Pellet shortage ?!?!??!! Big Box Stores -- Maine

[jss227]

If you're in Hancock you're in the EBS service area, that's where I've been getting mine for a few years

Have had no problem picking up at HD. I have not seen a shortage this year. I just wanted to comment to those that get on their high horse about buying in bulk that many people don't have the space or the money to do that.

 

[hossthehermit]

Have had no problem picking up at HD. I have not seen a shortage this year. I just wanted to comment to those that get on their high horse about buying in bulk that many people don't have the space or the money to do that.

I avoid horses, especially when I'm high .... just sayin' and they deliver free ...............

 

[epb]

Down here in NH, I've had trouble finding them at Home Depot, but lucked out the other day and was able to grab two more tons of Fireside Ultras at the Portsmouth store. Lowes almost always seem to have them (and they even update their inventory online). Of course, Lowes is also charging about 60 cents a bag more for the exact same pellets this year.

 

[jss227]

I avoid horses, especially when I'm high .... just sayin' and they deliver free ...............

EBS is usually $20-$30 more per ton than HD. I did get 1/2 ton from them last year. I live 10 minutes from either HD or EBS, have a dually, and two strong boys to unload, so the free delivery is moot. Being that I'm both cheap and poor, that $20-$30 difference per ton equals the price of a ton of fuel by the end of the year.

 

[woodmakesheat]

HD in Londonderry, NH is bringing pellets into the heated indoor area - several tons of FSU when I left there an hour ago.

No less than 5 people (including myself) were in there grabbing bags of pellets, 5-15 bags, in the 15 minutes I was in the store.

 

[hossthehermit]

EBS is usually $20-$30 more per ton than HD. I did get 1/2 ton from them last year. I live 10 minutes from either HD or EBS, have a dually, and two strong boys to unload, so the free delivery is moot. Being that I'm both cheap and poor, that $20-$30 difference per ton equals the price of a ton of fuel by the end of the year.

Yeah, if I had the unloading help, that's what I'd do too ...........

 

[fire451]

I was in HD in North Windham on Tuesday nada in the pellet department. I got some gasket material to make a new burn pot gasket and some more LEDs to continue the KWh reduction project.

looks like tractor supply North Windham just got a load of pellets, just drove by, look like green supreme. oops! didn't realize there was a North Windham Maine also. I am in Connecticut

 

[bogieb]

HD in Londonderry, NH is bringing pellets into the heated indoor area - several tons of FSU when I left there an hour ago.

No less than 5 people (including myself) were in there grabbing bags of pellets, 5-15 bags, in the 15 minutes I was in the store.

Concord and Manchester still have plenty of FSU's. Picked up 25 bags in Manch; 10 on Thurs and 15 on Fri. Will pick up more during my lunch time next week.

 

[Luv2burnPellets]

Concord and Manchester still have plenty of FSU's. Picked up 25 bags in Manch; 10 on Thurs and 15 on Fri. Will pick up more during my lunch time next week.

Plenty of pellets --Nation's Choice and Maine Choice in auburn Maine HD today.

 

[Peterfield]

I'm burning Maine's Choice and they are fine, more ash than some but heat is good.

 

[CladMaster]

I'm burning Maine's Choice and they are fine, more ash than some but heat is good.

I found these to be very dusty in the bag this year, anyone else see this ?

 

[chken]

I know it's really semantics....
but if one cannot find a product, there is a shortage.... for him...
If there is a glut 150 miles away... it's of little value to the one that can't get any in his locale.

Oh, I think we were talking about different things. You're talking about what is a shortage and I was referring to his shortage being local, and not Maine-wide. That's why I referred to "some stores".

 

[F4jock]

Every flippin' year about this time the BB run outta pellets and every flippin' year people cry "Shortage!" Funny how this "Shortage" coincides with the changeover to spring stock that you'll begin sering as soon as the winter merchandise sells out. My "Do-It" hardware has plenty of pellets and if you need a good, hot burning fill in go to Tractor Supply and buy the horse bedding softwood pellets at five bucks a bag. They've been tested and burn hot and clean.

 

[Chris223]

Every flippin' year about this time the BB run outta pellets and every flippin' year people cry "Shortage!" Funny how this "Shortage" coincides with the changeover to spring stock that you'll begin sering as soon as the winter merchandise sells out. My "Do-It" hardware has plenty of pellets and if you need a good, hot burning fill in go to Tractor Supply and buy the horse bedding softwood pellets at five bucks a bag. They've been tested and burn hot and clean.

