compressed logs comparison

[whiskeyrichard]

Over the coarse of the last couple months I have experimented with two different brands of compressed logs.

I have used the Bear Mountain file logs and the Northern Idaho Energy Logs.

The Bear mountain logs burn longer, better, hotter and leave less ash.

I highly recommend the Bear Mountain file logs.


WR

 

[Mo Heat]

It's hard to imagine a compressed log that burns better or longer than a North Idaho log. After all, those things are over [7 lbs (I actually weighed some and many most were between 7.5 - 8 lbs, although mine were shipped much farther than normal and likely were jolted a whole lot more. In fact, one box had burst open by the time it arrived, so they endured some abuse on the way.]. The other two log brands I've tried were only around [5 - 5.5 lbs].

The NI log uses a screw extruder that gives a continuous compression, whereas nearly all other compressed logs use ram extruders. What's the difference? The screw product holds together throughout the entire burn, whereas the ram products tend to form wafer-like segments about half way through the burn [and expanded quite a bit more, causing them to burn a bit faster].

I didn't notice any ash worth mentioning on my North Idaho burns, or any of the other 2 brands I've tried. Certainly all of them left much less ash than any cordwood I've ever burned. Probably by a factor of about 5 or 10.

I guess I'll have to try and find some of those Bear Mountain Logs and give them a try. They must be really good to outperform the NI logs.

How large (pounds) are the BML's, how many did you burn, and how much did you pay for them?

And where are you located? Out west?

 

[begreen]

Bear Mtn logs are made in Cascade Locks, Oregon. They also make GoldenFire pellets. They use fir. I've emailed them to see where I can buy them locally. I'd like to try them as well in the same test I used for the HomeFire and North. Idaho logs. The HomeFire's are a strong contest for the NI logs, though much more expensive, they burn longer with less ash, so I'm open minded here. But so far the NI logs seem to represent the best value in our area (WA State). Further south in CA transportation costs may make the Bear Mtn. logs a better value there.

The BM logs are 7.5# so I am bit skeptical that they have more heat content then the heavier NI logs. Also, they have conflicting info on their website wrt heat output. On the product page they claim the logs "can produce 70,000 btus heat. But on the product FAQ page they claim the logs will produce nearly 90,000 btus heat (12,000 btus/#!). For point of reference, NI logs states that their 8# log contains 68,800 btus heat (8,600/#) and HomeFire states their 5# log contains 43,650 btus (8730 btus/#). Let's give Bear Mtn. the benefit of the doubt and say they pack their logs tighter than NI and get 8,700 btus/#. That still only comes out to 65,250 btus. There does seem to be some marketing hyperbole here, considering they are getting 8,500/# out of the same wood in the pellets.

WR - Mo asks some good questions. It would be helpful to know where you get your BM logs and how much are they a palette load?

PS: can you add your locale to your profile? thx.

(broken link removed to http://www.bmfp.com/index.asp)

 

[whiskeyrichard]

I was suprised at the difference as well. My girlfriend who does nto pay as much attention to the burning/heating process noticed the difference between the logs as well.

I live in Meadow Vista California which is about an hour west of Lake Tahoe.

I purchased 100 of the Bear Mountain logs at a local Do It Best Hardware store for about a 1.20 per log.

The folks at the hardware store told me that Bear Mountain was going to temporarily stop produccing the logs to ramp up pellet production because of the supply shortfalls of pellets. Because of my experience with the NI logs, I sent Bear Mountain an email to find out if they really stopped production, if I can still get them, and if they did stop production, when they are going to restart.

Even though the NI logs did create more ash than the Bear Mountain logs, the amount of ash they produce is not even comparable to the amount of ash cordwood produces.

The only difference I noticed between the NI logs and the Bear Mountain logs was that the NI logs are darker in color. I did not weight them, but they same to be about the same weight. The NI logs seem to have more flaking pieces on the ends then did the Bear Mountain did as well.

I'll continue to buy the NI logs if that is my only choice. If/when the Bear Mountain logs are available again, I'll buy a pallet of them -- no matter the season.


WR

 

[Mo Heat]

BeGreen, Thanks for reminding me of the proper weights of the various logs. I've corrected my original post.

WR, do you notice your BM logs (haha sort of separating as they burn so they appear to be a bunch of wafers instead of their original log shape?

 

[Mo Heat]

BTW: $1.20 per log seems like a great price! I couldn't get them in the end, but I was ording some Pres-to-logs in St. Louis and they were $1.69 each IIRC, but they were manufactured in West Virginia, a couple of states away.

