When is the best time to order from woodpellets.com?

[velvetfoot]

I just got my first email from woodpellets.com yesterday. Something about free flexible delivery if you go on a payment plan. For those who've used them, when is the time to get the best deal, if paying up front? I'm new to this. Thanks.

 

[DAKSY]

I've used them for the last 5 years & I always order in October. That's when my flex savings plan has enough $$$ for me to get what I need.
That's also when they start offering discounts based on the number of years you've burned their products. If you spread the word around to your
pellet burning friends & THEY sign on with woodpellets, each signee will get you a $25 coupon good towards the pellet purchase.
IIRC, using the flex plan also gets you free delivery...That's a BIG plus in our neck of the woods...

 

[bogieb]

I've used them for the last 5 years & I always order in October. That's when my flex savings plan has enough $$$ for me to get what I need.
That's also when they start offering discounts based on the number of years you've burned their products. If you spread the word around to your
pellet burning friends & THEY sign on with woodpellets, each signee will get you a $25 coupon good towards the pellet purchase.
IIRC, using the flex plan also gets you free delivery...That's a BIG plus in our neck of the woods...

Really? I will have to check into this!

 

[SidecarFlip]

I've used them for the last 5 years & I always order in October. That's when my flex savings plan has enough $$$ for me to get what I need.
That's also when they start offering discounts based on the number of years you've burned their products. If you spread the word around to your
pellet burning friends & THEY sign on with woodpellets, each signee will get you a $25 coupon good towards the pellet purchase.
IIRC, using the flex plan also gets you free delivery...That's a BIG plus in our neck of the woods...

Interesting. Do they deliver on pallets that you have to break down/unload or do they come in a vacuum unload truck and get blown into a container (like in Europe)?

 

[DAKSY]

They are delivered on pallets. 50 bags (One ton) per for hardwoods.
75 bags (1.5 ton) for the Cleanfire Pacific softwoods.
Secured in a heavy-duty plastic bags & shrink wrapped over that.
I don't have to be home. I just leave a message with woodpellets.com
& the driver puts them where I want them.
I generally order 9 - 10 tons & have the load split.
3 tons for my daughter & her P43...
6 - 7 tons for us & the P61A.
Just for grins, mention you heard about them from Bob Smith in Averill Park.
I spend about $2500 a year for pellets & I can use all the help I can get.
TIA!

 

[SidecarFlip]

I went to their website. It (service) isn't offered in my area. The pre-payment would be nice rather than a big hit in October. Convenient too.

Next year will probably be straight corn anyway (if the price holds close to where it is).... I need just a couple bags to get the corn started.

 

[Wilbur Feral]

Bought from them about 3 years back and price and service were great. But then when I checked this past year their prices were not competitive with local options, and several products were sold out. Might be worth contacting them in spring and start dealing, even if no delivery until fall.i

 

[velvetfoot]

Bought from them about 3 years back and price and service were great. But then when I checked this past year their prices were not competitive with local options, and several products were sold out. Might be worth contacting them in spring and start dealing, even if no delivery until fall.i

It seems like the choices are to try to work out some early purchase deal, maybe with some kind of price guarantee, with this outfit or a local hardware store, or wait 'til October or so when HD starts selling. Uncertainty.

 

[Wilbur Feral]

It seems like the choices are to try to work out some early purchase deal, maybe with some kind of price guarantee, with this outfit or a local hardware store, or wait 'til October or so when HD starts selling. Uncertainty.

Pretty much...

However, I had a deal with a large pellet supplier for Sep delivery, and when the time came for them to show up he had to back out due to no pellets from his supplier at the time (Energex). So, it seems the only way to guarantee supply and price (maybe not the lowest price, though) is to buy early (summer). I will likely try to have all pellets in before Labor Day (early Sep) this year. My only worry is humidity, and that seems to have had no big effect in the past.

 

[Pete Zahria]

... So, it seems the only way to guarantee supply and price (maybe not the lowest price, though) is to buy early (summer).

 

[Bioburner]

Had all heating needs corn, pellets and propain by the middle of July. Bank account gets a nice boost on the 4th and back haul pellets from Cities.

 

[Bucks Pellets]

Pretty much...

However, I had a deal with a large pellet supplier for Sep delivery, and when the time came for them to show up he had to back out due to no pellets from his supplier at the time (Energex). So, it seems the only way to guarantee supply and price (maybe not the lowest price, though) is to buy early (summer). I will likely try to have all pellets in before Labor Day (early Sep) this year. My only worry is humidity, and that seems to have had no big effect in the past.

You're not alone Wilbur. We had plenty of folks come in this season with that same story. Their usual dealer got stuck without the inventory that they were promised from their manufacturer. And although Energex was the name that we heard quite a bit, there were quite a few others that shorted their independent dealers as well. And you're right, the best way to avoid having to deal with a shortage is to take advantage of spring and early summer buys. You'll find the best market pricing for most brands during the spring and early summer as well. Most of our customers have their pellet supply tucked into their garage or basement before the kids go back to school.

 

[bogieb]

And you're right, the best way to avoid having to deal with a shortage is to take advantage of spring and early summer buys. You'll find the best market pricing for most brands during the spring and early summer as well. Most of our customers have their pellet supply tucked into their garage or basement before the kids go back to school.

And that works great for those that don't use much, or who have a lot of room. Those of us that use 5+ tons, and only have room for 2, are kind of at the mercy of either pre-buy and pick up / have delivered when needed (if the dealer gets his allotment from the mfg), depend on BBS etc.

 

[Bucks Pellets]

And that works great for those that don't use much, or who have a lot of room. Those of us that use 5+ tons, and only have room for 2, are kind of at the mercy of either pre-buy and pick up / have delivered when needed (if the dealer gets his allotment from the mfg), depend on BBS etc.

I hear you. Most folks don't have room for that many skids. If you can stock up enough to get you close to the holidays, the pellet market typically lets up for a few weeks and dealers have a chance to breath and restock their inventory for the second half of the season. Right after new years is a good time to pick up your second load for the season. Pricing typically creeps up by then though. And you still have to scrounge for that last ton to make it until spring.
If I had unlimited storage and a rich aunt, I'd land my entire season's supply in the summer and lock in pricing for my customers. Unfortunately I don't have either one. We do however pull from about 9 different manufacturers, so we tend to have inventory available throughout the season. If we just had one or two that we dealt with, we could probably secure better volume pricing but then we would be vulnerable to what happened to the dealers mentioned above. So it's a crap shoot for us. Better pricing vs product availability.

 

[maple1]

I think if I was relying on burning pellets for my winters heat, I would also want to have them all onsite & ready to go by the end of summer. 5 tons shouldn't take up a huge amount of room - would even be worth putting up a small shed for if needed. What's that - 5 pallets? Pile one up on the others that's 4. 60 sq.ft. of floor space?

 

[meisen]

Does woodpellets do a group buy kind of a thing? IE if you get a tractor trailer worth of orders together would they discount beyond free shipping?

Anyone do that kind of a group buy in mid-hudson valley area or would anyone be interested in one?

Thinking I'd like to prebuy everything again this year but I want better pellets.

 

[DAKSY]

I have a friend across the lake who also ordered form them & we managed to get one shipment to our homes, which allowed us to split the delivery charge. Since I've started with the flex payment plan, the delivery is free (or it was last year, anyway)...

 

[Pete Zahria]

Does woodpellets do a group buy kind of a thing?

Why not just ask them