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obtusemoose399
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2014 07:23pm
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If you aren't familiar, a "pellet basket" allows you to burn smaller quantities of wood pellets in any wood stove. The concept sounds a bit too good to be true, but I went out on a limb and purchased one anyway in the hopes that it would free me from the need to split and store wood. Has anyone here tried one?
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:49pm
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Never heard of it. Got a picture?
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obtusemoose399
Member
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2014 09:11pm
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Hasn't come in yet, but here's the link: http://www.thepelleteer.com
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razmichael
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:54am
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I'm really curious to hear your report on how well it works. In the fall a product called The Bradley Burner was getting a lot of local press based on the inventor being local. I was considering getting one but have waited to see how the reviews go. It is slightly more elaborate than the Pelleteer but also more expensive.
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groingo
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2014 11:16am - Edited by: groingo
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I suppose if you're burning pellets or sawdust it makes sense but if you want to burn sticks or smaller wood pieces it might actually work better than a grate.....because it would keep the embers from falling through definitely worth a closer look, a simple yet good idea to be sure.
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:19pm
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I have a pellet stove and it pumps air into the underside of the burn pot , I use a gel to start the pellets and if I put too many on too fast it will go out I would think without air they will just smolder.When they burn they turn to ash and dont really coal like logs do.It really drops very few pellets on the flame at one time.
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BaconCreek
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# Posted: 22 Mar 2014 08:31pm
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We bought a Bradley Burner and I love it. We have a large buck stove at home and we were tired of the mess from burning wood. The Bradley Burner grate allows the air to flow through the pellets. It works great. The only drawback is you have to feed the stove unlike a traditional pellet stove with a hopper. I just throw a scoop of pellets in every couple of hours. No problem.
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razmichael
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# Posted: 22 Mar 2014 11:17pm
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Quoting: BaconCreek We bought a Bradley Burner
BraconCreek,
Maybe a dumb question but the photos show just piling the pellets on and around the Bradley Burner - I don't see a bottom grate or screen. Do many just fall through the bottom of the stove into the ashpan?
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BaconCreek
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2014 09:21am
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Yes, the pellets end up on the bottom of the stove. You pile them on and around the grate and put a bit of gel starter in the front of the pile. Light and keep the doors open for a few minutes. The way the grate is constructed allows the air to flow through the pile of pellets. You will have a fire going quickly.
I saw the grate advertised in Mother Earth News a couple of years ago and thought we would try it. We were so tired of the mess from burning wood we stopped using our stove all together. Now we are using our stove as a pellet stove. So much cleaner.
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razmichael
Member
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2014 09:42am
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Thanks BaconCreek.
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cbright
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# Posted: 24 Mar 2014 10:22am
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I have one for my wood stove... came with the house when I purchased it. Bought a few bags of pellets to try it out... with some success.
Observations;
1. Tricky to get started off at first, I was using chunks of fire log as fire starters.... probably a lot easier with the gel.
2. Was very easy to get it burning too hot ... thought I broke the thermometer on the chimney, but I had wrapped it right around.... like 800+ degrees ... oops. Luckily I noticed and got it cooled down quickly.
3. Have to load the basket fairly often.... not as convenient as loading up a wood stove ... tricky to load the basket without spilling pellets (maybe mine is a bad design?)
4. Clearer that wood.... burns to a light ash and not much of it.
5. Good heat... simple to store bags of pellets... readily available.
I think I'd like a true pellet stove, just not thrilled with the basket setup.
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creeky
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# Posted: 26 Mar 2014 07:57pm
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To make using the woodstove a bit easier this winter I used a stainless steel vegetable grill from my barbeque as a pellet holder. 10 bucks I think. worked very well.
I saw some nice small stainless pellet holders at a barbeque store. Name brand were $20.
Hit the pellets with the propane torch for 15 seconds or so and they start fine. Quick heat and very cost effective. a $5 dollar bag lasts two weeks. I've used one canister of propane as starter so far.
I use the pellets mostly as an easy/quick wood log starter as well as for the heat.
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obtusemoose399
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2014 07:52pm
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Well, finally got a chance to fire up the stove this morning, so I thought I would resurrect this thread. Like cbright said...its a bit tough to get started and needs a bit of attention. That said...it works!
