Big box store Pellet comparing! List and mini review!

[jtakeman]

Update: See 1st Post Marth results are in.

The Marths had 16 oz. of ash in the jar. Glass only had a light gray haze towards the top. Ash seemed light and fluffy. No scale in the burn pot. Temp average was 247º.

Attached a photo of jar.

Michigans are burning in the stove and the temp average is 232º.

You guys getting bored yet?

 

[joefraser]

Update: See 1st Post Marth results are in.

You guys getting bored yet?

Doesn't look like it with 6400 views for the thread. Maybe not your goal for this thread but I am interested to see how much warmer some of the "super premium" pellets compared to the big box "premiums."

 

[champscorner]

Not bored at all. This is great info. It would be really cool if you could get people in different locations(with different brands) to do the same thing your doing and compile one big spreadsheet. By the way do you have somersets on your check list or are those not available to you?

 

[countk]

Not bored at all. This is great info. It would be really cool if you could get people in different locations(with different brands) to do the same thing your doing and compile one big spreadsheet. By the way do you have somersets on your check list or are those not available to you?

Ditto, I love this information!

Right now I'm burning Lignetics and plan to soon do my own very unscientific heat test between Ligs, Okanagan's and Dragon Mountain. Looking forward to see how you test out the Lignetics!

 

[jtakeman]

Doesn't look like it with 6400 views for the thread. Maybe not your goal for this thread but I am interested to see how much warmer some of the "super premium" pellets compared to the big box "premiums."

I was just checking! Seeing if your paying attention.

By the way do you have somersets on your check list or are those not available to you?

I haven't seen them were I'm at. They may get here sooner or later. :lol:

Ditto, I love this information!

Right now I'm burning Lignetics and plan to soon do my own very unscientific heat test between Ligs, Okanagan's and Dragon Mountain. Looking forward to see how you test out the Lignetics!

I got my ligs from a friend(who got them from a pellet house), So I will not use them in this test. Stay tuned for the next test for those. Pellet house or Looking for the Ultimate heat pellets. The big names will be in there if I can get them by the bag. I can't get the dragons near me. Its like a 60 plus mile ride. I would like to hear what you think of them.

Maybe get a little scientific for us???

 

[gbreda]

Not bored at all. I find myself stopping in to Lowes looking for Marth to try or HD looking for the Winter Warm that Geek tried.

Tonight saw Bayou and something called Freedom Fuel, but no Marth or Winter Warm.

So far have burned just the Greene Teams. No clinkers, but burn pot scraping is needed. Seem to be decent heat, but I dont have any real experience yet.
Saving the Okies for the colder weather.......

 

[keep-in warm]

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the Michigans.

 

[jtakeman]

See 1st post Michigans are complete.

I was shocked by the ash amount from the Michigans. Much more than I expected. Right at the 31 oz. mark on the jar.

Instant Heat's are in the stove.

Fines were low (a little less than ½ a cup from both bags). Temp average 224º.

If you have noticed I removed the ash amount numbers from the jars. I am going to weigh them some time this week. I will also update the chart and jar with the exact weight from the ash sample. This way we can figure out the exact ash percentage.

Correct me if I am wrong.

To get the percentage. We know that 80 lbs is 1280 ounces. And as an example. We have 15 ounces of ash. So that would be 1.17% of ash.

15 divided by 1280 = 0.0117 or 1.17%. Correct???

jay

 

[mnkywrnch]

Great post jay, that looks about right for north country pellets Im burning now made by michigan lots of ash decent heat.

 

[CanadaClinker]

See 1st post Michigans are complete.

I was shocked by the ash amount from the Michigans. Much more than I expected. Right at the 31 oz. mark on the jar.

Instant Heat's are in the stove.

Fines were low (a little less than ½ a cup from both bags). Temp average 224º.

If you have noticed I removed the ash amount numbers from the jars. I am going to weigh them some time this week. I will also update the chart and jar with the exact weight from the ash sample. This way we can figure out the exact ash percentage.

Correct me if I am wrong.

