Heating With Coal in the Midwest

 
voterone
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Post by voterone » Thu. Jan. 07, 2010 9:56 am

Sting wrote:Superior has a turn key Dealer deal - coal - stoves - training -

Just send money! :D

And then wait for the truckloads of stuff.
Sting, is there any info about the Superior program you are referring online?


 
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lowfog01
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Post by lowfog01 » Thu. Jan. 07, 2010 10:16 am

Sting wrote:
lowfog01 wrote: A quick check of the Reading Dealer Locator shows a dealer in SW Minnesota and one in Wisconsin. That's still more then a day trip but it's not going to PA either.
Lisa

There are at least three Blackjack dealers in WI

Two are only minutes away from me -- Both of those are Amish farmers with NO STOCK and they charge THREE prices per bag of coal.

How they or the coal company can consider them dealers is beyond me.
I'm guessing Blackjack is a brand of bagged coal you can purchase in WI. I've never heard of that brand - I can only get Reading or Blaschak within a 100 miles of me. Too bad those dealers aren't really interested in providing the product. Maybe Voterone will have better luck with the Reading Dealers. Lisa

 
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efo141
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Post by efo141 » Thu. Jan. 07, 2010 10:48 am

I think Sting's Blackjack=Blaschak.

 
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Sting
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Post by Sting » Thu. Jan. 07, 2010 11:24 am

voterone wrote:Sting, is there any info about the Superior program you are referring online?
no

Blaschak and Superior are both old school companies - Others have commented that they have not embraced cyber sales.

you call em on the phone or correspond by snail mail - just like you did business 50 years ago :D

 
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Sting
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Post by Sting » Thu. Jan. 07, 2010 11:26 am

efo141 wrote:I think Sting's Blackjack=Blaschak.
Yeah Blackjack -- I like BlackJack dealers :D

 
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Post by efo141 » Thu. Jan. 07, 2010 11:40 am

Sting, If that is what your coal dealers look like, I see why you burn corn.

 
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Post by LsFarm » Fri. Jan. 08, 2010 1:43 am

The big cost is transportation. I contract with trucking companies that haul grain and feed products from Indiana and Ohio to the east.. They are looking for backhauls to cover their costs.. the price is half of a dedicated truck running empty to go get a load of coal.. Since you live in the middle of the 'breadbasket' of our country, you should be able to find truckers who can bring back 24-28tons for you.

Bagged coal is much more expensive than bulk, I'd highly recommend bulk. Storage is easy, just make some sort of bin for it, search on the forum for Coal storage, coal bins etc.. lots and lots of threads. I built a dedicated coal storage building with a roof to keep the snow and freezing rain out of the coal.. The coal is not harmed by the rain/snow, but when it freezes, it is just one big hard black lump.. not easy to move or use in a stoker.

Your other option is to keep an eye open for a Combustioneer, or Stokermatic Bituminous burning furnace.. They work quite well, and you would be able to burn much less expensive and closer coal.. Go to the Bituminous burning forum and read up on the Stokermatic and Combustioneer furnaces..

Are you near a railroad yard?? You could get a railcar full, it's 100 tons of coal and would require much more work to move, and store,, but who knows?? it may work for you.

Greg L


 
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Post by voterone » Fri. Jan. 08, 2010 9:18 am

LsFarm wrote:The big cost is transportation. I contract with trucking companies that haul grain and feed products from Indiana and Ohio to the east.. They are looking for backhauls to cover their costs.. the price is half of a dedicated truck running empty to go get a load of coal.. Since you live in the middle of the 'breadbasket' of our country, you should be able to find truckers who can bring back 24-28tons for you.

Bagged coal is much more expensive than bulk, I'd highly recommend bulk. Storage is easy, just make some sort of bin for it, search on the forum for Coal storage, coal bins etc.. lots and lots of threads. I built a dedicated coal storage building with a roof to keep the snow and freezing rain out of the coal.. The coal is not harmed by the rain/snow, but when it freezes, it is just one big hard black lump.. not easy to move or use in a stoker.

Your other option is to keep an eye open for a Combustioneer, or Stokermatic Bituminous burning furnace.. They work quite well, and you would be able to burn much less expensive and closer coal.. Go to the Bituminous burning forum and read up on the Stokermatic and Combustioneer furnaces..

Are you near a railroad yard?? You could get a railcar full, it's 100 tons of coal and would require much more work to move, and store,, but who knows?? it may work for you.

Greg L
Those are some good ideas, Greg.

The more I look into this, the more there is to like. It seems that a well organized effort, carefully planned has possibilities- clearly, if shipping/storage can be worked out an anthracite coal/stove business in the mid west could be very viable.

A 'hub and spoke' system of stove dealers and installers, serviced from a central location seems to be the most efficient way of doing things. Their income could be augmented with anthracite coal sales. They would have that market pretty much locked up. There might even be a martket for yearly stove maintenance contracts for those persons who are less hands on.

 
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Post by Sting » Fri. Jan. 08, 2010 9:51 am

Keep thinking positively Voterone -- I like it wish you were closer

This sounds like the beginning of a whole new 'Back to the Future" Remake

Image

 
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Post by voterone » Fri. Jan. 08, 2010 10:55 am

Sting wrote:Keep thinking positively Voterone -- I like it wish you were closer

This sounds like the beginning of a whole new 'Back to the Future" Remake

Image
Sting, I'm going to make some calls today to see what can be done. Superior tops the list.

I'll keep you posted.

 
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Post by voterone » Fri. Jan. 08, 2010 1:30 pm

Spoke with someone at Superior.

They are a small outfit (5 employees) and would have trouble keeping up with rice sized coal. They can provide nut size without a problem. I spoke with one of the employees today and will call again tomorrow to speak with one of the owners.

 
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Post by voterone » Fri. Jan. 08, 2010 6:12 pm

Heating with coal is looking better by the hour

**Broken Link(s) Removed**

 
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Sting
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Post by Sting » Fri. Jan. 08, 2010 8:21 pm

Ackkkk

Its Winter!

 
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Post by Fire375 » Sun. Jan. 17, 2010 3:48 pm

I live here in Indiana and we got in around 2300 ton of blaschak coal last heating season. Bulk we get from feed trucks who go up to chicago and haul brewers grain back to PA. The bags come in on the train through Triple Crown. There are 18 skids on a tractor trailer. If you need I can give you the name who hauls our bulk in. Just send me a message.

 
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Post by ron138 » Mon. Jan. 18, 2010 10:18 am

Where at in Indiana and are you interested in selling either bulk or bags in smaller quantities?


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