I decided against buying bulk pellets for next season.

[krooser]

My dealer offers his private label softwood pellets in bulk on early buy for $157.00 per ton. But his bagged pellets (same stuff) is $182.50 per ton (shipped as 1.2 ton pallet... 60 bags).

It doesn't seem worth the hassle to build a bin, buy barrels to fill or dedicate a trailer to store the pellets to only save $25.50 per ton. I'd have $9.00 each in fibre barrels if I used that method... and I'd have to store them in the off season. Palletized bagged pellets just "disappear" after they are burned and the old pallets take up little space. Plus I can sell the pallets back to the dealer for $3.00 each.

So my big plans to save big bucks have faded into the sunset like Hopalong Cassidy after he saved the school marm... (you'd have to be really old to understand that line!)...

I DO have to spend $42.00 for the "buyers club" membership but I'll get 30% off a UPS this fall.... that should make up for the extra bucks.

This year I'll buy 4 tons... the last two season I bought 3 tons but I always had to buy a few extra bags to get buy (13 so far this spring)... I can trade a few bags of pellets to my neighbor (who has a little Thelin Gnome) in exchange for him keeping up the small engines on my lawnmower and snowblowers.... fair trade IMHO.

 

[smoke show]

I was considering bulk also but I'm just too far from readfield to hassle with it.

 

[Former Farmer]

I use bulk. I had purchased an old gravity box from a neighbor. Patched and repaired it. Put different tires on it. Total cost about $300. Stores 5 1/2 ton. Attached garage is big enough to store wagon in. Trip each direction takes about 1 1/2 hours.

Use about 8 ton per year. Haven't decided whether I want to purchase a second wagon or go with bags. Second wagon will not be as good a deal as the first one.

Krooser, are you happy with your decision to handle all of those bags?

 

[krooser]

Yep... One reason is the economy has been so bad I haven't been working at all which translates into zero buying power. I missed the early buy deal cuz I was broke then I wrecked my truck (still not repaired) so it's been a tough row to hoe.

I've bought one pallet of Uncle Jed's and will get one more in December...then acouple more as I need 'em.