When do you buy your bulk pellets?

[Darkwing]

Hello...

This is my first winter with pellets and i am on a per need buying rythm right now...
But will def stack up for next winter...
But for some reason the prices are going up around me, so i am wondering, due to my missing experience, when the best time is to buy pellets....
Spring when the demand slows down, Summer when i find any or fall when the stores get fresh supply?

Thx !!

 

[Dataman]

Spring they wont have pellets. I bought mine in Sep. 2nd week of month. No Snow yet and warm and easy to move them. I have them stacked in bay of building and have wife bring 1/2 ton up to porch. Bring inside about 6 bags. Start burning in Sep if cold nights. Ends up costing about 800. This being my 1st year I got 5 Tons and will have 1.5 tons left over. So 4 tons next year. Cost is about $200 and 40 delivery.

 

[Darkwing]

200 a ton? Lucky you...i tried the pellets around that are available and i am looking at 6.20 per bag of the ones i would consider good...
Ok...You bought in Fall...
lets see what others did...
Thx for your info

 

[Dataman]

$175 if I was not lazy and went to farm store to get them. When we get bigger tractor I will consider that. One we have now won't lift 1T with forks. Too lazy to move them bag by bag. Rather pay 40 bucks.

Same Pellets "North Idaho Energy Logs Pellets". Nice Stuff. have yet to have clinker. Some issue recently, but my fault. Dirty chimney

 

[jp57]

I will get them usually mid-September as well. It's still nice enough outside to be moving around and the dealer I buy from has the cheapest prices at that time. Usually 1.5 to 2 tons a season, that I pick them up myself in a couple trips.

 

[Threerun]

I quit buying bulk. I don't get a price break with the pellets I buy, so I just pick up 25 bags at a pop every several weeks. They have a steady supply, and around someone always has them. During shoulder season I may get 30.

I got tired of storing them and then having to dispose of the pallets.

 

[Dataman]

I plan on just putting the pallets on slash pile and throwing gallon of diesel on it and match in April. Problem gone

 

[Darkwing]

Hmmm i think i get lost here...diesel...what?

 

[Threerun]

I plan on just putting the pallets on slash pile and throwing gallon of diesel on it and match in April. Problem gone

We have a burn ban for all of the winter and into the spring. I don't want pallets hanging around.

 

[Darkwing]

Ah ok...gotcha...
Mine would be in Garage...and pellets dont burn that well when not forcefully aspirated...
Hard to ignite as well...but smolder...
I want at least two tons in house before season...thats why i asked for when you do buy...
Thx for the answers so far

 

[Dataman]

Diesel starts the fire for making the pallets SMOKE. No burn ban until summer. Air can get toxic from Forest Fires. 2 years in a row. In spring we get a lot of rain.

 

[Threerun]

Ah ok...gotcha...
Mine would be in Garage...and pellets dont burn that well when not forcefully aspirated...
Hard to ignite as well...but smolder...
I want at least two tons in house before season...thats why i asked for when you do buy...
Thx for the answers so far

I think that's something in the east you have to worry about- aspirating. We have a dry climate and most if not all of my pellets are doug fir. They burn hot, little ash, no incomplete burns.. Right out of the bag.

 

[bill3rail]

Prior to this year, my last purchase was fall of 2015 when I filled the shed and stacked two ton in the basement. That purchase was a bit stupid...

I purchased a ton earlier this season then today I purchased two ton, which filled the shed up to the top!
I usually fill the shed (2 to 2.5ton) in the fall and I am good for the winter.

So this will get me into next winter. Four stacks wide and two stacks deep!

 

[Darkwing]

Nice pic...i hate these pellets from the lower left in your pile...bags full of ash...so much ash that they forgot to put some heat in it too

 

[tlc1976]

Up until last summer I always bought mine at the local farm store. They always had a pellet sale in August, and one for Black Friday. So I'd stock up both those times every year. Since the farm store stopped carrying Pro Pellets, I'll probably just get a ton here and there throughout the summer or fall, whenever it's convenient for me.

 

[jp99]

I have them stacked in bay of building and have wife bring 1/2 ton up to porch.

Exactly HOW do you get your wife to move them? I'd be divorced if I told her to move a half ton! Or six feet under ...

 

[Dataman]

Exactly HOW do you get your wife to move them? I'd be divorced if I told her to move a half ton! Or six feet under ...

With Mitsubishi MT18 Tractor and Bucket. I load em and unload and she drives. Works out well. She helps load too. 9 Bags at a time.

Drags the trees out of the Forest too. Cuts the Grass when I let her. It's too much fun on Zero Turn Mower. Been know to run over ground squirrel or 2. She's pretty good with 6' Landscape Rake

We use to hire guy in machine to shred the tree debris, now have to burn it. Wish I could afford one of those!

 

[Threerun]

No one here stocks pellets in the off season unless they are hold overs. And I’ve not run into any place offering bulk deals.

The margin on pellet prices are pretty slim. One farm and feed store stopped carrying my fav brand when the chain grocery store picked them up- couldn’t afford to store them based on the margin.

 

[Darkwing]

Oh ok...i was hoping that there is a "now is best time" ind of deal known in the pellet user community...
So then i will just stock up as soon i get a hand on my favorite pellets...Green Team from Lowes...
Cant believe it...big box pellets are the best so far...haha
6.29 the bag minus 10% for card owners and contractor discount...
If it would not be that convenient with pellets...def not cheap

 

[johneh]

I buy in the spring (pre buy) they store them until I call for delivery
sometime in September . You pay a lot for pellets . I pay 5.25 and
that includes delivery (Cubix)

 

[AndrewChurchill]

This is where I store my "bulk" pellets!

 

[Darkwing]

Ahhh...reminds me off home...Germany...great storage...love it...
Pretty much standard over there...
https://www.solaranlagen-portal.de/images/solaranlagen-portal/ph/pelletlagerraum.jpg

 

[Havilcek stole the ball]

The last several years I have bought 4 or 5 tons from Home Depot in the early fall while still plentiful. Often they are on sale if you buy four tons or more. I think I paid $219/ton last year, close to that this year. $65 or so to deliver. I cut the pallets up and bring them camping in August to burn at the camp site.

 

[Darkwing]

So you have the Stove Chow version from them or what do you buy? Are you happy with those?

 

[the pony boy]

Bought mine from woodpellets.com in the spring and had them delivered in October. I have a large driveway so I leave them outside and bring in about 30 or so at a time and leave them in the basement. They usually have some sort of sale with free delivery. So I use them