Lee Energy results: FINAL RESULTS Temp Average - 280-340 (on door thermometer) Ash Volume - 28 ounces Ash Weight - 4.0 ounces Ash Percentage - .631% Fines In Bag - less than 1/8 cup (very little) Pellet Length Avg. - 1/4" - 3/4" see pic Bag Weight - 40 lbs. (3.65 oz. left in hopper) Notes: Purchased from HD Bethlehem $219 a ton Very dusty! High ash volume (fluffy and lots) Thankfully I went with my gut this time and waited until it warmed up a bit to test these. From their website "Nature’s Energy Pellets are a 100% natural blend of soft and hard woods that are completely free from harmful additives". The bags say "Hardwood" so I'm not quite sure what the deal is. The pellets do smell like some type of cut plywood but they do look like a hardwood. Anyway, off to the specifics. First off, I had to crank my feed rate to try and get some decent heat out of these. For some reason, I had a problem to get these pellets to feed consistently. The pellets seemed to just want to "stick", so to speak, and not feed consistently. Once I got the feed cranked up (a lot), it was putting out pretty decent heat BUT these LOADED my stove with ash. I actually had a hard time collecting it all because it was piled up around my burnpot and on the door. Unless you like ashy pellets and like to clean your stove a lot, I would say PROCEED WITH CAUTION if you are going to purchase a bunch these. That being said, these are a definite PASS for me. Disclaimer: as with everything.......YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY
Mine are just starting to make their way into the burn pot. I shut the stove down to do a cleaning. I burned several bags of AWF and was very impressed with the low ash and good heat. I have five bags of the Lee Energy. Doubt there will be more. Hd seems to get what they can get their hands on after their normal supply runs out. I have to give them credit. They have brought in a lot of pellets. In addition to what you could see being bought there, I also frequently saw their delivery tucks out on the roads with pellets. They seem to be able to sell whatever they can get. To me, playing around with different brands is just that. I have a good supply of my regular brand in the garage. What I want to do is get a better stove. More heat, and less fussy. It they burn more pellets, that is just fine with me. I rather load the stove up and be warm. This winter, 65 inside has become the new warm. You get use to it but you also change some habits.
You are right. Wife isn't at all happy this winter. We have a small k 1 heater in the living room that will bring the temp up, but the odor isn't good for my breathing issues. She doesn't want me to spend the money, I don't like being this cool. I mentioned $4000 to move into a better stove. She wants me to keep looking. I have a 3 inch venting system. I would like to avoid the cost of changing that out.
I know your nephew works at Rocky's and at one time you were talking about buying a Harman. IIRC you're heating a pretty big house. $4000 is a chunk of money, but to me, being warm is priceless. A P68 would be a big upgrade over your Napoleon.
Anything with a true 55K BTU's would be an improvement. But something with 60K plus should save a little extra for a cold snap. P61-P68-Maxx or Maxx M-VF170-Drolet all would work nicely. But the Harman's look to be the only ones with the 3 inch venting option. Hopefully you have been keeping an eye on craigs list JIC?
He told me he would help any way he could. I hate to ask, but that is what it may come go. He has a Harman, I think a big one, and he is very comfortable . I think I was told his stove only needs cleaning about twice a burning season. Jay has a stove that cost less and heats well. So many options. At least this year stoves are available.
One other thing the Harmans have going is the replacement parts are cheaper. I'm a little miffed at the cost of Enviro spares.
I've been looking. It would be an issue going to get it. Getting help lined up, then moved. If I go new, I'll have the warranty. Might well be my last stove so I want one that my wife can handle if she wants to. It is either that or move into a smaller place that is less demanding to maintain. My grandparents stayed in their home until they died in their 80's, I would like to do the same.
I was hoping our buddy @don2222 would give us all some discounts! HINT! I got lucky and scored a spare control panel off fleebay. Also scored a replacement combustion motor and convection motor. Looking for the agitator and posibly the burn liner. Those 2 parts alone are 2 bills! This fella has a few spares for just a bit lower than the local dealer has. http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odk...0.TRC0.Xenviro&_nkw=enviro&_sacat=0&_from=R40 Sorry LW, even though I want to. I just can't support my local dealer. He is a twit and never has any spares. Over charges for shipping and markes up special order parts by 15%. I could care less if he goes under and IMHO is a total rip off artist! End rant!
Hard to believe the exhaust blower is 200.00 for my stove. The motor is probably like a 30 dollar motor! Don we need a better price lol!
Don't buy the whole blower/motor assembly.....just replace the motor. You can usually get them at Grainger.
I agree, I can usually source just the motor with the tag info. I have both the convection and combustion replacement motors on hand. I snagged them both cheap. Both off fleebay. brokenwing, If you post a pic of the tag on the blower. I might be able to help with info on a replacement motor.
I can verify your results. These pellets are ashy and dusty. I get the same heat out of everything since I am hooked up to a stat. I did not see an increase or decrease in pellet usage with these. I did notice a lot of 1" pellets. This is probably why you had to increase your heat setting. The flame is good and no clinkers to be found. I think these belong somewhere near a MWP for a comparison. Not the best but certainly not the worst.
Thankfully, there are better pellets available than these, although everyone seems to be out of pellets once again!!! Just curious, would you buy a bunch of these?
I'd venture for them if the price was fair and I needed a decent shoulder deal. Last fall I would have welcomed them with all the GS around. But if they were with what I'm finding now? I'd have to pass. Kind of matters what they are up against.
I only bought 7 bags, at the same time I bought 7 bags of FSU. I don't need any pellets for the rest of the year but grabbed a Jeep load the last time I was at HD. Sometimes I just buy them I was curious to the new brand and seven bags is a good number for me because that is how many I can burn of most average pellets before I have to clean give or take.
