Pellet Cost and Avail in Pacific Northwest?

[sundown127]

First off, I live in eastern Connecticut. Where pellets are now running about $350 a ton, if they can be found at all. My local dealer has a limited supply of "Big Heat" brand, for $365 a ton! And I just read some really bad things about that brand on this site. Last year, they had Green Supreme, which were fantastic.

My fiance has been living in Salem, Oregon area for 6 months, and is now returning back here. He is renting a 16 foot truck, mainly because he wants to be able to put his pickup truck on a car carrier and tow it behind. As for his belongings to go inside the truck, well, lets just say it will be far from full. He is heading out on Monday.

We have talked about possibly throwing a ton or so of pellets in the back of the truck, if they are considerably cheaper and readily avail out there. And a decent brand.

Is there anyone on this site from out in that area? I tried looking online for pellet dealers in Oregon, and found very little. I suppose my fiance could call Home Depot and Lowe's out there, to see what they may have. But I just thought I'd see if anyone here might be able to provide any info about that area, as far as pellets.

I currently have about 1 1/2 tons of the only brand I could get here back in September. Called "Freedom Pellets", which are hardwood. I have to say that they are definitely inferior to Green Supreme, which was my main brand last year. I had a couple of bags of them left over, and threw one in last week, on top of the Freedom ones. As soon as the Greens reached the auger, the heat increased noticeably.

 

[imacman]

Sundown, can't help with the pellet availability in Oregon, but a couple things I thought of:

If he does find pellets, how cheap do they need to be to make up for the increased fuel cost bringing them all that way? is it worth it? You might be better off locating them in, say, Pennsylvania, and have him pick them up there...much cheaper fuel costs. I just looked on the fuel price reports here, and there is a place that might have pellets....I'd give them a call (plus they carry Lignetics...the BEST pellet I have burned, bar none).

"$300 per ton at Bishop Wood Products Schoolhouse Road Souderton, PA 18964 United States
Comments: Short on supply right now and only selling bags. They carry Lignetics"

That report was back in November....they may have more now.

Also, about your Freedom Fuel pellets...they are softwood (pine). I burned a couple of bags i got at HD.....too much ash for me.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[TboneMan]

Rather than hauling them all the way from the west coast, why not stop someplace a little closer, say Ohio. There are several posts about good pricing and availability. There's no sense in adding all that weight going over the Rocky's. Any saving in the cost of pellets would be eaten up in fuel costs.

 

[sundown127]

Sundown, can't help with the pellet availability in Oregon, but a couple things I thought of:

If he does find pellets, how cheap do they need to be to make up for the increased fuel cost bringing them all that way? is it worth it? You might be better off locating them in, say, Pennsylvania, and have him pick them up there...much cheaper fuel costs. I just looked on the fuel price reports here, and there is a place that might have pellets....I'd give them a call (plus they carry Lignetics...the BEST pellet I have burned, bar none).

"$300 per ton at Bishop Wood Products Schoolhouse Road Souderton, PA 18964 United States
Comments: Short on supply right now and only selling bags. They carry Lignetics"

That report was back in November....they may have more now.

Also, about your Freedom Fuel pellets...they are softwood (pine). I burned a couple of bags i got at HD.....too much ash for me.

Hope this helps a little.

My current pellets do say premium hardwood on the bag. They are "American Freedom", in a red, white and blue bag. Says they are distributed by Bradley Caldwell, in Hazelton, PA. I can't say the volume of ash is increased, but the weight sure as heck is! With Green Supreme, the ash was just fluff, with almost no weight to it. Also, with the Freedom ones, there is a LOT of dust and crumbles in the bags.

As for the increased gas costs of carrying pellets back, yes, we did duscuss that. It would be great if we could find a good brand, decent price, readily avail somewhere east of the Mississippi. He will be staying for one day in the Erie, PA area, where he will be delivering some items to his niece. So would be far easier if the pellets went in after those items are unloaded.
Just seems like all of us in the entire eastern US are in the same boat, as far as avail and outrageous prices, for low quality pellets. I am beginning to think heating oil, even in my old steam radiator system, will be cheaper than pellets.

I did see a few tons of Pennington brand at a Wal Mart in my area a couple days ago. They were $5.75 a bag. Not sure if they are better than none (meaning oil heat) or not. I guess they are better than "Big Heat" at $365 a ton!

