Gave a bag of Maine Wood Pellets a try

[nailed_nailer]

So cleaned the stove yesterday and thought it would be a great time to give a Bag of Maine Wood Pellets a try.
I have been burning McFeeters and Somersets so far this year.
About a month or so a go I was about to pull the trigger in a ton of MWP's from Tractor Supply.
OMV jumped up and offered me a deal on a ton of the Somersets.

Well on a 30 degree day/night keeping the house at 69 degrees with M55C set to heat level 3 on Hi/Lo mode running on stat.
The McFeeters do a good job and keep up no problem. They burn about 20 hours or so per bag. They are a bit ashy but no other problems

The Somersets burn much hotter but faster and a bag lasts about 15 hours. To be fair to these I should run the stove on level 2 to compensate.

Last night the MWP's lasted about 15 hours as well but the house never got up to 69 degrees. They ran all night trying to get the house up to temp.
The flame was noticeably smaller and heat output was much less on stove level 3.

In all cases the feed and air trim were at 3/3

Glad I didn't buy a ton of the MWP's.
Your mileage may vary,
---Nailer---

 

[DOLLARBILL]

nailer were they the hardmix or super softies ? and whats your take on the ash ? I bought some softies they are Ok but seeing the temp is down switched to Cubex then Ill try the La Creates then as it warms up finish the year with leftover MWPs.....maybe !

 

[briansol]

Yeah, there's 2 kinds of MWP.
And then there's the knock offs that are hardwood (see my poverty pellet thread)

Most the guys are raving about the softies.

As for the air, you may need to adjust to get the best burn, so while leaving the 'all others constant' to perform a 1 variate test, frankly, it's not ideal in most cases to do that.

 

[thedude110]

I agree on the McFeeters -- great heat, but the ash is a bit if a PITA. I got my ton for $235 last spring, so I can't complain too much!

 

[Boondoggie]

Yeah, there's 2 kinds of MWP.
And then there's the knock offs that are hardwood (see my poverty pellet thread).

Why do you call them knockoffs? Are they not made by MWP?

 

[subsailor]

Why do you call them knockoffs? Are they not made by MWP?

I'd be interested in hearing the answer to this as well.

 

[jtakeman]

Knockoffs are the boxstore bagged version. Same pellet different bag, So not really a knock off IMHO.

Picture of the bag from briansol's thread.

 

[mepellet]

There's also a different bag that has the state of Maine on it I believe.

 

[nailed_nailer]

Just so there is no confusion
Here are the MWP's I put in.



---Nailer---

 

[Cowdogz]

I've used a few bags of the MW softwoods this year. Clean burn, respectable heat, but not very dense: a 40-lb bag barely fit in my 60-lb hopper.

 

[subsailor]

There's also a different bag that has the state of Maine on it I believe.

That was back in the day when the pellets were garbage. They scrapped that bag to distance themselves from it.

 

[corkman]

Hey that bag looks familiar

ahha.so it was Nailer wearing that Deer costume.and of all the pellets he had to choose from he only made off with a bag of MWP

 

[mepellet]

That was back in the day when the pellets were garbage. They scrapped that bag to distance themselves from it.

I saw them last year at HD and I thought I saw them this year somewhere.

 

[nailed_nailer]

Its true,
I passed on Hammers to give the MWP a try.

So what is the story.....
The MWP's I tried are an old mix and the newer (Tract Supply/big Box hardwood) are better?
Or is it it the same crap still in a different bag?

Cork....I don't fit into my deer costume anymore so I baffled OMV by taking the junky MWP's over the Hammers.
While he was confused/bewildered I had my minions move a ton of somersets into the truck.
---Nailer---

 

[subsailor]

I saw them last year at HD and I thought I saw them this year somewhere.

According to their salesman, he was brought on board to try to improve their image because of the junk they made when they first started up. One of the things he insisted on was scrapping that bag because the logo was associated with junk. The owner of the company loved the Maine bag, but eventually agreed. So if you saw some, they're probably old bags.

 

[mepellet]

According to their salesman, he was brought on board to try to improve their image because of the junk they made when they first started up. One of the things he insisted on was scrapping that bag because the logo was associated with junk. The owner of the company loved the Maine bag, but eventually agreed. So if you saw some, they're probably old bags.

True. Very Well could have been old stock.

 

[nikeseer]

Knockoffs are the boxstore bagged version. Same pellet different bag, So not really a knock off IMHO.

Picture of the bag from briansol's thread.

