Conversation with HD guys

[Tonyray]

At the HD Yesterday and was talking to Outdoor Garden guys about pellets.
Said they had a tractor load come in [22 pallets] and they we;re gone by late afternoon.
I asked if lot of people are buying online or paying in advance in the store and they said yes.
Most of the sales go that way....
What I didn't know was although they will let u know when your pellets arrive,
they have no idea of which brand is coming in...
Said they deal with 5 different suppliers....btw: the last batch that came and sold out were Presto logs.
Before that was Fireside Ultras and Stove chows before that.
so.., you pretty much have to buy what comes in when your number is called I assume?
At this point in time I guess ya can't be picky if you don't have any yet.

Garden guys said doesn't matter since most of the pellets come from Energex so they are all the same.
Absolutley Not true.
.They Bag/distribute many brands for Big box stores Under the Energex name but do not manufacture all of them.
didn't get into that with them but Energex,Pa manufactures both the Premium hardwoods and the Golden low ash Pellets.
Energx Canadian plant puts out all the Energex Softwood and Softwood blends and also bags/distributes to Box stores there and US.
Fireside Ultras[Montreal].. being 1 of many.

Smaller pellet manufacturing companies have an easier time selling product to Energex to bag and distribute under the Energex Umbrella
Not so different from Manufacturers selling product to Walmart and having them distribute and sell.

Side note:
example is Energex prem hardwoods and Stove Chows.
burned both last year and Chows are darker in color, less consistent in size,[all over the place] and have a sweet smell when burned..

 

[chken]

At the HD Yesterday and was talking to Outdoor Garden guys about pellets.
Said they had a tractor load come in [22 pallets] and they we;re gone by late afternoon.
I asked if lot of people are buying online or paying in advance in the store and they said yes.
Most of the sales go that way....
What I didn't know was although they will let u know when your pellets arrive,
they have no idea of which brand is coming in...
Said they deal with 5 different suppliers....btw: the last batch that came and sold out were Presto logs.
Before that was Fireside Ultras and Stove chows before that.
so.., you pretty much have to buy what comes in when your number is called I assume?
At this point in time I guess ya can't be picky if you don't have any yet.

Garden guys said doesn't matter since most of the pellets come from Energex so they are all the same.
Absolutley Not true.
.They Bag/distribute many brands for Big box stores Under the Energex name but do not manufacture all of them.
didn't get into that with them but Energex,Pa manufactures both the Premium hardwoods and the Golden low ash Pellets.
Energx Canadian plant puts out all the Energex Softwood and Softwood blends and also bags/distributes to Box stores there and US.
Fireside Ultras[Montreal].. being 1 of many.

Smaller pellet manufacturing companies have an easier time selling product to Energex to bag and distribute under the Energex Umbrella
Not so different from Manufacturers selling product to Walmart and having them distribute and sell.

Side note:
example is Energex prem hardwoods and Stove Chows.
burned both last year and Chows are darker in color, less consistent in size,[all over the place] and have a sweet smell when burned..

Yep, that's pretty much the way it works at my HD in Central Maine. I have 5 tons to be delivered next week, for free, but I don't know what I'll be getting. For most of the Fall they've had FSUs, but recently, they've had Blazers I told them if there's a choice, I want Blazers.

 

[Tonyray]

Yep, that's pretty much the way it works at my HD in Central Maine. I have 5 tons to be delivered next week, for free, but I don't know what I'll be getting. For most of the Fall they've had FSUs, but recently, they've had Blazers I told them if there's a choice, I want Blazers.

How did u get free delivery?
around here it's 70.00 delivery charge at the Depot

 

[ChandlerR]

I was at the HD in North Hampton NH today and they told me they had four truckloads on order and all the pellets were spoken for. He asked if I wanted to oder some and I said No Thanks! He estimated four weeks for delivery.

 

[chken]

How did u get free delivery?
around here it's 70.00 delivery charge at the Depot

Contrary to what many others have reported, about $65 delivery, my HD in Augusta, Maine told me that 5 tons is free. I wasn't listening closely after hearing that, but he said something about the more you buy, the less the delivery cost, and that 5 tons was free. I missed everything he said after the word "free".

 

[alternativeheat]

Tractor Supply works the same way, they don't know what will come in next. A couple of deliveries ago were Pure Fire and the girl said they went right out the door basically. They have Natures Own now, they can keep those. And they have 25 pallets of TSC brand right now, she considered that low inventory. They have more out back all taken. She was hoping for a deliver "soon" but had no idea what they might be. She said what ever the supplier sends.

I have 5 bags of the Tractor supply brand now. Supposed to be all hardwood. They are not all hardwood because I've never smelled hardwood that smells like spruce and makes my eyes itch. I believe they are a blend, though they burn well and burn hot. I like the PurFire for the shoulder season, they burn clean, start real easy. Though I've burned hotter pellets, that doesn't matter much this time of year.

Edit: Incidentally TSC Pellet pallets are single layer wrapped and you can read the label on the bags through the wrap ( at least on the ones they have presently unless they have stripped off the outer layer), unlike my Energex Hardwoods, you can't even see the bags through the wrap which is at a minimum double wrapped ( I haven't opened them yet, they may be triple wrapped).

 

[Wilbur Feral]

Therre is huge variability in box store quality on many items, including pellets. Ever buy 2x4's from these guys? Unless you hand pick them (and take some time doing it), you end up with several that are basically unusable.

I got lucky and got 4 tons of Presto's this year from Lowes, but shipment before that their stock was Cheat River (OK, but far from best) and no pellets available since. I think I'll stock up by late Aug next year, from the pellet dealer who is currently out. Too much of a dice roll with the box stores.

 

[ttdberg]

I have 5 bags of the Tractor supply brand now. Supposed to be all hardwood. They are not all hardwood because I've never smelled hardwood that smells like spruce and makes my eyes itch. I believe they are a blend, though they burn well and burn hot.

Alt, what's the UPC on those TSC bags, we'll figure out what they are. TSC bagged pellets that smell like spruce is a new one to me!

 

[MikeinRI]

My TSC I picked up for the kid are Currans and are a blend.

 

[alternativeheat]

Alt, what's the UPC on those TSC bags, we'll figure out what they are. TSC bagged pellets that smell like spruce is a new one to me!

5245300306 on the UPC. Above the UPC: 516958. And the SKU:3195163.

 

[SwineFlue]

5245300306 on the UPC. Above the UPC: 516958. And the SKU:3195163.

The 852453 prefix is MWP (Maine Woods Pellets)

 

[alternativeheat]

The 852453 prefix is MWP (Maine Woods Pellets)

I didn't see an 8. But in the past MWP did make pellets for TSC. Last year I had some MWP pellets, the actual ones not TSC's version and I don't recall this smell of spruce or strong pine. Both burn fine though.

 

[SwineFlue]

I didn't see an 8. But in the past MWP did make pellets for TSC. Last year I had some MWP pellets, the actual ones not TSC's version and I don't recall this smell of spruce or strong pine. Both burn fine though.

Sometimes there's a small number before and one after the bar code. They don't look like they are part of it.

 

[alternativeheat]

Sometimes there's a small number before and one after the bar code. They don't look like they are part of it.

Well they are $254 a ton, not a bad pellet either. Burning them right now.

 

[SwineFlue]

Well they are $254 a ton, not a bad pellet either. Burning them right now.

These days that's a good deal...glad you're happy with them The TSC around here has had only Green Supremes. I bought some bags last month for 4.99 each. Since then, they went up to 5.19, then 5.39, and now they want 5.49. (NEWP's now cost more than I paid for Barefoots in the spring)