My observations...

[JonSkow]

So, I've been running my stove for a month now. I don't think the house has ever been warmer. I took the advice of the forum and tried out a bunch of different pellets. I've tried some premium pellets, some HD and Lowes specials. I've found that the ash drawer in my insert is so small that I vac out the stove every 3-4 days. I'm perfectly fine doing this because if you take care of you stuff your stuff will take care of you. So my question is what would the point be in buying expensive pellets. My GF thinks they were better but she doesn't even touch the stove. What are your thoughts.

 

[madge69]

I also have the VF100. I think as some would say, it is a "pellet-picky" stove, meaning it prefers a higher quality softwood pellet. Using Okies from several years ago, I could go about a week without emptying the burn pot liner. If you use a lesser quality pellet (NEWPs I'm looking at you) you'll need to clean it more often. This is with the draft set properly using a gauge. Sure, you can open it up more and the liner will stay cleaner longer, but then you'll be chewing through pellets too quickly with not much heat in the house.

 

[thedude110]

Madge has it. Generally speaking, higher quality pellets will throw more heat and will burn more cleanly. You really need to find the best pellet for your stove and your expectations -- if you're happy with the heat, and if you don't mind frequent cleanings, you can get by with lower tier stuff.
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[CT Pellet]

I can offer you this....I sell eleven different brands of pellets. Prices right now are anywhere from $209/ton all the way up to $319/ton. Most of my customers will at some point try a bunch of different pellets that we offer and at the end of the day, Barefoot and Turman seem to be why people come to us. Out of all eleven brands of pellets that we sell, Barefoot and Turman made up about 70% of our sales in 2012. Is it worth the extra?....There is no right or wrong answer to this. Look....You can buy a Kia for $11,000 or a Mercedes for $90,000. Is it worth spending the extra to get a Benz?.....Like anything- to some people it is worth it and to other people it is not. And no one is right and no one is wrong...It's personal preference. I know that there are some brands that I sell that even when they break open I wont burn them....I just won't. But the fact that I don't like them should'nt preclude others from burning them if that is the right pellet for them.
I am of the opinion that heating with pellets is a great way to heat, but it is not without its labors. If I have a choice of saving $2500/year burning cheap pellets or I can save $2000/year burning great pellets, I opt for the latter. But not everyone does.,. So to answer your question of whether it is worth it to burn the "higher-end" pellets or not....The only right answer will come from you.

 

[will711]

I can offer you this....I sell eleven different brands of pellets. Prices right now are anywhere from $209/ton all the way up to $319/ton. Most of my customers will at some point try a bunch of different pellets that we offer and at the end of the day, Barefoot and Turman seem to be why people come to us. Out of all eleven brands of pellets that we sell, Barefoot and Turman made up about 70% of our sales in 2012. Is it worth the extra?....There is no right or wrong answer to this. Look....You can buy a Kia for $11,000 or a Mercedes for $90,000. Is it worth spending the extra to get a Benz?.....Like anything- to some people it is worth it and to other people it is not. And no one is right and no one is wrong...It's personal preference. I know that there are some brands that I sell that even when they break open I wont burn them....I just won't. But the fact that I don't like them should'nt preclude others from burning them if that is the right pellet for them.
I am of the opinion that heating with pellets is a great way to heat, but it is not without its labors. If I have a choice of saving $2500/year burning cheap pellets or I can save $2000/year burning great pellets, I opt for the latter. But not everyone does.,. So to answer your question of whether it is worth it to burn the "higher-end" pellets or not....The only right answer will come from you.

And there is your answer Grasshopper time to snatch the pellet from your masters hand and go forth