Couple things to point out -

1. Pellets don't go on shelves in the BB stores, so what makes you think the arrival of spring/summer merchandise has anything to do with the lack of pellets? Especially since pellets are shipped directly from a vendor and don't go through the Regional Distribution Warehouses.
2. As all the christmas and winter inventory starts to sell down... do you really think the stores should just leave the shelves completely bare simply because "it's to early" for spring stuff? It takes more than a month for these stores to completely transition from winter to spring... and we sure like to have extra weeks available for "stuff happpens" when doing the resets.
3. Have you not noticed that the lack of pellets comes during winters that are freezing cold? 2 years ago we had a relatively mild winter, and my store never had less than about 3,000 pellets on hand. Last year was brutally cold, and we were running out constantly. This season, we were informed right from the get go that we were going to reach a shortage and that inventory flow would be pretty light. We were out of stock for several days during different periods of november and december, so again, how does that coincide with the arrival of BB stores spring stuff?

 

[Pellet-King]

burn oil, it's cheaper and heats your house better $2.19 is cheaper than Ct oil prices

 

[Peterfield]

I found these to be very dusty in the bag this year, anyone else see this ?

Actually the bags I am opening have hardly any dust and virtually no fines compared to most other brands I've used this year. Maybe the dust varies in their production runs.

 

[F4jock]

Couple things to point out -

1. Pellets don't go on shelves in the BB stores, so what makes you think the arrival of spring/summer merchandise has anything to do with the lack of pellets? Especially since pellets are shipped directly from a vendor and don't go through the Regional Distribution Warehouses.
2. As all the christmas and winter inventory starts to sell down... do you really think the stores should just leave the shelves completely bare simply because "it's to early" for spring stuff? It takes more than a month for these stores to completely transition from winter to spring... and we sure like to have extra weeks available for "stuff happpens" when doing the resets.
3. Have you not noticed that the lack of pellets comes during winters that are freezing cold? 2 years ago we had a relatively mild winter, and my store never had less than about 3,000 pellets on hand. Last year was brutally cold, and we were running out constantly. This season, we were informed right from the get go that we were going to reach a shortage and that inventory flow would be pretty light. We were out of stock for several days during different periods of november and december, so again, how does that coincide with the arrival of BB stores spring stuff?

1. They take up space in the garden department where fertilizers etc go.
2. They don't leave them bare, they just don't reorder because they don't want them there when the spring stuff comes in. Try ordering pellets from a BB in June or July. I can get them locally but NEVER there.
3. Oh NOW I see. "WE were out of stock. . . ." You work for a BB! Major credibility problem! This winter is not particularly cold yet the shortage was "predicted" last year? Maybe you can sell that BS to some but I'm not buying. . . . . it or your generally second-rate pellets. Your local stores can't get pellets because your buyers don't buy enough to extend into late winter and you can't react fast enough to get them there now without risking having to warehouse the overage for months later on, warehouse space you need for fertilizers, lawnmowers etc, stuff you are taking g corporate delivery of now.

 

[Wilbur Feral]

burn oil, it's cheaper and heats your house better $2.19 is cheaper than Ct oil prices

I keep wondering how you picked your name for the forum. "Pellet-Hater" seems more accurate. Do you realize that current oil prices are a temporary situation, openly designed by the Saudis specifically to run other producers out of the market, which will dramtically increase prices in the long run? Are you giving any thought whatsoever past what you're paying today? Most of us actually LIKE to burn pellets. Most of us realize that oil is currently (temporarily) priced competitively, yet we choose not to switch to it for various reasons, including a desire to support US producers of renewable fuels rather than exporters of non-renewable fuels sold by people who really haven't been very friendly to our country in recent years. And most of us realize that this is a PELLET burner's forum, and not the "I'm dumb enough to get fooled into depending on cheap oil" admiration society. So flame back all you want, oil man - I, for one, have just had it with your anti-pellet attitude.

 

[F4jock]

I keep wondering how you picked your name for the forum. "Pellet-Hater" seems more accurate. Do you realize that current oil prices are a temporary situation, openly designed by the Saudis specifically to run other producers out of the market, which will dramtically increase prices in the long run? Are you giving any thought whatsoever past what you're paying today? Most of us actually LIKE to burn pellets. Most of us realize that oil is currently (temporarily) priced competitively, yet we choose not to switch to it for various reasons, including a desire to support US producers of renewable fuels rather than exporters of non-renewable fuels sold by people who really haven't been very friendly to our country in recent years. And most of us realize that this is a PELLET burner's forum, and not the "I'm dumb enough to get fooled into depending on cheap oil" admiration society. So flame back all you want, oil man - I, for one, have just had it with your anti-pellet attitude.

While I can't totally disagree with you, your sentiments are not the only reason people burn pellets. I like burning them for atmosphere BUT I don't care about renewable resources, the Saudi conspiracy or alien Lizzard Men. If oil goes down another twenty cents or so I'll be burning it too. My oil baseboard hot water is a more even and quiet heat than my pellets. If US oil production slows due to the Saudi conspiracy guess what? The price will go back up and when economic conditions dictate US wells will restart and the price will go down again. You burn for your reasons, I burn for mine. Room for all philosophies. Chill.