The pellets burned quite nicely and put out a good deal of heat after burning to coals. The basket was yellow hit by the time the first load burned fully down. I also noticed NO smoke from the stovepipe. These guys burn clean.
One other note for the sub 200sq foot cabin owners here: you can easily control the heat coming off the stove by varying the amount and frequency with which you refuel. I often find myself with wide open doors and windows when using cordwood, so I'm excited to be able to fine tune the fire a bit more.
All in all, these gadgets seem at least worthy of consideration.
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princeofpeace
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# Posted: 17 Oct 2014 11:26am
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So, Obtusemoose..I'm thinking you rceived your Pelleteer and it's working great. I tried contacting the company who sells them after doing an internet search, Practical Goods LLC in New Hampshire, so far no contact from them. Curious to know about your experience with the company.
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Pellet
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2014 06:53pm - Edited by: Pellet
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please feel free to direct any questions that you have via our website. http://thepelleteer.com
We do not have a "brick and mortar" location at this point. We are currently working hard to keep up with the demand in preparation for the winter season and are committed to timely processing of customer orders.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2014 07:43pm
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What will burn longer- a stove with a basket full of pellets or the same stove with a full load of wood? I'm thinking about overnight burn so I don't have to load wood or pellets at 3AM
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razmichael
Member
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# Posted: 30 Nov 2014 07:14pm
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My Pelleteer Experience
I bought one for the house and have been using it for a few weeks off and on. Upper level of the house is about 1000 sqft with semi cathedral ceiling. I have a Vermont Casting Encore wood stove. In general the Encore, with wood, will really heat the place up often with the need to open a window at times. If I really load it up at night and turn the draft completely down I will often be able to just add more wood in the morning. We tend to use the wood stove only on the weekends or very cold evenings.
I have found the pelleteer to be easy to use (start the pellets with the gel starter) and easy to refuel. Far more simple than stuffing paper and kindling in to get wood going (not that this is overly hard) and just add a bowl of pellets to refuel. I do not get nearly the heat from the pellets than I can from the stove stuffed full of wood. This is both good and bad - it is much easier to maintain a nice even temperature without overheating. At this time of year we are only dealing with lows of -10C or so. I'm going to be interested in seeing how it works in much colder conditions. In addition, I realized that I could have gone up a size to fit my stove which would likely provide more heat. my wife really likes the much more steady temperature without the need to be constantly adjusting the draft.
Pellets are not cheap although, as I'm really just playing at this stage so I'm not looking for bulk savings. As was mentioned earlier, the pellets burn very cleanly with little ash and not much smoke.
Overall I'm pleased with the concept and I suspect, in a small cabin, this would provide a much more "smooth" heat. I'm not sure if you could get through a night without refilling any more likely than with wood but I guess it would depend very much on the stove and cabin insulation. Nice thing is that there are no modifications needed for the stove and easy to take it out or put it in.
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big turkey
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# Posted: 14 Nov 2018 07:36pm
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I wanted to experiment with wood pellets in my wood burning stove and got one of these stainless steel grilling woks and it worked great. Great size for my wood burner and perforated with holes on all sides was perfect.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yukon-Glory-Original-Professional-Grade-Grill-Basket-Pan-V egetables-Meat-Seafood-Use-Like-Wok-Grill-Top-Perfect-Outdoor-Accessories-Weber-Char- Broil-/195858996?athcpid=195858996&athpgid=athenaItemPage&athcgid=null&athznid=PWVUB& athieid=v0&athstid=CS020&athguid=043019c8-c00-16714c7ba2c0c5&athena=true
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darz5150
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# Posted: 14 Nov 2018 08:00pm
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I use an old restaraunt style French fry basket. I use it in my shed. I light a fire to get everything warmed up. Then after that I load up the basket. It keeps it warm enough to work without a heavy coat. But doesn't run you out because too much heat. I reload it with a long restaraunt serving spoon.
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BC0035
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2021 04:19pm
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The pellet baskets are designed to make sure that air gets to the whole load. Also so that the wood stove doesn't overheat, since pellets burn hotter than logs.
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