Seems like a good deal on firewood....

lenscap · 29-10-2020 1:18am

I am burning the Rocket Blazers eco logs, along with Arigna Ecobrite in a 16kw boiler stove running 11 rads. Stove runs from 4pm till last loading 8pm every day from (usually start of October through to middle/end march)

Last winter (2018/2019) I burned one ton of Ecobrite and 85 bales of Rocket blazers (a pallet is 96 bales).

As An Ri rua has mentioned these wood briquettes are very good and most importantly, don't expand. This can be a danger with open or stove. It has happened to me when I opened the stove door and part of a burning briquette fell out. So I learned the hard way, not to overload the fire.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have tried nearly all types of compressed wood briquettes available in Ireland and I have found the Rocket Blazers to be the best.

They are not cheap but atleast I am not boiling water in the stove with moist logs. The Blazers are consistent reliable heat.

The only drawback is they must be kept dry. I have kept them in a covered leanto under a tightly straped on tarp and that worked perfectly.

All I can say is that these Rocket Blazers work fo me and I will continue to buy them.

I see that the Irish company in Mullingar, Flamers, has a new wood briquette called Flamer Shimada heat log that looks very like the Rocket Blazer. I must try a few as it would be good to support local and Irish.

deadduck · 29-10-2020 4:49am

masterboy123 wrote: »

Do I need more than 1 rocket blaze on each occasion to light up the stove?

I was thinking to use 1 rocket blaze to get the fire going on and then throw in the Ash woods.

I’d be interested on experienced users thoughts on this too, as I’m planning to get a new stove fitted soon and was thinking about fueling it as masterboy has suggested

Heighway61 · 29-10-2020 4:02pm

lenscap wrote: »

...

Cheers.

geo88 · 29-10-2020 7:57pm

What's the best deal for smaller quantities? (I have yet to sort out storage unfortunately - and not likely to get to that soon).

The rocket blaze packs work out to about 6.5e/pack if buying the mini-pallet (24 packs) options.

I saw recently similar looking packs (not the same brand though) at TJ O'Mahony for 5.5e each, while they also have the MegaTherm beach log 10KG bags for 5e.

Given the price difference, should I just go with the ecoblaze briquettes from TJ, if I'm planning to spend less than 100e? Would they give out much better heat that the beach logs I wonder? (Or are they better mixed - the two fuels).

Heighway61 · 29-10-2020 8:01pm

lenscap wrote: »

...

I see that the Irish company in Mullingar, Flamers, has a new wood briquette called Flamer Shimada heat log that looks very like the Rocket Blazer. I must try a few as it would be good to support local and Irish.

I emailed Flamers asking how do their Shimada compare to Rocket Blaze. No reply, as yet.

An Ri rua · 29-10-2020 9:00pm

geo88 wrote: »

What's the best deal for smaller quantities? (I have yet to sort out storage unfortunately - and not likely to get to that soon).

The rocket blaze packs work out to about 6.5e/pack if buying the mini-pallet (24 packs) options.

I saw recently similar looking packs (not the same brand though) at TJ O'Mahony for 5.5e each, while they also have the MegaTherm beach log 10KG bags for 5e.

Given the price difference, should I just go with the ecoblaze briquettes from TJ, if I'm planning to spend less than 100e? Would they give out much better heat that the beach logs I wonder? (Or are they better mixed - the two fuels).

Request the megajoules (MJ) or read it off the specs online or in the side of the packet. Then work out the MJ per kg, then work out the MJ per kg per euro.
If at that small quantity, just buy a mix.

An Ri rua · 29-10-2020 9:10pm

masterboy123 wrote: »

There will be 24 rocket blaze woods in 2 sample packs.

Do I need more than 1 rocket blaze on each occasion to light up the stove?

I was thinking to use 1 rocket blaze to get the fire going on and then throw in the Ash woods.

The important thing when starting any fire is to get a small, hot fire going. This is so as to create draft and to warm the stove itself. If not, it will rob precious heat from the combustion process when your burning air-dried wood.
That involves dry kindling. And small pieces of wood. Rocket Blaze are extremely hard. You can bang them together and use their edges to break them where you need to, or else a hammer /back head of a hatchet etc. You cannot break these logs with your hand. They are long burning and no single log of any description will light easily by itself. You need to give fire channels to work through. Watch some videos of people filling fireboxes on YouTube or you will be wasting time and fuel.
Yes, once you get a fire going, you can then add logs. But one Rocket Blaze is insufficient to get a good starter fire going. More like 4, either laid 2 on 2 or else broken into 8 pieces.

geo88 · 30-10-2020 12:07am

I've never seen the MJ being put on the labels for logs before - and sometimes it's very hard to find official figures on any websites unfortunately. It would be great if regulations mandated that though (unless I'm looking in the wrong place on the labels..).

