No pellets in local box stores - for weeks

[Wilbur Feral]

Needed a number of things from the big box home centers over the weekend, so swung by two HDs and a Lowes in Chester county, PA. Not a pellet to be found anywhere. HD had only about two shipments of Stove Chow in one of those stores back about early Oct, while the other hasn't had any that I know of. Lowes (which I generally like better anyway) has been out for about three weeks now and had Cheat River early followed by PrestoLogs, which I bought. Personally I should be fine for the season unless these PrestoLogs burn much faster than planned as I have 4 tons of those and two tons of Hamer's, about 10% more than what I burned last season. But I feel bad for folks who waited... Local dealer where I got my Hamer's had maybe 6 tons in lot as I drove past but some or all may be held for prepaid customers, and was up to $300/ton back in Sep. My plan for next year is to purchase as early as July with Sep delivery.

Also, noticed supply of some ice melters starting to get tight. Much rock salt (sodium chloride) on hand, but less than one pallet remaining of magnesium chloride (safer for pets and plants, but more expensive). They had verly little calcium chloride out, but much of some idiotic combo of magnesium chloride and sodium chloride, which is the worst of both worlds (high price and damage to pets and plants).

 

[TimfromMA]

I'm on a notification list with my local dealer. Wen he gets pellets, I get notified. This year, I got an email around the second week of April. Less than 5 minutes after getting the email, I called and used my credit card to buy 6 tons right then and there. I picked them up myself 1 ton at a time over the next couple of weekends.

 

[moey]

People who waited may be happy. They can burn oil right for about the same cost as pellets.

 

[TimfromMA]

People who waited may be happy. They can burn oil right for about the same cost as pellets.

It's got to drop another 90 cents at least.

 

[N.E S4]

Price of pellets has gone so high I'm not sure if it's worth the extra work.

 

[moey]

It's got to drop another 90 cents at least.

Not if you have a modern heating system. Do the math... Saw $2.61 yesterday around me that's about equivalent to $310 a ton.

Sure if your running a hog for a furnace or boiler or its 20 years old its not going to burn as efficiently as a modern pellet stove. I used to have a hog it would burn over a gallon a day making hot water or maintaining temp. It was 100k btu yet when I replaced it my heating system now is about 38k btu.

 

[N.E S4]

I have a 10 year old gas central air. I have a P43 in the basement and P35i in the living room.

$310.00 that's $6.20 per bag.

I used to pay $.4.50 last year at Lowes, now the same pellets is $5.58

 

[TimfromMA]

I did the math. My annual oil consumption has dropped by 600 gallons. As soon as I can buy 600 gallons of oil for less than 3 1/2 tons of pellets, the oil furnace will be switched back on.

 

[chken]

Yep, I think we all do the math. Oil in my neck of the woods is $2.89 a gallon, so about comparable to pellets at $350 a ton. I bought 5 tons at $239, a ton, delivered, so I'm still saving on pellets. However, oil saves me the headache of stacking in the basement, filling the hopper, cleaning, leaf blowing, and some people have to pick up their pellets from the store. I think if pellets and oil got within $50 of each other, given how I value my time, then oil would be more worthwhile.

 

[TimfromMA]

Even if oil were cheaper, I would still fire up the pellet stove once in a while when Im in the mood for a fire.

 

[alternativeheat]

Not if you have a modern heating system. Do the math... Saw $2.61 yesterday around me that's about equivalent to $310 a ton.

Sure if your running a hog for a furnace or boiler or its 20 years old its not going to burn as efficiently as a modern pellet stove. I used to have a hog it would burn over a gallon a day making hot water or maintaining temp. It was 100k btu yet when I replaced it my heating system now is about 38k btu.

We are still getting pellets here for under $300 a ton if you are careful about where you buy and what you buy. And oil is only down to $2.92 a gallon thus far. But regardless of any of that, I'm not heating my house to 73 or 74 deg on oil and I hate paying for oil anyway. Somehow it just goes up my butt and it has since the price went up over $.39 a gallon ( yes that's right 39 cents) I hate paying for oil at a buck and a quarter a gallon which is about what it should cost now compared to when it was $.39. Crooks and greed abound either way, IMO... The stupid oil costs a nickle a gallon to produce but everyone takes their cut and it's a volatile market at best to begin with. How many people in the chain in between that nickle and the $2.92 we are paying live in veritable mansions I wonder. When all we want to do is heat our modest homes. Did I mention I don't care for the business of oil ?

 

[N.E S4]

How much is it to produce a 40 pound bag of pellets?

 

[kappel15]

I am lucky enough to have natural gas. 1.12 a therm. But I supplement the stove and the furnace with each other. The furnace is run with a programmable thermostat. It comes on at 5:30 am to heat house up before we get up. It goes down to 62 at 8:am. Comes back on at 4:30pm to 70. Goes down to 62 at 10:00pm. Stove is on when we are home. Otherwise nothing is running. It has to get really cold out before I hear furnace come on in middle of nite.

