I Want My Kimmel Coal Back!

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Muddy Jeep
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Post by Muddy Jeep » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 8:57 am

I've been burning Kimmel nut coal all season that I bought from Tractor Supply. I was one of the fortunate ones that was able to buy a significant amount before they stopped selling it. I ended up getting 3 tons from them. Once I got down to 1/2 a ton left, I started looking for other places in my area that sold anthracite. I found 2 places within a 25 min drive that carried Reading Coal. Nowhere near the price I paid for the Kimmels I thought it would be worth it unless I wanted to drive much farther. $6.50 per bag versus the $4.99 I paid for the Kimmels. Anyway....the first bag I opened up was nice and very consistent in size and it burned well, but no different than the Kimmel in my opinion. The next day is when it all started to go down hill. I opened up a bag and there were a ton of fines in it. I was just thinking crap, oh well, I know this will happen from time to time. Well from time to time turned into the next 14 bags! 1/3 to 1/2 of every bag I have used since that first one has been rice or pea size (some smaller like dust) and the other 1/2 or so is nut to almost stove size! I don't mind the larger size, I actually prefer it, but the rice size is getting out of control. It is burning in my furnace, but it really hinders its performance. I can't get the airflow through the bed to really get the temp up. The other day it was 8 deg all night, and I couldn't get my stove to burn hotter than 250 above the load door. The house stayed at 65 - 66 pretty much all night, but that is chilly when your used to 72. I just can't see how there can be such a range of size in each bag. If I wanted rice coal I would have bought rice coal! I have 10 bags of this stuff left so we will see how it looks, but I'm expecting the more of the same considering it was all off of the same pallet. Is anyone else having similar issues with Reading Coal? I still have about 15-20 bags of Kimmel that I'm going to use on the colder days and save the "rice" for the warmer days. Needless to say I'm disappointed considering I was expecting good things from Reading, but I just want my Kimmel Coal back!


 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 9:05 am

This Topic title should be "Reading bagged coal sucks"

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 9:15 am

MJ, you're just reaffirming what people have been posting over the yrs. about reading bagged. Or titled--TSC sux--no way could they have maintained that price--remember--if it looks a lil to good to be true, it probably is!

 
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Post by Stoker6268 » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 9:17 am

Last two years I was fighting Reading nut coal. Everything you said. Anywhere from fines to stove coal found in almost every bag. I finally switched to Reading pea and am much happier. consistent size and little or no fines. Seems like the problems are with the nut...

 
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Smokeyja
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Post by Smokeyja » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 9:35 am

And no blaschak in your area either I'm guessing ?
Last edited by Smokeyja on Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 9:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

 
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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 9:56 am

I am having the same problem with my 2 tons of reading stove size, it sucks, 50% of the bag is stove size, 10% is nut and 40% is garbage fines!

 
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Muddy Jeep
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Post by Muddy Jeep » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 11:34 am

Smokeyja wrote:And no blaschak in your area either I'm guessing ?
Not that I'm aware of. I'll have to do some more digging to find out. I would like to try it out and see how it compares.
Stoker6268 wrote:Last two years I was fighting Reading nut coal. Everything you said. Anywhere from fines to stove coal found in almost every bag. I finally switched to Reading pea and am much happier. consistent size and little or no fines. Seems like the problems are with the nut...
The two places nearby that sell Reading coal only sell it in Nut or Rice. I did think about trying some pea sized on the warmer days when I just want it to simmer all day.

Its unfortunate that all of us are having the same issue with Reading. I guess I was expecting better things. I called the tractor supply district office for my area and also the main customer service number down in Kentucky I believe. They said that they plan on carrying it again next year because it has sold extremely well. Even if they raised the price $0.50 or a $1 per bag I would still buy it. As I had good success with it and would still be cheaper than anyone else in my area. I was given two reasons why they stopped selling it. One they couldn't keep up with demand because everyone was buying it like it was the end of the world and two, the season was considered over and they were bringing out their spring items. I told the lady, its mid January! According to the calender, winter officially started at the end of December and doesn't end until the near the end of March. I still need at least two more months of heat. She said she understood however, once the new year hits they start getting geared up for the spring season. Either way, if they do sell it next year I'll put my order in early and stock pile it.


 
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joeq
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Post by joeq » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 12:12 pm

I can understand why you want your Kimmel back. So do I. I've been on blaschak for almost 2 weeks now, and notice the difference. Normally, the santa coal is "cleaner" than the Kimmel (pea), but here is a surprise I found burning in my hopper today.
JD snow G111 015.JPG
.JPG | 140.6KB | JD snow G111 015.JPG
It's not a piece of stove, or anything like that. I believe it's what Charlie Brown gets at Halloween. "I got a "rock". (It was glowing red, and making heat tho.)

 
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tmbrddl
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Post by tmbrddl » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 2:37 pm

I bought twenty 50# bags of Kimmel's today for $172.00. Half stove, half nut. The retailer I bought it from said Kimmel's has been raising the price with just about every load he has picked up. Gone up $30.00 a ton in the last month.

 
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davidmcbeth3
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Post by davidmcbeth3 » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 2:47 pm

I am burning Reading .... the nut size is larger than Blashack's and the last 2 loads of santa claus coal were v. wet...so my last 2 loads have been Reading.

I have a Hitzer 503 so fines are no concern ... but there is about 5% fines in what I have (estimating).

Nobody mentioned all the "free" wood ya get to burn either ... every bag of mine has at least 1 4-6" pc in each bag....I just burn it.

As far as burning, the wife thinks Reading burns hotter (I think she's goofy) ....

My Reading coal report O'-The-Day. :partyhat:

 
dhansen
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Post by dhansen » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 3:38 pm

tmbrddl wrote:I bought twenty 50# bags of Kimmel's today for $172.00. Half stove, half nut. The retailer I bought it from said Kimmel's has been raising the price with just about every load he has picked up. Gone up $30.00 a ton in the last month.
Does your retailer buy direct from Kimmel's ?

It's $10.00 per bag here in Rockland. Has been all season. Last year both the Stove and Nut from Kimmel's was beautiful. The 15 bags I got from TSC this year were beautiful too. Since I've used up the 1-1/2 tons of old bulk I got from a friend this past fall, I've gone back to buying Kimmel from the local dealer. The Stove size has been as good as ever but the Nut is full of smaller sized pieces and fines along with a few pieces of trash. I'd say only half the bag is nut sized. The reminder is halfway between pea and nut along with a heavy load of fines.

I'm sure it all depends on when the bags are filled.

 
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Smokeyja
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Post by Smokeyja » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 3:41 pm

$10 / bag are kidding me ? Wtf?

 
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joeq
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Post by joeq » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 3:53 pm

(Supply and demand) ;)

 
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Muddy Jeep
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Post by Muddy Jeep » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 4:33 pm

dhansen wrote:It's $10.00 per bag here in Rockland.
Wow, hopefully those are 50lb bags and not 40lb.
davidmcbeth3 wrote:Nobody mentioned all the "free" wood ya get to burn either ... every bag of mine has at least 1 4-6" pc in each bag....I just burn it.
I burn it too and I have noticed more wood in the Reading coal than the Kimmel. With the Kimmel, I maybe got one piece of wood to every 10 bags. With the Reading its more like one piece to every two bags.

 
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Post by coalder » Sat. Feb. 07, 2015 4:35 pm

Just a reply, I'll post some photos tomorrow in AM of major knickers I've had resulting from the use of Reading coal. So many fines compromised the burn that I've been living in "clinker city". What's it's gonna take to get through Reading's thick head, not to bag crap.
Jim


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