Just Ordered 7 Ton - Home Depot Out Of Pellets

[Enigma869]

I figured with an 80 degree weekend coming up, it was time to finally look for this season's stash. I was stunned when I visited my local Home Depot and was told that they have no pellets in the store, and probably won't have any for a couple of weeks. Kind of nuts, given that it's September! Luckily, I still have half a ton last year, so I can wait the two weeks for my 7 ton to arrive. Just for kicks, I called a Somerset dealer in CT, and he told me that he won't have any more Somersets until mid-January. INSANE! This season is not starting out well. To say nothing of the fact that I paid $239.00 per ton, which is $20.00 more per ton than I paid last season.

John

 

[Bioburner]

Local HD still has no pellets while across the street the Fleet Farm is having a sale and is well stocked.

 

[Pete Zahria]

.....I was stunned when I visited my local Home Depot and was told
that they have no pellets in the store, and probably won't have any......

John

Shoulda started looking at the forum sooner... Been the topic of discussion for some
since early summer....

 

[iron stove]

Shoulda started looking at the forum sooner... Been the topic of discussion for some
since early summer....

Yup. I have about 4 tons. I might grab a 5th. My Brother has 3 in, needs at least 1 more, lily 2. I can only push so hard. . I think this week and next will be the breaking point ( OCTOBER). people start thinking winter since the leaves are starting to change fast.

 

[Wilbur Feral]

Two local HDs were out here in eastern PA this week. Lowes has been stocked with Cheat River earlier and now Presto, but I took 3 of their 9 pallets today. As reported in other thread, PA Pellet Guy did not get shipment from Energex this week, and is unsure for next week. Time to find a place to store a season's worth for me, now that I've sourced the Presto's and some more expensive Hamers. I got 2 of the last 3 tons left from a local dealer, and that shipment hasn't even arrived yet. Will be moving the mower to a new spot and cleaning out more of the shed this weekend to make some room.

 

[Boomer Sailor]

I called in July for my stash! I was trying to get Barefoot again but places were either sold out or you had to 'place an order and wait'... Last year I paid $275 for Barefoot - now (and if you can even get them) they are $300 - approx. $345 So now I have 3 tons of LaCrete for $305/ton which are supposed to be a notch above Barefoot.... time will tell!

 

[Pete Zahria]

So now I have 3 tons of LaCrete for $305/ton which are supposed to be a notch above Barefoot.... time will tell!

You'll be just fine with those...

Dan

 

[Boomer Sailor]

You'll be just fine with those...

Dan

Yea I have confidence - I've only heard good things about them. And now looking around at how prices and supplies are in SEPTEMBER, I think I got a pretty good deal for them too!

 

[Maumic82]

I don't feel quite as bad now spending $265 a ton on Hamers

 

[Boomer Sailor]

I don't feel quite as bad now spending $265 a ton on Hamers

True! Well, my normal heating source is electric baseboard heat (EVERYTHING in my house is electric - stove, dryer, hot water heater, etc) so anything (even oil) is better less expensive than electric!

 

[Wilbur Feral]

I don't feel quite as bad now spending $265 a ton on Hamers

That's a good price for Hamer's, assuming Ultra Premiums. There were some at Box stores last year that were reported as just Premium (1% ash instead of 1/2) but I haven't heard of those this year, Hoping Hamer's maintains their quality as I have enjoyed them in the past.

 

[RMongeau]

True! Well, my normal heating source is electric baseboard heat (EVERYTHING in my house is electric - stove, dryer, hot water heater, etc) so anything (even oil) is better less expensive than electric!

National Grid in MA was just given approval for a 37% increase starting in November.
Glad I don't heat with electric.

