Softwood Verses Hardwood pellets

[nh1234]

OK..SOOOOO..always thought hardwood was better than softwood from a firewood perspective..after reading stuff about pellets here it seems softwood burns hotter?? Have been using Vermont pellets and they seemed to generate good heat but burned dirty.
Flame really does not look bad (M55 Insert). Adjusted the damper with magahelic guage but still would get black soot on window. Got better after I adjust damper but still some black soot. Started Using Greene Team hardwood yesterday and now a lot less window clouding and a lot less soot. Always looking for input..not really a question in all of this just rambling. I guess I am looking for the fact or opinions on softwood verses hardwood and does softwood normally burn dirtier than hardwood by nature??n Keep in mind that I am aware that the M55 in general does not have the greatest air wash system and that has been discussed here. Just curious about the hardwood softwood comparisons. Thanks for any input.

 

[Bigjim13]

I started the season with 2 tons of Vermont's. They burned pretty well, heat output was decent. After going through those 2 tons I grabbed a ton of Northern Bear Necessities, a hardwood from Canada made by Lauzon, same as either Cubex or energex, can't remember which. The one BIG difference I have noticed is that the Northerns seem to last longer. I went through 6 bags this weekend which given the temps I didn't think was to bad. The Vermont's don't seem to last as long running my stove on the same settings.

I actually posted a question about this and was told that the NOrthern's are denser than the Vermont's and that could account for the difference in burn time. I did notice also that they (the Vermont's) seem to burn a bit dirtier also.

 

[nh1234]

great..starting to get some input on this..burning wood in general hardwood does burn longer..seems then that the better choice from a amont used standpoint would be hardwood??? looking forward to all of the input this discussion should generate. Thanks for yours.

 

[ChrisWNY]

I think there are varying schools of thought when it comes to hardwood vs. softwood pellets. A pellet stove doesn't know which type of pellet you're burning, the feed rate is consistent regardless of pellet type, that is, of course, unless you adjust your feed rates manually (which I do not). After buying both hardwood and softwood pellets, I can't really say that one is better than the other. Both seem to produce equivalent amounts of ash, and one does not appear to burn hotter than another. I've had varying amounts of heat within the same batch/same brand of pellets, one bag tends to differ from another. In general, I can't tell the difference.

Hardwood is preferred in wood burners because it burns more slowly for longer periods of time - it's more dense therefore a hardwood log takes longer to burn than softwood; softwoods burn more quickly but hotter because of the presence of oils in the wood. Pellets are compressed/compacted when they are milled, I'm guessing it's possible to produce a longer-burning softwood pellet during the milling process if the pellets are compressed with more force, making them denser.

 

[nh1234]

Great input..maybe a combination of hardwood and softwood mixed to make pellets?? Would be interesting. I wonder how many people strongly prefer one over the other and why. I find it very hard to discern which is the better pellet of any type. Differences in stoves and in batches of pellets is unbelievable from year to year. It is easier to look thru here and learn which are the "junk" pellets. Well this is a discussion forum so it is always nice to gather up ALL opinions.

 

[SXIPro]

Personally I've always experienced softwoods to provide much better heat. But I too believe they burn quicker as well. So I guess that is the trade off. I prefer to be able to crank up the heat and warm up the house quickly, and that is more easily achieved in my house, with my Harman insert with softwood. Vermonts are the hottest I have burned thus far in my 10 or so years of pellet burning. Very low ash as well.

 

[jtakeman]

Lots of posts on that here.

I am for the one that cranks the most heat. I'm finding its taking density, low moisture and size of the pellet to get the most in my stove. When the size/density is close to equal the softwoods do seem to have a slight edge. Both are good and both work just fine.

I would be more concerned on how the pellet burns in your stove than what there made out of.

 

[EZsteve]

what is Stove chow? hard or soft?

 

[jtakeman]

what is Stove chow? hard or soft?

We really don't know for sure. But I am thinking blend just like the Energex CA green bag pellets.

 

[ChrisWNY]

I'm fairly sure Stove Chow is a blend of both hardwoods and softwoods. I've found that Pennington's Nature's Heat (even though the bag says "mixed") appears to be mostly hardwood - in fact, a bunch of bags in a batch that I bought had a strong cherry smell to them, so I think the pellets were made of cherry wood saw dust, they don't burn quite as hot as the Stove Chows, but they burn very clean.

