Where to buy a pellet bucket
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TimfromMA
Minister of Fire
TimfromMA
Minister of Fire
Bioburner
Moderator
Any larger feed stores around? Got my last scoops from one. Nice heavy cast aluminum. I use a fair number of them in my summer business.
Looks the the whole Pellet Pail company is out of inventory and for sale. Some retailers probably have stock around so it is worth calling around if you are set on it. I'm not surprised about its fate. Nice idea, but it is an incremental improvement over a $3 5-gal paint bucket that was selling for $90. No thanks.
Owen1508
Minister of Fire
For a heavy aluminum scoop you can try a restaurant supply store. They use them for ice scoops and may be cheaper.
Enigma869
Feeling the Heat
I use this one and am quite happy with it. http://www.amazon.com/Minuteman-Int...id=1395842030&sr=8-3&keywords=coal+hod+bucket . It's definitely a bit pricey but looks great and holds a lot of pellets. Also, I strongly urge that you don't purchase the matching scoop, because it's VERY poorly made. I made the mistake of purchasing it and used it twice, before throwing it in the trash.
I purchased this scoop and am MUCH happier with it. http://www.amazon.com/Behrens-F2-2-...F8&qid=1395842254&sr=8-4&keywords=grain+scoop. It doesn't look as nice as the matching scoop, but it functions a whole lot better.
I purchased this scoop and am MUCH happier with it. http://www.amazon.com/Behrens-F2-2-...F8&qid=1395842254&sr=8-4&keywords=grain+scoop. It doesn't look as nice as the matching scoop, but it functions a whole lot better.
These are not fancy, but readily available and either FREE or real cheap
The scoop in the bucket is a little plastic water pitcher from somebodies trip to the hospital and that found its way home.
If a little scoop is more to your liking, the farm stores have various sized plastic scoops.
Farm stores have these buckets too, but I prefer getting the bucket with a product in it and when it's empty, I have another shell bucket.
Great stuff and it wont break the bank either.
This one had wash soap in it from Costco a few years ago.
The scoop in the bucket is a little plastic water pitcher from somebodies trip to the hospital and that found its way home.
If a little scoop is more to your liking, the farm stores have various sized plastic scoops.
Farm stores have these buckets too, but I prefer getting the bucket with a product in it and when it's empty, I have another shell bucket.
Great stuff and it wont break the bank either.
This one had wash soap in it from Costco a few years ago.
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Owen1508
Minister of Fire
I saw someone once use 2 five gallon bucket for pellets. On the inner bucket they drilled various hole in the bottom. When they poured the pellets in they would cover it with the lid and gentle shake it so the fines and dust would filter through to the outer bucket. Remove the inner one to feed the hopper and dispose of the fines and such that were caught in the outer one.
wsar10
Burning Hunk
I will be honest, we have never sifted, vacuumed or otherwise fooled with the pellets.
Haul bag in, open hopper, flop bag on stove, cut bag open, dump in hopper, close lid.
We have never worried about the dust, it burns too.
We do screen the shells, simply because there is a very good likelihood that some sticks or other piece of debris that can/will or might jam the auger will be in them.
A stick the size of your thumb is not out of the question, and will REALLY EFFFF the auger/motor
Ask me how I know this
The one Quad in the apartment on the lower level is the only heat source there, and is on its third fire pot and likely the 6th or more igniter since it's install new in 1993, and we have never sifted vacuumed or in any way fooled with the pellets "They is what they is"
We even had a few bags that may have gotten slightly abused and had a lot of loose sawdust in them, they went in and through the machine just fine.
At seasons end, we do run the stoves out or nearly so and vacuum out the entire hopper and auger, plus the mechanical cabinet and such.
IMHO, far too much fiddling is done with the pellets.
Dump them in and LET IT RIP.
Snowy
Haul bag in, open hopper, flop bag on stove, cut bag open, dump in hopper, close lid.
We have never worried about the dust, it burns too.
We do screen the shells, simply because there is a very good likelihood that some sticks or other piece of debris that can/will or might jam the auger will be in them.
A stick the size of your thumb is not out of the question, and will REALLY EFFFF the auger/motor
Ask me how I know this
The one Quad in the apartment on the lower level is the only heat source there, and is on its third fire pot and likely the 6th or more igniter since it's install new in 1993, and we have never sifted vacuumed or in any way fooled with the pellets "They is what they is"
We even had a few bags that may have gotten slightly abused and had a lot of loose sawdust in them, they went in and through the machine just fine.
At seasons end, we do run the stoves out or nearly so and vacuum out the entire hopper and auger, plus the mechanical cabinet and such.
IMHO, far too much fiddling is done with the pellets.
Dump them in and LET IT RIP.
