I am considering Corn and I need help!

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I am a NJ boy myself - Medford, to be exact.

My suggestion - do not buy a pellet or corn stove unless you have MULTIPLE sources of supply. That means (in my mind) at least three, and possibly more. You will be asking for trouble. Also, are you mechanically capable? If not, you might want to reconsider buying a stove from far away. I'm not sure if they sell pellet and corn stuff, but go see my friend Bill Trykowski at Fireplace People in Berlin, NJ. He is the tall guy with the bald head! He knows what is going on.

Also, see if there is a South Jersey Dairy or farm association and perhaps some of the members sell corn. But, in general, farm land is too valuable there and truck crops and fruit are more popular than feed corns. Try the farmers co-op on Rt 206 in Tabernacle.....they may know something.

Do your research before you pull the trigger!

Note - some wal-marts. lowes, etc. carry pellets - but perhaps not in areas where the stoves are not too popular (the Philly market being such an area).
 
Still doing my research as I have foung 4 suppliers all within 2 hours from me. Technical apptitude; have to be in today's society. I will visit Bill, it just so happens I go to PT right next door for my knee!
Thanksd again and I am staying dilligent and vigil in this process!
Thank you for the expedited response!
Allan
 
You know what, you ain't exactly in Iowa there anymore Dorthy said the scarecrow. Before you go hopping into the corn thing with both feet consider real well whats available CHEAPER. For corn and pellet info go to iburncorn.com and ask around in there. Note the stove specific forums at the bottom. Personally I recommend a multifuel unit. They are often a tad more expensive and the selection is limited but you can switch around as needed. Also consider that corn is about 4 times dirtier to deal with and in many cases can be a lot harder to store and handle. About the only reason I burned corn as long as I did was it was about half the price of pellets and I could get it when the pellet shortage was on. Now days its just the opposite. You can find pellets and if you sale shop, especially in April you can get em cheap and store the pallets in a nice tidy spot somewhere. With the ethanol madness these days in full swing you likely aren't going to get corn at a decent price anyplace here in the East. If you were in the corn belt or anyplace in the midwest it would be another story. I burned almost all corn for the last three seasons but switched this year for just that very reason. I have also noticed how nice it is not to have to chase corn in my truck, screen it and handle the stuff. I do like the way it smells but aside from that pellets are just simpler including carrying the 40 lb versus nearly 90. Buy the small 40 lb bags of corn and you get robbed so you see what I mean. Versatility will be a big plus for you unless you live on a farm and grow your own corn. Just a thought for you to consider before you take the plunge, good luck.
 
Sound advice, Driz! The other problem I can see with storing corn is the potential to invite 101 rodents into your storage area. Might not be a big concern at first, if you have it seperate from your house, but given a good food supply the mouse population can boom at an incredible rate and your house would be the next logical nesting place. I don't think I'd burn corn unless I had some means of keeping my supply rodent free.
 
All have excellent points that I have considered. THANK YOU! That's why I joined this forum. Still haven't taken the plunge yet as I am still checking into this. I have located 3 sources. All are within 2 hours from my home location. All have been producers and distributors of Fuel Corn of a minimum of 15 years respectively. My LARGEST concern is storage of the corn! One supplier will prepare 100lb bags for $175 a ton and I can divide one bag into two bins for ease of use. Still my greatest challenge is STORAGE of a TON of corn! Something to keep the Deer, Raccoons, mice, and any other thing that thinks they can get a free meal! We live on 5 acres...we got'em all here! I appreciate the feedback...that's why I haven't plunged as of yet!
 
Not the most attractive thing but old chest freezers make good pest proof storage containers for loose grain. I wouldn't stack bags down inside one though as lifting them back out is extremely awkward. One with a locking lid will keep out even the most determined racoon.
 
dear awiten,

Which corn stove were you considering, the 30,000 btu model for $830.oo
or the 40,000 btu model for $1130.oo & is the 40,000 btu a fire place insert only or can it be set up free standing through the wall vent with outside cold intake air kit.

I am thinking if I want one for myself, but corn in ct. might be had to find and more expensive.

I am amazed at the low prices of these models but I guess you have to add $400.00
to $500.00 for shipping. so that would be 1230.oo ship inc 30,000btu & 1630.oo,ship inc 40,000 btu

Do i have it right that these units burn only corn & nothing else. It might be nice to have a unit that burns both corn & pellets.

At 175.oo ton for corn is a good price. I paid 203.oo ton for pellets in aug 07& had to beat the vender over the head with a competor's lower price to get him to beat it.If I went back for more pellets now,i would have to pay 250.oo ton or $5.00 / 40lb bag

Anyway, I dont think you can get hurt at these low prices if you buy a corn stove. And it looks to pay for itself in oil savings within 3 months, assuming you burn 250 gal oil a month.

250 gal x 3.oo/gal=750.oo/month fuel oil x 3months=$2,250.oo--this is what my freind felix
oil burner eats ,each month, before he bought his pellet stove.

He cut that oil usage by 40 % by only heating the first floor with a pellet stove, even though he has a 3 family house, the heat rises up the stair cases to the second & third floors
& makes a lighter heating load on the oil burner, resulting in a 40 % fuel savings.

I realize this is not your case, but a pellet or corn stove will do a whole lot to lower bills, even if you cant eliminate the oil burner altogether.

I'm in a similar boat to felix, two family house, 50,000 btu pellet & 120,000 btu wood stove & I still end up burning 7 or 8 gal of oil a week. say 100.oo /month for fuel oil, because wood & pellet stoves are space heaters & wont heat the whole house, even when they have the btus to do so, because you cant get heat to all the rooms.

So, when the extremities of the house get cold enough, I have to run one cycle of the oil burner, to keep things bearable.

But then, if I cant afford 100.oo a month, i should just commit sueicide.Heck,I spend twice that/ month, on just cigerettes.
 
Please note that these models seem to have no warranty worth the paper it is on. The first year - parts only. You have to fix and install. That is unheard of.

Please be careful. Sometimes a bargain is not a bargain. No doubt they are good prices, and the stoves might be great, but what the heck are you going to do if things go wrong. A $2000 stove that lasts 10 years plus beats a $1200 one that lasts 3-5.

Again, they may be great. But they need to study marketing and provide a reasonable warranty.
 
awitten said:
I am considering a Corn Stove from

http://www.cornflame.net/index.html

My biggest problem is that I am having a difficult time in finding a supplier that can and will deliver to my area of Atco, New Jersey!

Please help as my $250.00 for fuel oil is killing me!

Please feel free to email me directly at: [email protected]

I work with a guy who has a outdoor corn boiler and gets his corn through local farmers or elevators. He has a duramax diesl p/u truck and a huge gravity box to pick the stuff up and store it. He claims that if he would buy it from a big box store it would be more expensive than natural gas. My $.02 You might be cheaper going with a stove that burns a variety of pellets too. Where I live, farmers used to practically give dried feed away 10 year sago until ethanol production took off. Now corn is a cash crop. Pellets or wood might be a heck of a lot cheaper.
 
I personally would stay away from burning corn
I heard they had to make special pipe for corn stove because corn was eating up regular pellet vent.
But arnt the stoves Plain ol Plate steel inside
and the combustion motors are just Galvanized housing wont the stove Rot and combustion blower housing rot out just as bad or worse than Stainless Pellet vent?
 
Yup to all posts! I did find from the mfg that it will burn pellets as well . Warranty...that is an issue. Still investigating. That is why I do love these forums. It gives me an idea that there are more people out there than just myself who has the hair-brained idea that I have...STAY tuned. PLEASE continure to post on this topic as I am not done yet.
AAW
 
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