Pellet stove pellets

[Apparition]

Got tired of electric heat, so I bought a pellet stove, should be here next week. Ive been looking around for suggestions on the best pellets to burn, my gut reaction would be that hard wood pellets would be better than soft wood, from my limited research it appears I would be wrong. Whats everyone burning in there stove?

 

[Mudwing]

Hardwood pellets are the best, not the the mixed ones either. The hardwood seem more expensive but you don't have to clean out as much and they have a higher BTU content. You get the best deals in the summer.

 

[elkguide]

Hardwood in a CLEAR plastic bag.
(That way they can't hide the deteriorating pellets that happen if they aren't good pellets)

 

[jinx]

Try a bag of all the brands that you can find locally and you'll get an idea of what Mudwing and elkguide are talking about and which you prefer.
Also keep an eye on how the store has them stored and displayed. I've seen pallets of the things sitting behind stores with their shipping wrap still on but these things can suck up moisture pretty easy.

 

[Hondasxs]

I want a WoodWind, just need to borrow some $.

 

[JTW]

I have a Harmon XXV pellet stove for sale.. the folks I bought my house from put it in new only a couple years before I bought the place. I used it two winters and the wife wanted something different. New it’s a $4500 stove. I’ll make someone a hell of a deal on it!!

 

[Apparition]

I bought a pel pro from TSC, had the best reviews of anything I could find other than a harmon, and I wasnt spending that kind of coin. I like the idea of trying multiple brands. One thing Im running into is that all you guys and a few of my buddies that run pellet stoves all say buy hardware pellets, yet everything I read says that softwood put out more BTU. Gonna have to do some sampling.

 

[Trapper5885]

I bought a pel pro from TSC, had the best reviews of anything I could find other than a harmon, and I wasnt spending that kind of coin. I like the idea of trying multiple brands. One thing Im running into is that all you guys and a few of my buddies that run pellet stoves all say buy hardware pellets, yet everything I read says that softwood put out more BTU. Gonna have to do some sampling.

Pellet stoves , well Been using them since mid 90,s our 1st was an expensive brand can’t remember the name but was awesome ,well worth the 2,900. Dollars . That was at our ranch in Nevada , currently have a Pelpro in my home in Idaho, it works but have to clean it more often , and it’s cheaper for a reason , but as far as pellets go ,I’ve burnt them all and Lignetics brand are the best in my opinion . Bags of pellets are easier to store than cords of wood , and much cleaner ,less work .


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[allgm1]

Ive always been led to believe the soft wood pellets will burn hotter but faster. Around here soft wood pellets are more expensive. I burn hardwood pellets in a .harmon insert that is sitting on the floor in my celar. We had a breckwell (POS) before, for the money I think a harmon is the best stove

 

[elkguide]

Softwood are usually cheaper, burn hotter (which of course can cause problems with your stove) BUT are prone to leave a LOT more ash, burn out way faster and tend to require you to clean your stove a LOT more.

 

[LarryAmboy]

Anybody ever used a corn burner?


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[JTW]

Anybody wanna buy a Harmon??

 

[Montecresto]

Hardwood or Softwood?
People ask us all the time: "should I burn hardwood pellets or softwood pellets?"

We think this is a very personal decision. It’s all about choosing the right fuel for you based on a variety of things, including your stove, your budget, and the amount of maintenance you’re willing to do.

FACT: Most pellet stoves today are built to burn hardwood OR softwood pellets.

So, selecting a fuel is more about trying out which specific brand burns well in your stove. This usually depends on the quality of the pellet, rather than the species.

FACT: How a pellet is made is often more important than the species of wood used.

We only work with pellet mills that can guarantee a consistent source of clean raw material and a quality manufacturing process, so you can be confident that you’re getting a high quality fuel – regardless of species! We regularly test our pellets for ash content, moisture level and heating value to assure you’re happy with your fuel. (Learn more)

FACT: Softwood pellets generally have higher heat output and lower ash.

Finding the perfect fuel is about striking a balance you’re comfortable with between price and quality. It is generally true that softwood pellets burn cleaner and hotter. At WoodPellets.com, we perform regular, independent testing on all of our products to ensure consistent quality.

Hardwood Pellets vs. Softwood Pellets

 

[Ragnar406]

We have a pellet stove that came with the house when we bought it. House in also on propane and I hardly ever light the pellet stove. I have a few bags. but afraid to go to sleep with that thing burning... I did not grow up with one so I try and keep and eye on it .

 

[Montecresto]

We have a pellet stove that came with the house when we bought it. House in also on propane and I hardly ever light the pellet stove. I have a few bags. but afraid to go to sleep with that thing burning... I did not grow up with one so I try and keep and eye on it .

Just bought a house with one in it as well. Hadn’t ever thought about it not being safe to sleep with it going after I read up on the safety features and performance record, but that’s a thought.

 

[JTW]

Just bought a house with one in it as well. Hadn’t ever thought about it not being safe to sleep with it going after I read up on the safety features and performance record, but that’s a thought.

I’m with ya on the safety aspect.. they’ve been around long enough hat even the cheap ones should be safe.

 

[Ragnar406]

I’m with ya on the safety aspect.. they’ve been around long enough hat even the cheap ones should be safe.

That is good to know - at one point I had heard or read the prone to fires due to the build up of ash etc. I will say one thing - that little stove will heat the whole dang house.

 

[Montecresto]

That is good to know - at one point I had heard or read the prone to fires due to the build up of ash etc. I will say one thing - that little stove will heat the whole dang house.

It’s funny because I keep pulling out that ridiculously small ash tray thinking it will be ready to empty, nope, not yet and that’s three weeks of cold weather and 15-20 bags now in the New Mexico Rockies.

 

[JTW]

That is good to know - at one point I had heard or read the prone to fires due to the build up of ash etc. I will say one thing - that little stove will heat the whole dang house.

They’re much like a fireplace.. they need to be cleaned every so often. Not a big deal though. The problem I had is it was basically a space heater as it couldn’t heat the whole house and it was still electric dependent. That was my biggest gripe.

 

[elkguide]

They need to be cleaned based on the quality of the stove and the quality of the pellets. A high end stove will usually only need to be cleaned once a month where a lesser quality stove will need to be cleaned at least once a week if they are burned a lot and used as a main heat source. My son has been heating his 1800 square foot house for the last 5 years with one, has had no issues and he uses it as his only heat source. (and yes it does get cold here in Vermont..... 3* this morning)