 

[Boomer Sailor]

and Connecticut Light & Power is asking for an increase as well! (plus an increase in the "delivery" part of the bill too)

 

[alternativeheat]

It's easy to figure out whats happening this year, people who bought a ton each month for a few months in the past are buying them all up front this year. Everyone but everyone is buying a pallet or two extra, also up front. We have more and more new pellet burning people coming on every day doing the same thing, buying up front. Nobody wants what happened last year, go in to pick up a ton or two in Jan and they aren't even producing pellets ( if you recall some plants were down and by Feb were off making pellets for the season in some cases) !! So this year for many is the year of a new buying trend. Once everyone has their stash it will all settle down, IMO. Someone here said that would be mid Nov, makes sense to me. It's a frenzy just getting under way at the moment though. We are just coming off summer thinking, people are turning their minds toward winter now. Ride the storm it will all settle out !

 

[MikeNH]

I'd rather just buy in the spring. I have the space in the basement and we put a little $ aside each month through the year to make the purchase in May to take advantage of the early buy, which this year saved about $20/ton. There's something satisfying about it being mid summer and knowing you have heat for your home for the entire upcoming winter.

 

[JustWood]

It's easy to figure out whats happening this year, people who bought a ton each month for a few months in the past are buying them all up front this year. Everyone but everyone is buying a pallet or two extra, also up front. We have more and more new pellet burning people coming on every day doing the same thing, buying up front. Nobody wants what happened last year, go in to pick up a ton or two in Jan and they aren't even producing pellets ( if you recall some plants were down and by Feb were off making pellets for the season in some cases) !! So this year for many is the year of a new buying trend. Once everyone has their stash it will all settle down, IMO. Someone here said that would be mid Nov, makes sense to me. It's a frenzy just getting under way at the moment though. We are just coming off summer thinking, people are turning their minds toward winter now. Ride the storm it will all settle out !

Doubtful
Raw material is the bottle neck
Production will taper off from now till next april with lots of production time lost between thanksgiving and New Years .
More and more material is being lost to heavy timber production heading towards rail ties and crane mats.
More and more chips that used to be put into pellet production are now diverted to power production.
More and more mills are putting low kerf technology into play which can decrease waste (raw material)by more than 50%.
Pallet pooling and recycling is at an all time high which is reducing material in the supply chain.
It's going to take 2-3 years to work this out depending on the economy and weather conditions.
Corn being low is a plus and oil dropping to $40/brl could turn it around sooner but I don't see that happening .
Perfect storm me thinx.

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

Doubtful
Raw material is the bottle neck
Production will taper off from now till next april with lots of production time lost between thanksgiving and New Years .
More and more material is being lost to heavy timber production heading towards rail ties and crane mats.
More and more chips that used to be put into pellet production are now diverted to power production.
More and more mills are putting low kerf technology into play which can decrease waste (raw material)by more than 50%.
Pallet pooling and recycling is at an all time high which is reducing material in the supply chain.
It's going to take 2-3 years to work this out depending on the economy and weather conditions.
Corn being low is a plus and oil dropping to $40/brl could turn it around sooner but I don't see that happening .
Perfect storm me thinx.

You left out the fact that every year an increasing proportion is being sent to Europe at a higher price. They haven't got the timber resources we have here and pellet manufacturers are exploiting that condition.

 

[alternativeheat]

Doubtful
Raw material is the bottle neck
Production will taper off from now till next april with lots of production time lost between thanksgiving and New Years .
More and more material is being lost to heavy timber production heading towards rail ties and crane mats.
More and more chips that used to be put into pellet production are now diverted to power production.
More and more mills are putting low kerf technology into play which can decrease waste (raw material)by more than 50%.
Pallet pooling and recycling is at an all time high which is reducing material in the supply chain.
It's going to take 2-3 years to work this out depending on the economy and weather conditions.
Corn being low is a plus and oil dropping to $40/brl could turn it around sooner but I don't see that happening .
Perfect storm me thinx.

Maybe.

But then on the flip side of the coin we are hearing that in Maine many of the logging trucks we see running up there with loads of logs are headed to pellet mills. So direct logging ( raw material) to pellets. At least so I read here from one poster recently. But this is the NE, can't speak for Northern Mid West, West or Canada.

