are the Premium pellets worth it?

[steelman]

i have only been burning pellets for 2 years and have only tried about 7 or 8 brands.
at the start of this years heating season i was smart (for once) and bought 5 tons of pellets last summer when the price was around $220 for the best pellets around here. (Ohio) so far i have just about burned through my 5 tons so last week i picked up another ton just to have a little in the bank if this crazy winter lasts into May.

anyway other than a very bad 2 tons of "Michigan Hard wood Pellet" brand that i had to clean my furnace every 2 to 3 days (normally i clean it once a week) i can not tell a bit of difference between a few brands but the price is substantial. the Kentucky Kernals cost $220+ a ton. another brand from Tractor supply, $173 a ton and the American wood fibers are about the same at $175 a ton.
i cant tell if there is anymore heat from the KK's so why pay the extra cost?
does it very from load to load? that is the claim from the Kentucky Kernal suppler that i have. that the quality doesn't change. ie, fines, dust, BTU, ect bag after bag. do the other brands like AWF and the brand that Tractor Supply sells very that much? cause there ant that much heat or BTU difference that i can tell.

just looking at the total cost. could save $50 a ton for a total savings of about $400 to $500 a year.

thanks for any input.
jim

 

[webbie]

My guess is that there is not much of a variance when used in the proper appliance - that is, certain pellets stoves are very picky and they work much better with certain premium (usually softwood from western sources) pellets.

However, most wood contains a similar amount of BTU per lb, so if the lower cost pellets work well in your appliance then you probably ARE saving $$$.

 

[Brewer]

What make and model stove do you have?

 

[Pete Zahria]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder..
I think every person has to decide what is best for him.
If everyone thought the same pellet was king of the hill, there would be no other brands.
I've noticed on various reviews, that some wouldn't use Green Supremes for Kitty litter,
and others wouldn't burn anything but. I've asked people about Cubex, and some say
it is hands down the best, and others say they rot....

But more than likely, in a group of say 50 different pellets, there are probably
40 in the middle that are REALLY close to each other, 5 a lot better than those,
and 5 a lot worse. (for example)

Dan

 

[alternativeheat]

I would buy 3 tons of the all hard wood pellets from Tractor Supply any day that say premium on the label and less than 1% ash and match them up with some others I've bought that cost more and burned if anything a bit more ashy but both just as hot. Those were nice burning pellets in my stove ( Tractor Supply is out of them here). On the other hand, Tractor Supply got in some Natures Own mixed wood "premium pellets " that said less than 1% ash and I couldn't keep up with cleanings. They made a huge flame and a huge mess for the same heat those hards made on a smaller cleaner looking flame. My stove will burn any of them, it's just a matter if you want to clean that much !

But ya, price isn't everything and it doesn't always mean if you spend more you will get a better pellet unless you really know the brand well. Like Spruce Pointe, I know what they will do in my stove ( two cheeks of ash overnight on the burn pot, clear in the center), the same for Okanagan DF ( almost no ash on the burn pot but expensive, very expensive here). I know the nature of those brands well though. Energex softwood I don't like in my stove, messy. Energex Hardwoods quite good, a little ashy but great flame, clean fire. LG, my stove eats them like a wood stove eats kindling compared with oak logs !

 

[Hoot23]

Agree about the Lg, but they put out good heat and they are easy clean up. I'll buy a ton of any pellet that doesn't leave a gooey film on the inside of my stove. So that means no Greene Team, Green Supreme/ New England, Geneva, and Stove Chow. My stove eats Lg and Canadian Energex like candy, but I would burn them. The only pellet that I haven't burned that is available to me is Canawick.

I wish I could find some Sets, Barefoots, and Turmans. Really good reviews on all of them.

I burn whatever my budget can afford. I won't pay over $285 a ton. At that price I'm still saving money. Yes, I own a stove that burns anything, but I guess my theory on a good pellet is, as long as I can go a month/ ton without emptying my ash bin. Then those are the pellets I buy.

