Alternative fuels

Below is a picture of the crushed olive pits and beside them is a sample of macadamia nut shells from one of our dealers.

The maccas are rock hard (like the pits) so I am a bit concerned that the big chunks might jamb the auger but they say there are no problems. Even the chunks are smooth so maybe they won't jamb.

I am hearing that they burn better than pellets and as there is 1,000s of tons lying around they are cheap.

Our problem is they are 2,000 miles away in Qld. Good if you are in Qld but then it is too hot for a stove anyway.

I got a small sample which I will run through once the weather cools, 100F here today. The missus looked at me dirty when I carried the bag in this morning. You're not Lightin that I got told. No Dear!..........................................................................................................not yet........

 

neat to have options, kinda, they are awfully far away

 

I was told I could burn corn, but would need a different burn pot. I'm thinking burning too hot could cause problems. As luck would have it, I'm not that ambitious, so I'll probably never switch over!

 

I wanted the Osborn 5000 a multi fuel platform. Before my purchase I checked and there wasn't anything (other fuels) really available and cost effective. We have so many sources of wood/pellets up here so there was no reason for dealers to bring in anything else.

BTW Since getting the flu, it's been real nice having three days worth of fuel between feedings. In the past I would've had to feed the fire how many times a day?

 

C'arn mate!!
Give it a go, just mix in some corn and see what happens.
You only live once plus if she dont work you stop doing it and go back to the pricey pellets.

 

Alternative fuels are a real plus with these pellet munchers

Here are the hazelnut shells we use.

Perfect size to burn reasonably well.

Had to add a scatter bar to the pot to keep them from piling up right under the drop tube.

Gotta love the various adaptations that so many of us have made to heat our homes with the alternative fuels.

We have some stove dealers that just go insane when they hear about burning stuff other than pellets.

My feeling is simple.

If it will burn well and can fit up the auger and such, it's gonna be dumped in the beast.

 

Can't find hazelnut shells in the Northeast.

 

Where I live in Oregon is an area that produces huge amounts of hazelnuts.

The shells have to be disposed of and they get used for fuel, landscape ground cover and various other uses.

We started using these as heating fuel in 1992 and never looked back.

 

We have these close to me, cherry pits, but the guy is crazy. He typically wants $275 a ton for them but this is the first year he just dropped it $235. To me it is CRAZY even at $235....maybe at $135.

 

A bit steep

We pay a penny and a half a pound for the shells
$30 a ton

We bought $109 worth this season and that will see us through until next years crop is in and then
some

 

Speaking on behalf of the pellet stove owners in the Northeast, we hate you. That's a great deal you have out there. I'm jealous.

 

Hey WELCOME PETERFIELD ! Haven't chatted in a while, I missed your first posts, I've been under the weather, just feeling human again this morning.

 

Yeah, whatever the heck has been going around got me good a couple of weeks ago and I am just now starting to feel normal, although people who know me might disagree. Been lurking and thought I'd pitch in as well. Just loaded a ton of Blackstone's into the garage and set for this year unless one of those polar vortexes (used to call them cold fronts) makes an extended visit. Next week in the Northeast will see temps in the 60's so the stove will be getting a rest.

 

The one thing that makes these fuels minimally effective is the supply is seasonal and at the cheap price anyone doing this has to be able to haul the stuff in bulk and then have a way to store it effectively.

It is a waste product that must be disposed of during the processing of the nut crop.

Having been doing this for many many years it has become a way of life more or less.


The product that Chicken man is dealing with (pits) seems to be a more organized set up with a larger production.

Once it become commercialized, as in transporting, storing, bagging and such, then the $$$$ heads North real fast.


With us, we have to go get it, haul it home, barrel it and store it.

Doing a full dumpster load is a half days work from the time I load the dumpster on the trailer, run and get a load, get it home and then unload it.

Takes three dumpsters full to do a season.

Not a bad job, but far tougher than we used to.

One piccy with the dump truck was the way we used to before I retired and sold the rig

That was about 3 hours max by myself to get things done.

 

For anyone who gets pellets on their own could probably spend the same amount of time by the time it gets stacked away.
You are recycling the 'bags' that it is stored in (your drums) and.. much less expensive.

 

The back ache by the end of the day is starting to get a bit tough to handle as I get older

This season we got hammered.

The crop was smaller than most years, and the bulk of the nuts were going to China in the shell this time.

We did not start bringing shells in until Early December, and was told that the plant would be all in and done by the last week of December

We had to dodge the weather and haul butt to gitterdone this season.

We had some nasty weather and had to tarp the dumpster for the trip home and then squirrel the rig into the barn under cover to do the unloading.

Normally we unload at the house and wheel the barrels right inside the basement.

This season was tougher on us old fools.

But we got it done

 

I'm in the market for a coal burner. Coal is $90 a ton here.

 

If you are in a place that coal is prevalent it's great.

Myself, I have never seen coal in person, only pictures.

 

VERY messy. Hope you don't think a pellet stove is a dirty job to clean........

 

Depends on what you feed the beast

My Whits get good and skunked up with burning shells.