Wood pellet sellers are worse than plumbers. And surgeons.

I wrote that “the highest [price] I’ve seen so far is $300” for a ton of hardwood pellets. That was way back in August and early September, four or even five weeks ago when supplies were apparently plentiful.

So we bought a stove.

Then I tried to buy pellets for it.

Vermont has more than two dozen dealers. I found, listed, and called the 15 or so within 50 miles of North Puffin. The typical response has ranged from “Gee, Dick, we don’t have any in stock right now” to “We’re simply not accepting orders–try calling back in November.”

Urk.

My best local fuel dealer still says, “Soon.” One hardware chain told me they had “one pallet of softwood pellets. Do you want it?” Not for the $313 they planned to charge. Another store said they had none in stock but I could keep calling on Wednesdays when their delivery truck arrived. A farm a long hour away by truck offers a “softwood single species from the Midwest” but they were sold out and didn’t know when any more would arrive. An outdoor furnace rep is “searching for a Canadian supplier.” Unsuccessfully so far. A couple of lumber yards and a couple of stove dealers sold stoves but no pellets.

The Energy Coop sells stoves but no pellets and has no plans to sell pellets.

I finally found a stove dealer 50 miles away with “truckloads coming in every other day.” He sells a premium-hard/softwood mixed-low ash pellet from Canada for $235/ton. I asked for two pallets.

“Sure,” they said.

That seller may have the most disorganized store I have ever done business with. I borrowed a 7,000 pound flatbed trailer, hitched it to the truck and drove right down.

Me:	I called this morning for two skids. Where do you want me to park?
Them:	We don’t have any left. Where’d you call from?
Me:	North Puffin
Them:	You’re the woman who called from Petuniaville?

I just looked over my glasses at them.

Anyway, they had promised me three tons and the woman from Petuniaville four tons. They had two wrapped skids (1.5 tons each) and one already opened skid with about one more ton. I arrived first so I got one wrapped skid and the still wrapped bottom half of the second, leaving a wrapped skid and 25 loose bags for the woman from Petuniaville.

She’s a stove buyer so she is gonna be mad.

The boss was on the phone when I arrived. He yelled at his peeps and said that from now on, only one person takes phone orders. He didn’t identify the order taker and I ‘spect nothing will change.

{shaking head}

I managed not to give them the benefit of my management expertise which is to say I carefully applied my management expertise not to give them the benefit of my thoughts.

I parked the pellet pallet porter and pickup by the porch where Anne and I pulled and pushed and packed 4,000 pounds in place.

I am pleased to report that the pellet stove just lit again. I am not pleased to report that I’ll have to do it all again in less than 100 days.

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Running a new appliance means we accumulate some cost and usage info. I’ll post that next.

Oooh, my back is gonna hurt tonight.

We bought a Quadra Fire Santa Fe pellet stove in Massachusetts. Then we drove it home. Then we had to move our existing “heating appliances” around to make room. See, we already had a Vermont Castings Vigilant in the great room and a cast iron “Franklin” stove in the parlor.

I over-engineered moving the Vigilant and thought that might take care of setting a new stove in place as well: attach a couple of 2x4s under the body, rig a cable or chain cradle, rent a pneumatic-rubber tired engine hoist, and simply roll it into place.

Oops. The feet of the hoist have to go under the body and the raised hearth in the parlor knocked that idea out. Not to mention that engine hoists have solid wheels.

The good news is that I have an engine dolly that is strong enough for two stoves and is just about the right height. The coal stove sits on it, awaiting a buyer. Rocking the coal stove turned out to be pretty easy. I lifted one end (the light one) and our son-in-law blocked the feet. He lifted the heavy end while I blocked the other feet. And the dolly slid right out. First time I’ve seen it in 20 years.

I disconnected and moved the server tower to make room in the front hall. Moved some furniture out of the way. Rolled up the rugs.

The Franklin stove weighs about 400 pounds. We tipped it to take off its feet and lowered it on to a pair of “one-by” fir strips. Slid it across the fir onto the dolly. Rolled the dolly onto the front porch. Drove up in the tractor and just lifted it off the dolly and put it down in the barn. It was waaaaaaay easier than it had any right to be.

The Vigilant was already up on 8″ blocks, so we lifted it to add a 2×6 and a 1×6 under each pair of feet. That brought it even with the top of the dolly so we simply “walked it” over. Backed and filled a bit with the dolly to get to the parlor hearth which turned out to be exactly the same height as the dolly. This was also remarkably easy.

We took one enclosure panel off, backed up the truck to the porch, and lifted the new-to-us Quadra Fire Santa Fe pellet stove down off the tailgate. I opted not to carry it in, so I did get to use my brand new, pneumatic tired hand truck. (As an aside, if you know who has my old red hand truck, let me know. I stole it fair and square 30 years ago and I want it back.) I rolled the stove right around the great room furniture and Bob’s yer uncle. It is sitting on the hearth right now.

We have moved all the furniture back that we moved out of the way and reconnected the server tower.

The next decision point was whether to sit it directly on the hearth or raise it another 8″ so its vent will go straight in to the chimney thimble. It was a looks v. convenience v. efficiency question. We opted for floor height and connected it up. It looks and works just fine.

I lied, though. My back already hurts.

Know anybody who wants to buy a nice Franklin stove or an even nicer Home Comfort coal stove?

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Next up: Buying pellets. That turns out to be a trip in itself.