Easy Heats over Somersets

[3650]

I have been burning Somersets for over 10 years. I wouldn't burn anything else unless i was forced to. Last week i stumbled across a pile of Easy Heats at a local store. I bought 10 bags to sample. The first bag i opened i wasnt too impressed. Lot's of fines. The color was good and the size was right but just so many fines. The smell was wonderful. My hopper holds four bags so i kept opening. Next bag no fines hardly, third bag the same, fourth was just like number one.

So i fire up the stove, ignition was quick. Flame looked good. Heat was wonderful. In a previous post my agitator on this stove broke so i fired up my Harman (WHICH I REALLY DISLIKE AND ONLY USE WHEN FORCED). I was ready for the typical Harman fight i get, lazy burn, instant speed bump, poor heat. Well im on the 4rth day with the Harman. No speed bump yet, great flame, no daily pot scrape, plenty of heat. It's actually heating my whole house which it has never done. It looks like Easy Heats are the Harmans saviour. I was getting rid of it next spring since it was essentially useless, but if i can keep finding Easy Heats i may just keep it. Too bad it only burns well with them.

Now for the Somersets. Ive got 4 tons sitting outside and i can only say i wish they were easy heats. I have noticed the quality of Someresets has diminished in the last few years. This batch i have now i was not impressed with at all. Not much heat, they have an odd smell and are multi colored so it is oretty obvious they are buying up pellets that don't sell and blending them off with their own. Having worked in many manufacture venues, I've seen this practice first hand on multiple occasions. No the Somerset of today is not the Somerset i had grown fond of. It'll be Easy Heats for me next year.

 

[3650]

So i ran out of easy heats and thus is what happens when i burn any other pellet. Im on my second bag of somersets. A speed bump quickly forms and pushe that flame guide off. This happens with every other pellet i have tried except the easy heats. I basically don't use this stove except in emergency.

 

[rich2500]

But wait all I read is how a Harman will burn anything, sure you got that thing set up properly.

 

[3650]

Yeh thats all i ever heard too...lol. Not the case. Running room temp 70*, feed trim 4.5, 3" chimney 10' up through the roof. Never ran worth a chit. My Cumberland ran circles around it. In fact out of the 6 pellet stoves I've had this has been the biggest let down. I'd never buy another. The Enviro is awsome. It burns more pellets then the Cumberland but it is just so damn easy to maintain it's worth the trade off.

 

[rich2500]

I've been around long enough I know better.gotta laugh every time I read it and it's somebody's first stove claiming how it burns anything and other stoves can't .

 

[jtakeman]

My hopper holds four bags so i kept opening.

? ? ?

Specs on the Harman say 50 lbs and the 3650 says 60 pounds. How in the heck are you stuffin 160 pounds in?? Anyhoot, What feed rate do you have the Harman set at. 3.5 should be a good start point. If you had it jacked to run them cheazy heats.

 

[rich2500]

J he put the 4 bags in the omega

 

[thatguy69]

thats strange. i find mine to be quite opposite. i burned easy heats the first 2 seasons i burned pellets because i didnt know any better and they were cheap at the time(180 a ton). the menards here sells somersets in the fall for 187 a ton plus there 11 percent rebate so thats what i burn now. i compare the somersets to lignetics becuase of the heat output and low amount of ash. easy heats are all ash anytime ive burnt them but maybe ill give them a try in my new harman. i only burned the easy heats in my englander and vogelzang.

 

[railfanron]

Rich 2500 I'm not trying to be a Smart a** but I've had my stove for 4 years and so far I've burned 7 different kinds of pellets in it and have yet to find a brand that didn't burn correctly. There is minor differences in ash and heat output but when I say minor I mean 5% or less. I burn 3 tons a year and shoot for the cheapest I can find out of the 7 brands. This year I did try a new locally made brand at 189/ton that appears to be very slightly higher in heat output. We don't get some of the brands you guys get on the east coast so I can't say that my stove will burn the crummy brands that you guys get.
Ron

 

[rich2500]

Ron I'm just saying I have had an englander a castle and now a ravelli and every one of those stoves has burned everything I have run through them over the past 11 yrs. and I have probably burned 30 or so different brands of the crap available around here at the chain stores, like you say ash amounts or heat output varies but they have all burned, I read so many post from Harman owners about their stoves burn anything and other stoves can't , first off how would one know what other stoves can burn if they never owned that stove, So what I was getting at is that I have been around these forums long enough that I know better than that Harmans are not the only stoves that will burn anything because that is just bull and you just get tired of reading misinformation from uninformed people.

 

[Tails1]

Ron I'm just saying I have had an englander a castle and now a ravelli and every one of those stoves has burned everything I have run through them over the past 11 yrs. and I have probably burned 30 or so different brands of the crap available around here at the chain stores, like you say ash amounts or heat output varies but they have all burned, I read so many post from Harman owners about their stoves burn anything and other stoves can't , first off how would one know what other stoves can burn if they never owned that stove, So what I was getting at is that I have been around these forums long enough that I know better than that Harmans are the only stoves that will burn anything because that is just bull and you just get tired of reading misinformation from uninformed people.

My trpip-55 has burned everything I put in it however I do have to make trim adjustments when switching brands. IMHO every pellet appliance should be able to handle any kind of pellet and burn them properly (providing their dry) ideally without operator intervention or at least be adjustable to do so by the user.