Why are most pellets Hardwood? Isn't Softwood popular, too?

[Val]

I was wondering why most pellets are hardwood? In my area, which is (western) New York, almost all pellets made and sold around here are hardwood. The only softwood ones that showed up around here briefly were LG Granules, a Canadian company. Those softwood pellets were really expensive per bag. It is strange because the pellets were made of pine wood, light in color and seemed super-
compressed.I didnt buy enough bags to really form an opinion about them, because they were too pricey.

Any clue why softwood pellets are loved more by some people, but hated by others?

Why dont more pellet makers make them? I mean, even if they cost more to make isnt the wood cheaper? If they are stored for a long time...do they break down faster as they are softer wood?
When ever you see the do-it-yourself pellet making machines, they seem geared for mostly softwood production.

 

[kinsmanstoves]

They make a blue pill for the "softwood".

Eric

 

[Val]

They make a blue pill for the "softwood".

Eric

yea, but dont need no little blue pills here.

 

[yooper81]

My experience with the 2 is this, hardwood seems to be a bit ashier for me with more heat output (depending on brand) while the softies I've tried burn MUCH cleaner but I would go through the softies much quicker than the hardwood without changing anything. in other words, the stove probably ran longer to maintain my stat setting....Comes down to personal preference i think... The softies I burn are a 100% red pine.

 

[USMC80]

They make a blue pill for the "softwood".

Eric

 

[Defiant]

Never burned softwoods, am a hardcore woodburner sorry about the pun, but I am relating this to woodburning where hardwoods rule, I am going to get me a ton of softies for next season.

 

[bdaoust]

When I bought my house in November, the owner left a few bags of CleanFire Pacific softwoods. I remember them burning VERY hot and little ash. I also don't find softies locally and my only option is woodpellets.com.

Someone says softies burn faster, but if they put out more heat, than I wonder if that is really the case. On really cold days, I was burning two bags of hardwoods to heat a 1,200 foot home.

 

[mrjohneel]

I've been burning mainly Barefoots the last two seasons but I bought 1.2 tons of Spruce Points for next season (along with three tons of Barefoots) and look forward to trying out the softies.

 

[Ashful]

yea, but dont need no little blue pills here.

How'd you know they are little?

 

[Hoot23]

When I bought my house in November, the owner left a few bags of CleanFire Pacific softwoods. I remember them burning VERY hot and little ash. I also don't find softies locally and my only option is woodpellets.com.

Someone says softies burn faster, but if they put out more heat, than I wonder if that is really the case. On really cold days, I was burning two bags of hardwoods to heat a 1,200 foot home.

I don't believe that to be the case at all. Whether it be hard or softwood. The density of the pellet and determines how fast they burn. You get a good hardwood and a good softwood I, I think they might have the same burn times at least that's how it works for me.

I like both.

 

[StihlHead]

Softwood pellets (Doug fir in particular) command a premium in the Midwest and back east because they have high heat and far less ash. They tend to sell for over $300 a ton in New England. Here in the west they are a lot cheaper and basically all that you can buy (around $200 a ton). Generally what I hear is that softwood is much preferred by most pellet owners that have burned them.

That is in contrast to many wood burners like myself. I burn hard and softwood here in my wood stove. While some hardwoods have better heat and burn times, Doug fir is by far the most available and a lot cheaper, and it has good heat value for a 'softwood'. Doug fir has more heat than a lot of hardwoods here as well, like cherry, alder, and maple. If I could, I would only store and burn oak, madrone and black locust. As it is, I save the alder, cherry and maple for the smoker. They make good eats...

 

[Lake Girl]

It may just be left-over perceptions from being wood burners. In wood stoves, hardwoods are the preferred heating source due to density of the wood (compared to softwood). When it comes to wood pellets density becomes roughly the same due to the pelleting process.

Jtakeman usually posts results of pellets he's tested, here's a few:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/12-13-pellet-testing.108795/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/2010-pellet-review-its-that-time-again.54880/

Another site does pellet reviews (Jay contributes there too!)

http://www.woodpelletreviews.com/

Preferences depend on regional temps, house conditions, stove type, pricing. Some find the softwoods worth the extra price due to hotter burn temperatures... I do but we have pretty cold temps.

 

[Val]

It may just be left-over perceptions from being wood burners. In wood stoves, hardwoods are the preferred heating source due to density of the wood (compared to softwood). When it comes to wood pellets density becomes roughly the same due to the pelleting process.

