Just got my black hills

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Jay sorry but if you got a good product and make a change and it goes to shat you don't keep throwing shat at the wall. It don't stick. It all falls down to the floor. Sooner or later it'll stick but how much shat you got to throw to get it to stick. They're putting out a shat product right now and I paid top dollar for this stuff.

I challenge ANYONE that buys these right now, pickup the top bag off any pallet that came through upton this year and take a picture. It's garbage. They're lying to people all along, the plant never got fixed they just keep putting garbage out. Like I said to the Stalker before. People have no clue what they are buying.

I'm with BrianSOL.

Salty, I hope you don't think I'm siding with em. All I said was they need to try to pay both their employees and their bills. If you were in business you might understand. Money needs to go out and if nothing coming in? Their taking a chance, And YES! it will hurt sales next season and beyond I'm sure.

For all I know, without actually weighing the fines from a bag. Is how bad are they? Hard to tell by the pic, But yes it looks "how did you put it" chit? I wanna get some and shift them and weigh the fines to figure out the percentage. Whats the PFI spec for fines? <0.50% I think. Or something like 2 pounds(someone check my math its as bad as my spelling)! I only wanna see before I start on the bragade.

If you seen my beef with NEWP, You gotta know I aint afraid to sling the chit-shat or however you wanna spell it. I do not like stuff thats shipped out a spec, period! If theres a standards label on the bag, Then thats whats gotta be in the bag! But I gotta see it with my own eyes. Until then I gotta stay on the side lines.
 
No Jay I'm just saying that in general . I think even Stalker would agree that it's pretty evident what the stuff looks like there. It didn't automatically and magically change somewhere into fines filled bags. They didn't QC test the stuff and it's biting them in the azz now. The stuff looked better when it was traincarred across the world already on pallets. Send the train cars back loaded with freakin sawdust. You don't keep churning out tons and tons of product knowing it's crap. Oh wait they didn't test it.

Fishon I never said they didn't make heat. I made the prediction based on the amount of fines in the bags that I would see hopper dams and did TWICE in one day. They make great heat but if you can't get the stuff to the burnpot then why buy it. Next year I'm going to something different. Let these guys sort their problems out on someone elses dime.
 
yea well there's a llama farm down the road that takes free sawdust from me every month too.
 
What I've noticed is that there do seem to be a lot of fines, and also "residue" on the bags - for the black hills and the Okie platinums. Hard to see in these photos, but you'll notice schmutz all over them. More on the plats. They still seem to burn hot, but without being able to compare them to what they "should" be like - hard to tell.

2012-12-06_19-16-18_353.jpg
2012-12-06_19-17-52_164.jpg
 
No Jay I'm just saying that in general . I think even Stalker would agree that it's pretty evident what the stuff looks like there. It didn't automatically and magically change somewhere into fines filled bags. They didn't QC test the stuff and it's biting them in the azz now. The stuff looked better when it was traincarred across the world already on pallets. Send the train cars back loaded with freakin sawdust. You don't keep churning out tons and tons of product knowing it's crap. Oh wait they didn't test it.

Fishon I never said they didn't make heat. I made the prediction based on the amount of fines in the bags that I would see hopper dams and did TWICE in one day. They make great heat but if you can't get the stuff to the burnpot then why buy it. Next year I'm going to something different. Let these guys sort their problems out on someone elses dime.


well Blazers are shipped rail car to Robbins, and I made the cross country journey to get them and they burn great. I do think that the Okie ordeal will fix itself.
they are such a good pellet and even the crap ones I got burn fine, But as we all know a lot of people don't know crap about a pellet.

But I'm a nut when it comes to pellets I think its great finding new and awesome pellets to burn then just build my stash even more.

Later Pigs!
 
What I've noticed is that there do seem to be a lot of fines, and also "residue" on the bags - for the black hills and the Okie platinums. Hard to see in these photos, but you'll notice schmutz all over them. More on the plats. They still seem to burn hot, but without being able to compare them to what they "should" be like - hard to tell.

2012-12-06_19-16-18_353.jpg
2012-12-06_19-17-52_164.jpg

Come on people there sawdust! leave them all for me.
 
