(-: 2010 Pellet review its that time again! :-)

[jtakeman]

Here goes nothing!

I have a few brands to test and I hope some others will join in.

Disclaimer: All stoves are different and your results may very. There are uncontrollable factors and variables involved. As they say YMMV! These tests are for reference only. I highly recommend that you try the brands in your stove before any large purchase. I am not connected in any way with the pellet people. Just a home burner testing in his basement. I work for my stove and to heat my house with the higest quality pellet that I can obtain for the best possible price.

If you purchase pellets on my test data without trying yourself first? SHAME ON YOU!

What I am doing and how I am doing it. Sorry but this isn't in any way, shape or form a lab test ;-P

Temp measuring: I use a thermometer that doesn't touch the stove. I only measure the air temp from the convection air. The stoves heat setting is on 3 medium

Ash volume: I swept the stove into the ash pan. I put the ash I recover from the stove in a mason jar to give it a visual on volume. I then vac the stove out in case I missed some ash. I don't want to mess up the next batch tested.

Ash weight: I weigh the ash and record the numbers

Ash Percentage: Divide the ash weight by the total pounds of fuel burned

Density: I have a 288 cubic inch box. I fill it and weight the pellet and multiply by 6 to give the desity.

Fines: I have a screen that I shift out the fines. Put them in a mason jar for a visual.

Bag Weight: I weigh the bags and deduct the actual bag weight. So the weight is a net weight of the fuel only.

Total burn length(how long the bags last): I added an hour meter in the convection blower curcuit. This curcuit is controlled by the POF switch. SO as long as the POF see's heat the conv blower has juice. Another feature we can now track. Besides the LG's the time listed is for both bags burned. Total net weight of fuel.


Brands I can test are:

Potomac: see post 1
SIH: see post 2
Freedom Fuel: see post 18
Stove chow: see post 19
Allegheny: see post 20
LG's(1 bag only): see post 21
Clean Energy: see post 75
Blazers: see post 89
MaineWoods: see post 90
PWI: see post 91
Counrty Pine: see post 92
Quality One: see post 93
Hardwood Heat: see post 96
Vermont see post 149
Okanagan see post 150

Gonna take a break for a while!

Energex American see post 151
TreeCycle see post 152
Western see post 153


Still looking for one more?
*Heartland

 

[jtakeman]

Potomac's results

Temp average 248ºF

Ash volume 15 ounces

Ash weight 4.8 onces

Ash Percentage .37%

Density 41.53 LBS.

Fines 18 ounces

Fines weight N/A

Fines Percentage N/A

Bag Weight Bag 1 40.24 LBS
Bag 2 40.13 LBS

Diameter .265

Length 3/8 to 1 1/2 inches

Total Burn Length: N/A

These pellet's were donated by BT Ent. Thanks BT for the help in my testing challenge

 

[jtakeman]

Southern Indiana Hardwood results

Temp average 250ºF

Ash volume ounces 14 ounces

Ash weight onces 4.96

Ash Percentage .379%

Density 45.98 LBS.

Fines volume 8 ounces

Fines weight 5.28 ounces

Fines Percentage .4%

Bag Weight Bag 1 40.14 LBS
Bag 2 41.69 LBS

Diameter .253

Length 3/8 to 1 1/4 inches

Total Burn Length: 25hrs 44min
These pellet's were donated by Nick at Southern Indiana Hardwoods. Thanks Nick for the help in my testing challenge

Pretty nice pellet from SIH. I will be looking for these Nick.

 

[opus74]

My local retailers aren't carrying the OHPs this year.

Menard's has Indeck and Rural King has Greenway.

If any of those are available near you, I would enjoy seeing the results.

Thanks !

 

[jtakeman]

My local retailers aren't carrying the OHPs this year.

Menard's has Indeck and Rural King has Greenway.

If any of those are available near you, I would enjoy seeing the results.

Thanks !

No Indecks near me and I tested the Greenways last season in the bigbox test. Greenways were a good pellet IMO.

 

[mitchinpa]

I am trying the Agway store brand this year. Would love to see the specs on them. Havent started burning yet, so I cant tell how they compare in my stove with the Greene team's I used last year.

 

[blaster668]

I am trying the Agway store brand this year. Would love to see the specs on them. Havent started burning yet, so I cant tell how they compare in my stove with the Greene team's I used last year.

Are these Agway's in a clear bag? They are supposedly Hamer Hot Ones.

 

[jdbell]

How are LG (red label) softwoods, anybody like these or Cleanfire (green) hard/soft blend? There going for $269.00 in southern MA

 

[mitchinpa]

I am trying the Agway store brand this year. Would love to see the specs on them. Havent started burning yet, so I cant tell how they compare in my stove with the Greene team's I used last year.

Are these Agway's in a clear bag? They are supposedly Hamer Hot Ones.

Yup, clear bag.

 

[warmncozy]

I am trying the Agway store brand this year. Would love to see the specs on them. Havent started burning yet, so I cant tell how they compare in my stove with the Greene team's I used last year.

Are these Agway's in a clear bag? They are supposedly Hamer Hot Ones.

Yup, clear bag.

I thought about trying some from my local Agway where I bought my Okie's , but I thought they used all different kinds of pellets that they re-bagged. Not true?

 

[blaster668]

I am trying the Agway store brand this year. Would love to see the specs on them. Havent started burning yet, so I cant tell how they compare in my stove with the Greene team's I used last year.

Are these Agway's in a clear bag? They are supposedly Hamer Hot Ones.

Yup, clear bag.

I thought about trying some from my local Agway where I bought my Okie's , but I thought they used all different kinds of pellets that they re-bagged. Not true?