 

[chken]

i have only been burning pellets for 2 years and have only tried about 7 or 8 brands.
at the start of this years heating season i was smart (for once) and bought 5 tons of pellets last summer when the price was around $220 for the best pellets around here. (Ohio) so far i have just about burned through my 5 tons so last week i picked up another ton just to have a little in the bank if this crazy winter lasts into May.

anyway other than a very bad 2 tons of "Michigan Hard wood Pellet" brand that i had to clean my furnace every 2 to 3 days (normally i clean it once a week) i can not tell a bit of difference between a few brands but the price is substantial. the Kentucky Kernals cost $220+ a ton. another brand from Tractor supply, $173 a ton and the American wood fibers are about the same at $175 a ton.
i cant tell if there is anymore heat from the KK's so why pay the extra cost?
does it very from load to load? that is the claim from the Kentucky Kernal suppler that i have. that the quality doesn't change. ie, fines, dust, BTU, ect bag after bag. do the other brands like AWF and the brand that Tractor Supply sells very that much? cause there ant that much heat or BTU difference that i can tell.

just looking at the total cost. could save $50 a ton for a total savings of about $400 to $500 a year.

thanks for any input.
jim

Sounds like you have an awesome pellet furnace! If you can't tell the difference in heat from the $173 TSCs or AWFs to the $220 KKs, then save some money. I haven't seen pellets under $200 in a couple years, except offseason sale. I've pretty much made the same decision. I can buy clean pellets for about $270 a ton, or ashier pellets for $209. This year I bought the $270 pellets. Next year, I'm going to buy the $209, as like you, I've found them to burn equally hot, just more ash, and I can deal with the ash.

 

[Jp16]

I have found that even the same brand of pellet can vary. I just started burning pellets this season. I have been trying just about every pellet I can find. I picked up 5 bags of Energex blended. They were hot and clean. I really liked them so I picked up another 20 bags. Well, these 20 bags taught me what clinkers are and how to scrape my burn pot. With the issues lately all I could get are the Energex and they have been clean and hot again. Speaking with the people at the store they tell me it all depends on what and where the materials come from. If I based my opinion on that 2nd batch I would never buy Energex again but where I had a great burn with them before I know they can make a good product.

 

[MaryH]

The idea is, to burn the cheapest stuff that your stove, with your vent, in your location will withstand, without causing you "excessive" heartache.

That can only be found, from experimenting, with what fuel you can get in your area - and quality, is known to change from year to year.

...some stoves will burn anything, quite happily, some....not so much

 

[Mt Bob]

The idea is, to burn the cheapest stuff that your stove, with your vent, in your location will withstand, without causing you "excessive" heartache.

That can only be found, from experimenting, with what fuel you can get in your area - and quality, is known to change from year to year.

...some stoves will burn anything, quite happily, some....not so much

Very good way to put it!

 

[Xena]

All pellets say "premium" on the bag nowadays it seems.
But not all are premium.
Sometimes you'll find good stuff at the box stores, sometimes
you won't. Sometimes you'll pay less for a box store pellet
that is better than some of the stuff at the local pellet house.
Sometimes you'll see box store garbage that's almost as much
as the better quality pellets at a pellet dealer.
I've run box store pellets through my stove that were as hot
but cleaner burning than some top shelf stuff.
So are premium pellets worth it? Not always. Find some you
feel are worth it and work from there.

 

[railfanron]

I've found it interesting how different pellets burn in different stoves. My neighbor and I have run through 7 or so tons of Michigan Wood Fuels and they are a little ashy but burn very hot. I can run about 1200 lbs. through my stove before I have to empty the ash box. I clean the stove at the same time and it's not very dirty. My neighbor burns about twice the pellets I do and cleans once a week. Her stove is a Westpoint and mine is a P43. We bought most of the MwF pellets for 168.00 a ton plus tax. There is very little difference in the 5 brands that I have burnt in my stove a little more difference in the Westpoint. I'll buy them again at that price and I prefer them over Somersets.
Ron

 

[alternativeheat]

Ok so get this. I would burn Okanagan DF exclusively if I could. My dealer has a spring special on, if you buy for next season. $400 a ton ! I'll wait for Tractor Supply Hardwood pellets at right around $200 or I'll buy the Energex Harwoods at $249. I'll clean the stove more often than with the DF's is all. I'd love to get a good price on Points as a secondary pellet or LaCrete ( same dealer as the DF, a little high but he says he is not stocking them next year)..

 

[iceguy4]

My guess is that there is not much of a variance when used in the proper appliance - that is, certain pellets stoves are very picky and they work much better with certain premium (usually softwood from western sources) pellets.

However, most wood contains a similar amount of BTU per lb, so if the lower cost pellets work well in your appliance then you probably ARE saving $$$.

