Need tips on how to pre-order pellets for next year

[Tonyray]

My completely un-expert opinion: if you live where pellet supply is scarce, it might be prudent pre-buy from a reliable, trusted vendor. Otherwise I don't see any reason to rush into any early deals.

woodpellets.com
pelletsdirect.com

 

[F4jock]

woodpellets.com
pelletsdirect.com

But they don't serve all areas. . . . . .

 

[GMadd]

Really liked the AWF white pines and want to pre order 3 or 4 tons for next season but have no idea how to go about it, I got them at TSC and it is a crap shoot as to what they carry, any help \ experience with this out there .. fwiw I reside on the Orange \ Sullivan \ Ulster County border area in the Hudson Valley (12721)

I live relatively close to you in Highland. Lowes in Highland never guarantees one particular brand even if you point to the palate and say I want that one delivered. I used woodpellets.com and had a good experience, they did deliver to me, got Granules LG and loved them. They often offer discounts for new customers or early returning (summerish) customers. Agway in New Paltz delivered me one ton of Warm Front and stacked them against the wall of my garage for me but I'm not a big fan, lots of fines and a good bit of ash. True Value in New Pattz deliveres Lignitics but have to put in an order (nothing down) early because they run out pretty quick. A friend who works at Home Depot in Poughkeepsie can consistently get Green Supreme but I don't love them. Hope that's helpful. Because I'm lazy I'll probably just use woodpellets.com again next seaseon. Plan on ordering in August. Last year I orderd from them in mid September and they were so backed up it didn't get to me till early November. That's why I also got the Warm Front ton.

 

[bogieb]

e="Tonyray, post: 1884288, member: 30937"]seriously?
I woud go into dropping a deposit down for early buy dealers but somehow I don't think your really asking that....?

Pre-buy is grammatically incorrect. It's like pre-board. You can't get IN (Not ON) a plane before you get in a plane. You CAN put in an order or place a deposit but by definition once one pays for something it is bought![/quote]

Well, it can be bought, but if you don't have possession, is it really yours yet? I pre-paid 3 tons of pellets in September at my only local dealer. It took me 5-6 weeks to pick up the first 2 tons (I don't have a truck). They still have 40 bags that are mine. However, until I go in and physically put them in my vehicle, there aren't any I can point at that are mine. So it does kind of sound like I pre-bought. They have my money, and if they go out of business tomorrow, since I am an unsecured creditor, I lose that money (or at least, am very last in line for reimbursement).

 

[F4jock]

Pre-buy is grammatically incorrect. It's like pre-board. You can't get IN (Not ON) a plane before you get in a plane. You CAN put in an order or place a deposit but by definition once one pays for something it is bought!

Well, it can be bought, but if you don't have possession, is it really yours yet? I pre-paid 3 tons of pellets in September at my only local dealer. It took me 5-6 weeks to pick up the first 2 tons (I don't have a truck). They still have 40 bags that are mine. However, until I go in and physically put them in my vehicle, there aren't any I can point at that are mine. So it does kind of sound like I pre-bought. They have my money, and if they go out of business tomorrow, since I am an unsecured creditor, I lose that money (or at least, am very last in line for reimbursement).[/quote]
Pre-paid is the correct term.

 

[Peterfield]

Hmm, will have to look into the free truck rental thing. I need a bunch of sheetrock and stuff and don't want to have to pay delivery for that (or have to talk to the ex to use his truck). And, if they get in FSU's again next year, I would get a couple of tons. All depends on how much you have to spend, but that is easy enough to find out.

HD in Manchester has had FSU's most of the year, although I can't speak for today. And regarding a truck, you can rent one from HD for $19.00 while you're picking up your pellets. I have always considered Manchester in south-central NH.

 

[bogieb]

HD in Manchester has had FSU's most of the year, although I can't speak for today. And regarding a truck, you can rent one from HD for $19.00 while you're picking up your pellets. I have always considered Manchester in south-central NH.

The Manch HD ran out of FSU's about 10 days ago and now they have something else. However, HD does not allow pre-order for next year, or so I understand from what other people say.

Nice to know I can get the truck for $19, since delivery charges run about $70 and since I can only store a little over 2 tons, that is a bit steep to add on to the cost of the pellets.

