Just to stir the pot. A pellet question to everyone.

[kinsmanstoves]

Do you think you will stock up on pellets this summer or wait until the last minute and see what kind of deal you can get on some POS pellets?

I sold over 1100 tons of pellets in 2014, Pro Pellets. I know I had zero complaints on quality. I also insist my stores do not store the pellets outside and the mill uses indoor storage. I wish I could say the same for other brands of pellets and pellet sales locations.

As always I pass along this advice. Do not buy pellets that were stored outside.

Eric

 

[Lake Girl]

Pot stirrer you

I ordered mine in the summer. I had to scramble in the fall as the order was late coming in. We only have two places to reliably purchase pellets from. Canadian Tire and WalMart are unreliable. The Home Hardware stores them inside but who wants Indecks? North American got LaCretes this year but they store them outside until delivered ... of course it rained before delivery and they unload by boom. Long story short - outer bag top damaged and I've been finding puffed pellets. You can tell which bags were at the top of the pallets

Rinse and repeat...

 

[Bioburner]

I stocked on the week after the 4th of July. Now when I had a chance to get a bit more at a good price we got 2 more tons. With the winter starting hard and ending hard but was very easy in December and January we have more than 2 tons left. Will probably repeat the buying schedule again. The cheap Indecks last season were a lot better than the ones three years ago.

 

[Lake Girl]

Indecks are not cheap here ... $6.69/bag w/o difference on buying the pallet or not. The LaCretes were $6/bag. So... pellet quality may have increased or you just got a good run ... not spending the extra per bag to find out unless I absolutely have to.

 

[TimfromMA]

I grab mine in early April. I'll start making inquiries for next year's stash within the next 2 - 3 weeks.

 

[Tonyray]

Pot stirrer you

I ordered mine in the summer. I had to scramble in the fall as the order was late coming in. We only have two places to reliably purchase pellets from. Canadian Tire and WalMart are unreliable. The Home Hardware stores them inside but who wants Indecks? North American got LaCretes this year but they store them outside until delivered ... of course it rained before delivery and they unload by boom. Long story short - outer bag top damaged and I've been finding puffed pellets. You can tell which bags were at the top of the pallets

Rinse and repeat...

I get these Energex Golden pellets 0.5 ash in the summer...Cleanest Kiln dried sawdust available.
like Seasonal beers, only produced 1 time and only certain stove dealers can sell them [since Not enough production to go around] for short period then gone till next year.
my Stove dealer gets around 250 tons for his customers as we all pay a deposit on them.
the day I pick them up is the 1st and Last day I can get them.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Ain't gonna buy any stinkin' pellets this year at all !

 

[Lake Girl]

Not so lucky in my stretch of the woods ... nearest "stove dealer" is Thunder Bay (4 hours) and they purchase Lumberjacks out of Wisconsin. I don't think I'm a pellet snob but ... maybe I am or the stove is

 

[UpStateNY]

I will probably buy pellets over the summer again from woodpellets.com I like the LG and Pacific Cleanfire softwoods, which significantly reduces the frequency of emptying the ash pan and cleaning 7 pieces of metal. If I can find as good a pellet for less including delivery than I will buy. Right now woodpellets.com is giving me free delivery because I go on their summer payment plan.

 

[DneprDave]

A local lumberyard stocks Cleanburn pellets year round, in a warehouse, I can get them anytime, so I don't stock up. I just buy a ton at a time as needed.

 

[gfreek]

I stock up on pellets now or over the summer for next winter..

 

[SXIPro]

I'll stick one ton in the cellar and then wait till Fall and buy as I go. Never had an issue with pellets stored outside. Only moisture issue I've ever had were with Okies that were stored inside at a dealer.

 

[HP52NOVA]

Do you think you will stock up on pellets this summer or wait until the last minute and see what kind of deal you can get on some POS pellets?

I sold over 1100 tons of pellets in 2014, Pro Pellets. I know I had zero complaints on quality. I also insist my stores do not store the pellets outside and the mill uses indoor storage. I wish I could say the same for other brands of pellets and pellet sales locations.