To get the percentage. We know that 80 lbs is 1280 ounces. And as an example. We have 15 ounces of ash. So that would be 1.17% of ash.

15 divided by 1280 = 0.0117 or 1.17%. Correct???

jay

......right on Jay......looks close enough for this burner...... cc ;-)

 

[amick780]

Update: See 1st Post Marth results are in.

The Marths had 16 oz. of ash in the jar. Glass only had a light gray haze towards the top. Ash seemed light and fluffy. No scale in the burn pot. Temp average was 247º.

You guys getting bored yet?

Not bored here, love the info...I think I will have to try out the Marths in my stove. Looks like a good pellet for the price IMO. Keep up the good work. You have become the pellet king!

 

[jtakeman]

Update: See 1st Post Marth results are in.

The Marths had 16 oz. of ash in the jar. Glass only had a light gray haze towards the top. Ash seemed light and fluffy. No scale in the burn pot. Temp average was 247º.

You guys getting bored yet?

Not bored here, love the info...I think I will have to try out the Marths in my stove. Looks like a good pellet for the price IMO. Keep up the good work. You have become the pellet king!

No,No, No, macman is the pellet king! I can't afford to even try to keep up with him. ;-)

But I can try every brand I can in small amounts. Thats how I handle this little pellet illness I have. It is a sickness and very hard to control.

I will take pellet control meds for the rest of my life now. But I heard BEER also helps. :lol:

Pellet Tester will do.

Thanks for the nice words.

 

[gbreda]

edit: moved to new thread

 

[amick780]

Update: See 1st Post Marth results are in.

The Marths had 16 oz. of ash in the jar. Glass only had a light gray haze towards the top. Ash seemed light and fluffy. No scale in the burn pot. Temp average was 247º.

You guys getting bored yet?

Not bored here, love the info...I think I will have to try out the Marths in my stove. Looks like a good pellet for the price IMO. Keep up the good work. You have become the pellet king!

No,No, No, macman is the pellet king! I can't afford to even try to keep up with him. ;-)

But I can try every brand I can in small amounts. Thats how I handle this little pellet illness I have. It is a sickness and very hard to control.

I will take pellet control meds for the rest of my life now. But I heard BEER also helps. :lol:

Pellet Tester will do.

Thanks for the nice words.

Beer does seem to help, but after a few I just seem to stare at the Pellet stove!! Just can't get out of this pellet hole!!

 

[keep-in warm]

re: Michigans....

I always suspected the ash content was pushing the premium level. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[joefraser]

re: Michigans....

I always suspected the ash content was pushing the premium level. Thanks for the confirmation.

Has anyone ever seen a pellet NOT listed as premium (besides the super premiums?

 

[CanadaClinker]

hey joe...........don't want to be too cynical about this but..... remember they print the word 'premium' on the plastic bag at a different plant or factory 'long' before they run a production of pellets in their plant..... what does that tell you......... if they have a bad batch of sawdust that week, it still goes in the same bag. You can't trust what's written on the bag.... you can, for the most part trust what the majority of people's experience expressed on this fantastic forum.... there.... my rant is over.... gonna get some coffee (with baileys) ..... :lol:

 

[jtakeman]

re: Michigans....

I always suspected the ash content was pushing the premium level. Thanks for the confirmation.

Has anyone ever seen a pellet NOT listed as premium (besides the super premiums?

hey joe...........don't want to be too cynical about this but..... remember they print the word 'premium' on the plastic bag at a different plant or factory 'long' before they run a production of pellets in their plant..... what does that tell you......... if they have a bad batch of sawdust that week, it still goes in the same bag. You can't trust what's written on the bag.... you can, for the most part trust what the majority of people's experience expressed on this fantastic forum.... there.... my rant is over.... gonna get some coffee (with baileys) ..... :lol:

To answer joes question, Yes I have. PFI has a rating for the Industrial pellets as well. I purchased furnace grade Oak pellets last year. PFI labeled stated Utility.