Blanco100 · 30-10-2020 12:38am

1m3 crate of ash firewood- €190

tonne bag of ash firewood- €85

which is the better deal?

Stallingrad · 30-10-2020 10:25am

Sorry if a dumb question, but is kiln dried wood ok to use in an open fire?

OmegaGene · 30-10-2020 10:25am

Blanco100 wrote: »

1m3 crate of ash firewood- €190

tonne bag of ash firewood- €85

which is the better deal?

the crate is better value for money

ddubs · 30-10-2020 10:48am

1m3 Crate of Oak €199 delivered nationwide.

https://www.coopsuperstores.ie/Fuel--Heating/Solid-Fuel/Crates-Of-Firewood-And-Pallet-Deals/Premium-Oak-Log-25cm-Crate-1m-430kg-0051926

deadduck · 30-10-2020 11:00am

ddubs wrote: »

1m3 Crate of Oak €199 delivered nationwide.

https://www.coopsuperstores.ie/Fuel--Heating/Solid-Fuel/Crates-Of-Firewood-And-Pallet-Deals/Premium-Oak-Log-25cm-Crate-1m-430kg-0051926

in the description, it says the volume is actually 0.8m3, it's actually the pallet itself that measures 1m, so not quite as good value as it seems

Pallet Dimensions, 110 x 80 x 100cm. Pallet size 0.97 m. Volume of Firewood 0.80m

vicwatson · 30-10-2020 11:02am

Stallingrad wrote: »

Sorry if a dumb question, but is kiln dried wood ok to use in an open fire?

Yes of course.

OmegaGene · 30-10-2020 12:06pm

deadduck wrote: »

in the description, it says the volume is actually 0.8m3, it's actually the pallet itself that measures 1m, so not quite as good value as it seems

Pallet Dimensions, 110 x 80 x 100cm. Pallet size 0.97 m. Volume of Firewood 0.80m

delivery is also 50 euro

ddubs · 30-10-2020 12:14pm

OmegaGene wrote: »

delivery is also 50 euro

Coming up free for me. Site states free delivery over €150

OmegaGene · 30-10-2020 12:19pm

ddubs wrote: »

Coming up free for me. Site states free delivery over €150

i asked my local co op to deliver and they said it is only free in the town and to go to the next village would be 50 euro so i left it and ended up going with this place

https://www.coughlanfuels.com/

An Ri rua · 30-10-2020 2:28pm

geo88 wrote: »

I've never seen the MJ being put on the labels for logs before - and sometimes it's very hard to find official figures on any websites unfortunately. It would be great if regulations mandated that though (unless I'm looking in the wrong place on the labels..).

It's on most manufactured logs, certainly if not on packaging then on spec sheets or website collateral.
Its not likely to be on packaged cut logs. If a log is beech, or birch, or Scots Pine, that generic information is widely available on Google.

E.g. https://www.ecologs.ie/shop/eco-logs/rocket-blaze-wood-briquettes

Low moisture content: ~8%
High heat output: 20 MJ/kg gross calorific value;
High density: 1,300 kg/m3

I am sure the other ecolog providers have email addresses if this information isn't apparent. But the data is available.

Re generic wood species' calorific value:-
http://www.woodenergy.ie/woodasafuel/listandvaluesofwoodfuelparameters-part2/

You're looking at between 10-20mj, from wet logs up to the best heat manufactured logs such as Rocket Blaze. 20MJ/KG Vs 17-18 and lower for the compressed logs such as Aldi and Lidl often have.
But there's more to extruded logs to just heat. They do not expand!! I've had my fire grate pushed over in an open fire by over-zealous filling of the firebox.

In many senses, the potential Mj /kg (calorific value) is irrelevant if your fire is not burning hot. I.e. very little smoke. It should be burning the smoke as well. Which is what a gasifier does. Or a second stage burn on many stoves. I achieve the same effect in an open fire through use of an intense firebox using storage heater bricks. But that's for another thread.

Muahahaha · 30-10-2020 3:24pm

deadduck wrote: »

in the description, it says the volume is actually 0.8m3, it's actually the pallet itself that measures 1m, so not quite as good value as it seems

Pallet Dimensions, 110 x 80 x 100cm. Pallet size 0.97 m. Volume of Firewood 0.80m

At least they are clear it is 0.8m3 of logs but still pretty daft to be even mentioning that the pallet is 1m, people are not buying it for the pallet size so thats irrelevant information.

