long pellets?

[bas157]

How long is too long for pellets?

I picked up 3 bags of Cheat River at Lowes 2 days ago and dumped some into some storage bins today. There are some LONG pellets, some are 2 inches long with and its not hard to grab a handful and find some over 1.5 inches long. I've got a Harman P68. Do you think the long pellets will be a problemy with jamming? All the pellets aren't long, but compared to the Hamers, Stove Chow and Green Supreme(very ashy BTW), these by far have the longest pellets.

I'm just trying to figure out what pellets to burn this year since I just had the stove installed a few weeks ago. Hamers seem best but are also ~300 per ton compared to ~$210 to $220 for the other brands.

thanks
Bruce

 

[Bioburner]

I found that though the stove could feed the longer pellets the feed rate was all over the place. I mixed the Oak Creek about 1/3 to my shorter pellets to get them used up. The even longer penningtons thankfully I got just a couple bags and gave up and using the last bag to soak up spills in the garage.

 

[thedude110]

I encountered a similar concern with Barefoots -- I've linked a thread below. Several of the pellets in my Barefoot ton have been more than 2", but so far, my XXV's auger just crunches 'em up. That said, the sound of the longer pellets getting crunched does put me just a little on edge.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pellet-length.85795/

 

[DirtyDave]

Cascades have some long ones also. I see some in everybag so far out of this 3 ton.

 

[jtakeman]

Problem with long pellets besides auger jams is they bridge easier in the hopper. Anything over 1 1/2 inches is considered too long. Collect and weight some from the bag. If the weight is over .4 pounds? They are considered out of spec by PFI standards.

Length, % greater than 1.50 inches <1.0 (40 LBS. x .01 = 0.4 LBS. or 6.4 ounces)

 

[jtakeman]

I ran over bags of GS with my backhoe's large rear tires as i felt they were to long. i have to say it improved the heat out of them

You could a just sat on em! Just sayin!

 

[tjnamtiw]

The wife convinced ya?

she is lying

DIAMETER!!

 

[djs_net]

I encountered a similar concern with Barefoots -- I've linked a thread below. Several of the pellets in my Barefoot ton have been more than 2", but so far, my XXV's auger just crunches 'em up. That said, the sound of the longer pellets getting crunched does put me just a little on edge.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pellet-length.85795/

I've definately noticed some very long pellets in my Barefoots. So far, my stove doesn't seem to have any problems with long pellets or fines.

 

[CT Pellet]

I've definately noticed some very long pellets in my Barefoots. So far, my stove doesn't seem to have any problems with long pellets or fines

There is always a first time for everything so I will never say never, but if it makes you feel better, since 2006, I have sold more Barefoot pellets than anyone else in the country, and I have never had a customer who had auger-jam issues with barefoot because of length. (aside from the occasional customer who stored them outside and there was a lump of wet sawdust that jammed their auger- but that's a whole different issue.)
For the most part, you are burning a rock-solid bunch of pellets in your stash listed in your sig and you should be able to concentrate on enjoying the holidays without fighting with that Breckwell! Stay warm.

 

[SXIPro]

I've run some long pellets in the past. Never had an issue with the Harman.

 

[briansol]

My stove has a blade-like cutter on the top of the auger area that it cuts the longs as it turns to fit. I've only burned one brand that had longs a few seasons ago and it was never really an issue.

 

[CT Pellet]

I've run some long pellets in the past. Never had an issue with the Harman.

Ironically, for the most part, when there are "lenght issues" with pellets, it is more often than not a Harman stove. That is not to say that it is a flaw in Harman, because it is not. But when you look at how a Harman feeds, it does not have an exposed auger in the bottom of the hopper like many stoves do. There is a little slide plate (almost like a trap door) that opens and closes rythmically, to allow the pellets to fall down into the auger. Where the length becomes an issue, is when oversized pellets "bridge over" the slide plate opening and pellets can no longer fall down into the auger. Sometimes a customer will call and tell me that the long pellets are jamming the auger in their Harman.When they say this, I know what the problem is, but that it is not really "jammed', just bridged. Especially those earlier model Harmans that have a chain-driven auger motor- they will not get jammed that easily. My Harman could crush stone into sand.

 

[SXIPro]

Ironically, for the most part, when there are "lenght issues" with pellets, it is more often than not a Harman stove. That is not to say that it is a flaw in Harman, because it is not. But when you look at how a Harman feeds, it does not have an exposed auger in the bottom of the hopper like many stoves do. There is a little slide plate (almost like a trap door) that opens and closes rythmically, to allow the pellets to fall down into the auger. Where the length becomes an issue, is when oversized pellets "bridge over" the slide plate opening and pellets can no longer fall down into the auger. Sometimes a customer will call and tell me that the long pellets are jamming the auger in their Harman.When they say this, I know what the problem is, but that it is not really "jammed', just bridged. Especially those earlier model Harmans that have a chain-driven auger motor- they will not get jammed that easily. My Harman could crush stone into sand.

Now, if you could get it to press coal into diamonds, you'd be on to something.

 

[Paul Raz]

I noticed that when I burned the Presto logs that there were a lot of extra long pellets. I just dumped them in anyway. My Harman just broke em up and burned em. They were petty easy to snap in half so I didn't figure the stove would have an issue.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Quads DO NOT like long pellets. The block the input to the auger and can very easily bridge at the top of the chute. I suffered through several tons of Carolina Wood Product pellets with some measuring 3" long!!

 

[SXIPro]

Quads DO NOT like long pellets. The block the input to the auger and can very easily bridge at the top of the chute. I suffered through several tons of Carolina Wood Product pellets with some measuring 3" long!!

That's a yuletide pellet right there.

 

[tjnamtiw]

That's a yuletide pellet right there.

Yea, totally crazy. Wrote to CWP and complained but never heard a word! I guess they could have cared less. I drive right past the place that sells them to buy Greenways.

 

[DexterDay]

You want long pellets? These are loooooong pellets !

 

[djs_net]

What brand are those?

 

[DexterDay]

Those are AWF's from 3 seasons ago. But I have since bought them afterwards and had Zero problems.

 

[Camino]

You want long pellets? These are loooooong pellets !

View attachment 83693

My Thelin Parlour probably wouldn't even light the those long things! I religiously burn Greenway Super Premium Pellets and they are only 1/4" to 1/2" in length and shorter,, I have to turn my auger speed as low as it goes and it still burns hot. A friend gave me a bag of O'malleys ,they were 3/4 to 1" in length,, had to turn up the auger speed to nearly wide open,,and still had much less heat than the Greenways! Whats up with that?? The quality or the length?