Because of the question and comments I added if the brands had the PFI label on them. The column on the far right in the chart has y or n checked. I can't believe the inferno's passed the PFI standards. I can't remember if the ACP's had a PFI label on the bag. But if the Inferiors can have one. I bet a bag a dirt could too!(my rant)

Just FYI. pass the baileys please!
jay

 

[jtakeman]

I had to go to a True Value in Torrington (my local didn't have what I needed). Low and behold They had Lignetics(hardwood-Conifir blend). First I have seen them at a big box store. I didn't buy them because I have 2 bags already. But I will add them to the list and burn them right after the Instant Heat pellets.

Looks like I am all most finished with the yard work. I want to take a run to the Danbury HD and Lowes.

I need some scouts to check out what they have available there now. As a per bag purchase. I should be able to go on Sunday morning sometime.

Could a fellow member hit the HD and Lowes. Please check out what they have around Thursday or Friday. I would hate to take a run there and not find what is on the to do list. :-S

Brands still looking for are:
Corinth
Eurekas
Green Team
Clean Energy
Green Way
Potomics
Somerset
Stove chow

Thanks
jay

 

[sinnian]

I can't believe the inferno's passed the PFI standards. I can't remember if the ACP's had a PFI label on the bag. But if the Inferiors can have one. I bet a bag a dirt could too!(my rant)jay

ANYONE can use the PFI logo! (seriously)

 

[jtakeman]

I can't believe the inferno's passed the PFI standards. I can't remember if the ACP's had a PFI label on the bag. But if the Inferiors can have one. I bet a bag a dirt could too!(my rant)jay

ANYONE can use the PFI logo! (seriously)

As long as you fork over $1000.00 you can. Then $400.00 a year after that.

 

[joefraser]

I can't believe the inferno's passed the PFI standards. I can't remember if the ACP's had a PFI label on the bag. But if the Inferiors can have one. I bet a bag a dirt could too!(my rant)jay

ANYONE can use the PFI logo! (seriously)

As long as you fork over $1000.00 you can. Then $400.00 a year after that.

I'll buy any bag of pellets stamped "Approved by official Pellet Pig Tester Jay Takeman"over one by the PFI anyday :exclaim:

 

[CanadaClinker]

I can't believe the inferno's passed the PFI standards. I can't remember if the ACP's had a PFI label on the bag. But if the Inferiors can have one. I bet a bag a dirt could too!(my rant)jay

ANYONE can use the PFI logo! (seriously)

As long as you fork over $1000.00 you can. Then $400.00 a year after that.

I'll buy any bag of pellets stamped "Approved by official Pellet Pig Tester Jake Takeman"over one by the PFI anyday :exclaim:

.......that's a 'ABOPPTJT' stamp on the bag rather than PFI.... i'm for it! :lol:

 

[gbreda]

I can't believe the inferno's passed the PFI standards. I can't remember if the ACP's had a PFI label on the bag. But if the Inferiors can have one. I bet a bag a dirt could too!(my rant)jay

ANYONE can use the PFI logo! (seriously)

As long as you fork over $1000.00 you can. Then $400.00 a year after that.

I'll buy any bag of pellets stamped "Approved by official Pellet Pig Tester Jake Takeman"over one by the PFI anyday :exclaim:

.......that's a 'ABOPPTJT' stamp on the bag rather than PFI.... i'm for it! :lol:

I'll 3rd that!! I think that makes it official. At least more trustwothy than PFI label

 

[geek]

I want to take a run to the Danbury HD and Lowes.

I need some scouts to check out what they have available there now. As a per bag purchase. I should be able to go on Sunday morning sometime.

Could a fellow member hit the HD and Lowes. Please check out what they have around Thursday or Friday. I would hate to take a run there and not find what is on the to do list. :-S

Brands still looking for are:
Corinth
Eurekas
Green Team
Clean Energy
Green Way
Potomics
Somerset
Stove chow

Thanks
jay

jay, i can trade a couple bags of my greene team gold premium if you'd like, not sure where you live but i'm in Naugatuck, feelo PM me if you'd like and want to stop by......