Maybe if everyone keeps crapping all over them demand will come down enough that the price will come down also!! Oh maybe I am on to something, maybe we all can control the pellet market and pricing!!!!;)
 
I haven't seen this years okies, but I still have some from last years white bags and the red/black clear bags. They are loaded with fines and I've been burning okies for 4 years and they've always been loaded with fines. I built a sifter with chicken wire and scrap wood. Every weekend I spend 15 minutes dumping a dozen bags thru the sifter and the fill a 45 gallon bin(bought at Walmart) and a half dozen 5 gallon containers. No more fines and no more auger jams on my St. Croix York. Just sayin'.
 
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT WHEN YOUR PAYING FOR A PREMIUM PRODUCT.
 
  • Like
Reactions: briansol
I haven't seen this years okies, but I still have some from last years white bags and the red/black clear bags. They are loaded with fines and I've been burning okies for 4 years and they've always been loaded with fines. I built a sifter with chicken wire and scrap wood. Every weekend I spend 15 minutes dumping a dozen bags thru the sifter and the fill a 45 gallon bin(bought at Walmart) and a half dozen 5 gallon containers. No more fines and no more auger jams on my St. Croix York. Just sayin'.
When I read this post for the second time, it occurred to me, "Damn....this is a man who LOVES Okanagan pellets."
That's a lot of work to go through and there is only one reason someone would be willing to do this. This, whether intended to be or not, is a very true testimant of a man's like (or love) of a pellet. Kinda begs the question ......
 
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT WHEN YOUR PAYING FOR A PREMIUM PRODUCT.

Interesting, with the caps. I also own a couple of Harleys and you can spend $35000 on a "new Harley", and it'll cost you another $2000 to make the engine run right. (You would think the engine would run right from the factory-none of them do). For me, it's worth the time and money to fix the engine, because of the enjoyment I get. So, I consider sifting Okies just an accepted thing from the factory, in order for my St. Croix not to have an auger jam. Okies have always had lots of fines.
Also, I recently tried a bag of the Black Hills from Okanagan(after I sifted them) and the heat was very close (within a few degrees) to the regular Okies. Nice, hot pellet.
 
CAPS for EMPHASIS not yelling..

You should not have to sift a premium pellet. Especially when they SAID they were re-pelleting the fines and were not.

Man o man i'm in the wrong business if you can plunk $35k down on a new harley. That's up to the dealer to make it run right. Shame on you for paying for it. Unless it's an upgrade or something. If I bought a new car I expect it to run right. If it doesn't I'm not paying the dealer to fix it.

It's called warranty of merchantability

Wikipedia will tell you more about this. It's sold for a particular purpose. It's got an implied warranty when they say it's less than .5% fines it should be. It's NOT. Therefore it doesn't meet it's own specs and shouldn't be sold in it's current condition.

I ride a Honda 250 Nighthawk. What can I say it's 72 miles per gallon :cool:
 
a lawyer could ring them up on false advertising. If i was an abulance chaser, i'd consider it.
 
Wife tboned someone about 8 years ago. I got ambulance chased cept I was the guy getting sued. Snake #@!$

Atty Barry Feinstein. The guy who advertises on tv on Sunday afternoons.
 
When I read this post for the second time, it occurred to me, "Damn....this is a man who LOVES Okanagan pellets."
That's a lot of work to go through and there is only one reason someone would be willing to do this. This, whether intended to be or not, is a very true testimant of a man's like (or love) of a pellet. Kinda begs the question ......

Hopefully you are being sarcastic. No one is going to love a pellet that costs them more work, not to mention money. All those fines he is throwing away he paid for.

After reading this thread I am pretty happy I can't find Okies around here anymore. I would have purchased them in a heart beat since they used to be a really good pellet.
 