 

[muss]

Box stores all over the country take bids & is why they change pellets year to year.

 

[Tonyray]

The Manch HD ran out of FSU's about 10 days ago and now they have something else. However, HD does not allow pre-order for next year, or so I understand from what other people say.

Nice to know I can get the truck for $19, since delivery charges run about $70 and since I can only store a little over 2 tons, that is a bit steep to add on to the cost of the pellets.

the truck rental has a time limit so ya gotta be quick to pick up and unload to your destination or it's more than 19.00.
Beats 70 buck though..

 

[Tonyray]

But they don't serve all areas. . . . . .

I did a PRE-tend order at woodpellets.com.. for real.
put in my zip code which is outside Phila.
went all the way thru till I had to stop at "Confirm order" or I would have actually paid for them.

 

[F4jock]

I did a PRE-tend order at woodpellets.com.. for real.
put in my zip code which is outside Phila.
went all the way thru till I had to stop at "Confirm order" or I would have actually paid for them.

Not for us up here in the boonies.

 

[Tonyray]

Not for us up here in the boonies.

Oh yeah.. Good God your waaay up in Red Rock...

 

[F4jock]

Oh yeah.. Good God your waaay up in Red Rock...

Yeah but being in the middle of nowhere has its benefits. For instance, no neighbors to hear the. . .

 

[Peterfield]

I heard that.

 

[bogieb]

the truck rental has a time limit so ya gotta be quick to pick up and unload to your destination or it's more than 19.00.
Beats 70 buck though..

The drive time is the killer - would be at least 1.5 hours round trip. Unloading I can do in a decent time - I moved 4600 pounds of pellets Friday night in less than 45 minutes - didn't even break a sweat (oh, wait, yes I did since I was stacking them up near the Harman)

 

[Peterfield]

UHaul and Ryder also have specials on daily rentals. Are you nearer to Concord? I believe they had Blazers this year. There is also TSC in Chichester. With respect to pre-ordering, you have to find a pellet dealer, not a big box. Not sure where you live but Agway in Hillsboro comes to mind and I believe they allow pre-ordering, although until they place their orders, you aren't assured of the brands they are bringing in. Their goal is to bring in the good stuff so you'll pay a little more.

 

[bogieb]

UHaul and Ryder also have specials on daily rentals. Are you nearer to Concord? I believe they had Blazers this year. There is also TSC in Chichester. With respect to pre-ordering, you have to find a pellet dealer, not a big box. Not sure where you live but Agway in Hillsboro comes to mind and I believe they allow pre-ordering, although until they place their orders, you aren't assured of the brands they are bringing in. Their goal is to bring in the good stuff so you'll pay a little more.

30 miles from Concord (same for Manch, Keene and Nashua) and Chichester is even further. I have a dealer close by, but they only get Currans blend - which was good last year, but horrible this year, so looking for another source for at least part of my pellets for next year. I'll check out the Agway; last I knew they were carrying a brand unknown to me - which doesn't mean they are bad, just not sure if they are worth more money to me. On the plus side, I believe they deliver for free. I'll have to see if they allow pre-ordering.

 

[Peterfield]

30 miles from Concord (same for Manch, Keene and Nashua) and Chichester is even further. I have a dealer close by, but they only get Currans blend - which was good last year, but horrible this year, so looking for another source for at least part of my pellets for next year. I'll check out the Agway; last I knew they were carrying a brand unknown to me - which doesn't mean they are bad, just not sure if they are worth more money to me. On the plus side, I believe they deliver for free. I'll have to see if they allow pre-ordering.

Agway carried Granulares (sp) from Canada, Country Boy White Lightning which is a 100% hardwood from an oak floor manufacturing operation in Kentucky, American Wood Fiber Ultra, a 100% softwood with high BTU and low ash, and their own branded pellet, but I do not remember what that actually was. I tried Country Boy and AWFU's this year and I'd gladly burn either one exclusively next year. I am told they do have lower prices in the late Spring and Summer.

 

[Tonyray]

Yeah but being in the middle of nowhere has its benefits. For instance, no neighbors to hear the. . .

Don;t think my neighbors hear anything either....
Lake and Cemetery..