Last winter the Co-op did a deal for 199 for 1m3 of ash/oak including delivery. Some people on here got it but then after about a week they pulled the free delivery part and it went up to something like 240. This year it is 0.8m3 also for 199 which again shows merchants selling 20% less logs for the same price as last winter.

These 0.8m3 crate sizes are problematic as well, I would doubt such a size would last most households who are only burning wood the entire winter. Many people would end up ordering a second crate again thus sucking up a second set of delivery costs, its not actually free after all.

cormie · 30-10-2020 4:02pm

An Ri rua wrote: »

I achieve the same effect in an open fire through use of an intense firebox using storage heater bricks. But that's for another thread.

I'm curious about this, any chance of a photo?

Heighway61 · 30-10-2020 4:53pm

Sent an email to Flamers re Shimada logs. Got a reply re pricing only, no comment in reply to my question about the logs themselves.

I get the impression both Flamers and Ecologs are doing quite well.

Heighway61 · 30-10-2020 5:18pm

Could anyone who uses wood briquettes say if they have a smell? Thinking of getting an indoor log rack/holder. Keep 40 or 50 beside the fire and keep the trips out to the garage to a minimum. A smell of fresh cut wood would be nice, not so much if there's some sort of residual chemical smell from the manufacturing process.

Something like

71aC2YmcYwL._AC_UL320_.jpg

An Ri rua · 31-10-2020 12:22am

Heighway61 wrote: »

Could anyone who uses wood briquettes say if they have a smell? Thinking of getting an indoor log rack/holder. Keep 40 or 50 beside the fire and keep the trips out to the garage to a minimum. A smell of fresh cut wood would be nice, not so much if there's some sort of residual chemical smell from the manufacturing process.

Something like

Rocket Blaze have no smell that I can recall.

Flamers standard ecolog has a pine wood smell. It's fine.

gooner99 · 31-10-2020 10:22am

Quote:
Originally Posted by An Ri rua View Post
I achieve the same effect in an open fire through use of an intense firebox using storage heater bricks. But that's for another thread.

I'm curious about this, any chance of a photo?

This is indeed interesting, seeing as I also have an open fire and lots of storage heater bricks lying around.

Blowheads · 31-10-2020 5:50pm

Stallingrad wrote: »

Sorry if a dumb question, but is kiln dried wood ok to use in an open fire?

You should only use dry timber in any fire. Kiln dried is the best as it has the least moisture

joujoujou · 01-11-2020 11:36am

Hello everybody. Long time lurker, first time poster here.

First off, thanks for providing links to bargains.

First one I bought - SureFirewood superjumbo bag (235 euro). Mixture of ash, oak, beech, alder, chestnut and some others I was unable to recognise. Average log's length - 20 to 22 cm. No photo (sorry), the remainder of the stuff can be seen in bottom right corner on photo #3.

The second one, purchased last week - Monahans kiln dried 2m crate of oak. 370 quid.

Average log's length - 25 cm, exactly as advertised.

Unloading in progress:

First row in a shed (note mix of SureFirewood logs on bottom right corner)

And second row in storage as well:

lenscap · 01-11-2020 6:56pm

Heighway61 wrote: »

Sent an email to Flamers re Shimada logs. Got a reply re pricing only, no comment in reply to my question about the logs themselves.

I get the impression both Flamers and Ecologs are doing quite well.

Do you mind me asking how much did they quote for a pallet (ton) of the Shimada and is delivery included?

Heighway61 · 01-11-2020 7:20pm

lenscap wrote: »

Do you mind me asking how much did they quote for a pallet (ton) of the Shimada and is delivery included?

PM sent.

Chemistry3 · 01-11-2020 7:28pm

lenscap wrote: »

Do you mind me asking how much did they quote for a pallet (ton) of the Shimada and is delivery included?

Hi, I am wondering the same as they haven't replied as of yet. I did try the Blazers a couple of years ago and they did burn quicker than expected probably due to me just burning them alone, but I was super impressed. I stored them in my spare room, in the house.

Heighway61 · 01-11-2020 7:56pm

Chemistry3 wrote: »

Hi, I am wondering the same as they haven't replied as of yet. I did try the Blazers a couple of years ago and they did burn quicker than expected probably due to me just burning them alone, but I was super impressed. I stored them in my spare room, in the house.

I'm close to pulling the trigger on two pallets of the Rocket Blaze but this is my concern, how long-burning are they.

I came across these https://www.greenfuelireland.com/hardwood-briquettes/ . I wonder does the name "All Night Long" mean that they are long burning. Only available in single packs and I don't know about that web site.

Seems like a good deal on firewood....

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