Redstone eco bricks

[georgepds]

Old news for everyone here. But.. I just got some Redstone eco bricks from tractor supply ( the store is on the way home from work). So far, I use one at a time with 3 wood splits

My experience is they burn very well. One downside is the mess. Just touch the things and they shed wood shavings

We are using a little more wood this year, since my wife is now home full time, so I thought I’d supplement

Anyone buy these things by the pallet from tractor supply?

 

[begreen]

If they shed easily that's probably a sign of lower compression. The BioBricks I tested were pretty solid.

 

[Bushels20]

Just last week I bought the TSC brand and experienced the same thing. Burnt well, extended my burn times etc. but they did shed saw dust. I bought 4 packs of 6 at $3.49 a pack. Went through them quickly as I was experimenting.

My reading on here led me to believe there are better products out there and I would not order a pallet of the TSC brand. That said; I’m not sure I would ever order a pallet to begin with since I am plenty set on fire wood. My goal is to only extend burn times on the coldest of nights.

 

[MAD MARK]

Only reason I've thought about ordering a pallet is so the wife can chuck in 3 or 4 at a time quickly.

She likes to cross stack wood in the stove and that can get out of hand quickly.

I've read on here the one guy was burning the whole pack, plastic and all because of how the edges crumble a little.

 

[Bushels20]

Only reason I've thought about ordering a pallet is so the wife can chuck in 3 or 4 at a time quickly.

She likes to cross stack wood in the stove and that can get out of hand quickly.

I've read on here the one guy was burning the whole pack, plastic and all because of how the edges crumble a little.

It’s obviously bad practice, but I wonder if burning the whole pack hurts anything? Not anything I would do but sure is convenient.

 

[MAD MARK]

It’s obviously bad practice, but I wonder if burning the whole pack hurts anything? Not anything I would do but sure is convenient.

Shouldn't hurt a non cat stove and that would be the best way of packing in tightly.

 

[Bushels20]

Shouldn't hurt a non cat stove and that would be the best way of packing in tightly.

That was my thought. Not anything I will try, but good for him I suppose. I would rather be safe and clean up a little saw dust.

Good point on having a pallet for the wife. My wife is reluctant to load the insert unless I make it (very) convenient. That would solve the issue!

 

[Kevin Weis]

I just bought a pack of three last night on the way home from work at TSC as well. Guess great minds think alike. Haven't tried one yet but noticed they had cracks already in the package so figured they weren't compressed all that well. Kevin

 

[Ricknasty]

I like them but frig are they expensive. 4$ for a 6 pack thats 20 lbs. I can get "volunteer firebrick" brand at menards for $2.19 a 6 pack thats 21 lbs and they burn just the same far as i can tell, and sometimes Menards will have the 11% rebate going on too

 

[MAD MARK]

Yes expensive there.

I buy the Gren brand from Rural King here. $4.49 for 40 pounds in 20 blocks. Little smaller but I usually build smaller fires.

 

[drstorm]

TSC used to have them in 6 packs.They were less likely to shed sawdust and were much easier to handle.Not sure why they don't sell them anymore.

 

[MAD MARK]

TSC used to have them in 6 packs.They were less likely to shed sawdust and were much easier to handle.Not sure why they don't sell them anymore.

They do. They sell the larger 3 pack bricks. Or the smaller 6 pack bricks. I think one package was 20 pounds other is 21.

 

[weatherguy]

They do. They sell the larger 3 pack bricks. Or the smaller 6 pack bricks. I think one package was 20 pounds other is 21.

Depends on the location, some do, some don't, I buy them when they're on sale, I think its a buck cheaper on sale.

 

[MAD MARK]

Depends on the location, some do, some don't, I buy them when they're on sale, I think its a buck cheaper on sale.

Correct

TSC sells both sizes.

Whether or not both sizes are available at your location is up to the store.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

This week I tried them for the 1st time. Lady is allergic for the fungi we have in our oak trees. So in the small stove upstairs I burn them. They burn well and produce a lot of heat. Our local TS only carry the 3 in a pack now for 3.49. Got 20 packs yesterday.

 

[weatherguy]

They're not as good as presto logs or NIEL's but if you need a little extra heat or your wood is not totally dry they work great. They go on sale often but if you see a sale you best get to the store quick because they sell out.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

They're not as good as presto logs or NIEL's but if you need a little extra heat or your wood is not totally dry they work great. They go on sale often but if you see a sale you best get to the store quick because they sell out.

Presto and NIELS are not available here, neither are the Ecobricks.

 

[Mike.O]

Just got some BioBricks. A pallet of the XL ones.

