The pellets that I can get from pelletsales right now say they are premium pellets, 100% softwood. I guess it's a wood fireplace bias, but I thought hardwood was better than soft? The website for the pellets says it has to do with the natural resin in the wood that increases the BTU? Fact or fiction?
newbie pellet question: Hardwood or Softwood?
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The truth of the matter is with a PREMIUM pellet, and keep in mind I mean premium softwood or hardwood make little difference. Some stove companies will push you to a particular product because that company may be an affiliate.
The confusion occurs when you compare pellets with cordwood. With cordwood, soft wood is less desireable because of the higher moisture content. With PREMIUM pellets, whether hardwood or softwood, the moisture content is under 5% taking the hardwood/softwood question out of the equation (most brands have both to some degree). Now typically softwood will burn hotter because of the resin content, but you are only talking about maybe 2-3% higher btu rating which is probably not enough of a difference for you to notice.
Now there are some people out there that will tell you certain products are bad, or swear by hardwood or softwood, but they are going by conjecture, or where really "sold" on a product or maybe they just had a bad experience with a product (which could be anything from a bad batch was made or product might have got wet etc.etc.
So in summary, don't worry about what the name of the product is or whether its hard wood or soft wood, but instead make sure it is a premium grade pellet, other then that it really boils down to is how your experience is with a product and the relationship with your supplier.
I hope this helps.
The confusion occurs when you compare pellets with cordwood. With cordwood, soft wood is less desireable because of the higher moisture content. With PREMIUM pellets, whether hardwood or softwood, the moisture content is under 5% taking the hardwood/softwood question out of the equation (most brands have both to some degree). Now typically softwood will burn hotter because of the resin content, but you are only talking about maybe 2-3% higher btu rating which is probably not enough of a difference for you to notice.
Now there are some people out there that will tell you certain products are bad, or swear by hardwood or softwood, but they are going by conjecture, or where really "sold" on a product or maybe they just had a bad experience with a product (which could be anything from a bad batch was made or product might have got wet etc.etc.
So in summary, don't worry about what the name of the product is or whether its hard wood or soft wood, but instead make sure it is a premium grade pellet, other then that it really boils down to is how your experience is with a product and the relationship with your supplier.
I hope this helps.
It's not so much the wood but more the pellet itself. The cleanest and the hottest pellets I've tried were both softwood, but I've had some good hardwood fuel also. We'll probably favor the softwood for the smell.
Mom2Czars said:Thanks for the input, it really helped.
I can tell you when i asked brackwell what pellets they thought where good for there stoves they replied--- Dug fur.
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