Jtakeman usually posts results of pellets he's tested, here's a few:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/12-13-pellet-testing.108795/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/2010-pellet-review-its-that-time-again.54880/

Another site does pellet reviews (Jay contributes there too!)

http://www.woodpelletreviews.com/

Preferences depend on regional temps, house conditions, stove type, pricing. Some find the softwoods worth the extra price due to hotter burn temperatures... I do but we have pretty cold temps.

I saw the site before and it is useful for identifying the various brands that are out there. But the reviews seem not as helpful as everything seems a "3- star" . Usually you get a mix of 5 star likers and 1 star haters and the pellets end up at the 3.

 

[briansol]

Most of the hottest, cleanest pellets on the market are softwood.
its pretty much all I burn.

 

[john193]

Plenty of hardwoods in this area that it isn't competitive for a softwood manufacturer. As you stated, the price kept you from buying, and the manufactures know that the north east is dominated by hardwoods to compete.

 

[bdaoust]

WoodPellets.com has some Cleanfire Pacifics or $269 a ton. Those are softies and have burned very HOT and low ash for me. Think I'm going to do 3 ton.

 

[Phil Do's fire.]

I burned hardwood for many years and after trying 5 bags of assorted softies decided to switch to softies next year. What I found was..... burn 30 - 40 degrees hotter, very low ash, glass window stays clean and ignites quicker Well, that's my two cents opinion for today

 

[Lake Girl]

I cleaned the stove today after burning Marth pellets (hardwood) for a couple of days. I switched back to the Heartlands (softwood) for approximately the last day. It gave me a good reminder that another reason I like softwoods is that the carbon build-up on the burnpot cleans easier with the softwoods. The hardwoods leave a thicker layer of carbon that requires more work to remove. The ash seems heavier which leaves me to wonder if it traps in the interior portions more easily.

 

[boomhour]

Using corran hard soft mix, very high heat output, just light soot build-up may run these next year. have to drive 45 miles 1 way for hardwood pellets

 

[Lake Girl]

Nothing in Huntsville or are they just out for the season? Will take a bit of pre-planning then... We don't have spring specials here like they do on the US eastern seaboard.

How's water levels now? Major damage?

 

[Mikey pellet guy]

Hardwood burns turn your feed rate down by one number.Hardwood burns slower & to fast feed creates carbon on your burn pot.

 

[tlc1976]

Good to know. Kirtland pellets are what's available here so that's all I've used. They are a mix of hardwood and softwood. I saw some full hardwood pellets at Meijer the other day for a similar price and thought about trying them. But I don't want to get carbon and creosote. The Kirtlands cover my door glass with ash after half a day, but cleaning has been a breeze. It's all fluffy light ash that seems to be stuck with static, and very little residue in the burn pot after a couple days. Chimney is never sticky either.

 

[Mikey pellet guy]

The beauty of pellets are generally that creosotes is not a issue cause pellets burn so clean. I was getting carbon build up on my burn pot with the hardwood pellets when i was burning them at a very low stove setting but that was because they were not burning long enough before my stove fed more pellets . So i turned the feed rate down to 2 half on my xxv cause i was getting excessive smoke you should not see smoke coming out of your vent but only on start up cause this means to much fuel not enough air. All the carbon on my burn pot is now burned off cause i have my Stove dialed in. Experimenting with new pellets is good but with every new pellet its requires tweaking to your settings a little.

 

[Tonyray]

I cleaned the stove today after burning Marth pellets (hardwood) for a couple of days. I switched back to the Heartlands (softwood) for approximately the last day. It gave me a good reminder that another reason I like softwoods is that the carbon build-up on the burnpot cleans easier with the softwoods. The hardwoods leave a thicker layer of carbon that requires more work to remove. The ash seems heavier which leaves me to wonder if it traps in the interior portions more easily.

I burn softies strictly for the low ash...
don't like an ash dam smothering the flames a bit.

 

[Lake Girl]

I burn softies strictly for the low ash...
don't like an ash dam smothering the flames a bit.

Don't get to burn the Heartlands anymore Local supplier switched to bringing in Indecks that were very ashy and not as hot. Spruce Pointes are brought in by another supplier and currently stuffing the pellet palace! If all I could get were hardwood pellets, I guess I would have to figure out how to use them...