Same Pellet, Two Different Bags, Very Different pricing?????

[Nick Sterner]

I'm brand new to burning wood pellets so many of you may already know this..... I have now burned 2 tons of Curran Blend pellets which I am getting through a wholesale guy near my town. His price was reasonable and I thought I was getting a better pellet for the money compared to what you buy at the box stores.
I stopped over to a friends house the other day who also burns pellets and gets his from Home Depot. I noticed that the address on the bag was the same as my Curran? His bag was labeled North American Pellets. I decided to call Curran and ask what the deal was. They said yes that those are their pellets and that it is the store brand bagging for Home Depot. Not a big deal since I was only paying $5.00 more a ton through my wholesale guy, but it got me thinking that there may be much more of this happening than we realize? I know of a local fuel company in my area selling Curran Pellets and their price is $35.00 more a ton than Home Depot and they told me that their pellet is much better than what I can buy at the box stores! I didn't call the girl out on it since she is only telling people what she's been told to say, but I just don't think its right to lead people on that they're getting a better product than they really are!
I'm curious to know if any of you know about other pellet manufactures doing the same thing?

Thanks
Nick

 

[Hoot23]

Maine Wood Pellets and Energex have different bags. There are a few more out there as well.

 

[Nick Sterner]

Maine Wood Pellets and Energex have different bags. There are a few more out there as well.

Do you know what their other bags are?

 

[Hoot23]

Energex does Fireside Ultra. Cubex does Northern. Maine woods just has two different bags going. They still have the MWP on the top.

 

[johneh]

Cubex, Northern, and Comfort.
All from Lauzon Ind. Papineauville Quebec Canada.
There raw material is from there hardwood flooring operation

 

[Hoot23]

I couldn't think of the Comfort. My dealer is selling the Northern for $285 and the Comfort for $255. Same stuff!

 

[iceguy4]

Think you're confused now...wait till you see the VASTLY different reviews you will see from different members of this forum about the same pellet!!

 

[jim3854]

Green supreme is new england wood pellets

 

[Tonyray]

Green supreme is new england wood pellets

Energex distributes HD Stove Chows...
side note: Energex premium hardwoods are almost half as long as they were few months ago.
I am going thru a bag lot faster than the free ton I got few months ago..
Can't believe I'm saying this but, The Chows are burning hotter, and bag is lasting longer.
Chows are longer in size than the Energex...
have a ton of each in my basement and thinking about using the Energex for shoulder season and the Chows for the real cold.... chows 229.00/ Energex 259.00..
Didn't start out that way as This should be the opposite but those damn Home Depot Chows really crank out the heat.
only downside is lot of ash but I clean the stove thorough 7-10 days out..

 

[Hoot23]

I just picked up two bags of the Energex green bag. I think it's a 60/40 blend. Gonna see how they burn tonight. It's gone be cold.

 

[Tonyray]

I just picked up two bags of the Energex green bag. I think it's a 60/40 blend. Gonna see how they burn tonight. It's gone be cold.

Let me know how they work out for you..
green bag is correct........not getting very long out of a bag as they appear lot shorter than previous..
but, depending on house layout, insulation etc, mileage may vary....
P61A also..

 

[Hoot23]

The LaCretes I'm burning are very small also and I'm getting 14-15 hours when it's real cold. House stays at 73.

 

[Hoot23]

Here's the Cretes

 

[Tonyray]

The LaCretes I'm burning are very small also and I'm getting 14-15 hours when it's real cold. House stays at 73.

that's good..
Have a poorly insulated 90 yr old house....
12hrs max for me with the Energex...feed rate 3/ room temp manual/ set at 70...
keeping things around 72 degrees..
Note:
my ton of Energex pellets look like the smaller sizes in your picture..
the Free ton I got in November looked like the longer pellets in your pix.
Chows are the longer pellets.

 

[railfanron]

Pro Pellets and Magic Spark are the same and Fiber by Products say they fill several other private label bags.
Ron

 

[DBNH22]

Energex does Fireside Ultra. Cubex does Northern. Maine woods just has two different bags going. They still have the MWP on the top.

I've actually been burning MWP blend almost exclusively this year. I had been buying some from a local hardware store where they were $250 a ton but a very low flat rate delivery fee. Lately I've been buying the MWP from Home Depot because the are only $219 a ton. There's a HD down the street from where I work so I run out a few times a week during lunch, grab 10-15 bags and throw them in the car. No delivery fee and it gives me an excuse to stretch my legs and move around a little during the day. the hardware store and Home Depot have different bags for the MWP blend. I called MWP to enquire and was told that it is the exact same pellet. I think tractor Supply also carries the MWP blend and uses a different third type of bag but I can't verify this as I have never bought from them.

I have both bags at home and will post pictures of them on here if anyone is interested in seeing what they look like.

 

[Hoot23]

I've only seen the two bags for the blend. TSC does sell the MWP. The third might be the MWP softies.

 

[DBNH22]

I've only seen the two bags for the blend. TSC does sell the MWP. The third might be the MWP softies.

Do you know what the bag looks like that TSC uses to sell the MWP blend?

 

[Hoot23]

I think it's a white bag that Premium Wood Pellets. Walmart has the same bag. And there's a green MWP on the bottom.

 

[DBNH22]

I think it's a white bag that Premium Wood Pellets. Walmart has the same bag. And there's a green MWP on the bottom.

If I don't get to it tonight I'll post the pics of the two different bags I have for the MWP at home tomorrow. I'm curious if they are the same bags that TSc and Walmart use. I have tried to find the MWP softies to try out but have not been able to find them here in southern NH.

 

[Hoot23]

If I don't get to it tonight I'll post the pics of the two different bags I have for the MWP at home tomorrow. I'm curious if they are the same bags that TSc and Walmart use. I have tried to find the MWP softies to try out but have not been able to find them here in southern NH.

Great Works Biofuels in Berwick carries them. $259 a ton

 

[Hoot23]

I let stove run dry of the LaCretes last and I dumped a bag of Energex in at 10:15. I'm gonna be lucky to get 9.5-10 hours out of a bag.


That's what's left in the hopper. The temps are about the same. Just a 1 degree difference on my weather station. The ash isn't to bad either, I would have to burn a whole ton to verify that. But I would have to burn almost 2.5 bags a day to hold the house at this temp. That would put me at at 6 ton of a low grade pellet a year instead of 4.5-5 of of super premium pellet.

Energex- 6 ton @$239= $1434
LaCrete- 5 ton @$280=$1400

Not much difference in price, but I don't have to move that extra ton of pellets.