 

[imacman]

Sundown, if he's going to Erie, then he'll be very close to Kinsman Stoves who are in NE Ohio....that can't be too far. Contact Eric and see if he can hook you up with pellets. He sometimes will sell direct, or refer you to a local dealer that he supplies pellets to.

Call him at: 330-876-0200, or email him at: [email protected] He's a great guy!

Tell him Macman sent you

 

[TboneMan]

What route does he plan to travel toward the end? PA Turnpike? NYS Thruway?

 

[sundown127]

What route does he plan to travel toward the end? PA Turnpike? NYS Thruway?

He was talking about taking 90 into Albany, and then Mass Pike to Springfield, then south to our house. His niece lives in Union City, PA. But I know that his route is far from set in stone. The weather could turn into a possible factor too, near the Great Lakes. I saw that the Erie, PA area got about 2 feet of snow a couple weeks back! On the way out, he took 84 to 80 across PA, but he was not stopping at his niece's house.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

What route does he plan to travel toward the end? PA Turnpike? NYS Thruway?

He was talking about taking 90 into Albany, and then Mass Pike to Springfield, then south to our house. His niece lives in Union City, PA. But I know that his route is far from set in stone. The weather could turn into a possible factor too, near the Great Lakes. I saw that the Erie, PA area got about 2 feet of snow a couple weeks back! On the way out, he took 84 to 80 across PA, but he was not stopping at his niece's house.

My warehouse is just off I-80 at the Hubbard, Ohio exit. I have pellets as of right now and I have a truck due on wednesday 12-10-08. Call me.
1266 SR7 Brookfield, Ohio 44403


Eric
330-876-0200

Yes macman is my friend but I feel we have issues to address.

 

[TboneMan]

What route does he plan to travel toward the end? PA Turnpike? NYS Thruway?

He was talking about taking 90 into Albany, and then Mass Pike to Springfield, then south to our house. His niece lives in Union City, PA. But I know that his route is far from set in stone. The weather could turn into a possible factor too, near the Great Lakes. I saw that the Erie, PA area got about 2 feet of snow a couple weeks back! On the way out, he took 84 to 80 across PA, but he was not stopping at his niece's house.

If he's coming via NYS Thruway (I90), then there are MANY options from Syracuse to Albany. New England Wood Pellets (the manufacture, not the yahoo "stealing" everyone's money), has a plant near Utica. It is visible from the thruway. Most of the my area suppliers are advertising (in local papers) that they have pellets in stock. There are likely many dealers within a few miles of a thruway exit. Look in Syracuse, Rome, Chittenengo (B&B;Wood Pellets), Utica, Hermiker.

It would be worth a few phone calls to save a bunch of money and fuel.

 

[Jims]

I posted this on another thread, but will post it here also, so hopefully you can take advantage of the $3.99 per bag price at HD in Portland, Oregon. Also, Lowes here carries pine pellets, which have a lot of ash and clinkers, at least in my stove.

Quoted from other thread:

It might work, I don’t know how you calculate the gas needed for the extra weight, but even at a few extra cents per mile in gas cost you should be well ahead of CT prices. Be sure to ask for the sale price, like I wrote, the cashier first rang the pellets up at $4.79 per bag, until I pointed out they were on sale. The cashier had to get a new product number from the Service Desk to ring up the $3.99 price.

FYI, my guess is your fiance will be taking Interstate 84 East out of Oregon, so, he most likely will be driving North on I5 to Portland, where I84 starts. If I am correct, he will drive right by the Tigard Home Depot. He will be able to see it from I5 (on the left side of the freeway), but not until he has passed the exit. Directions from Salem are:

Merge onto I-5 N toward PORTLAND. approx. miles = 31.39
Take the CARMAN DR. exit, EXIT 291, toward KING CITY. 0.23
Turn LEFT onto CARMAN DR. 0.06
CARMAN DR becomes SW UPPER BOONES FERRY RD. 0.19
Turn RIGHT onto SW SEQUOIA PKWY. 0.49

Home Depot is a couple of blocks, on the right.

To return to I5 North, he can backtrack to I5, or he can continue on Sequoia Pkwy about 1/2 block to Bonita Rd., turn right, go over I5, turn left at the first light, this is Bangy Rd.. Stay on Bangy a few blocks until it becomes the on ramp to I5 North. I84 is just a few miles down the road (no more than 10 miles).

Hope you can take advantage of the price. May be you can take up a collection from CT. forum members to rent a bigger truck smile. The Beaverton HD has 14 tons he could pick up.