This years stove chow

[RDay]

Light in color compared to last years....much less ash.
Burns hot.
Englander 25pdvc

 

[jjones139]

Light in color compared to last years....much less ash.
Burns hot.
Englander 25pdvc

I agree! I didn't care for them last season, but this year I picked up a few bags to try and.... WOW! It's a shame that some brands change from year to year!

 

[Tonyray]

I agree! I didn't care for them last season, but this year I picked up a few bags to try and.... WOW! It's a shame that some brands change from year to year!

Made and distributed by Energex here in Pa..
Hard to believe they have less ash...
always left a mountain of it as I burned a couple tons 2 yrs ago.

 

[scotthershall]

Performance this year seems similar to last year, that is, pretty good especially considering the price.

Had the stove cranked last nice since the front door was open for trick-or-treaters. My magnetic wood stove thermometer on the top right of the door topped out around 350 (didn't take a convection air reading with my IR gun).

I did manage to find some bags of Hamer's for what I considered a reasonable price ($6/ea) so I bought six to test out when it gets cooler. But for the performance I'm seeing from the Stove Chows this year, the performance of the Hamer's will have to be considerably better for me to switch.

 

[bschrager]

Limited use in past years but I am finding them to be cleaner and they burn extremely hot

 

[Tonyray]

Performance this year seems similar to last year, that is, pretty good especially considering the price.

Had the stove cranked last nice since the front door was open for trick-or-treaters. My magnetic wood stove thermometer on the top right of the door topped out around 350 (didn't take a convection air reading with my IR gun).

I did manage to find some bags of Hamer's for what I considered a reasonable price ($6/ea) so I bought six to test out when it gets cooler. But for the performance I'm seeing from the Stove Chows this year, the performance of the Hamer's will have to be considerably better for me to switch.

I don't think there is a pellet brand made that doesn't provide plenty of heat during the shoulder season right now..
and that includes Box store stuff. Real test will be when temps drop to real winter..

 

[sweets]

Light in color compared to last years....much less ash.
Burns hot.
Englander 25pdvc

Yes good pellets this year.....

 

[sandpipe]

I got a ton of the Chow at HD in W. Mass. Burns clean but compared to HD's other brand-- Fireside Ultra, the Chow seem to have aprox.twice as much ash. Not a problem when I'm burning 1 bag or less a day but when I am burning 3-4 a day I would not want to have to deal with the excessive ash. Maybe I got last years Chow and this years is better?

 

[Tonyray]

I got a ton of the Chow at HD in W. Mass. Burns clean but compared to HD's other brand-- Fireside Ultra, the Chow seem to have aprox.twice as much ash. Not a problem when I'm burning 1 bag or less a day but when I am burning 3-4 a day I would not want to have to deal with the excessive ash. Maybe I got last years Chow and this years is better?

chows are usually a lot of ash as u described....
they are the step brother of Energex Hardwoods which are quite ashy also.
both manufactured upstate Pa.