 

[alternativeheat]

How much is it to produce a 40 pound bag of pellets?

Don't know but I said greed abounds either way. Somehow, I still heat my house warmer on pellets and that sting hasn't nailed me like oil did way back when and I could barely afford that $.39 stuff. You can rationalize anything but I hate the entire oil racket because that is exactly what it is a racket. Nothing more, for greedy hands to oil themselves down with from the ground to our oil tanks and to include the politicians.. Now please don't get me started !

 

[LordmetalZ28]

I am lucky enough to have natural gas. 1.12 a therm. But I supplement the stove and the furnace with each other. The furnace is run with a programmable. Trhermostat. It comes on at 5:30 am to heat house up before we get up. It goes down to 62 at 8:am. Comes back on at 4:30pm to 70. Goes down to 62 at 10:00pm. Stove is on when we are home. Otherwise nothing is running. It has to get really cold out before I hear furnace come on in middle of nite.

I do the exact same thing with my gas furnace. But i have been able to find pellets everywhere i have looked since july except lowes. I think lowes just dropped the ball this year. Tractor supply hd true value wal mart. You name it i see pellets everywhere although the prices has gone up alot. I have to burn the 5$ a bag pellets or its not cost effective for me. Although i do treat myself to 7.50$ greenways from time to time. Somebody tried charging me 10$ a bag for hamers couple weeks ago. I laughed at the guy.

 

[kappel15]

Seems greed is the norm for most anything in this country any more. Look at anything you have to buy. And it starts at the top!

 

[kappel15]

Yes, you can find pellets anywhere here in Iowa. They are just expensive. I am burning a mix of corn and pellets as corn is cheaper to burn this year then pellets. I have to run a mix in the Sante Fe as it won't ignite just corn. kap

 

[alternativeheat]

I am lucky enough to have natural gas. 1.12 a therm. But I supplement the stove and the furnace with each other. The furnace is run with a programmable thermostat. It comes on at 5:30 am to heat house up before we get up. It goes down to 62 at 8:am. Comes back on at 4:30pm to 70. Goes down to 62 at 10:00pm. Stove is on when we are home. Otherwise nothing is running. It has to get really cold out before I hear furnace come on in middle of nite.

So far you are doing well. I pray that what happened with oil doesn't hit NG. But .......

 

[Dpopps]

I do the exact same thing with my gas furnace. But i have been able to find pellets everywhere i have looked since july except lowes. I think lowes just dropped the ball this year. Tractor supply hd true value wal mart. You name it i see pellets everywhere although the prices has gone up alot. I have to burn the 5$ a bag pellets or its not cost effective for me. Although i do treat myself to 7.50$ greenways from time to time. Somebody tried charging me 10$ a bag for hamers couple weeks ago. I laughed at the guy.

I just got greenways for $189 a ton. Are they that good, should I try and get some more?

 

[alternativeheat]

Seems greed is the norm for most anything in this country any more. Look at anything you have to buy. And it starts at the top!

It is the natural sin nature of man, they can't help themselves. But we and or I at least don't have to like that. I'm not as bitter as that all came out but sometimes my coffee goes into overtime LOL !!

 

[LordmetalZ28]

Greenways do well in my stove.. i have a soft spot in my heart for them. i can only get them from a local hardware store with a big mark up is why i pay the 7.50$ a bag 280$ for the ton

 

[Tonyray]

I mentioned this before but even at lower Oil Prices here,
to keep my house at the same temperature of 73 degrees with pellets,
my furnace would drink oil like a drunken sailor.....No real saving for us if we want to be comfortably warm.
Not going to go back to keeping the thermostat at 67 just to conserve oil regardless of price..
I would end up buying more oil than before we got a pellet stove thus butchering the savings eventually.
Back to original post:
My stove dealer orders around 250 tons each year from Energex as he has all his customers do a spring pre-order buy at 25.00 deposit for each ton.
easily pick up a 4 tons for 1,000.00 in the summer when they come in..
I actually picked up 5 tons this year in August..
HD here outside Phila seems to have plenty of pellets but now they are same price as the better stuff I bought in Spring.
.....On a Sad note:
My Team got massacred yesterday in Green Bay.yesterday....YIKES

 

[kappel15]

So far you are doing well. I pray that what happened with oil doesn't hit NG. But .......

If it does, I gots lots of corn all around me.

 

[alternativeheat]

If it does, I gots lots of corn all around me.

Ya, I priced corn here, just about the same as pellets. I guess they must not buy local corn, it must come out of the mid west. My P61 will burn a mix.

 

[alternativeheat]

HD here has had a good steady supply of AWF, pure White pine Super Premium Pellets for $269 a ton . They are excellent pellets with almost 0 ash. A low burn will produce a small amount of ash on the burn pot but a moderate overnight burn leaves just about nothing to clean up in the morning. It looks like they have some left and then switching over to something in yellow bags, I didn't even look. If I didn't have my stash I would buy a ton of these AWF while they have them. Actually two different location had them last week.