Rice Coal Reviews for the Year

Post Reply
 
engcogod
New Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu. Nov. 08, 2012 3:27 pm
Location: Schuylkill County, PA

Post by engcogod » Tue. Feb. 26, 2013 7:33 pm

Well guys, I figured I would post a review on two different places where I bought rice coal this year.

My 1st ton of coal was bought here due to the price of $150 a ton (Pickup).

Mammoth Materials
Route 901/Sunbury Road
Minersville PA
Mammoth-Materials-Rice-Coal.jpg

Mammoth Materials Rice Coal

.JPG | 478.9KB | Mammoth-Materials-Rice-Coal.jpg
When I arrived here I noticed there was no scale. When it came time to be loaded, they loaded my trailer up with a ton of rice coal which consisted of two scoops with a larger skid loader. The coal looked smaller then rice and like it was a little dirty but I figured that was no big deal. It was free and clear of foreign material. As it was unloaded I saw more and more of fines and after looking at it almost looked like the rice coal was mixed with barley as that’s how small some of the pieces were. (See Picture Above) The coal did burn without any problems, but I was getting a lot of fines out of my DF520 every night when I would open the fines cleanout lever, a lot more than I ever saw before and I was burning more of it. The previous coal I used (stuff that was there when I moved in the house) burned very nicely and I would put a 5gal bucket of coal in the barrel a day to keep it topped off and had 1-1/2 to 2 bushels of ashes every 7 days. With this latest load, there were days where I would be putting 1-1/2 to 2 buckets a day and would have between 2 -1/2 and 3 bushels of ashes every 7 days. I’m guessing that it was just burning that fast because it was smaller and the stoker ran longer to keep up to temp. With all of this said, this would be the last I would try this coal. Everyone was very nice at the place and I have no complaints about them, just their product. They said they mine their own coal but could not give an ash percentage.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After doing some searching around on here I decided to try the place below as they wanted $170 a ton (Pickup)

Gale Mining
328 E Main St.
Tamaqua, PA
Gale_Rice_Coal.jpg

Gale Mining Rice Coal

.JPG | 419.1KB | Gale_Rice_Coal.jpg
When I arrived here they did have a scale and I got loaded directly from the storage bins inside the breaker via a chute. The coal looked a lot more of what rice was supposed to be and was not very wet at all. It was mostly just damp and looked very clean and free of foreign material. (See Picture Above) The guy was very nice at the breaker and was helpful and informative with the questions I asked. He said they mine their own coal and they are running 11% ash now. The stoker has been burning the new coal for a week now and I can definitely notice a difference in the heat output of this new coal. The stoker doesn’t run as long to come up to temp and I am back to my (1) 5gal bucket of coal per day to keep it topped off. The fines and ash are back down to being around the same amount as the first coal of the season was. If it keeps burning good, I will be definitely going back there again.

Hope this was helpful!!

 
User avatar
freetown fred
Member
Posts: 30293
Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Tue. Feb. 26, 2013 8:06 pm

Hmmmmmm

Attachments

Coal_Sizes  2.jpg
.JPG | 129.7KB | Coal_Sizes 2.jpg

 
User avatar
LDPosse
Member
Posts: 564
Joined: Mon. Dec. 19, 2011 11:11 pm
Location: Tower City, PA

Post by LDPosse » Tue. Feb. 26, 2013 8:11 pm

Great review, nice pics! It's too bad Mammoth seems to have sizing issues with their rice coal.

What color ash is the coal at Gale Mining?


 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17977
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Tue. Feb. 26, 2013 8:13 pm

Did you get a look at the buck-size coal at Mammoth?

