How's the Supply in Your Area ?

 
KingCoal
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Coal Size/Type: Nut Anth.
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Post by KingCoal » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 8:43 pm

this cold is really messing with the supply in my area.

we have a pretty robust burning community here, many Amish, conservative, and intentionally thrifty households. so there are a decent # of suppliers around, but there has been a heavy heat demand and the shipping is not getting away from the source mines.

i have been waiting for word from my dealer for 2 weeks about notice of his shipment being released. he called today to say that he now has no idea when that might happen and if I needed coal I should find it and grab it.

i called around and the next closest location told me they had 4.5 tons of nut Anth. ( Reading ) in bags and some bulk that they can't get to because it's in an open bunker and under 3 ft. of snow.

I drove over there ( 40 mins. ) and they had 1.5 ton left. I bought the last full ton of easily accessible nut Anth.coal in northern Indiana. I now have 2,420 #'s on hand and am probably good into the second week of March.

i have cash set aside and will be getting next seasons coal this summer during the "discount days".
Last edited by KingCoal on Sat. Apr. 01, 2017 6:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Moved to Coal Prices, Coal Quality, Coal Dealer Inquiries and Reviews


 
Davian
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Post by Davian » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 9:05 pm

My one supplier is seriously short on bagged coal and my other is still okay. My primary guy was down to just 4 pallets last time I stopped by a couple weeks ago and he usually has at least 10-15 minimum this time of year. I'm happy I buy in bulk to say the least. Been way too cold of a winter, especially up here in Vermont.

 
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joeq
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Post by joeq » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 10:38 pm

Pickins are always scarce around my area. Especially for pea coal. Now if you're looking for pellets...they've got mountains of the stuff. Wonder if I painted it black... :gee:

 
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2001Sierra
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Post by 2001Sierra » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 11:05 pm

i have cash set aside and will be getting next seasons coal this summer during the "discount days".[/quote]

The guys I buy with do not push their coal, but still bought 2 TT loads of bagged. They have a few pallets left. I jumped on the "discount days" many years ago. It is not something many can do due to cash flow, which is why we burn what we do. We are not made out of money. One other benefit of buying in advance you can surf through the supply rough times. I always buy 3 pallets, and use about 3 tons so every year I add to my reserve. Last year I bought 6 pallets, and I will still buy 2 pallets this spring. I want to be "in" on the buy. Hell it won't go bad it's only been in the ground a few million years, another couple of years outback won't hurt it.

 
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freetown fred
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Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 11:11 pm

Indeed sierra, my guy has his bins pretty full & keeping up with demand. I'm picking up 85 bags of Blaschak NUT this week--figure that will give me a good start on next season.

 
crazy4coal
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Post by crazy4coal » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 12:46 am

I just ordered TT #5 and will have it picked up on Sat. That will get me till Aug. Sales have been good this year. :D Kimmel's bagging plant has had trouble with freeze ups.

 
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Lightning
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Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 2:50 am

Last year I used part of my return from Uncle Sam and bought all my coal for this season, back in May.. Its the way to go if you can swing it.. Obummer would be proud! :lol: No worries this heating season of getting coal. I started with 6 tons in the basement and should use 5 of them. It seems every year at about this time the pickins get slim.


 
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jjs777_fzr
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Post by jjs777_fzr » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 4:08 am

The one supplier several miles away ran out and didn't think they'd be getting any more inventory.
Called and emailed two more places and neither returned calls or replied to the emails.
I think I'm just a little naive to think you can actually buy coal during the month of January.
I just figured since the US has one of the richest coal reserves in the world...that it would not be a big deal.

 
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anthony7812
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Post by anthony7812 » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 4:26 am

MSHA and ICE. Thier ya have it.

 
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DennisH
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Post by DennisH » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 5:40 am

My stockpile is doing fine. I started out this heating season with about 200 bags of coal in my basement. I've got about 85 bags left. If it looks like I'll run low there, I just go out to the back of my property and take from the other 540 bags sitting covered on nine pallets! :D This spring I'll make my order of four pallets of coal from my dealer for pick up in May or June.

 
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Sunny Boy
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Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 6:54 am

I used to buy bagged, but the repeated trips to the dealer and working from bags were a hassle. I built a 6 ton bin in the basement and by getting bulk. The lumber for the bin was paid for by the additional savings on bulk delivery just in the first couple of years.

I use about three tons a year and always buy an extra ton, or two. Year to year, the surplus adds up, so that last year I didn't need to buy any. And I still had about a half ton left at the end of the season.

Another reason for not ordering last year, it's been seven years since I've seen the bottom of the bin. Thought it's time to run the bin level down to clean out any fines buildup. Turns out to only be about a five gallon pail worth of fines.

This year, I ordered an extra ton. Even with this colder winter, I should still have plenty.

Paul

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 8:02 am

jjs777_fzr wrote: I just figured since the US has one of the richest coal reserves in the world...that it would not be a big deal.
The supply can get a bit thin during the fall and at this time of the year. People who buy twice are getting their second load about now and that's compounded with the cold under normal conditions. You always get those few days where it is really cold so the breakers aren't running. This year with the abnormally cold weather it's even compounded further.

When it gets really low the breakers are only going to be giving coal to customers with contracts or their core customers. I can remember after Katrina the rice coal was in real short supply in the fall, 5 ton load of rice on the truck and I'm waiting at the scale behind some guy who came into buy some rice. "We don't have any".... :P

Buy in the summer, it's cheaper, cleaner and there is no supply issues. I used to send out letters to every customer I had in the Spring, these other guys would be sitting on their asses and I'd be working right through the summer.

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 8:04 am

Sunny Boy wrote: Another reason for not ordering last year, it's been seven years since I've seen the bottom of the bin. Thought it's time to run the bin level down to clean out any fines buildup.
If you can try and work your way to one side of the bin, alternate which side every year.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 8:27 am

Right now I'm digging in towards the back left side under my coal chute door. I'm seeing an accumulation of fines there. I want to use that first, since the coal on the right side of the bin should be clean.

 
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buffalo bob
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Coal Size/Type: anthracite nut

Post by buffalo bob » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 9:02 am

my supplier has bulk, hard and soft...going to get a ton today,reading nut, have some shoveling to do today. only have about 3 days worth left in the bin. been a rough one this year.one good thing about it I got all the fines/dust out of the bin 4 five gallon buckets full. going to make coal balls out of it 1 part portland cement 3or 4 parts fines, let u all know how this works out.cant see wasting this ...iam a penna. dutchman. B.B...


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