How Reliable Are Pellet Reviews?
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About as reliable as reading Consumer's Report! Totally worthless.
The only pellet review that has any merit is your review based on what works in your stove. I read a post the other day trashing AWF's. That is the best pellet I have used so far in terms of heat and very low ash. I know two other folks with the same result. If you want to get a laugh, search this site for Green Supreme reviews. You can't get any more varied than that. The Jaffrey plant manager told me there are two grades of those pellets which probably explains the variance. They work well in my stove
Technically a review is an opinion. We all have one. Gather as many as you can on each brand and ya should get a good feel for them. Go by just one and buy your whole stash? Probably not a good idea!
But what do I know, I just do reviews!!
Interesting, Love to hear more on this because AFAIK the grades have been reduced to just premium. Wonder if its more mill variance. Jaffrey vs the 2 NY mills?
But what do I know, I just do reviews!!
THIS HAS BEEN SAID SO MANY TIME BEFORE
I think it is fare to say try them before you buy a few tons. Some brands are always good, some are so-so. Look at stove chow some years good some years not so good. Once you find a pellet that works for your stove you will try to keep buy them. It is a stove set up, piping, pellet quality and house issues that makes them work in some and not it others. Take a look at Somerset pellets do, we see many bad review? How about Hammers and Blazers? There are many pellets that are good but cost more then most are willing to pay. Most are looking for the sweet spot from the big box stores. What is the best bang for the $$ on pellets. This is the same question every year. This year was hard as there was limited supply in the north east so you had to take what you could get.
I think it is fare to say try them before you buy a few tons. Some brands are always good, some are so-so. Look at stove chow some years good some years not so good. Once you find a pellet that works for your stove you will try to keep buy them. It is a stove set up, piping, pellet quality and house issues that makes them work in some and not it others. Take a look at Somerset pellets do, we see many bad review? How about Hammers and Blazers? There are many pellets that are good but cost more then most are willing to pay. Most are looking for the sweet spot from the big box stores. What is the best bang for the $$ on pellets. This is the same question every year. This year was hard as there was limited supply in the north east so you had to take what you could get.
Technically a review is an opinion. We all have one.
But what do I know, I just do reviews!!
Jtakeman you have done some of the best review on this sight. I don't post a lot but have spent loads of time reading this sight.
J Thanks for all you work to help us with pellet reviews.
Are you reading the same posts as the rest of us. Reviews are just to give you an idea. Try them and see if they work.
Interesting, Love to hear more on this because AFAIK the grades have been reduced to just premium. Wonder if its more mill variance. Jaffrey vs the 2 NY mills? But what do I know, I just do reviews!!
He told me it has to do with the manufacturing process and they have to gear up for it, whatever that means, and they are more expensive. He didn't mention anything about Jaffrey, NH plant pellets versus NY plant pellets.
You see tj has read a lot of reviews by a lot of different people and he is correct, further so many people do not know how to even adjust their stoves, oh horrors some times they even are the ones reviewing pellets, so there are tons of reviews out there that are like tj is saying. jt lays it all out, you can figure it out on your own (well maybe, maybe not).
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Lots of things it could be, but the fact is a number of pellet producers have more than 1 mill and some mills run their product into more than 1 bag with other than their normal label on it. Some mills even produce more than one basic kind of pellet. There are even mills that own and bag for more than one brand.
Then we have they are all the same, produced at the same mill according to some folks.
Every stove, every pellet, will be different according to what you have or do.
I do a 5 bag run and see what it does.
I do read reviews to see what folks like and try them.
My old stove, Firesides (yes I know, I just swore on the site..) worked best.
The new stove is going to be a whole new experiment of pellets.
Okies did very well in the old stove and now I've learned there are grades of.
Currans also did good, but not as..
Would I say Firesides were better... but that was the old stove.
So, try 5 bags of what is suggested and see what happens.
Tell us about it.
It helps the next folks in line.
I would try some Okie fir if you can get 'em... MHO..
'My stove' likes the 'Gold', looking forward to tryin' the fir (heard their very good, but I'll see).
I still want to try the Currans.. Just to see..
Oh the choices.....
I do a 5 bag run and see what it does.
I do read reviews to see what folks like and try them.
My old stove, Firesides (yes I know, I just swore on the site..) worked best.
The new stove is going to be a whole new experiment of pellets.
Okies did very well in the old stove and now I've learned there are grades of.
Currans also did good, but not as..
Would I say Firesides were better... but that was the old stove.
So, try 5 bags of what is suggested and see what happens.
Tell us about it.
It helps the next folks in line.
I would try some Okie fir if you can get 'em... MHO..
'My stove' likes the 'Gold', looking forward to tryin' the fir (heard their very good, but I'll see).
I still want to try the Currans.. Just to see..
Oh the choices.....
I try to take them with a grain of salt.
My first year with my stove I burned Somersets, they were great. Almost 2 weeks before cleaning out my stove. Then last year I bought Somersets again and everyone was still raving about them... And they were absolutely awful for me. 1 bag and there was so much ash in the stove and sitting on the ledge of the door inside it was insane. Hated them. Wanted to give them away they were so bad. Still haven't found anything that performs as well as they did my first year with the stove tho
My first year with my stove I burned Somersets, they were great. Almost 2 weeks before cleaning out my stove. Then last year I bought Somersets again and everyone was still raving about them... And they were absolutely awful for me. 1 bag and there was so much ash in the stove and sitting on the ledge of the door inside it was insane. Hated them. Wanted to give them away they were so bad. Still haven't found anything that performs as well as they did my first year with the stove tho
Strictly, IMO. Pellet reviews and stove reviews appear to be mostly phooey. It's like a hunting rifle. Takie my Bartlien Barreled Savage 11 in 308. Chambered with a Bisley reamer. It likes and shots tight groups with a 165 grain Sierra Game King but my buddie's Bartlien barreled Titanium receivered all custom chambered with exactly the same reamer don't shoot 165 Sie's for beans, it likes Berger VLD's. What I'm saying is, no two runs of pellets will be the same just like no 2 rifles are the same and far as stoves, I have whati is considered a value leader cheapo and it does just fine and has consistently for almost 10 years.
Am I the odd man out? Maybe so, maybe not.
On Somersets, I've combusted them for 3 years straight now with no issues and very consistent results over that span of time I've also had good luck and low ash with Indiana Wood Fiber pellets (White Pigeon, Indiana). Not to say that next year the Somersets will be crap, but so far they are good and have been.
I can't try different brands here, because there are only a couple brands available.
I typically use the reviews as a general guideline. If there are a bunch of reviews and everyone says they'd junk I will stay away but If theres mixed reviews i'll grab a couple bags and give it a shot
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