As always I pass along this advice. Do not buy pellets that were stored outside.

Eric

We need more dealers like you in our area.

I plan to buy 5 tons as soon as I can for next year. The key is to find that right combination: good pellet, good price, proper storage and delivery options (as I have no plans to move 5 tons all by myself).

 

[SidecarFlip]

Do you think you will stock up on pellets this summer or wait until the last minute and see what kind of deal you can get on some POS pellets?

I sold over 1100 tons of pellets in 2014, Pro Pellets. I know I had zero complaints on quality. I also insist my stores do not store the pellets outside and the mill uses indoor storage. I wish I could say the same for other brands of pellets and pellet sales locations.

As always I pass along this advice. Do not buy pellets that were stored outside.

Eric

I have to ask what is your reasoning on that?

I've been buying Sets from TSC in Dundee on prebuy for at least 6 seasons now with no issues and they are stored outside. Sets are shrink wrapped with clear stretch film, then shrouded with a plastic bag, stretch filmed again, a plastic overcover and then another plastic shroud and stretch filmed again.

Nothing gets under that. I've had full skids sit outside, next to the barn, most of the winter with no issues whatsoever, though I usually store most in the barn.

I do, ocassionally, get a ripped bag from overzealous hi-lo drivers at the store chafing lower bags on skids, but TSC always replaces those when I get down to them.

I don't see where outside stored pallets of pellets are a big deal.

 

[SidecarFlip]

as I have no plans to move 5 tons all by myself).

I typically pre-buy and haul 6 ton at a time (on pallets) but I can haul 10 ton if I have to. 6 tons is nothing with a forklift loading and unloading (I have my own). Takes 5 minutes at each end.

 

[Bioburner]

Lumberjacks out of Wisconsin

I got their premium blended pellets for the Elena and was happy with the results but the Harman mixing corn was not?

 

[SidecarFlip]

I got their premium blended pellets for the Elena and was happy with the results but the Harman mixing corn was not?

Thats interesting and usually the other way around. Usually mixing 50-50 negates the use of good pellets entirely, I would thiink you could have used Indeks.

 

[johneh]

All ways buy from my dealers spring deal ( not sure if it is a better deal for him or me)
He stores them indoor until I call for them in the fall. No charge for storage and or delivery

 

[HP52NOVA]

I typically pre-buy and haul 6 ton at a time (on pallets) but I can haul 10 ton if I have to. 6 tons is nothing with a forklift loading and unloading (I have my own). Takes 5 minutes at each end.

Wish I could do that. I have no farm tools, no large truck - just one big A garage to keep them all I can shove about half a ton in my ford flex, but that means 10 runs for 5 tons and a whole lot of unloading, so if I can get a decent price for delivery - I will take it.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I actually had my TSC manager ask me if I was interested in delivering pellets (because I can haul so much on the gooseneck), I told her no because I'd get stuck unloading and I'm not into manual labor on the cheap.

I don't believe many burners have forklift capability and most small tractors, even with bucket forks, cannot handle a ton at a time.... My forklift (a set of QD forks on one of my ag tractors) will handily pick up a Chevy C30 pickup truck....did that before.

 

[The Coopers]

We will definitely pre-order in spring/summer (or when available to pre-order)
We did not plan well for our first year with the pellet stove so on occasion, i had to call around and run out during work hours to get few bags.

 

[Bioburner]

Thats interesting and usually the other way around. Usually mixing 50-50 negates the use of good pellets entirely, I would thiink you could have used Indeks.

The higher fuel load(pine) was to much for the algorithm and it made a black mess of the works. Indecks were great mixed and burn with a nice light grey ash.

 

[moey]

I only burn pellets that were made inside stored inside and delivered by plane to my house. That way I know they were never in a hostile environment.

 

[Bioburner]

I only burn pellets that were made inside stored inside and delivered by plane to my house. That way I know they were never in a hostile environment.

Delivered by none other than Harrison Ford?

 

[TimfromMA]

Ain't gonna buy any stinkin' pellets this year at all.l

I plan to buy only pleasant smelling pellets too.