the noisy side but it is in a 12'X12' living room. Quadrafire stoves are VERY quiet. Our noisy stove drowns
out the oil truck delivering next door!!

-Pellets are processed products; and on that basis, you are subject to pricing according
TO the processing. Wood cut out of the woods, only costs you sweat equity, and the gas
to run the chainsaw.

For us we would have to have a 2nd chimney built$$$ The older i get the less I want to deal with firewood. Pellet prices for us for the
last 3 years are as follows: 2008-2009 $314/ton delivered 2009-2010 $263/ton delivered 2010-2011 $199/ton delivered.

Oh and we are warmer

 

[lessoil]

I am not sure about the emissions, but the no smoke has a lot to do with the low moisture content of the pellets. After the initial startup, I get no smoke....you can smell a slight woodsy smell, but you would not know it is coming from my chimney.....

Jim

Same here. Once started do not see anything out of the pipe. That exhaust is great for warming hands/gloves if working outside! There was one time that we saw quite a cloud. I think it was -25 so the small amount of moisture in the pellets were not happy with the temp!

Emissions:
Funny that the oil industry likes to leave out the amount of SULFUR in their product when they start bashing pellet use. (Do not like competition!!)
This article claims it is very cheap!!?? Where?
"Residual fuel oil is less useful because it is so viscous that it has to be heated with a special heating system before use and it contains relatively high amounts of pollutants, particularly sulfur, which forms sulfur dioxide upon combustion. However, its undesirable properties make it very cheap. In fact, it is the cheapest liquid fuel available. Since it requires heating before use, residual fuel oil cannot be used in road vehicles, boats or small ships, as the heating equipment takes up valuable space and makes the vehicle heavier. Heating the oil is also a delicate procedure, which is inappropriate to do on small, fast moving vehicles. However, power plants and large ships are able to use residual fuel oil."

From this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_oil

 

[jtakeman]

On the other side of the coin, (for us “guys” at least) is how much #^$!^ we take from the wife, listening to her complaints about the bugs, the mess, ............. The “better half” can have a major effect (affect?) on what and how we do things!!

-Soupy1957

My wife is very happy with our pellet appliances. She did not appreciate the bugs and mess that was associated with cord wood that we burned in our previous two houses.

I chose to go the pellet route because I do not have wood of my own, I wanted the appliances inside and not outside, and I do not have room for the external storage that is need for a wood burning gasser unit.

Everyone has their own set of circumstances and makes their decision based off of those. As long as a person is happy with their decision, their is not right or wrong.

How did a thread on wood pellets get sidetracked to woodstoves?

Anyway, I am glad I kept my woodstove hooked up when we loose power! What turned me to pellets was needing a consistent temp in the house when my son was born. I didn't want to put him through the temp swings! Plus having to have 3 years worth of wood on hand got old! Most of the wood available around here isn't seasoned long enough for my liking. If the room was there and I had access to more free wood I would burn more! Not having to store 3 years supply is priceless though!

I think its more of a to each his own thing!

Now soupy back to the wood shed with you. You cause enough ruckus here. ;-P

 

[imacman]

OK, I'll put my 2 cents into this....I'm a former wood burner too, and agree with the issues of the mess, bugs, splinters, burned hands, etc, etc, as being the main reasons for switching to pellets.

Yes, pellets DO have some drawbacks (pellet $, electric $, etc), but the pros of the pellet stove outweighed the cons, in my case.

And one of the biggest Pros to pellets....I don't remember a model wood stove that will load itself in the middle of the night or during the day when no-one is home, nor do I know of any that will run off of a programmable stat (or ANY stat for that matter).

 

[krooser]

Burning wood is great... I did it for nine years when I lived in Michigan's UP (yes...I was a Yooper!).

I had 3 acres of woods that kept my wood costs low... the wood was free. But I bought two saws when I started out... a few years later I 'upgraded'... then I did again. I bought a Ford 9N tractor to help skid the downed trees to an area where I could cut them. I also bought a trailer so I could load the wood to get it out... and a pick-up to haul the wood to the house.

Oh yeah, I also bought a splitter.

Then I had to beg for help to get this all accomplished on some kind of schedule. I shared a lot of wood with my 'free' help.

Back in those days I was in my 20's... no arthritic back and knees. Today there's no way I could ever do that again. Now I have my sons help me unstack a few pallets of pellets each fall... I use a two wheel dolly to move 'em into the house from my shop. It's pretty easy.

Wood burning is great for the youngsters...

 

[imacman]

Wood burning is great for the youngsters...

Amen to that.

 

[tjnamtiw]

On the other side of the coin, (for us "guys" at least) is how much #^$!^ we take from the wife, listening to her complaints about the bugs, the mess, ............. The "better half" can have a major effect (affect?) on what and how we do things!!

-Soupy1957

You hit the nail on the head, Soupy We ALL know who wears the pants Old age is also a disability as far as cutting wood goes. Heaven knows how many cords of wood I cut in 40 years of heating in Pa, Chicago, and now N. Ga. For a short spell, I heated with a free standing coal burner, which was great, except I still cut wood for my neighbor!

 

[magsf11]

just my thaughts pellets here are $60 cheeper than last yr, so i am hoping that they will stay the same price for the season. I know that wont happen but one can hope. for the wood stove vs pellet stove, i grew up with a wood stove and the mess and bugs. My dad talked me into getting a pellet stove because of those reasons. for me it is a lot easrer to stack 3 tons of pellets than cords of wood and i dont have the critters in the house, and thats makes for a happy wife. Also the NY Department of Environmental Conservation has expanded its quarantine on firewood in New York State, in an effort to stop the spread of Emerald Ash Borer beetles. so you can only transport wood up 50 miles, anything more the wood has to be treated. I am sure that will increass the cost per cord. so fe me pellets are a better and cheaper way to heat the home.

 

[soupy1957]

"Now soupy back to the wood shed with you. (grin) You cause enough ruckus here. (tongue wink)"

Honest and truly........my goal is not to cause a ruckus........lol........I'm just contributing as I go along and hopefully some of the intelligence in here is rubbing off on me!

-Soupy1957

 

[jtakeman]

"Now soupy back to the wood shed with you. (grin) You cause enough ruckus here. (tongue wink)"

Honest and truly........my goal is not to cause a ruckus........lol........I'm just contributing as I go along and hopefully some of the intelligence in here is rubbing off on me!

-Soupy1957

Yea yea! We know all about you wood burners coming in the pellet mill. Stop by anytime soupy, Just funning with ya. Been a little slow here, so??? :cheese:

Hey, I am still a part-time(like 20 to 40 splits a season!) wood burner and I go to your shed every now and again! ;-)

 

[smilejamaica]

what about going out in the cold every winter to bring wood in the house . my dad burned wood for all the years i lived at home .my job was bringing the wood in once a week weather it was 5 degrees out ,snowing or raining. my pellets are already in the house nice and dry .