View attachment 86959

These are the ones that I have 3 ton of. The best so far. Tried Green supreme. Not too pleased with it. Little messier. Just tried a bag of Northeast which I was told was pure softwood but not so sure. Believe 80/20 soft to hard. Nice heat but it is mild out. Burns really fast compared to the MWP blend. What is your favorite?

 

[Madfish]

Knockoffs are the boxstore bagged version. Same pellet different bag, So not really a knock off IMHO.

Picture of the bag from briansol's thread.

View attachment 86959

These are the pellets I use currently, mainly by lack of other options at a fair price given my late start with my install. I notice that there are some difference between some bags with the heat and general "heating" up time frame but once things are going my house maintain a pretty consistent tempt of 72-74 degrees. Currently, as I type my temp is 75 degrees inside with the stove set on level 1 and an outside temp of 25. As the temp drop into single digits tonight I'll bump up to level 2 with air flow level 3 and let it go the night. So far it seems to work well. Temps below zero is still a work in progress with proper setting.

 

[kcellwood]

Follow up on cowdogz comment on density - just came off burning MWP softies for the last two weeks. Have been using MWP blends. What a difference in density. I found the softies to be much smaller pieces, rarely see a long pettlet, so I expected to be able to squeeze more into the hopper. Definetly not the case. I can fit about 1-1/4 bag in my hopper max. With the blends I get at least 1-3/4 bags in. Softies burn cleaner. Much less ash volume wise. They seem to burn hotter but with a smaller flame. Have a larger hot ash bed. I will buy more next year as they do burn well.
I actually have a harder time filling the hopper with the softies. I cut the top of the bag off and twist it to bring it over my hopper and dump them in, With the blend I have plenty of bag to twist into a tail. With the softies, because the bags are fuller, I have very little bag to twist.

 

[subsailor]

I'm burning them now. The bags are definately fuller. I noticed that when I hauled them into my basement. 45 bags of softies are the same height as 50 bags of the blend. I like them, though. I guess next years price will determine if I buy them again. Right now, I have no other reason not to buy them.

 

[save$]

I have been burning the blend of MWP that I had delivered for $167 a ton. House is warm, now warmer feeling that I have two humidifiers working day and night. I have two tons of the softies I bought for Jan & Feb. but can't get to them until I have some stuff moved around. Keeping the stove really clean gives me a good hot burn with no ash build up. I cleaned the stove with the leaf blower on 1 Jan. usually clean the inside of the stove every three days. But I came down with asthmatic bronchitis so I haven't wanted to get near any ash dust. So far, no ash build up in the pot. Only a dirty black band on the glass. These are all new MWP. Good heat, good price. Works for me!

 

[P38X2]

$167/ton!?...delivered!? Wow. Cheap!

Agree 100% humidifiers make a big difference on perceived temps, among the other benefits. I'm very happy with MWP. I paid WAY too much but that's my own fault. Swine gene flared up on me.

 

[St_Earl]

I'm burning them now. The bags are definately fuller. I noticed that when I hauled them into my basement. 45 bags of softies are the same height as 50 bags of the blend. I like them, though. I guess next years price will determine if I buy them again. Right now, I have no other reason not to buy them.

i'm in pretty much the same situation.

mwp softies on hand, but i haven't burned them yet. happy with the blend.
i will likely buy more of the softies if the price is right next year.
less ash would be cool. but i do fine with the blend regardless. i'm really not bothered at all by it. and it wipes off the glass with a dry cloth. glass is crystal clear after.
i can imagine it being nice to clean a little less often when it's seriously cold. wait till the sun is shining nicely into the house and not lose too much heat.

iirc, jtakeman (or someone who tested the blend) said the ash by weight is low. the volume is high though. works for me as the quad burn pot in the PS50 just blows it out into the firebox and chugs along quite happily.
i'm extremely satisfied with the burn itself.

still waiting for some real cold to hit so i can break out the softies.

 

[save$]

$167/ton!?...delivered!? Wow. Cheap!

Agree 100% humidifiers make a big difference on perceived temps, among the other benefits. I'm very happy with MWP. I paid WAY too much but that's my own fault. Swine gene flared up on me.

Had a 15% military discount, they were $197, but with three tons I got free delivery. So $167 delivered in front off my garage.

 

[subsailor]

Had a 15% military discount, they were $197, but with three tons I got free delivery. So $167 delivered in front off my garage.

I picked up 20 bags at that price, didn't have room for any more.