I think I'm buying pellets in bulk for next season...

[krooser]

Since my local dealer offers bulk purchases I think I'm going to give it a shot. $159.00 per ton for the house brand "Uncle Jed's" is hard to pass up. At that price, based on this years usage, I'll be able to heat my place for less than $600.00.

I've seen folks fill 55 gallon steel drums with pellets and that may be a good way to go. The drums are easy to fill and move and I can use a drum cart to wheel a drum into my house... I just wonder how many lbs. of pellets I can get into each 55 gallon drum.

I'm going to check it out.

 

[Al in MN]

I weighed a 5gal pail full of pellets so they were 30 lbs. so figuird about 300lbs. in a barrel. I got some bulk for $110 a to but they were so dirty I made up a pellet cleaner using the shop vac.

 

[weatherguy]

I can fit 200 lbs in this big plastic bins from walmart, they cost me $11 each, maybe buy 4-5 of them.

 

[krooser]

Thanks... that certainly gives me a starting point. Now to find some good used steel or fiber barrels. I like the kind with the steel top and the band clamp that either uses a threded clamp ot has a cam/lever closure.

I see these things quite a bit in my travels in and out of loading docks... now I'll have to pay attention when I find a place that sells 'em.

 

[jtakeman]

Krooser,

Thats some dandy pellet prices. Sounds like a great deal for you.

I found fiber barrels at a local business. They are 40 to 45 gallons. I get them for free. They have lids and locking rings. The business is a small molding(plastic injection) house and he recieves the raw plastic material in them. Look around might be able to get some in your area. The best part was the free for me.

I use mine for bulk corn, They hold about 250 lbs. But if I could get pellets at your prices? I'd be buying bulk pellets instead

What a deal.
jay

 

[Czech]

You can get plastic barrels from car wash places, they don't have a locking lid but and need some washing prior to use, toss a 2x2 piece of plywood on top. Otherwise bakeries have food grade ones. The 55 gallon ones I have hold 3-350lbs or so. I use a 1 ton grain sack for hauling bulk, nice because it folds up and fits in the back of my Yukon, then the bulk into a crib, then 5 gallon bucket from there. Waupaca, huh? You could pay a visit to the pellet vendor machine in Hudson almost!

 

[Sting]

You may have already paid your bribe to jed and are a preferred customer

even still figure that - or a portion of it (round figure) into the cost per ton

Then figure in the number of trips -- well one you have a big truck - still an expense you know what it costs for a run.

Then the storage issue -- something your already looking into - yes maybe a one time expense, but things change. Cipher that cost also into the cost per ton

Now you have your LANDED cost per ton in the yard and you still have move it indoors and move it as necessary to the appliance


I did a little (back of the napkin) figuring on paying the bribe - making the trips - filling existing grain storage at the farm = hauling hours back and forth augering from trailer to bin vs bag handling with the fork truck and existing augers, from bin to space shuttle - labor (no cost there right - we could be watching the races or ice fishing) wear and tear (again zero cost - nothing ever busts doing these things)

Just the tasks and operations and tangible expenses I can pin point for costs -- no time figured -- I would have just over 190 a ton in these bulk pellets on a double digit ton purchase! (80 mile round trips - 3 ton loads on my triaxle dumper) And then what do I have next spring -- a mess to clean up if -- who knows -- I don't burn it all -- the cats poo in the piles - I get a leak in the barn.

Just thinking here -- maybe a sappy pitty parade - but for the extra ??? $ wouldn't it just be simpler to stay with bagged material or pay the feed mill to deliver bulk corn

Am I missing something - still a better deal than the churchy guy because its a stable organization but will bulk at that cost really give a pay back ? I vote - not enough for the drama, when NG is still so cheep as to about equal 175 a ton pellets and 160 a ton corn.

 

[smoke show]

gotta love optimism

 

[jtakeman]

I think not having to dispose of the bags is another reason to go bulk. Do you know where those plastic bags go when you discard them?? Mine are throw in the land fill, because they do not recycle them yet.

There are 2 ways to buy bulk.

1.) You go get them and haul them. Which I do with corn. We make a day of it and visit the farmer and his animals for my son. he's got a cool dog my kid just loves. We also stop for lunch on the way home. And it really doesn't take all that much time. If you prepair for it and You can make it fun to do!

2.) You can have the bulk delivered just like Oil. Something I think will be bigger in the future. There is another thread about that in the forum. Truck pulls up to the bin you have and blows the pellets into it. All you do is extract and burn them as you would a bagged pellet.

What's the big deal!
jay

 

[OU812]

We have single stream recycling where I live which means you put everything that is recyclable, including pellet bags, into 1 bin and the garbage company separates it. The problem I have heard is that the market for a lot of the recycled stuff has bottomed out and much of it is ending up at the landfill anyway. I like the idea of buying bulk pellets without the bag and hope they get it here soon.

 

[Jambruins]

I think not having to dispose of the bags is another reason to go bulk. Do you know where those plastic bags go when you discard them?? Mine are throw in the land fill, because they do not recycle them yet.

There are 2 ways to buy bulk.

1.) You go get them and haul them. Which I do with corn. We make a day of it and visit the farmer and his animals for my son. he's got a cool dog my kid just loves. We also stop for lunch on the way home. And it really doesn't take all that much time. If you prepair for it and You can make it fun to do!

2.) You can have the bulk delivered just like Oil. Something I think will be bigger in the future. There is another thread about that in the forum. Truck pulls up to the bin you have and blows the pellets into it. All you do is extract and burn them as you would a bagged pellet.

What's the big deal!
jay

You can recycle the pellet bags at places that recycle plastic shopping bags. I know Lowes and Walmart recycle the plastic shopping bags and I emailed the DEC and they said I can put them in there.

 

[roadrat]

I think not having to dispose of the bags is another reason to go bulk. Do you know where those plastic bags go when you discard them?? Mine are throw in the land fill, because they do not recycle them yet.

There are 2 ways to buy bulk.

1.) You go get them and haul them. Which I do with corn. We make a day of it and visit the farmer and his animals for my son. he's got a cool dog my kid just loves. We also stop for lunch on the way home. And it really doesn't take all that much time. If you prepair for it and You can make it fun to do!

2.) You can have the bulk delivered just like Oil. Something I think will be bigger in the future. There is another thread about that in the forum. Truck pulls up to the bin you have and blows the pellets into it. All you do is extract and burn them as you would a bagged pellet.

What's the big deal!
jay

My local oil company is now in the bulk pellet delivery biz, I just got off the phone with them to get some details $260.00 for a portable pellet bin that holds 1.25 tons, $260.00 per ton for pellets delivered (over 3 tons), premium PFI cert. pellets.


bill

 

[Al in MN]

Hey 1.25 ton of pellets isn't that much like 62 bags.

 

[roadrat]

Hey 1.25 ton of pellets isn't that much like 62 bags.

62.5 on my calculator, I guess the way they see it is when your down to a quarter ton you call for a delivery and they bring you a ton to top off your bin.

bill