Done with junk pellets

[pelletash]

I was out in the barn cleaning up and rearranging the pellet stacks today. I stumbled across a couple bags of Michigan pellets from the batch I bought earlier in the fall when they were on sale, before I realized how they burned. It was supposed to warm up today, so I dumped one of the bags in the hopper.

Well, it still hasn't warmed up outside (still 28), the stove is running balls to the wall and the house is stuck at 65 degrees.

Lesson learned. I'm done with junk, even if they're cheap.

 

[perchin]

yep... been there, if you can find Uncle Jed's swipe them up fast! My supplier stopped selling them at the end of last winter. I'm so stubborn about only burning them, I have yet to use the pellet stove this winter...just the ol' wood stove this year. Lots of times though, it matters more where the supplier your buying them from has the pellets stored. If they are outside (even under a dumb lean too) I wouldn't even consider spending my hard earned money on em.

 

[gyingling]

Right on, if somebody offered me Juniata pellets for a Buck a bag, I'd say no way. Lessons learned, use what works only.

 

[titanracer]

Right on, if somebody offered me Juniata pellets for a Buck a bag, I'd say no way. Lessons learned, use what works only.

I couldn't agree with you more!! They are the worst pellets, I have ever used. My 1st year of burning pellets, I bought a ton of them. I ended up saling 30 bags of the 50 bag ton, because they were terrible.

 

[pelletash]

Never heard of Juniata. My junk pellets were the result of curiosity at the box stores this fall.

The dealer where I get my somersets is all indoor storage. That's worth the few extra bucks they charge.

I can't say i'll never pick up a bag or two of a "new to me" pellet again, but I wont buy more than that until I know if I 'll get more heat by burning them or carrying the bag around the living room in circles a hundred times.

 

[Eatonpcat]

I agree...

 

[gyingling]

Never heard of Juniata. My junk pellets were the result of curiosity at the box stores this fall.

The dealer where I get my somersets is all indoor storage. That's worth the few extra bucks they charge.

I can't say i'll never pick up a bag or two of a "new to me" pellet again, but I wont buy more than that until I know if I 'll get more heat by burning them or carrying the bag around the living room in circles a hundred times.

Juniatas are made by Energex, in Pennsylvania. They filled the burnpot and put off little heat. Took quite awhile to hide them with decent pellets to get rid of them.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Is it the pellets or bad storage of pellets?

Stay away from outdoor storage.

Eric

 

[pelletash]

[email protected][/email]]Is it the pellets or bad storage of pellets?

Stay away from outdoor storage.

Eric

All mine are stored in my barn. I bought them from Menards and they were inside then. No idea about the history before they arrived at the store. None of the pellets are crumbled/swollen or otherwise look to have gotten wet. Based on what others have said and the description of the material used/manufacturing plant conditions for the pellet brand in question, I'm going to say its the pellets.

I have another couple bags of "dirt in a bag" left. Once those are gone, they're gone for good.

My local dealer gets 99% of my business next season. Screw the box store garbage. Some things in life are worth paying more for, namely pellets and beer.

 

[frizman86]

Well I cant say i have ran across junk pellets yet but this is nice to know what not to buy. I am almost done with my ton of AWF and got a ton of sumerset's to see the difference. I hope if i like them I can find the sumerset's next year.

 

[jtakeman]

One man's junk is another mans treasure.

I have tried pellets that some consider junk and found them to be well worth the money spent. I have also seen the opposite! I bought some that were considered excellent and I wasn't at all pleased with them. So don't take others word for it. Do some testing to see how you like them

 

[djs_net]

One man's junk is another mans treasure.

I have tried pellets that some consider junk and found them to be well worth the money spent. I have also seen the opposite! I bought some that were considered excellent and I wasn't at all pleased with them. So don't take others word for it. Do some testing to see how you like them

I couldn't agree more. "try before you buy" (in quantity) is a good policy. The only issue there, is that some retailers won't sell individual bags.
If I had tried these Cubex, I wouldn't have bought them. Luckily I only got stuck with half a ton because I found someone to split it with.

 

[pelletash]

One man's junk is another mans treasure.

I have tried pellets that some consider junk and found them to be well worth the money spent. I have also seen the opposite! I bought some that were considered excellent and I wasn't at all pleased with them. So don't take others word for it. Do some testing to see how you like them

I agree. While the selection in my area is fairly limited, I've burned some that others have deemed poor that I thought were OK and have tried some that have good reviews that I didn't think were all that great. Its all part of what makes this hobby (or sickness) interesting to say the least. I guess what grinds me most is most every bag says "high btu/low ash/premium fuel". If that was truly the case, one would think a certain brand wouldn't leave the inside of my stove look like the tailpipe of an old diesel dump truck while another brand leaves the stove virtually spotless.

 

[Outerlimits]

Pelletash, I couldn't agree more with only buy the best. However, part of the fun of burning pellets is finding the best for you. For example, I haven't burned AWF'S for years. But, based on the good reviews from people who frequent this site, I bought some, and my stove loves them. They are better than I remember! I guess reviews and your own experience will show you the way.