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the update WR. I am looking forward to trying them out. Yes, at $1.20 they are competitive (.16/#). For reference, the NI logs are going for about $1.10/log (.138/#) locally, when bought by the palette load and the HomeFire's go for as low as .89/log (.17/#).

This reminds me I still need to get hold of some BioBricks and try them out too.

 

[whiskeyrichard]

Here is Cali, the NI logs are 1.10 per log when buying a half pallet.

WR

 

[begreen]

Decent price for the NI. We have to buy a full palette to get that. That seems to make them the best value in btus/$.

 

[whiskeyrichard]

I checked with the Bear Mountain people and they did not stop production of their compressed logs. They had a fire that caused a slow down, but they are in production and shipping.

Turns out they do not have too many distributers around where I live (which seems wierd), so I asked how much I would have to buy to get a distributer type discount. She said an entire truck load --> 22 pallets. I didn't even bother asking the price because I would have no place to store them!

WR

 

[detmurds]

I burn the Energy Logs at night, they cost only a dollar each, and weigh 8 pounds each as well. I started a thread in the Perfect Pic forums @ https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/5279/

There are pics as well.

 

[Elderthewelder]

Decent price for the NI. We have to buy a full palette to get that. That seems to make them the best value in btus/$.

I just got back from the CO-OP and they have the NI individually priced for $1.09 ( + tax) , cheaper if you bought them buy the pallet ( but I forgot what that price was) anyway I bought 3 of them came to $3.55 with the tax, I am going to try 1 out tonight, any advice on how to burn it? I assume I need a bed of coals, just wondering if I should break it in half and start with burning half of it? kinda worried about over firing my small insert

 

[WarmGuy]

I couldn’t get them in the end

It sounds to me like you're using them wrong.

 

[begreen]

Decent price for the NI. We have to buy a full palette to get that. That seems to make them the best value in btus/$.

I just got back from the CO-OP and they have the NI individually priced for $1.09 ( + tax) , cheaper if you bought them buy the pallet ( but I forgot what that price was) anyway I bought 3 of them came to $3.55 with the tax, I am going to try 1 out tonight, any advice on how to burn it? I assume I need a bed of coals, just wondering if I should break it in half and start with burning half of it? kinda worried about over firing my small insert

Hey Elder, sorry I missed your post. How did it go?

1 log is not going to overfire the stove, nor will 2, assuming that the stove isn't already at 600 degrees. However, 3 can get very exciting in a smaller stove.

 

[Elderthewelder]

I am just getting my stove fired up right now with kindling, will but the NI in a little later, I just picked them up today

 

[begreen]

Heck it's 50 degrees out. I don't even have the stove lit. Stick to one or two logs tonight, no need to split it unless it doesn't fit in the stove .

 

[BrotherBart]

Heck it's 50 degrees out. I don't even have the stove lit. Stick to one or two logs tonight, no need to split it unless it doesn't fit in the stove .

Bragging about the new hi-efficency heat pump are we?

 

[Elderthewelder]

Heck it's 50 degrees out. I don't even have the stove lit. Stick to one or two logs tonight, no need to split it unless it doesn't fit in the stove .

Yeah I know. Hard to believe we had 6" of snow Wednesday night and its 48 degrees as I type. I just happened to see the NI logs at the CO-Op today and wanted to try them out. Burning 1 right now just to keep the furnance from coming on later tonight

 

[whiskeyrichard]

sonebody mentoned that you were not going to overfire your stove with tow of them.

When I put two of them in my stove (Country S160) and I have to shut the damper all the way down to keep it at 700 degrees on the surface of the stove.....and there is now ay to get it to go any lower.

If I were to open the damper at all I would be in for some trouble.

WR

 

[begreen]

Heck it's 50 degrees out. I don't even have the stove lit. Stick to one or two logs tonight, no need to split it unless it doesn't fit in the stove .

Bragging about the new hi-efficency heat pump are we?

I didn't mention it. :red: But it works great in these warmer temps. %-P

 

[begreen]

sonebody mentoned that you were not going to overfire your stove with tow of them.

When I put two of them in my stove (Country S160) and I have to shut the damper all the way down to keep it at 700 degrees on the surface of the stove.....and there is now ay to get it to go any lower.

If I were to open the damper at all I would be in for some trouble.

WR

Lots of btus in there. What was the stove temp before you put them in there? I meant starting with 2 logs from scratch, not with a hot stove. Perhaps I should have been more assertive about that point.