 

[bogieb]

burn oil, it's cheaper and heats your house better $2.19 is cheaper than Ct oil prices

Well, once I buy a boiler capable of burning oil, find a place in the basement to put said boiler (guess I would be down to being able to store only 1 ton of pellets down there), run the lines and get an oil tank (to go next to my propane tank), I guess I might. But by then, the oil prices would be back up there, so I guess I won't.

 

[chken]

Uh-oh, my expensive oil company filled up my tank and it was $2.079 a gallon Oil heats the bedrooms. I was expecting them to be 40 cents higher just looking at the pricing data for my area. Now, I'm pretty much at breakeven, since my pellets cost me $239 a ton, free delivery. I'm going to keep burning the 3+ tons in the basement, but wow, I'm impressed.

 

[Wilbur Feral]

While I can't totally disagree with you, your sentiments are not the only reason people burn pellets. I like burning them for atmosphere BUT I don't care about renewable resources, the Saudi conspiracy or alien Lizzard Men. If oil goes down another twenty cents or so I'll be burning it too. My oil baseboard hot water is a more even and quiet heat than my pellets. If US oil production slows due to the Saudi conspiracy guess what? The price will go back up and when economic conditions dictate US wells will restart and the price will go down again. You burn for your reasons, I burn for mine. Room for all philosophies. Chill.

Didn't say they were. Perhaps I should have said "some" rather than "most". And the Saudi thing is hardly a "conspiracy" in the way you reference it. They've been rather open about it. This temporary drop in oil prices, while convenient in some ways, does us few favors in the long run.

Oh, and btw, if I told you to "chill" every time you made some right wing comment, I'd wear out those letters on multiple devices. I realize you just hate the word "renewable", about as much as I hate the idea of burning even more oil. I will just never understand how anyone so obviously intelligent can not see that, but I guess we all have blind spots.

 

[roadking88]

where in maine did you get oil for that price??? i got some friday at 2.19/ cash energy...they are probably the cheapest around here..

 

[woodmakesheat]

Didn't say they were. Perhaps I should have said "some" rather than "most". And the Saudi thing is hardly a "conspiracy" in the way you reference it. They've been rather open about it. This temporary drop in oil prices, while convenient in some ways, does us few favors in the long run.

Oh, and btw, if I told you to "chill" every time you made some right wing comment, I'd wear out those letters on multiple devices. I realize you just hate the word "renewable", about as much as I hate the idea of burning even more oil. I will just never understand how anyone so obviously intelligent can not see that, but I guess we all have blind spots.

Wish I could like a post multiple times.

Uh-oh, my expensive oil company filled up my tank and it was $2.079 a gallon

Man, I am jealous. My "expensive" oil company is charging $2.549 and the lowest possible is $2.249 in this area. I'm still hating on oil. Heating with $2.999 oil now since my daughter is visiting, which is OK as I'd like to be able to get at least a minimum delivery (and try one of these low-cost sources as I've been with my current rip-off company for 26 years and I'm sick and tired of them) this year as I don't trust prices not to rise by next heating season.

 

[F4jock]

Didn't say they were. Perhaps I should have said "some" rather than "most". And the Saudi thing is hardly a "conspiracy" in the way you reference it. They've been rather open about it. This temporary drop in oil prices, while convenient in some ways, does us few favors in the long run.

Oh, and btw, if I told you to "chill" every time you made some right wing comment, I'd wear out those letters on multiple devices. I realize you just hate the word "renewable", about as much as I hate the idea of burning even more oil. I will just never understand how anyone so obviously intelligent can not see that, but I guess we all have blind spots.

Notice I used the word "conspiracy" in quotes implying I don't believe it.

I don't hate the word "renewable" just the context in which it is used. I would much rather use a "renewable" resource without a progressive gun of shame being held to my head. (You called me right wing, turn about is fair play.) I don't believe in global warming, climate change, drowning Polar Bears and freebies for all. There is as much valid science and economics to dispute those points as there is to aver them and as intelligent as you are I'm surprised you don't see that. BTW ExxonMobil paid an effective tax Federal tax rate of 40% last year while two years or so ago GE, the darling of my President because the CEO is a best buddy, paid nothing. Amazing how much of that horrible oil money comes back to us.

The earth will exist in some form or other until it's swallowed up by the sun or hit by an asteroid so "saving" it is not a question. There have been at least six major changes in climate well before the industrial revolution. How do you explain them? Did T-Rex drive SUVs? How will using renewable resources change variation s in the earth's magnetic field or the sun's perturbations? Humans will either adapt or become extinct as many other species have down through time. Sucks to be us.

Once again, I have no objections to your political or environmental leanings or beliefs, all I want is the courtesy to not be vilified or preached at for mine and to have that courtesy extended to others and to not be forced to comply with or adopt your lifestyle any more than you should adopt mine.