Long Island Coal Dealers, Opinions and Prices

Now that the new Keystoker is here, I need coal. I know of 2 dealers on Long Island, Rella Coal in Medford, and Bethlehem Coal in Brightwaters. Can anyone locally offer input and opinions on either, as well as costs per ton of rice, coal source, and anything else you think would be useful. For year one I will likely rely on bagged coal.

Thanks,
Mike

I'll only buy from Ron at Bethlehem Coal. Great guy, honest hard worker who cares about his business and his customers. He shows up when he says and leaves nothing on the grounds when he's gone. I and three other of my coal burning neighbors just got our seasons delivery from him. The coal we get from him has been compared to the coal from Rella by a neighbor and there is a difference but I cant quote exactly where he gets his from. I believe we paid $280/ton, I get rice, neighbors get pea/nut mix.

I like the Rella folks but you really have to understand them to like them. I bought my DVC500 from them. They can come off as crass and abrasive but thier's is a straight to the point attitude; "here's the facts, buy it or not". I happen to like it, I bet many dont. No matter, that neighbor had bad experience with Rella coal. Since he moved to Bethlehem, better burn, hotter, less ash. Thats my opinion!

You summed up each company well.

Bought bagged Blaschak from Rella 2 seasons ago, had pea/nut bulk delivered last season from Bethlehem.

Ron from Bethlehem is a class act guy, broke his a** trying to get it chuted into my makeshift bin. My street is on a slope, my 2 ton was the first load off and just couldn't get the lift to go up straight due to the weight and angle after reblocking the truck 4 times. According to my measurements the load was heavy too - can't complain about that!

Ron has a conveyor belt setup thay can use (extra $) if your bin is hard to get to. (I should have asked for it)

Bethlehem coal was cleaner than the bagged Blaschak. This load was a red-ash coal, great stuff, would have taken more if I had the room.

Rella's attitude is like every other long-established Long Island business - they're the only game in town so "take it or leave it".

djackman wrote:Ron from Bethlehem is a class act guy

And a member here on this forum! And he has a neat website (shameless plug ).

Ron is a member here?

Yes, sorry but I don't recall his screen name .

Old thread but since I cant seem to get a hold of Ron at Bethlehem Coal (calls and emails go unanswered), I may be looking for a new supplier and Im not ready to go to Rella.

I see a new guy in Ronkonkoma, Integrity Coal. Anyone else have a local tip?

andrewe

I never heard of him. I would bite the bullet and buy a truckload form baggedcoal.com. You'll save a bundle and not have to worry about looking for the lowest high priced dealer.

traderfjp wrote:I never heard of him. I would bit the bullet and buy a truckload form baggedcoal.com. You'll save a bundle and not have to worry about looking for the lowest high priced dealer.

Lets see; there's 22 tons on a truck. I burn 3 tons a season. I don't need to store coal for 7.5 years no matter how good the price is and I don't have the space for it anyway.
thx

Lets see. I spent 190.00 a ton deliverd and Rella wants close to 400.00 with trucking and handeling fees. So each year I save 600.00 and have a hedge on inflation while your costs keep going up. If u don't have the storage (about 12 skids) then split a truck with a friend. Bagged coal is so much easier than loose and stacks very easily and there is no storage bin to make or frozen coal to deal with. If you got loose you could save more but then u need a bin.

Lets see: (ok nuff of that)

No doubt bulk of that volume is a serious cost saver and Ive got three coal burners on my block but none of us us the room to store that many skids. ..and I don't have a skid loader of fork lift available at my house! Great idea is you have the space and mechanism to off load... thx for the banter through....

trader,

was that the delivered price or is shipping extra ?

190.00 included delivery costs but that was 2 years ago. I live on Long Island which is a few hours from the breakers.

Turns our Ron (some seemed to know him here) is not in the coal biz any longer but Bethlehem Coal lives on as his cousin took over the biz. As my kids would say..."whatev"