Wood Pellet Evap. Conversion Kit?

[Bradenfish]

I'm thinking of converting my intense o fire to a pellet fired evaporator. Does anyone have a pellet fired evap or know of anyone that does? What does it cost compared to oil? What are the pro's and con's? Any help is appreciated!

[tuckermtn]

I was headed down this road earlier this summer, but the person I connected with to help out with converting/building a new arch is too busy with paying projects to be able to devote much time to my non paying project. What I was able to learn is that there is a new bolt-on pellet burner that works in place of an oil burner. Made by an outfit out of Vermont called pellergy. The problem is they can only handle about 250,000 BTUs an hour per burner. Based on some feedback from fellow Traders, I figured to run my 2.5 x 8 I would need close to 600,000 btus per hour. So I asked Pellergy about two burners- they said sure, but it gets pretty pricy...and the fuel handleling gets pretty complicated...

someone else on here might be able to offer another suggestion- but thats as far as I got...

So I'm planning on a intense-o-fire copy...

[Haynes Forest Products]

My understanding is CDL has done some work on the pellet systems.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

I hear theres a guy with a wood chip fired unit in Richmond VT area, I actually think it might have been on the classified section here

[3rdgen.maple]

He used to post on here on a regular basis but havent seen him in awhile. Neet setup hes got converors and all sorts of gadgets to get the woodchips moved around.

[Mark]

Pellets are half the cost of oil. I burn chips and can use pellets if I have to but they are way too expensive.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

2of4 sawmills around here have gone to chipping the tailings so burning slabs at some point might get a little tough.

[Thad Blaisdell]

"wood" that be the same as 1 out of 2?

[Haynes Forest Products]

No 1 of 2 says that there were only 2 saw mills when in fact there were 4 so 2 of 4 or 1/2 of the total:lol:.....................Just saying

[Greenwich Maple Man]

Anybody have a price for the pellet conversion?

[Thad Blaisdell]

I am sure I can get it done for $1,000,000.00 US funds. As with any project I may run into overage so please be prepared to pay as much as 25%more.

Thank you and just let me know when you would like to start this project.

[Greenwich Maple Man]

I am sure I can get it done for $1,000,000.00 US funds. As with any project I may run into overage so please be prepared to pay as much as 25%more.

Thank you and just let me know when you would like to start this project.

Guess I will stick with wood if the conversion is that retarded. HAHA!

[GramaCindy]

2of4 sawmills around here have gone to chipping the tailings so burning slabs at some point might get a little tough.
I have access to "slabwood" from a local mill. All I can fit into a truck or trailer for $5….Is slabwood any good for sapwood? It's mostly pine and alot of bark. Just wondering if it's worth going to pick up?

[tuckermtn]

gramacindy- I burn about 1/2 slabwood in my operation. So about 3 cords worth in a typical season. Price is right but it takes a bit of handling. If its bundled and squared up that is a bonus.

[GramaCindy]

gramacindy- I burn about 1/2 slabwood in my operation. So about 3 cords worth in a typical season. Price is right but it takes a bit of handling. If its bundled and squared up that is a bonus.

Nope…..just in an "UGLY" pile:mad:

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

pretty much all i burn split it up small you will like it

[70 Buick]

i wish I could get slabwood for that price
I have a 22 foot closed trailer , 2 or 3 seasons worth for 5 bucks!!! LOL

[3rdgen.maple]

I have access to "slabwood" from a local mill. All I can fit into a truck or trailer for $5….Is slabwood any good for sapwood? It's mostly pine and alot of bark. Just wondering if it's worth going to pick up?

Its pretty much all I burn. 95% of its pine and some mixed popular and ash in the mix. I prefer to burn pine it goes up fast but it burn hot. I traded a gallon of syrup for 12 trailer loads and I can fit just a tad shy of a full cord on it. In total the 12 loads gave me 10 full cords of slabs. As soon as Im done with the house wood I will go back for more.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

the guy im prob gonna get my garage wood from said he will bring me 2 cords for 20 bucks i was dammmmm load it up

[sam1234]

I'm thinking of converting my intense o fire to a pellet fired evaporator. Does anyone have a pellet fired evap or know of anyone that does? What does it cost compared to oil? What are the pro's and con's? Any help is appreciated!

