I enjoy reading all the threads about pellets here, moslty becasue it gives me a snap shot of what is currently good for when my current pellets turn to crap i know what to look for. The funny thing about pellets and brands, is they change from batch to batch. The pellet manufactures like to buy raw materials from consistant sources, but these sources dry up and they have to look elsewhere.
A good example is this. From about 1998-2004 i was a eureka dealer. I only sold eureka's and they where a damn fine pellet. Consistancy was awesome, very few fines, and a very dense pellet. This is when they only had one manufacturing facility open. Then around 2004 they got a home depot contract. They started shipping pellets via rail car. The demand shot up so high for eureka that they had to source out new raw materials. These new materials did not bind as well, or burn as well as the original pellet. We droped them and started looking for a new pellet.
2005 Pennington seed. OK pellet, nothing special. used it for fill in orders.
2005 Calentitos form mountain taylor machine in new mexico. Fanstatic pellet for two strait years. The building industry dried up, they had to source out different material, there pellet went to crap.
2007 Tiny Timbers, moutain taylor's new pellet. These where a decent pellet, no where near the original quality of calentitos, but consistant.
2007 and 2008 was strange years for pellets in the west. Beetle kill was everywhere, and small pellet mills starting popping up. This was great news for us becasue our shipping cost was cut way down. We picked up a semi local brand from confluence energy out of kremling CO. This was one of the first mills out here in Colorado. They where using beetle kill pine for raw goods. From a manufacturing standpoint, this seems like it would be a epic find. Consistant materials, and lots of it. The problem is, that there raw material was not cleanded very well, and there processing just didnt cut it. The pellets where full of dirt, fines, etc and messed up plenty of stoves in the front range. (by jamming the auger). We then got hooked up with a newer mill out in walden colorado working under the rocky mountain pellet brand name. Cool clear bag with handles, good price, and fanstastic product. Same raw material as confluence, but much better end product, as matter of fact i would put these pellets up against any pellet i have sold in the past. So all that we can hope for, is that the raw material stays consistant (double edged sword! i want my trees!) and there processing stays consistant. Other wise next year we might be reading how crappy rocky mountain pellets are.
I guess my long winded point is, one pellet one year might suck and be great the next, and a great pellet can turn to crap as soon as the raw material runs out. Buyer be ware on buying alot of stock of any pellets. Always buy a few bags before you buy a ton, and always confirm (if you can) that the ton came from the same batch as the bags you bought. Dont assume that the bad ass pellet you got in 2009 will rock the house in 2010.
A good example is this. From about 1998-2004 i was a eureka dealer. I only sold eureka's and they where a damn fine pellet. Consistancy was awesome, very few fines, and a very dense pellet. This is when they only had one manufacturing facility open. Then around 2004 they got a home depot contract. They started shipping pellets via rail car. The demand shot up so high for eureka that they had to source out new raw materials. These new materials did not bind as well, or burn as well as the original pellet. We droped them and started looking for a new pellet.
2005 Pennington seed. OK pellet, nothing special. used it for fill in orders.
2005 Calentitos form mountain taylor machine in new mexico. Fanstatic pellet for two strait years. The building industry dried up, they had to source out different material, there pellet went to crap.
2007 Tiny Timbers, moutain taylor's new pellet. These where a decent pellet, no where near the original quality of calentitos, but consistant.
2007 and 2008 was strange years for pellets in the west. Beetle kill was everywhere, and small pellet mills starting popping up. This was great news for us becasue our shipping cost was cut way down. We picked up a semi local brand from confluence energy out of kremling CO. This was one of the first mills out here in Colorado. They where using beetle kill pine for raw goods. From a manufacturing standpoint, this seems like it would be a epic find. Consistant materials, and lots of it. The problem is, that there raw material was not cleanded very well, and there processing just didnt cut it. The pellets where full of dirt, fines, etc and messed up plenty of stoves in the front range. (by jamming the auger). We then got hooked up with a newer mill out in walden colorado working under the rocky mountain pellet brand name. Cool clear bag with handles, good price, and fanstastic product. Same raw material as confluence, but much better end product, as matter of fact i would put these pellets up against any pellet i have sold in the past. So all that we can hope for, is that the raw material stays consistant (double edged sword! i want my trees!) and there processing stays consistant. Other wise next year we might be reading how crappy rocky mountain pellets are.
I guess my long winded point is, one pellet one year might suck and be great the next, and a great pellet can turn to crap as soon as the raw material runs out. Buyer be ware on buying alot of stock of any pellets. Always buy a few bags before you buy a ton, and always confirm (if you can) that the ton came from the same batch as the bags you bought. Dont assume that the bad ass pellet you got in 2009 will rock the house in 2010.