Snowy
Snowy, I agree wholeheartedly. My Mt Vernon AE eats anything without any need to fiddle with the fuel. The dust burns too. 
Now, we do the 5-gal paint bucket thing mostly because it is a little more precise and less heavy to haul around the house. However, we are loading an insert that doesn't have the fuel capacity of a standalone stove. We do more frequent and smaller fills.
Now, we do the 5-gal paint bucket thing mostly because it is a little more precise and less heavy to haul around the house. However, we are loading an insert that doesn't have the fuel capacity of a standalone stove. We do more frequent and smaller fills.
Lake Girl
Moderator
I got several cleaning product buckets used at the local camps from our local recycle center. No need to buy special buckets and reduces amount that needs recycling. Edit: ( Each bucket holds about 3/4 bag of pellets so a little lighter to handle and does not melt like the bags. ) If it offends the décor, you could buy Krylon paint for plastics...
I do screen our pellets just to keep the dust down. On my stove the dust migrates to the inner cabinet as it is not a sealed hopper. The combustion fan gets enough dust on it already so it doesn't need more... Not sure how the auger would handle large amounts of fines and don't want to find out the hard way I'm just not that adventurous.
I do screen our pellets just to keep the dust down. On my stove the dust migrates to the inner cabinet as it is not a sealed hopper. The combustion fan gets enough dust on it already so it doesn't need more... Not sure how the auger would handle large amounts of fines and don't want to find out the hard way
I'm just not that adventurous.
We have to dip the shells out of the pail and fill the two sided hopper on the Prodigy
The vent runs through the center of the hopper with part on each side.
The right side is not as easy to fill, so the little brown pitcher works dandy.
The bucket is a tool, nuff said
The vent runs through the center of the hopper with part on each side.
The right side is not as easy to fill, so the little brown pitcher works dandy.
The bucket is a tool, nuff said
Try some junk/antique shops...you will likely see some old buckets or pots that might look perfect....I bought an old railroad coal Hod but with shipping it was like $80.....later I picked up an old pot for $5 and it I actually prefer!!
cory127
Member
RKS130
Minister of Fire
Whenever I need a bucket for any purpose I go around to the local restaurants and pubs early in the morning on recycling day. They discard all sorts of dandy buckets and containers. I guess pickles, dish washing soap, salads and who knows what all else comes in them. Might be worth a look for a free bucket. Like the man said, its a tool. Even Madame DeFarge approves.
I'm a little scared of metal pails. The Accentra has a glass lid on the hopper. Any issues bumping the lid with a metal pail or scoop?
![[Hearth.com] Where to buy a pellet bucket](/talk/data/attachments/130/130651-f5d04f307d30da39505bf433b7306511.jpg?hash=v7jtKV7u__)
I can understand that to some, the stove and the things that go with it are considered DECOR and need to look good, but around our house the stoves are only there for one purpose.
Sure we wanted to have a nice looking install, but beyond that, the 5/6 gallon plastic pails are great.
We pack up at least 2 a day full of shells, and they get beat around, used to carry out the ashes (COLD)
and then right into the basement to get more fuel.
Once stove season is over the buckets get stacked one in another and stored behind the big stove until fall.
The "behind the pub thing" sounds good to me
Snowy
Sure we wanted to have a nice looking install, but beyond that, the 5/6 gallon plastic pails are great.
We pack up at least 2 a day full of shells, and they get beat around, used to carry out the ashes (COLD)
and then right into the basement to get more fuel.
Once stove season is over the buckets get stacked one in another and stored behind the big stove until fall.
The "behind the pub thing" sounds good to me
Snowy
Our stove is in the living room in full view. If I were to leave pellet bags, joint compound buckets, or orange HD buckets on the hearth, I'd be payin alimony and child support.
I just pile a few bags in the house, when i need them i rip open the top and dump them in. no sifting or anything. stove burns it all nicely. When its real cold out i'll take in up to 10 bags. Does it look nice? not really but it gets the job done and 2 piles 5 high arent that intrusive. I also think that they burn better from being near the dry heat of the stove. I think it removes more moisture from them. The bags I burn last always seem to burn better than the ones i just took from the freezing garage and dumped right in.
When i had surgery a few years ago I knew i'd only have 1 useable arm for a while so i got a giant rubbermaid tote, emptied 5-8 bags into it and got an ice scoop. I did this the morning of the surgery and i was able to keep the stove running until i got use of my arm back.
When i had surgery a few years ago I knew i'd only have 1 useable arm for a while so i got a giant rubbermaid tote, emptied 5-8 bags into it and got an ice scoop. I did this the morning of the surgery and i was able to keep the stove running until i got use of my arm back.
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