Hopefully you are being sarcastic. No one is going to love a pellet that costs them more work, not to mention money
Except tht he has bought the same brand 4 years in a row, despite what he says is a high-fines pellet. No, no sarcasm at all. Look, when a man likes a pellet that burns as hot and clean as Okanagan, and buys it 4 years in a row despite having to sift, then he has to love it. (relxn...chime in here)


Furthermore, I have carried Okanagan for 3 years now and the positive feedback I get onit is tremendous. I understand that Salty is upset, and if his pellets are as he describes them (and I have no reason to distrust him) then he has reason to be upset. But, interestingly, what is void in this thread, if we are going to be fair, is any explanation of what has been offered as a remedy. Or, if he has even tried to seek a remedy.
Every day, I deal with customers that are unhappy. Usually it is a simple fix.
As far as Okanagan pellets go, I have read all of the discussion here and have listened to it all. Despite this, I have a truck of Okies scheduled to come into my warehouse on Tuesday. If I thought that the Okies that I am going to get will resemble the Okies described here, I would cancel the order. But, I have facts and real life statistics to go on such as the folllowing;
1. I sold More Okies in Connecticut than any other dealer for the last 2 years, and have NEVER seen bags with the really high fines as described here. Now, yes, there were some that were dustier than others, but nothing to the degree of whats being told here.
2. When Okanagan pellets were first sold here, I called many customers who purchased them and got their feedback. It was excellent.
3. If a customer ever had a problem with Okies, their quality was backed up universally by themanufacturer, and I NEVER had a claim denied by Okanagan on making a customer whole.

Salty is a very well liked and popular guy here and my feelings about him coincide with yours, and I understand his frustrations. And.... if I am out of line here, someone please tell me so, but in all fairness, other than ranting here on the forum, what sort of remedy have you seeked to resolve your issue?
 
also, even with all the fines, the pellets burn hot. So they continue to be one of the best btu/lb pellets around.

I've got a Harman - what are fines?
 
And we don't really know they are out of spec. Someone needs to collect all the fines from the worst bag you see and actually weigh them before we start pointing fingers.

If the weight is over 2 pounds, Call that ambulance chaser!
 
also, even with all the fines, the pellets burn hot. So they continue to be one of the best btu/lb pellets around.

I've got a Harman - what are fines?

If you got a Harman then fines are the things that fill up the box where the hopper/auger slide mechanism is and cause it to squeek.
 
Pics don't lie. I will challenge you here again as I did earlier to lift the top bag on each pallet and take a picture. I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU. There even my kid wouldn't pass that chance up ==c

Remedy.. Read the other black hills thread here I've posted this already. I haven't then or now ASKED for anything. I haven't then or now been OFFERED more than "when we get the problem fixed you can go by and see for yourself at the bagging plant and you can pickup a few test bags while your there"



Except tht he has bought the same brand 4 years in a row, despite what he says is a high-fines pellet. No, no sarcasm at all. Look, when a man likes a pellet that burns as hot and clean as Okanagan, and buys it 4 years in a row despite having to sift, then he has to love it. (relxn...chime in here)


Furthermore, I have carried Okanagan for 3 years now and the positive feedback I get onit is tremendous. I understand that Salty is upset, and if his pellets are as he describes them (and I have no reason to distrust him) then he has reason to be upset. But, interestingly, what is void in this thread, if we are going to be fair, is any explanation of what has been offered as a remedy. Or, if he has even tried to seek a remedy.
Every day, I deal with customers that are unhappy. Usually it is a simple fix.
As far as Okanagan pellets go, I have read all of the discussion here and have listened to it all. Despite this, I have a truck of Okies scheduled to come into my warehouse on Tuesday. If I thought that the Okies that I am going to get will resemble the Okies described here, I would cancel the order. But, I have facts and real life statistics to go on such as the folllowing;
1. I sold More Okies in Connecticut than any other dealer for the last 2 years, and have NEVER seen bags with the really high fines as described here. Now, yes, there were some that were dustier than others, but nothing to the degree of whats being told here.
2. When Okanagan pellets were first sold here, I called many customers who purchased them and got their feedback. It was excellent.
3. If a customer ever had a problem with Okies, their quality was backed up universally by themanufacturer, and I NEVER had a claim denied by Okanagan on making a customer whole.

Salty is a very well liked and popular guy here and my feelings about him coincide with yours, and I understand his frustrations. And.... if I am out of line here, someone please tell me so, but in all fairness, other than ranting here on the forum, what sort of remedy have you seeked to resolve your issue?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.