I have to agree. The stove makes all the difference. although I have never had a "fussy" stove, If I have learned nothing else on this forum, some stoves are "fussy". In my research before taking the plunge, I learned "drop feeders" are inherently fussy. Bottom or side feeders are very much better at burning a more ashy pellet as well as pellets with fines in the bag. The problem is drop feeders are cheaper to buy and most people cant see past the price. It seems there is a high % of forum members who fall into this category. They cannot purchase a ton of pellets without "trying a few bags" first. ( a feat that is next to impossible if you purchase your pellets prior to the start of the season)
If you're a "weekend worrier", buying one of these "fussy" stoves that looks good and throws good heat may be the answer...and may actually save you money in the long run.... BUT if you burn a LOT of pellets in a season, more then likely you will recoup your extra cash spent buying a stove that can burn anything. An added benefit is it leaves only one decision t consider when purchasing pellets...what's the cheapest .

 

[jtakeman]

I have to agree. The stove makes all the difference. although I have never had a "fussy" stove, If I have learned nothing else on this forum, some stoves are "fussy". In my research before taking the plunge, I learned "drop feeders" are inherently fussy. Bottom or side feeders are very much better at burning a more ashy pellet as well as pellets with fines in the bag. The problem is drop feeders are cheaper to buy and most people cant see past the price. It seems there is a high % of forum members who fall into this category. They cannot purchase a ton of pellets without "trying a few bags" first. ( a feat that is next to impossible if you purchase your pellets prior to the start of the season)
If you're a "weekend worrier", buying one of these "fussy" stoves that looks good and throws good heat may be the answer...and may actually save you money in the long run.... BUT if you burn a LOT of pellets in a season, more then likely you will recoup your extra cash spent buying a stove that can burn anything. An added benefit is it leaves only one decision t consider when purchasing pellets...what's the cheapest .

I don't think its so much by top/bottom or in between feed. I think its more on the burnpot design itself. A top feed quad will burn less picky than a Breckwell top feed stove. I burned some pretty horrid stuff in my quad with just a daily pot scraping! The Old whits were also pretty good. Member Snowy Rivers can burn nut shells. Definetely wouldn't try that in a Breckwell.

A bud had a PDVC that wouldn't tolerate high ash stuff and thats a bottom feeder IIRC.

 

[iceguy4]

I don't think its so much by top/bottom or in between feed. I think its more on the burnpot design itself. A top feed quad will burn less picky than a Breckwell top feed stove. I burned some pretty horrid stuff in my quad with just a daily pot scraping! The Old whits were also pretty good. Member Snowy Rivers can burn nut shells. Definetely wouldn't try that in a Breckwell.

A bud had a PDVC that wouldn't tolerate high ash stuff and thats a bottom feeder IIRC.

all I know for sure is my stove/boiler even burns sawdust from my wood shop(in moderation) It seems to me a lesser stove will blow that right into the ash pan unburned if it tries to drop it into the burnpot... As for clinkers, they seem to be pushed over the edge by in coming fuel... The only problem I have had is fines and very small pellets seem to cause problems with ignition...

 

[SwineFlue]

My top-feed Quad burns any pellets. While I haven't tried adding sawdust, the fines & small pellets are not a problem.

I prefer to use super-premium (very low ash) pellets for a different reason. In my case, I have a small stove heating a large area. (A previous owner had put it in, replacing a large wood stove.) In the coldest weather, I can run it at its highest setting for 3 or 4 days non-stop. With higher-ash pellets, I'd have to shut it down every day to sweep the ashes into the pan and clean the heat exchangers.
The less visible effect is the ash that builds up and insulates the heat exchangers. With some brands, my HX temperature will drop 50 degrees after burning 2 bags. (Barefoots get that drop in about 10 bags.) That's a lot of lost heat going out the exhaust.

 

[jtakeman]

Pretty sure last I really looked. All brands are considered Premium in these parts. I have seen Standard and Industrial grade but its been a few seasons. Anyway< When I did my big box test/review. i was pretty much certain that all they had was sub par stuff and only the retailers that carried the top shelf name brands is where ya found the good chit. We'll I happened on a few brands that raised my eye browes. Some of da chit I happened apone was darn near good chit spec's.

Edit: Forgot to mention the fact that some of the box store brands are actually re bagged good chit!

AWF-GreenWays-Somersets-Greene Teams all were da chit to get for the dollar spend. Just watch handling and storage from the boxes. I've seen cases were they don't treat them as they should!

This season Timber Heat-AWF and Presto logs were nice, But don't take my word for it. Do some trial and error to see how some of the low dollar stuff does. Well once we can find them again. Shortage has left many bare!