I have always heard good things about the coal from Gale Mining.

 
engcogod
New Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu. Nov. 08, 2012 3:27 pm
Location: Schuylkill County, PA

Post by engcogod » Wed. Feb. 27, 2013 5:41 am

Did you get a look at the buck-size coal at Mammoth?
I personally didn't get a look at the buck, but a buddy of mine is burning it and he seems to like it. He originally tried a load of rice coal from there and wasn't too happy as it seemed undersized. I do know they also sell a "Hybrid Mix" which is Buck and Rice mixed together.
What color ash is the coal at Gale Mining?
The ashes are more of a white-ish with a little bit of yellow color. I am getting a few small clunkers but there is no slate or anything in the ashes that I can see. The coal is burning very evenly and all the way. The stuff I got from Mammoth before did have slate in the ashes as I got gray/dark gray pieces.

 
fifthg
Verified Business Rep.
Posts: 356
Joined: Mon. Aug. 03, 2009 10:11 am
Location: southern anthracite field,Schuylkill County,Pa.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: warm morning # 500
Baseburners & Antiques: Peninsular Western Hot Blast No.44K and Reading Foundry & Supply Co.

Post by fifthg » Fri. Jun. 21, 2013 7:41 pm

Gale now has their top quality coal bagged,palletized and shrink-wrapped.It is on special introductory pricing rate of $200/ton for nut,pea,or buck and $210/ton for rice.Their bagging system puts the coal in a bag right in the breaker,it never hits the ground or is rehandled,and has to be the cleanest,truest to size in the business.


 
User avatar
blrman07
Member
Posts: 2383
Joined: Mon. Sep. 27, 2010 3:39 pm
Location: Tupelo Mississippi

Post by blrman07 » Sat. Jun. 22, 2013 7:11 am

I drive by the Blaschak bagging plant several times a day. The building where they keep the palatalized bags is full to the ceiling, end to end, side to side. Their coal piles are huge and they are still adding. It's also going out in railroad cars everyday. I can get mesmerized watching the huge front end loader filling up the rail cars. :drool:

 
coalnewbie
Member
Posts: 8601
Joined: Sat. May. 24, 2008 4:26 pm
Location: Chester, NY
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: LL AnthraKing 180K, Pocono110K,KStokr 90K, DVC
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Invader 2
Baseburners & Antiques: Wings Best, Glenwood #8(x2) Herald 116x
Coal Size/Type: Rice,
Other Heating: Heating Oil CH, Toyotomi OM 22

Post by coalnewbie » Fri. Jul. 12, 2013 10:58 am

Got a TT load of rice from Gale and did some gentle heating with my AnthraKing and this is looks to be my favored stoker/fuel combination. Waiting for SHTF time for a final judgment on this but I know my stove well enough to know this Gale/LL is going to be good. The jury is out on my hand feds which will burn nut.
I can get mesmerized watching the huge front end loader filling up the rail cars. :drool:
Do I sense a free operator for our farm? :)

 
labebe9
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon. Feb. 02, 2015 11:17 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: reading
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: yes
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: yes
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: yes
Coal Size/Type: reading takes 80 pounds (2 bags)

Post by labebe9 » Mon. Feb. 02, 2015 11:38 am

I live in Middletown, Ny, I am looking for rice coal 40 or 50 lbs bags. I am having trouble with the place I was getting it from (tire place), the guy charge me for a ton of coal $325.00. I usually pick it on 2 trips, I always pay for full one ton, when I went to pick up my other load couple of days later, he sold my coal to someone else and he is having trouble getting his coal delivery, now I been stuck 2 weeks in this cold weather unable to use my coal stove. My oil price is insane and My kids and I miss our coal stove being on :( Where can I get coal around my area, I am 10 minutes away from Mildford, PA, please help... Tks

 
ben
Member
Posts: 178
Joined: Thu. Aug. 06, 2009 9:06 pm
Location: n central PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 350 with an S-20 pot (1966)
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by ben » Mon. Feb. 02, 2015 3:47 pm

I have been using rice from Blaschak for the past 4 years no issues. My hauler usually delivers 3 or 4 ton at a time. Would you believe I only burnt 4 ton since July? I get it in bulk and the bin is in my garage. Easy for me and the coal conveyer makes it easy that the driver uses to fill the bin.
The EFM is perfect for me, quiet, efficient no problems. This house is a two story center hall colonial with baseboard fin radiation. 9 foot ceilings. 4 bedrooms.

Post Reply

Return to “Coal Prices & Quality, Coal Dealer Inquiries & Reviews”