Bulk Coal Quality

Is there a way to tell the quality of bulk coal? I'm still trying to find a supplier of bulk nut coal and started thinking about the quality. This is my first year burning coal and I'm using bagged Blaschak. It burns well but at $275 a skid I'm willing to try bulk if the quality is there. Would the dealer know what brand it is? Any suggestions? Thanks!

Looking at the map is there even anyone in your are that does bulk (2 to 5 ton or so)?

Tractor trailer load is possible if you have the room and you can pretty much get it anywhere you want.

I am also very interested in knowing how you know if you are getting "good" coal. I've been looking through the forums and haven't found anything that seems to answer that question. How do you know you arew getting "good" coal? What actually makes "good" coal? If someone were to go out and buy a whole truckload of coal, how would you know if it's "good" coal you'd be getting? I'm attaching two scanned pages from a book I've been reading on this. Take a look. I'd really like to find out what makes one coal better than another.

Everyone who is in their 70's and 80's that I've talked to in our Northumberland County area say that from Trevorton to Mt Carmel the coal is softer. It burns faster and gives a lot of ash. Coal from Mt. Carmel to Scranton gets harder the farther north you go, and the harder the better to a point. One old friend told me that it is possible to get coal so hard that it won't burn.
I've been buying coal in Mt. Carmel for the past 2 years at Harmony Mines. Very very satisfied. The downside there is they will only sell you 2 ton per week retail. It is $150.00 per ton if you haul it yourself.