Best Coal Available in NEPA

Nothing sucks worse than dealing with 5 tons mixed with rocks to jam your grates every single damn shakedown.

I'll be trying my hand at a stoker this coming season, thank God.

Wood'nCoal wrote:Early on in my coal burning adventure I bought some "coal" that would not burn. Period.

Most all I have bought burned well, a few times not so well. Best bet when considering a new supplier is to buy a small amount and see how it burns before buying that trailer full.

Coal I Gave Dave.JPG

Looks like you can use that stuff to build some nice granite walls around your property

Their is a difference in coal to be sure though us folks from MA/NH don't really have the vast selections PA people get to enjoy so were at the mercy of very few around here and typically have to deal the cards were dealt (as my pal whistlenut says ). But just by viewing the forum it appears to me that Superior and Reading and UAE always seem to be well mentioned a lot. I always seem to like the shiniest, clean, consistent sized stuff, If I don't see clean buff shine free from powder and rocks.... Boston Coal is coming back to pick it up! I think if I was from PA I would look for a place that let me walk the yard, look at the coal piles and let me select from which I want (Im not sure if you guys get to do that or not but that would be nice?)

@Smitty...blame the grate system not the manual coal stove You will need to stock up on some loud speakers for your TV (or better yet get everyone in the fam. a set of headphones for the living room), then grab a good generator to have on hand (make sure its serviced and ready each season even if its never used), then make sure you get all your vacumes cleaners and 40w IR light bulbs nearby for summer so as not to corrode the delcate parts, then make sure the wife is prepared for the electric bill & the fly ash and most importantly make sure you stock up on moving parts... motors, blowers, electronics, etc.

I keep a sealed mason jar sized retention sample of all the big loads I have received. I have noticed that my Pocono/Anthraking does not like lots of fines that restrict air flow through the bed. I have noticed that really affects max heat output. So my latest Gale mining 23T looks the best I have seen so far. Rice, a little bigger but in spec, but LOVE the absence of fines. I have no way of testing heat output yet so time will tell. I have a vibratory sieve nest in the tractor shed and one of these days when I am not swamped by lifes other issues I will do a size distribution of Gale and other stuff I have got over the years and post it. Wish I could test BTU and ash but in my type of stove, size distribution must be a factor as well.

My theory of the week is that the combustion fan gets a little ash on the squirrel fan, down goes CFM (I am not going down there every morning with a Q tip) and couple that with fines and max output suffers, I've seen it time and time again. It only seems to be factor when cranking the stove i'e' when the bed is deeper. I would propose another rice spec that seems to be missing. Say amount (%) through a #30 mesh sieve (that 30 number is an arbitrary suggestion right now without any sample runs or thought).

Gales, Jobe Sender seems to be a really nice guy to deal with but of course that don't mean c rap in evaluating coal. Of course, coal for cash keeps everyone happy except the admiral who is bitching about where do we find that tax money now. Details... details, don't you hate accountants.

I have found superior and blashak to be pretty reliable, maybe not always the best that year, but certainly capable of keeping you and your family warm for the year at a minimum of fuss for a good value.

I take a chance but like Reagan said "Trust, but Verify" I ask the ash content and BTU. If they don't know I call somewhere else. The last load I bought they weren't sure but said a "little higher ash" and it was a bit cheaper but 20% ash 10% sticks and stones so it was no bargain. I had to increase my feed rate over 50% to make up for the lack of heat.