This may very well be true. My Agway dealer at least claims his are Hamer's. I assumed that if its the case, Hamer probably bagged them as well. All this info has NOT been verified by myself. My next ton is going to probably be Somersets or Alleghenys, because I know 100% sure what I am getting. Any suggestions between those two brands? They are the same price at the same dealer.

 

[blaster668]

I'm really curious to see the results of your testing on the Alleghenys.

 

[jtakeman]

I'm really curious to see the results of your testing on the Alleghenys.

Me too! I learned from balls of fire(a member here) that the Keystones are the same just a different bag. Looks like woodpellets.com is sending me 1 bag of LG's to test out. Corey sent me an email today. So I will add them to the list. More free heat! hehe!

 

[jtakeman]

Added feature for this seasons testing is a total time of the burn. I added an hour meter to my stove that I can reset and track the time the pellets lasted. Because the test's were at a set stove setting I am going to stick with that for now. I can play the density game later!

Hopefully this add's to the testing but doesn't cause any mucking(if you know what I mean)!

LG's arrived from woodpellets.com today. UPS guy isn't to thrilled with me though. Wonder WHY???

 

[gbreda]

Anyone heard of or used Ambiance Wood Pellets? Did a quick search here, but found nothing. Local place has them listed on their sign. Dont know pricing. may try a few bags to add to testing.....

(broken link removed to http://woodpelletreviews.com/Reviews/Wood-Pellets/Ambiance-Wood-Pellets-by-Valfei.html)

(broken link removed to http://www.valfei.com/heating/default.aspx?lang=2)

 

[tinkabranc]

Anyone heard of or used Ambiance Wood Pellets? Did a quick search here, but found nothing. Local place has them listed on their sign. Dont know pricing. may try a few bags to add to testing.....

(broken link removed to http://woodpelletreviews.com/Reviews/Wood-Pellets/Ambiance-Wood-Pellets-by-Valfei.html)

(broken link removed to http://www.valfei.com/heating/default.aspx?lang=2)

Try a few bags before buying in bulk if you can.

I burned a few bags of these last year and though they burned hot and clean, they smelled like melted crayons to me. :-S
Local feed store has them every year but his prices are so nutty he can keep them.

 

[gbreda]

Anyone heard of or used Ambiance Wood Pellets? Did a quick search here, but found nothing. Local place has them listed on their sign. Dont know pricing. may try a few bags to add to testing.....

(broken link removed to http://woodpelletreviews.com/Reviews/Wood-Pellets/Ambiance-Wood-Pellets-by-Valfei.html)

(broken link removed to http://www.valfei.com/heating/default.aspx?lang=2)

Try a few bags before buying in bulk if you can.

I burned a few bags of these last year and though they burned hot and clean, but they smelled like melted crayons to me.
Local feed store has them every year but his prices are so nutty he can keep them.

Thanks Tink

Melted crayons huh? Maye Valefei mixes em with their christmas tree theme and put crayon crayon shavings in with the looney idea of colorfull flames :lol:

Might try a few bags, but the place selling em had awfully high prices for not so great pellets last year so I'm not all that optimistic about bulk from them.

 

[jtakeman]

A member here "Benski" tested them in the bigbox test thread. He has some numbers for them. He also has a few other brands in there to compare them to. Cubex is one of them.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/42511/

 

[jtakeman]

Freedom Fuel results

Temp average 229ºF

Ash volume 20 ounces

Ash weight 5.52 onces

Ash Percentage .452%

Density 44.22 LBS.

Fines volume 7 ounces

Fines 3.52 ounces

Fines Percentage .28%

Bag Weight Bag 1 39.00 LBS
Bag 2 39.29 LBS

Diameter .320

Length inches 1/4 to 1 inch long

Total Burn Length: 27 hrs 26 min

NOTE: Found corn in the bag and you could also see it in the pellets. Just barely made the ash percentage for a Super Premium pellet.

 

[jtakeman]

Stove Chow results

Temp average 244ºF

Ash volume 15 ounces

Ash weight 7.04 onces

Ash Percentage .544%

Density 42.37 LBS.

Fines volume 6 ounces

Fines 2.88 ounces

Fines Percentage .22%

Bag Weight Bag 1 40.54 LBS
Bag 2 40.30 LBS

Diameter .260"

Length 1/4 to 1 inches

Total Burn Length: 23 hrs 50 min

 

[jtakeman]

Allegheny results

Temp average 256ºF

Ash volume 8 ounces

Ash weight 2.64 onces

Ash Percentage .270%

Density 44.06 LBS.

Fines volume 4 ounces

Fines 2.64 ounces

Fines Percentage .21%

Bag Weight Bag 1 39.81 LBS
Bag 2 39.80 LBS

Diameter .256"

Length 1/4 to 1 inches

Total Burn Length: 23 hrs 50 minLength

 

[jtakeman]

LG results (these results are from 1 bag only)
Temp average 247ºF

Ash volume 6 ounces

Ash weight 1.92 onces

Ash Percentage .296%

Density 44.29 LBS.

Fines volume 4 ounces

Fines 2 ounces

Fines Percentage .31%

Bag Weight Bag 1 40.48 LBS
Bag 2 N/A

Diameter .253"

Length inches 1/8 to 1 1/8"

Total Burn Length: 12hrs 20min

 

[iceman]

i dont see any numbers by your results???? is it just me? only potomac has a number?

 

[jtakeman]

Just preping the thread while I have some free time. The results will be a bit. I will post them as I complete them.

I should have just put reserve for "X" in the post to limit the confusion. Sorry!

 

[geek]

jay, will you be testing the green team from lowes this year, would be interested to know the results. They also have Nature's Own Heat.