Anybody ever try these?
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A friend uses them exclusively - if you're paying for wood they seem okay - less mess, very little ash, similar concerns as with pellets - quality amongst the different brands....
HotCoals said:
I wouldn't mind trying them, but based on the pricing it is equal to paying $446.88 per cord according to Tractor Supply's pricing.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/home-i...eco-bricks-reg-pack-of-8-1001261#BVRRWidgetID
I pay about 70-75 a face cord.
Trouble is it's never as seasoned as I would like it to be.
Seeing as it's basically sawdust from kiln dried hardwoods is it safe to assume it has a low moisture content?
Nearest dealer is 133 miles away for me though.
Trouble is it's never as seasoned as I would like it to be.
Seeing as it's basically sawdust from kiln dried hardwoods is it safe to assume it has a low moisture content?
Nearest dealer is 133 miles away for me though.
BrowningBAR said:
Wow..I have a TSC store a mile from my house.
Wonder if they have them..I need to check it out.
Thanks for the link.
Just sitting here thinking ..
I can pull 24 hours easy off a less then full load in milder temps.
About 60 lbs or so.
Do you think a person could double that with those bricks(same 60 lbs)..that would be crazy.
But at 450.00 a cord that would work for me if I only need half the amount.
Don't seem likely.
I can pull 24 hours easy off a less then full load in milder temps.
About 60 lbs or so.
Do you think a person could double that with those bricks(same 60 lbs)..that would be crazy.
But at 450.00 a cord that would work for me if I only need half the amount.
Don't seem likely.
HotCoals said:
No problem. I wonder if there is a discount for bulk purchases. It would have to be a hell of a discount to make it worth it, though.
CarbonNeutral said:
I'll get by.
Any wheres from 22-33% moisture content on what I have checked so far.
Mostly closer to 30.
If I can get those bricks at my local TSC I might try some and see what happens.
Maybe mix them up with my wood?
I have maple,ash..birch..beech..some oak,all mixed up.
Neat thing about the bricks as they are always the same size,but who knows what wood they are from.
They say all hard wood though.
Consistency would be a neat thing though in having a nice fire if they do work.
Not all bricks are created equal. Density is king. Look at the brick, it shouldn't flake or fall apart easily. The shrinkwrapped bundle should have very little,if any loose shavings in the package. Buy a few packs and try them out. If you like the way they burn, seek out bulk pricing by the pallet. The big thing to look for is that the brick should ~not~ fall apart during the burn. It may "crack" in half and/or expand a bit, but if it falls apart into sawdust mid-burn, then its no good.
Most brick manufacturers claim that a one ton pallet is about equivalent to a cord of wood. So what you pay per pallet should be about equal to what you pay for a cord of wood or ton of pellets.
24 hours for me is anywhere from 24 to 30 bricks, but my stove is significantly smaller than "the king".
Most brick manufacturers claim that a one ton pallet is about equivalent to a cord of wood. So what you pay per pallet should be about equal to what you pay for a cord of wood or ton of pellets.
24 hours for me is anywhere from 24 to 30 bricks, but my stove is significantly smaller than "the king".
I bought a ton of Geo Bricks for $260. It's equivalent to a cord of wood. I mix them 50/50 with wood, sometimes I burn just wood, sometimes just bricks. It stacks in the garage, doesn't have to be seasoned or split, no bugs or dirt. It's a nice supplement to wood althought I'm not sure I'd want to burn them exclusively.
Thanks,I find this part interesting.agartner said:
Most brick manufacturers claim that a one ton pallet is about equivalent to a cord of wood. So what you pay per pallet should be about equal to what you pay for a cord of wood or ton of pellets.
And this part sounds like super advice.
The big thing to look for is that the brick should ~not~ fall apart during the burn. It may "crack" in half and/or expand a bit, but if it falls apart into sawdust mid-burn, then its no good.
I'm for sure going to try them.
Of course if you can order in bulk I won't know the quality till they get here.
I did some math.
TSC says 4 bucks for 25#
2000# in a ton.
I would need 80,25# packages to = a ton.
4 bucks time 80=320 bucks..compared to the 210 a cord I'm paying for firewood.
Sound right?
Interesting also.fredarm said:
Did you get a better price buying a ton?
Is there much of a diff between burning them..as in longer reload time or hotter fire?
I have tried them and the Bio Bricks. They burn very well, just be careful they tend to burn very hot so i don't use them exclusively. I actually put them through they table saw and cut them in quarters and use them mixed with wood. A buddy of mine put three in his stove and burnt the baffles on his stove. Thats just my opinion on these. One last thing, if you like coals after a long burn, these are not the things for coals.
That's the kind of post I'm looking for.KatWill said:
Wonder if my thermostat cat stove can keep the flames down.
I have to get some tomorrow..love trying diff things!
I was wondering about the coals..I love my hot coals..lol.
Getting to sound like mixing might be the key.
Man you guys are helpful!
HotCoals said:
We do what we can HotCoals. This site is chock full of stove nuts. We all lookout for each other.
HotCoals said:
Yes I did get a better price by the ton. The place I buy them, South Shore Wood Pellets in Holbrook, Mass. gets $8 for a 20 brick (40 lb.) package. That's $400 a ton. Right now they are $262 plus delivery. I did the early buy last summer and paid $230 plus $30 delivery. Around here, "seasoned" firewood is $250 to $300 a cord, so the bricks are competitively priced and I don't have to re-split them for my small stove. I tried the "Geo" Bricks because they were cheaper than BioBricks. So far I've been very pleased. They hold together well and seem to burn for a long time. I tried Woodbrick Fuel a couple of years ago and didn't like it because the bricks fell apart into a mess of glowing sawdust. They do burn hotter, so I generally mix them with wood that I scrounge or cut on my property.
I'm wondering if there could be any adverse effect on the cat (op's stove is a cat). I guess if they only used the natural lignens in the wood as a binder it should be fine, but if any other binder was used, I would be suspicious. Just sayin' - cats can be finicky.
I was thinking the same thing Jags. It would be nice to know what is used to hold them together.
My understanding is that they are held together with pressure--there are no glues used in making them. In effect, they are just large wood pellets.
fredarm said:
That is my understanding also, but it would be pretty hard to vouch for all of the MFGs.
Thanks,fredarm said:
How much longer would you say the bricks burn to a load of decent wood?
Dave
It all depends on how you load them out. With BioBricks (and every brand is kinda unique) loosely packed you'll eat them up for lunch and overfire your stove. Tightly packed together, almost filling your stove up, they'll go all night with the air dialed right. One thing that I notice between cordwood and the bricks is that I tend to mess with the stove a lot less. It's almost a "set it and forget it" deal. Almost.
Again, best thing to do is try it and see. Source a few packs locally, and burn them for at least 2 to 3 days.
Again, best thing to do is try it and see. Source a few packs locally, and burn them for at least 2 to 3 days.
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