My wood is not ideal with adding our second our second stove, were flying through it.

Add 2 XL bricks to the very top of a full load, let it rip for 20 minutes, shut down air. The bricks take off and keep things hot and the secondaries going. 4 bricks a day, so a pallet will do 150 days. Without them I don't think I could get through the winter.

Not sure the cost of the pallet at TS, but the biobricks can be gotten in the northeast for 260 a pallet of the regular or 290 for the XL.

 

[MAD MARK]

There is a local place that does the Enviro Bricks for $175 shipped within 15 miles. They are medium sized.

 

[therealdbeau]

My TSC stores only carry the large 3 brick packs. I like them but they really are too expensive @ $4 per 20lb pack. That'd be ~$400 for a ton. 1 ton = approx 18million BTUs. 1 cord of oak = approx 24million BTUs.

I just checked and they're going for $3.49 right now. Even so $350 for essentially a cord of soft maple or cottonwood. That's a lot of money to pay for convenience.

They are great for overnight burns though. They burn a long time and very little ash. They can get out of control though and they expand so you don't really want to pack them in too tight that they might hit the secondary tubes and such.

 

[SpaceBus]

I live near a Hammond Lumber/EBS that carries the Envirowood briquettes. Does anyone have experience with them? I really wish I could get the Niels or the log style compressed blocks. There is also a TSC within an hour. I would like to pick up a pallet of some kind of compressed wood bricks as I'm running out of seasoned wood and I don't know if the rest of my wood is going to be that great. First season woes... A soot water will also be ordered soon!

 

[georgepds]

I bought some bio bricks at a local store. They are denser than the tractor supply eco bricks.. 58 vs 51 lbs/ft^3

Have not tried them yet, so I don't know if they shed less.

Each pack weighed less than labelled. Where is the bureau of weights and measure when you need them?

The eco bricks came in a 3 pack and weighed 19 pounds( nominal 20). The pack measured 16 x10 x4" or 0.37 ft^3... 51.3 lbs/ft ^3

The bio bricks came in a pack of 20 and weighed 37.3 pounds( nominal 40 ) The pack measured 16x10x18.5 " or 1.713 ft^3...58 lbs /ft^3

Cost for 20 pack of bio bricks was $9 .. 24 cents per pound. This drops to $7 per pack if I buy a pallet... 18 cents per pound

Cost for 3 pack of eco bricks was $3.49. ... 18 cents per pound

On a price per pound basis, the tractor supply eco bricks are a better buy in small lots


A chord of wood weighs about 2 tons ,4000 pounds. At $300/ chord, that's 7.5 cents per pound. Wood is the better buy.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

I bought some bio bricks at a local store. They are denser than the tractor supply eco bricks.. 58 vs 51 lbs/ft^3

Have not tried them yet, so I don't know if they shed less.

Each pack weighed less than labelled. Where is the bureau of weights and measure when you need them?

The eco bricks came in a 3 pack and weighed 19 pounds( nominal 20). The pack measured 16 x10 x4" or 0.37 ft^3... 51.3 lbs/ft ^3

The bio bricks came in a pack of 20 and weighed 37.3 pounds( nominal 40 ) The pack measured 16x10x18.5 " or 1.713 ft^3...58 lbs /ft^3

Cost for 20 pack of bio bricks was $9 .. 24 cents per pound. This drops to $7 per pack if I buy a pallet... 18 cents per pound

Cost for 3 pack of eco bricks was $3.49. ... 18 cents per pound

On a price per pound basis, the tractor supply eco bricks are a better buy in small lots


A chord of wood weighs about 2 tons ,2000 pounds. At $300/ chord, that's 15 cents per pound. Wood is the better buy, but not by much

Where did you buy the bio bricks? Location?

 

[georgepds]

http://originalbiobricks.com/buy

 

[georgepds]

If you use my rough numbers, a chord of wood is 4000 pounds and cost ~ $300

A pallet of bio bricks is 2000 pounds, and costs ~$350

Bio bricks might burn better, because of lower moisture content, but it's hard to imagine that they are twice as good

Anyone seen some tests that compare the two?


Might be worth the cost at the end of the season if you run out of wood. But if you use the above numbers, it's like paying $700 a chord.


........ I'd rather freeze


Maybe my weight of wood per chord is off. Wood weighs anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds per ft^3. A chord is 128 ft^3, so a chord weighs from 3840 to 6400 lbs. Let's say it has a packing factor of 50%... That puts it 1900 to 3200 pounds per chord. At the lower weight per chord bio bricks are more reasonable in comparison