Hi,

CDL first pellet evaporators were based on the intens'o'fire. They completely changed the design due to poor results.
Your 3x10 Intens'o'fire has a GREAT value on the market, so do not waste your time trying to upgrade it.

Sell it and go with the Sirocco (CDL pellet evapoator) and you'll be amazed!
I'm sure CDL USA would give you a good price for your rig if you decide to make the move.

You gotta see this rid in operation to believe how powerful and stable it is!

[bobbyjake]

Mark from the UP has made an important point here - he can burn pellets if needed, but he is set up to burn chips. Given the two options, I would opt for chips any day of the week over pellets. Nothing against pellets but you are competing with a domestically sold product that fluctuates in cost and is highly attractive to people pending $1 per 10 pounds and more.

The rig that was mentioned in Richmond -- While there may be a rig in Richmond burning chips/pellets, the one that jumps to my mind as being for sale recently was in Highgate Springs VT and is owned by Gagne Maple. I know the design of it was modelled off someone else's rig in VT with of course, some tweeks. It really screams.

Since the post has shifted to being about the value of pine slabs as sugaring wood, I can add the following: For over 10 years, we burned slabs, nearly all softwood, and lots of them. They were nearly free, free, and sometimes even delivered for free, as has been discussed here so the price was right. They were also alot of work. Boiling on a 3' x 10' we could take nearly 3' wood, so we buck sawed them and stacked the small and thin ones, but "piled" the thick and wide ones for splitting. We modified our (horizontal) wood splitter to be able to split the slabs with the slab standing straight up and down rather than laying it down on the beam. This allowed the ram to only have to travel 6" or so. All day Saturday and 3/4 of Sunday for many weekends to get 12-15 cord ready.

[DaveB]

I found this old thread while I was doing some research for an arch replacement project that I'm considering. I really like the idea of using a resource that I have (wood) more efficiently and get the benefits of the new wood pellet evaporators. In reading this thread, I saw some numbers for BTUs used and I'm wondering if anyone knows how many BTUs a 2x6 evaporator uses. I'll be keeping my 2x6 pans but I would like to replace my arch.

If the 185,000 BTUs is sufficient, I may look at one of the units from Pellergy.

[Mark]

A gallon of heating oil has 140,000 btus so it would be like burning a gallon of oil an hour.

[DaveB]

A gallon of heating oil has 140,000 btus so it would be like burning a gallon of oil an hour.

Thanks for that info...I guess the question would then be, how many gallons of oil an hour would you burn with an oil burner on a 2x6? What about other sizes?

[Mark]

Gallon of oil for 10 gallons of evaporation would be a rough guess. I have a 2x6 finisher with flat pans and it boils good at 2.75 gallons an hour, but with a flue pan you would have to bump that up a bit.

[mapleack]

The old rule for oil is length x width / 5 so you'd be at 2.4 gal oil per hour. 2 gal would be 280k btu, 3 gal 420k btu. I don't think 185k btu will cut it in a 2x6.

[firetech]

Joe Woods from northern Mich has worked with CDL and devolped a cherry pit burning unit as Joe lives near Travers City the cherry capital of the world. I spoke with him in Sept as they were setting things up. Check the facebook page for MIchigan Maple syrup producers Joe seems to be running that at this time.

[sandman6921]

Mine is close to this, I burn anthracite rice coal. I have two burners from a K6 Keystoker mounted right and left. These are stoker burners that would work with cherry pits or pellets (probably). But made for hard coal -- most of you could get it somewhere. I fab'd a hopper on each of these, and can load about 75lbs coal in each. These put out about 150k+ BTU's each.
Probably feed about 15-18 pounds coal an hour. Anthracite burns without smoke and really no appreciable odor. A whole loat cheaper than oil -- I'm to lazy to cut wood (owned a logging business to long) and no gas available.
Took a big old woodburner and got busy with torches and welder --- you can find these burners around PA if you know where to look.

[TheMapleMoose]

We burn 4.25 gph oil in our 2x6. Around 600,000 btus.
Pellet gun buyers beware-I'm not sure anyone has received a UL Listing on one yet and some models are pretty susceptible to catching fire. (According to the heating contractors we deal with) That said I think they are a great idea if someone makes one that puts out the btus we need for maple