 

[EZsteve]

I'm fairly sure Stove Chow is a blend of both hardwoods and softwoods. I've found that Pennington's Nature's Heat (even though the bag says "mixed") appears to be mostly hardwood - in fact, a bunch of bags in a batch that I bought had a strong cherry smell to them, so I think the pellets were made of cherry wood saw dust, they don't burn quite as hot as the Stove Chows, but they burn very clean.

I think that my Stove chow smells like cedar after it gets warm in the hopper. :-/ Anyone else?

 

[The Radiator]

I thought the softwoods were better from what I read here. After finishing the okies I had my opinion is changed. I am burning Hamers right now on a lower stove setting with the same heat output. I had just as much ash from the oakies as from most other pellets I have burnt. Hardwood-softwood who cares. How much heat does it put off and how long do they last. Keep the ash low and the burn is good.

 

[www_godzilla]

It's a person preference. Both are good. I have Maine Woods pellets. They are a combination of 80% hardwood and 20% softwood. They burn very good and I am quite pleased with them.

 

[nh1234]

GREAT discusion..I did not realize that some pellets are a blend of hard and softwood. Always lots to learn. Appreciate all of the input on this. There is always lots to consider when making pellet choices. Price, Ash content, heat output, burn rate, how clean they burn..how your stove handles varying pellet lenghts, moisture content even odor can play a roll in the choice. And to top it all off these things can vary with the same manufacturer from batch to batch and year to year. This forum plays a role in determining which might be the best at any given time. Oh yes, and then there is the human side..multiple opinions based on use and personal preference. Lots of fun to be had by all.

 

[jtakeman]

To review a pellet fairly. Personal preference and opinion should be set aside.

 

[ChrisWNY]

True, pellets can be judged objectively, such as the water test, where you drop a pellet in the water to find out if there are foreign materials or chemical binders used. Additionally, the amount of fines (dust) in a 40 lb. bag is another way of measuring the quality of a pellet. At least there is more information out there about this, so in a way it forces pellet manufacturers to adhere to standards because the public is smarter as a result of being more informed. My parents have owned a pellet stove (Jamestown "Baby Bear") for nearly 16 years now, and I remember some really horrible pellets that would cost them many more hours of cleaning grief. These days, even some of the worst pellets are better than the crap that used to be marketed in the mid 90s.

 

[AVIVIII]

This past, cold, weekend, I burned Vermonts exclusively and just let the stove CRANK. Gave iy a 'quick clean' last night (Scraped burn pot and heat exchanger, cleaned glass, brushed sides and bottom of the inside) and I have to say that it wasn't very dirty at all. The glass cleaned easily with a quick wipe with a damp rag, no black soot anywhere and the fines trap was way less full than with the Okanagans (that I love dearly as well).

While personal preference and opinion should be set aside, when it comes down to two pellets that I really like for the same price, I'd rather get them from Vermont than Western Canada.

 

[jtakeman]

While personal preference and opinion should be set aside, when it comes down to two pellets that I really like for the same price, I'd rather get them from Vermont than Western Canada.

For your personal use, And a general review. Ok that works. But I sense a wee bit of biasedness!

 

[AVIVIII]

For your personal use, And a general review. Ok that works. But I sense a wee bit of biasedness!

Well, can I use "being Green" as an excuse?

I am biased, but I'm a GD Yankee and I prefer things that are made by other GD Yankees!

 

[Bigjim13]

For your personal use, And a general review. Ok that works. But I sense a wee bit of biasedness!

Well, can I use "being Green" as an excuse?

I am biased, but I'm a GD Yankee and I prefer things that are made by other GD Yankees!

I like the Vermont's alot! They burn fast though, that's my one complaint about them. I do love the fresh pine smell that comes from their bag though!

 

[DAKSY]

We find in our showrooms, that the softwood pellets burn just as hot & the Harman carbon build-up
(or "Speed Bump") - where the auger feeds the pellets into the burn pot is smaller than what's left
by the hardwood pellets & the flyash seems to be less...
We're burning Clear Choice pellets of both varieties, put out by American BioMass...

 

[jtakeman]

For your personal use, And a general review. Ok that works. But I sense a wee bit of biasedness!

Well, can I use "being Green" as an excuse?

I am biased, but I'm a GD Yankee and I prefer things that are made by other GD Yankees!

And Life is too short for cheap beer and crappy pellets! I am also pulling for them. How many softwood mills do we have in New England? 1, Vermont Wood Pellets. How could I not pull for them.