 

[F4jock]

Don;t think my neighbors hear anything either....
Lake and Cemetery..

You drowned all those people?

 

[Tonyray]

You drowned all those people?

No but they are AWFULLY close to the Lake..
Right behind those trees.

 

[minnow]

As a former Accentra insert owner since 2005, we recently moved from upstate NY to South Carolina about 30 miles from Charlotte. We pretty much heated the NY house with pellets 98% of the winter from 2005 to last winter as our main source of heat was expensive fuel oil. Certainly the pellet stove paid for itself over these past several years but at the expense of a less even heat throughout the house as compared to the central furnace. Pellet stoves down here are a rarity and there is only a couple pellet dealers in the entire Charlotte metro area. Our current home uses heat pumps and since we have natural gas, I went ahead and installed gas log insert in the fireplace and a freestanding gas log heater in the other end of the house.

The past couple of years, it's become increasingly a pain in the --- to fool with the stove. Probably the combination getting older, getting tired of the weekly cleanings, the lack of uniformity in pellets from the same manufacturer from one year to the next and of course having to lock in next years pellet supplies 9 months before you even need to dump a bag into the stove. Not to mention going to get them (one ton at a time in the truck) and then having to stack and store 4 tons in the garage. Having lived with gas heat now since the fall, I can say with 100% certainty "good riddance" to pellets. Reading this thread and here we are in the middle of this current winter, and people are already trying to scrounge up next winters supply already. Really ?

I do agree that it is very nice to have a choice in heating the house, be it propane, NG, fuel oil or electric in addition to the pellets. But it is increasingly becoming more and more difficult to see the value/lifestyle benefits to a pellet stove. At this stage of my life I really have better things to do then worry about where next years supply is coming from and have no confidence the great pellet I used this year will be worth a ---- next year because the manufacturer is now shredding used pallets to make pellets. And do I need to tie up $1000 + for pellets that won't be utilized for another 9 months ?

 

[bogieb]

Reading this thread and here we are in the middle of this current winter, and people are already trying to scrounge up next winters supply already. Really ?

I don't think anyone is trying to scrounge up next winter's supply yet - I just don't want to be sitting here in Novemeber realizing I still have no clue where to go except the one dealer in quite a distance that I got cruddy pellets from this year. If I have it locked in my mind where I might want to check, then as I am out and about next summer, I can stop and ask about pre-ordering.

I was a Camp Fire girl - I like to be prepared

 

[lagger]

I live relatively close to you in Highland. Lowes in Highland never guarantees one particular brand even if you point to the palate and say I want that one delivered. I used woodpellets.com and had a good experience, they did deliver to me, got Granules LG and loved them. They often offer discounts for new customers or early returning (summerish) customers. Agway in New Paltz delivered me one ton of Warm Front and stacked them against the wall of my garage for me but I'm not a big fan, lots of fines and a good bit of ash. True Value in New Pattz deliveres Lignitics but have to put in an order (nothing down) early because they run out pretty quick. A friend who works at Home Depot in Poughkeepsie can consistently get Green Supreme but I don't love them. Hope that's helpful. Because I'm lazy I'll probably just use woodpellets.com again next seaseon. Plan on ordering in August. Last year I orderd from them in mid September and they were so backed up it didn't get to me till early November. That's why I also got the Warm Front ton.

I was \ am under the impression from their website that woodpllets.com does not deliver to this area 12721

 

[GMadd]

Yeah, just tried it, you are right Funny, they deliver to Highland. Maybe its because I'm close to the thruway? I'm glad i tried your zip because they gave a list to try in our area. Might price around next season from that list.

Firecomfort (15.3 miles)
Goshen NY
(877) 304-4328

Hudson Valley Custom Stone (26.9 miles)
Kingston NY
(845) 658-8095

Fairview Hearthside Distributors (28.4 miles)
Poughkeepsie NY
(845) 452-8444

Cracker Mill Hearth & Emporium (30.3 miles)
Shokan NY
(845) 657-6540

Fireside Warmth Inc. (32.5 miles)
Kingston NY
(845) 331-5656

Fireplaces by Design (34.5 miles)
Hillburn NY
(845) 357-6062

Fire Glow Distributors (37.6 miles)
Jefferson Valley NY
(914) 248-7775