Reading Bagged Coal Quality

Is it just me, or does it seem like bagged reading nut coal this year is all pea coal and fines? I've burned two tons so far and haven't found a nut sized piece yet. I bought 20 bags of kimmels last week, and it is clean and normal nut size.

Ashokin wrote:Is it just me, or does it seem like bagged reading nut coal this year is all pea coal and fines? I've burned two tons so far and haven't found a nut sized piece yet. I bought 20 bags of kimmels last week, and it is clean and normal nut size.

Wow for a second there I thought I was reading one on my post from 2 yrs ago...total junk, TSC saved me!

I'm burning Reading Nut coal in my 30-95 and it works great. I used the Kimmels and I couldn't get the heat out of it that I could with the Reading. Weird. Maybe area.

Bought 4 ton of Reading coal for this year. The coal quality was great, nice size, no fines, no junk. Only bad thing was the wetness. Some bags had pints of water in the bottom when opened. Not drying the stuff at the breaker enough, I guess. Does create more ash than I thought, though.

I bought a ton last year and it is pure garbage, as you said very small pieces,and mostly fines . It looks like crush and run. Only got 3 bags left. Been burning Lehigh this year, the best so far . Kimmels is good also but find Blashak to be about the same as reading in bagged nut.

I'm having problems with nut coal. See my post a few slots above yours!!

It was the same last year too, down right lousy. I'm sold on kimmels. I have had great luck with it over the past two years. Very consistent in size and burns long and steady. I'd like to try blashak, but haven't found a dealer near me.

It appears the bagged Reading is not the same consistency as Reading bulk of which is not available for many like me. A couple yrs ago I had the mis-pleasure of the bagged Reading and each bag of my 3 tons sucked, filled with fines and other crap and what seemed like 5 pounds of water ...what a rip-off paying 289.00 / ton and what seemed like .75 cents for water in each bag. Looking back I was probably getting 35 lbs of coal instead of 40 / bag and the fines ruined many a fire!

There does seem to be a lot more water in our Reading rice coal this season. We have part of 3 tons covered outside and the rest on the porch where the temp also can drop below freezing. This season I've had to poke several knife holes the bottom of the bags and make sure I stack the bags right side up on a warm spell so the water will drain down and out the bottom. My Leisure Line Hearth stove shut down last season and the coal shovel had to be cleaned. This season I had to remove the shovel and clean the works twice in January. Way too much water in the bags. I thought Reading's previous bags had pin pricks in a 1/4 inch half oval shape to release extra water. Or maybe I just remember wrong.

michaelanthony wrote:It appears the bagged Reading is not the same consistency as Reading bulk of which is not available for many like me. A couple yrs ago I had the mis-pleasure of the bagged Reading and each bag of my 3 tons sucked, filled with fines and other crap and what seemed like 5 pounds of water ...what a rip-off paying 289.00 / ton and what seemed like .75 cents for water in each bag. Looking back I was probably getting 35 lbs of coal instead of 40 / bag and the fines ruined many a fire!

Raises a good question. Do you pay for the water?

I have noticed (not scientifically of course although I am a scientist [is everything I do done scientifically then?]) that bags with water are much heavier than those w/o .... so I don't think that we get charged for the water but I am not certain.

Anyone know?

I haven't purchased very much bagged coal for several years. As such, I can't comment on what Reading or Blashack is currently like.

When I first got back into coal burning about 10 years ago ( with hand fired), I used all bagged for 5 or 6 years. The Reading I got back then was in 50 lb. bags. Very clean, low ash. My only criticism would be that their nut was essentially stove sized. I also used many tons of bagged Blashack nut. Also consistently good and pretty clean. Higher ash than the old Reading. Then both brands started getting lousy, with plenty of water and way too many fines.

What I can't understand, is how those brands could once do it right with bagging, then have it slide. If I'm not mistaken, both of these huge operations claim to have improved bagging methods. From many of the comments than I have read on these forums and also local comments, maybe not so much.

I reported on this 2 years ago Post by D Pizzoferrato - Anyone Having Reading Issues With the New Black Bagged Stuff

From my observations and discussion with my supplier in Washington PA (Russell Brothers/HEET Inc), Reading put in a new loading line. When the bags were predominantly white/50 lbs, there were no issues. Since then, there seems to have been a learning curve with the new predominantly black/40 lb bags. There were bags with no handles, then bags with handles in one end, bags with handles in both ends, then bags with reinforced handles in one end. End sealing ran from good to it will split open when you lift it. All along it has been plagued with water, mush, and fines, causing frozen lumps and poor air circulation during the burn. There seems to be a mix of various iterations of the 40 lb bags at Russel Bro's, so it's a crap shoot of which stock you get when you pick up a pallet.

After buying a pallet in January (reinforced handle on top end), it's been 60% OK by bag and 40% junk, like a wet slurry was loaded into the bags.

Then I noticed that Tractor Supply had Kimmel at $257 per pallet, compared to $315 at Russel's.

We got an email from Tractor Supply last week for 10% off on any purchase and a flyer that Kimmel was on sale for $4.99 per bag. I've looked at the Kimmel Nut at TSC and it looks like what Reading used to be in the white 50 lb bags. Nice clean chunks.

We called today (Tractor Supply, Follansbee WV) to check stock and ask if the per pallet price would be reduced as well. The manager said that as long as he had inventory (end of season) he would discount the pallets.

Just picked up 2 pallets with the 10% Off Coupon and they discounted it another 10%. That is 100 bags (2 Ton) for $404.19 plus tax.

Your results may vary! Check with your local TSC manager. I think I'm done with Reading.