Midwest (OH, IL, IN, WI, MI, IA) Southeast WI. Pellet sources.

[Rivet]

Newbie here, so please excuse and correct any ignorant statements that I might make. Thank you!

I was beginning to explore my options for purchasing bulk, (loose, unbagged) pellets in our area. I’m finding locations such as Risely Pellet Solutions in Monticello and Badgerland Pellets in Sheboygan Falls as actual pellet manufacturers, as well as the more well known names of Marathon and Indeck, which appear to be both manufacturers AND packagers/distributors, as we are all familiar with the Marth and Indeck names on the bags themselves.
Does anyone have any knowledge or information as to if brands such as Uncle Jeds and Dejnos are obtaining product from a manufacturer and packaging it in their brand name bag, or are they manufacturers as well?

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Dejno makes their own pellets. I don't think they can be purchased in bulk per se, but they do sell to retail customers by the semi load -- I think that's 22 tons (bagged) IIRC. They may also sell by half trailer loads -- you can reach them easily by googling them to get a quote. They make a very good quality pellet, better than Marth or Indeck IMO. Of course there are many retail outlets where you can buy them by the bag or pallet.

Uncle Jeds is the house brand of Earth Sense in Dale, Wis. The softwoods are rebagged Canadian pellets, LaCrete I think. They used to sell an Uncle Jeds hardwood pellet that was a pretty good oak pellet. I had the good fortune to be gifted a ton several years ago.

I don't believe Risley or Badgerland manufactures pellets. Lumberjack up in Hayward, Hay Creek in Pittsville both make pellets, as well as Vulcan Wood products in Norway, Mich., just over the Wisconsin border (I think they're still in business). I'd choose Marth or Indeck over all of them, and definitely Dejno's. If you happen to find Pro Pellets or Magic Spark pellets at Menards or another retailer, buy those with confidence.

Where in southeast Wisconsin are you? A couple of reliable pellet specialty dealers will deliver, Olsen in Deerfield and Wisconsin Pellet Distribution in Iron Ridge. I've bought Somersets numerous times from WPD, and Jeff also sells Heartland Softwoods. Both are excellent heat producers.

 

[Rivet]

Oh my,…Thank you, thank you!!
That is a better response that I could have hoped for.
I purchased a pallet of Dejnos softwood blend a few weeks ago from Fleet Farm at 6 bucks a bag hoping to beat the late fall/early winter sellout but now I see they are on sale for 5.50.
I was leaning toward the Dejnos so I thought maybe I could save by driving down to Kenosha and picking them up there. I had found a web page were they offered Saturday morning pick up with a picture of a bunch of high school aged boys to load individual bags. I have the means to haul a couple of full pallets but I was looking for the option and cost savings possibly of the loose bagged option also.
Anybody here pick up directly from Dejnos?

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

The Dejno hardwoods have some pine content, judging from the pitchy smell they give off. I have tried the softwoods and found the higher price unwarranted, but I'm burning a big Harman unit with a huge ash pan. Maybe the lower ash content makes them justifiable.
I've known a few people who have the space to buy a truckload and resell the surplus skids to friends and neighbors. Check their website -- it provides contact info.

My local Tractor Supply in Watertown is selling a decent Canadian pellet called Bio Power. Similar to Dejnos in that they're sold as hardwood but are really a softwood blend, I believe. TSC usually has an early buy program in July that is a good deal.

I recently loaded up with Marth and Indeck pellets from Menards during their 11% rebate sale, $5.33 per bag after rebate.

What kind of stove do you have?

 

[Rivet]

I have an older Countryflame Harvester.
I have thought about hauling extra skids to resell for extra cost savings but I would be afraid of getting stuck with a bunch of extra pellets that I couldn’t use as it seems as though people’s pellet preferences can change as quickly as the weather in Wisconsin!
But as I mentioned before, I wanted to explore the options of purchasing loose/unbagged pellets. I imagine any distributor would want to sell at least 10 or 20 ton in that fashion, (or if they would offer that option at all,) and then the price would have to be so much cheaper than the 250-300 dollar range to make it worth the extra hassle of reselling the surplus to friends and neighbors. All the plastic bags are such a waste!