Lousy Coal

lewis wrote: My coal bin needed to be cleaned out after every ton.

Generally speaking every time coal is moved you are going to create fines, most of these will be wherever the end of the chute was in the bin. Same thing as above, it comes down the chute and goes off the end and makes fines plus you have what was already there. Ideally you want to clean it out completely every year but if you can't do that try and clean out alternating sides of it every year.

My coal last year had excessive fines in it. Just as much proportionally if not maybe more, especially when I got to the end of it. Towards the end of the season and the end of my coal supply it got very challenging to burn. It got to the point that I was burning at least 25% fines with my nut size coal. My fires generated poor heat and it wasn't steady. Some of the fines would burn and some wouldn't. And whatever was left of the fines at shake time would fall thru the coal bed and into the ash pan. Burning fines is not fun.

They always migrate to the bottom. Even if the coal is really clean If you don't get down into that bottom section for many years it's going to be loaded with fines. I had a customer that did that for 15 years and I kept telling him about every year, then he had the nerve to call me complaining about it the one year when he finally started digging into it.

If you don't get down into that bottom section for many years it's going to be loaded with fines.

That's understandable for bulk, but this is bagged by Reading. As I said, I expect better quality control.

Like the Blaschak I'd been buying. Clean and fine-free. I had actually asked for Blaschak when I ordered from this dealer and he delivered Reading. He's also not listed on the Reading dealer map, not that that thing works at all. No dealers listed, just cities/ towns. (another QC Fail?)

The fact that it's all wet is pissing me off too. Seriously, I'm way too busy to hassle with this. I bought a ton delivered so I grab a bag, rip it open, and feed the Crane, not screw around handling it, screening out fines, spreading the nut to dry, and this, and that.

btw, the images I uploaded were all properly oriented when I attached them. a puzzle for the moderators.

I got a tri-axle load several years ago from Calvin V Lenig. They where very nice to deal with and the price was right but the coal had bone in it and too much fines.....would choke the air out of the fire. I ended up sifting much of it by hand.

just phoned the dealer who, while (angrily) offering to come back and take the coal away and not cash my check, also basically said, take it or leave it, I'm your source, Blaschak is back ordered for 3 months, and no one he's delivered Reading to has complained.

I mentioned my contacting Reading about their quality control issue and he laughed. They couldn't give two $hits he says.

I understand coal burns wet, so, I'm kind of in a spot here. Suck it up and screen it I guess.

He also mentioned the margin he makes on a ton. Basically the cost of a dinner out.

KingCoal918 wrote:That's understandable for bulk, but this is bagged by Reading.

It's a crap shoot. I had a couple tons of Reading nut and it was the cleanest and best-sized of anything I have burned. The dealer disappeared before I could get more. Now I am burning Kimmel nut and some bags are good and some have lots of fines.

KingCoal918 wrote:... no one he's delivered Reading to has complained.

Ha! Don't you love that line? I used to get that from computer software vendors: "Nobody ELSE is having the problem." So it must be that we are stupid and incompetent. Or, that the vendor is lying. Hmmmmmm ...

KingCoal918 wrote:He also mentioned the margin he makes on a ton. Basically the cost of a dinner out.

Probably true. One of my dealers says the same thing, though he has never mentioned a dollar amount.

KingCoal918 wrote:
He also mentioned the margin he makes on a ton. Basically the cost of a dinner out.

Profit margin for any dealer is pretty slim but if you're dealing a lot of quantity day in and day out...

It certainly shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that coal in plastic bags is going to be wet. But the amount of fines you showed here is ridiculous.

So, there's a happy ending to the story.

I phoned Reading, the dealer phoned Reading. Dealer phoned me less angry than when we spoke this morning. Bad cell connection and truck roar, he made nice, but the fine points were lost to flawed technology. NET: we agreed to see what the rest of the ton held.

A few minutes ago Reading phoned and said they had spoken with the dealer, and explained that they've put a new bagger on line, and they are having some learning curve issues. It's tending to crush lump as it passes through a too-tight belted section of the machine. They're working the kinks out, but bags went out. (where's the "born on" date on the bags?.. didn't look close, but some kind of production code on bags could have helped a recall… Coal recall. lol.

In any event, they've fairly offered consideration for the excessive fines, for which I'm appreciative. Dealer and I will talk.

Works for me. Moving right along, I may look for an arbor press and see if I can press some briquettes… yeah right.

Thanks for letting us know what happened. Glad you got it sorted out.

cokehead wrote:I got a tri-axle load several years ago from Calvin V Lenig. They where very nice to deal with and the price was right but the coal had bone in it and too much fines.....would choke the air out of the fire. I ended up sifting much of it by hand.

sifting nothing! I get bad product that ive paid retail for that requires me to work more because of it.... im working to load that stuff up and dump it in the owners parking spot in his yard with a lil' note

now... if im getting something for free or 1/2 price or whatever (thats a different story), if its explained to me prior to the purchase that its a "crap batch" (thats a different story). otherwise someone is sending me a check or they are coming to get their "crap" or im taking photo's & sending a demand letter.

Im not burning a smoke stack electric plant and I don't expect some dealer to attempt making mo money off me by pushing crap coal my way... no excuses, the dealer certainly has more knowledge & information about coal than the consumer... their is NO shortage of good quality coal as well as "extra cheap, great deal value coal" (dealers choice to deal in "value packs")... if the dealer wishes to deal in "value packs" than that discounted price better be shared equally with me or he will be dealing in "law suits" instead of coal.

Very proud of Reading Anthracite stepping up and our Coal Region values and fairness.

GOOD OUTCOME !!

lewis wrote:Reading Anthracite is to me a local company I would definitely call them and forward the photos via email with a request for an explanation every company of any product can have a bad run that slips thru quality control or a bad employee on a line . I would really like to know what they say.

Good To Hear ! We appreciate you returning and letting us close the book out on this one.