How many rail ties and crane platforms do we need. I know rail has had a recent upsurge ( my son is a conductor with CSX) but once the main lines are all up to date then what. A few side lines going in but many also defunct. I can understand overseas pellet use for industry being an issue on a longer term than rail ties and crane platforms. Also ties and platform wood are generally hard wood only. They can't make them from pine or fir, they would just splinter.. Passenger ties today are mostly concrete.

 

[JustWood]

You left out the fact that every year an increasing proportion is being sent to Europe at a higher price. They haven't got the timber resources we have here and pellet manufacturers are exploiting that condition.

Yes and no.
Export Pellet production is very regional (coastal)
Pellets for export are an industrial quality. The domestic pellets are generally a better quality and command a better price here with less handling (export)
Inland pellet production will probably never be exported unless export prices increase $50-$100/ton from current prices.

 

[alternativeheat]

Yes and no.
Export Pellet production is very regional (coastal)
Pellets for export are an industrial quality. The domestic pellets are generally a better quality and command a better price here with less handling (export)
Inland pellet production will probably never be exported unless export prices increase $50-$100/ton from current prices.

That makes sense. But what constitutes better quality for residential use ? Lack of bark or the grade of lumber to begin with, both, better drying ?

 

[JustWood]

Maybe.

But then on the flip side of the coin we are hearing that in Maine many of the logging trucks we see running up there with loads of logs are headed to pellet mills. So direct logging ( raw material) to pellets. At least so I read here from one poster recently. But this is the NE, can't speak for Northern Mid West, West or Canada.

How many rail ties and crane platforms do we need. I know rail has had a recent upsurge ( my son is a conductor with CSX) but once the main lines are all up to date then what. A few side lines going in but many also defunct. I can understand overseas pellet use for industry being an issue on a longer term than rail ties and crane platforms. Also ties and platform wood are generally hard wood only. They can't make them from pine or fir, they would just splinter.. Passenger ties today are mostly concrete.

(broken link removed to http://www.rta.org/faqs-main)
(broken link removed to http://articles.dailypress.com/2012-10-11/business/dp-nws-ports-wood-pellets-20121011_1_wood-pellet-franklin-pellets-peter-o-keefe)
Crane mat production has exploded the last 5 years due to oil/gas production and pipeline building. Grid infrastructure repair/rebuilding is also demanding unbelievable amounts of crane mats. Recent project near me required 3 miles of crane mats laid down end to end/overlapping to get bucket trucks and related equipment into a swamp to replace a grid mainline.

 

[SKOAL MAN]

It won't be long now until the oil companys buy all the pellet mills and pellets will be $10 a bag! Anyone who needs 7 ton a year to heat there home might want to look at improving the efficiency of their home. Wood pellets aren't a natural resource hence the price is controlled by the manufacturer! Trust me it won't be long now, there will be only about three or four names one every bag of pellet sold!

 

[JustWood]

It won't be long now until the oil companys buy all the pellet mills and pellets will be $10 a bag! Anyone who needs 7 ton a year to heat there home might want to look at improving the efficiency of their home. Wood pellets aren't a natural resource hence the price is controlled by the manufacturer! Trust me it won't be long now, there will be only about three or four names one every bag of pellet sold!

Doubt it. Not enough profit for an oil company.
They'd be better off investing the $ in their own stock.

 

[SKOAL MAN]

Doubt it. Not enough profit for an oil company.
They'd be better off investing the $ in their own stock.

You do realize that you use their oil to get those pellets home.

 

[tjnamtiw]

and Connecticut Light & Power is asking for an increase as well! (plus an increase in the "delivery" part of the bill too)

Yep, shut down those nasty coal plants and save the planet! Of course, China and India didn't even bother showing up for the 'big save the planet' show this week so we suffer while they burn our coal. What a plan!