Pellet Supply

[Spike60]

I hesitate to even ask this question, cause I don't want to contribute to a "run on toilet paper" mentality.  Why I chose the word "supply" rather than "shortage".

Older buddy of mine, (80), has a pellet stove and we've made a tradition the last few years of making a road trip out of these pellet runs, getting 10-15 bags at a clip. Hit a breakfast joint if in the morning, stop for a couple beers if in the afternoon. I'm only including that as the reason he doesn't buy the 100 or so bags he uses in a year up front.

So, yesterday we hit our favorite spots. (both the home center and the bar). And the store has put a 10 bag limit on pellets. Never done this before, and we're only in November, so it raises the obvious question about the pellet supply this winter. Any of you guys heard of any supply issues with wood pellets?

[Southside]

No, but why would it be any different than any other industry?  They need parts to run the equipment, folks to fix the equipment, bags to put the pellets into, and trucks to get them to market.  Same exact problems everyone is having. Well, everyone except for the jab makers it seems.  

[kantuckid]

Low vaccination rates in countries such as South Africa have resulted in recent actions to turn away vaccine shipments based on too many anti-vaccers, thus I'm not so sure "the jabs" are the best e.g. for pellets being short? 

Anything manufactured then shipped is at issue for having enough on hand. I was searching for Kentucky Country Hams yesterday online in a state that has many, many companies who've produced them ( and hog producers too!) for over a century and several have none for online sales. They are pushing sliced ham to spread their supplies, same as the ten bag pellet folks.

Any grocery store visit or drive by a car dealer, etc., tells the story well w/o the covid e.g.?  :  

[mike_belben]

My grandfather and mother burned pellets from the mid 90s in massachusetts and pellet limits were every few years it seems in my memory.  I can definitely remember him going to ace every few days for pellets at least 2 winters. My godfather was hauling them in by the semi for a while too. 

[Southside]

I didn't say a word about "anti-vaxers" or blamed the jabs for a shortage of pellets. However, show me where the jab manufacturing industry is having any issue with getting glass, metal, ingredients, or delivery services. That was my comparison. 

Funny how they are immune to the supply chain issues. 

[mike_belben]

Priorities jim.  Weve got to get these vacines out so everyone can catch that breakthru covid. Thats how good it is.. Its the latest breakthru.


If only i could force the whole world to buy something from me that only kinda works as good as the thing they were born with. 

[Bruno of NH]

I used to burn pellets
Every 5 years it happens around the Upper Valley of NH and Vt.
They make softwood pellets at the big softwood mill in town. Durgin And Crowell

[thecfarm]

Limit!!    I work in a hardware store and as I say, Show me the money!!  
We have never put a limit on pellets. Sometimes in Feb things are in short supply because the pellet mills can only stock pile so much, than they can not keep up with demand. We have never run out, but only has less than a tom a few times.    May not be the kind they want, but we can keep them warm. 
We can make a call and get a trailer load in a week. But in Feb we might be waiting. We have 10 stores and the pellet company gives us one trailer load a week in Feb. That's only 2 ton per store, or 100 bags.
But there is a trucking shortage too. We have our own trucks and drivers, just go the the pellet mill and pick them up. Maybe a 45 minute drive from my store.

[Spike60]

It's only the one store that I'm aware of. Was just wondering what everyone else might be seeing.  I get that lot of businesses would not impede the sale of anything with a limit. When they're gone, they're gone. But sometimes it's better to tell people they can only have a certain amount so you don't end up telling people there's none left.

I've done it a couple times myself after a hurricane. Need to manage the supply to keep as many of my regulars working as possible. Nor will I allow people from out of the area to come in and wipe me out. Wouldn't be surprised if that sentiment is part of this pellet limit; keeping the weekend invasion from depleting the pellet supply and running them down state and to New Jersey.

[mike_belben]

Invasive species. 

[Stephen1]

Lets get this thread onto food or DIY pellet making. My sawing has now moved outside my shop in an industrial area. I now have a sawdust problem. How do I make surpus into something worth money?

[mike_belben]

I compost my sawdust with grass into excellent garden mulch that continually goes ontop.  And put it down in the chicken coop which eventually gets moved for more garden.


I also mix it with waste vegetable oil for a 1match stove starter.  Worked so good i made a stove with an electric auger hopper just to run pure sawdust and oil thru it like a pellet stove.  It will work with motor oil in a shop but smells like an old bus. Vegetable oil smells pleasant, somewhere between barbecue and pancakes depending on the oil.  I had hundreds of gallons to process every month and disposal of sludgy stuff was my issue so free cabinet shop sawdust was sought out to burn the oil dregs. 


I would not pelletize it under any circumstance. Huge input expense and zero margin after you factor in your efforts.  Will never break even on doing small scale pellets.  Briquette maybe but not pellet.  I think itd be best for you to find your own use for it.  Sawdust with some oil can be burned in a conventional wood stove with some baffles for turbulence.  It needs a lot of swirl.    I heated with it in mass for 2 or 3 years before moving.

[mike_belben]

Normal rock hard clay soil





About 4 years of sawdust gardening

[Stephen1]

I like the idea of the briquetts. The pellets are to much work and I also don't believe it will work. So far I have been taking large plastic bins from my shop to my new house build as I want to build a sound barrier berm. I dump the sawdust and then been dumping excessive soil from the excavation. Saves me hauling it away. My road is a major motorcycle tourist road.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I guess I can see limits on some things to keep customers coming to the store to buy other things at the same time. Our local lumber supplier was talking about closing and our local hardware dealer went to see the owner to confirm it. Mr. Hardware said he did not want to stock lumber and cement and such but if people had to drive 25 miles to a Lowes or 84 lumber to get a sheet of plywood they would buy their hardware there at the same time. He ended up adding a limited supply of common lumber such as plywood and treated lumber. You may not find a 10' 2X6 but you can get a 12'er and save the mileage. 

[GRANITEstateMP]

 I now have a sawdust problem. How do I make surpus into something worth money?

I mix my sawdust from the processor with cow manure (it's free for me :D) and turn it a couple times a year. It makes a nice loam.  Got some horse poo from the neighbors today, 5 loads from my dump trailer.  Got paid to remove it, traded one load to a buddy to repay a favor, other stuff will get mixed, turned, mixed more, and used. I call it a win