Gale Coal

 
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windyhill4.2
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Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Wed. Dec. 09, 2015 10:19 pm

November 21,2015 We unloaded 10.12 tons of rice coal from Gale Mining Co. in Ginther ,Pa. into our truck box where our EFM520 burns the coal to heat the DHW for 2 houses & heats the 2 houses & our repair shop. We have been burning Reading rice since early this yr. it burns well,ash content is good,sizing is on the large size with lots of buck mixed in,it is a square cut looking coal. We have been buying the Reading at retail price locally @ $220/ton delivered if we purchase 4 ton or more each time.We sent a farmer friend of ours with his dump grain truck to Gale & paid them $160/ton + his fee for the truck = $182/ton. The Gale rice is very consistent size,more flat flakes in appearance ,it flows very nicely from our bin,is much quieter as it makes it's way thru the auger into the stoker,ash content is the same as the Reading,ash is darker in color. I did have to adjust the air a bit higher due to the smaller size. I am very happy with this Gale coal so far. I had tried to find info about this company b4 we went for their coal,but didn't find any recent info. Are there any other members out there currently burning Gale coal ?,any size,i would like to hear your experience(recent,not something from 10 yrs ago.The driver was very impressed with the loading time & procedure & the friendly folks at the breaker,i was impressed with my phone contact with them as well.


 
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windyhill4.2
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Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Fri. Dec. 11, 2015 1:27 pm

Is there no one else who burns Gale coal ? Is this an unknown Company to most members ? The owner of this company is a forum member,so I am surprised at the lack of response. fifthg, maybe you can post some info about your company,how long you guys are operating,what product & services you offer. I looked at the forum rules above & see where that is OK & encouraged. I am interested in learning more about your company & what all you offer.

 
Den034071
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Post by Den034071 » Fri. Dec. 11, 2015 3:58 pm

My home is half hour from Jeddo Reading Blaschak Gale Lehigh an !0 10 minutes from Stokton an Hazleton Shaft brakers .Breakers .Gale is a High Ash coal an around here the last choice of residents .You were 5 miutes from the 3 Hazleton breakers an all 3 Hazleton breakers are Premium coals .Ask Richard about Hazleton coal .If you are happy this load great but please do a Review on the 3 Haz. coal an see G.Robinson an Stovepipe Mike comments on Lehigh .Just trying to help .jack

 
fifthg
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Location: southern anthracite field,Schuylkill County,Pa.
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Baseburners & Antiques: Peninsular Western Hot Blast No.44K and Reading Foundry & Supply Co.

Post by fifthg » Fri. Dec. 11, 2015 8:41 pm

Thanks,Windyhill,for starting a thread on Gale Coal,from Gale Mining Co.@1 570 668 5410.I am happy to hear that you are pleased with your purchase of my product. Since you asked, I will tell members a little about myself and Gale Mining.First off,I chose fifthg as my forum ID because my family has been in the mining industry for five generations.I have personally been at it since 1978,so that has been 38 years.Gale both mines and prepares coal,as well as providing exploratory and blast-hole drilling services to other mining companies.My plant is located between the southern and the eastern-middle coal fields,Halfway from Hazleton to Tamaqua.We are currently mining all our own feedstock for the plant from the southern coal field.There are differences between the coal fields and coal veins,like there are differences between blondes,brunettes,and red-heads.Your favorite might be what you were brought up with and got used to.When it comes to the coal,You would have your stoker or burning technique tuned to it.We all know there are those that like blondes and those that prefer brunettes or red-heads.There are those that have their favorite coal supplier.Everyone likes to feel like he or she has the winning team.I have seen every coal producer negatively criticized as inferior,at least once.I have seen their coals praised as well.I do take exception to my coal being characterized as recently as in the last post,as inferior,because that is very untrue.In fact I take great pleasure in the many customers that compliment my coal as the best they have ever burned.I love to hear that,and want to hear it again.It is my goal.My coal is the first choice of many in the area,and we will continue to strive to maintain our very good reputation we have built with our customers and fellow producers.We also have a top-notch reputation with state and federal regulators,for doing what we say we are going to do.Burn that coal a little longer,windyhill,these are shoulder season-like conditions.Please tell us how it performs when it gets cold.You and I will both be pleased with the results.

 
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windyhill4.2
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Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Fri. Dec. 11, 2015 9:12 pm

Thanks for that info,fifthg,can you tell us what sizes you sell,bagged ? bulk, loading capability...... can you load pickups,semi-trailers, do you have coal available yr around ?........ loading hrs.? If I recall correctly ,the driver that picked up our coal said you can load 1 ton per minute from the chute. He found your place less messy than the other place we sent him to last yr.too. I will say that I am very happy with the coal so far,we have burnt Superior,Blashack,Reading & now Gale.Gale coal is cleaner than the Blashack,quieter than Reading thru the auger,ash content is on the same level as Reading & Blashack,less ash than Superior,ash is a darker color.

 
fifthg
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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. Dec. 11, 2015 9:45 pm

We have every size including a mix of stove and egg,which is rare these days.Most plants have gone to cyclone cleaning systems that have a tough time with the abrasion and wear trouble caused by bigger sizes.We have a cyclone for buck,rice,and barley,spirals for the finer coal,and a heavy media drum for our egg,stove,nut,and pea coal.We can load any truck or trailer,although some huge trailers can't be loaded out of the plant,and must be loaded by front end loaders.We do have bagged coal in any size,but need advanced notice,although we are stocking stove,nut,and rice now.We offer two "sizes"of rice,one is standard,and one has the smaller range of buck in it,due to popular demand,as well as to have more rice and less buck.Your choice,as available.We load year round,5 days/week from 7-4 in the summer plus Saturdays until noon in the heating season.We will accomodate special orders and schedules,just ask.The bigger sizes load more quickly than rice,i.e.,nut about 1.5 tons per minute.It helps us estimate the load when we watch the time.

 
fifthg
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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 » Sat. Dec. 12, 2015 8:24 am

There should be some new members to the forum,as I have begun asking my customers as they come in to comment on the coal and service.As prep plants go,mine is relatively new and still building a customer base.As mining goes,we have done that for five generations.I know a "little" about coal field and coal vein variation,deep mining vs. strip mining,steam coal vs. met coal,high BTU vs.high carbon.I can explain a lot about why differences in coals are noticeable,but not always better or worse,just different,and requiring burning technique adjustments.Ask me,it is all very interesting.


 
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windyhill4.2
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Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Sat. Dec. 12, 2015 8:43 am

I remember in the past ,reading of some members who would have liked to try coal bigger than stove,i see you have the stove & egg mix,that may interest a few members. My biggest grip with the Blashack nut we used last yr. was that there were so many fines, besides so many sizes in the bag.We have been buying Reading nut,bulk & do not find very many fines,but they also tend to have too much pea mixed in for my liking. I hope sometime this winter to be able to get some of the Gale nut to see how the sizing is & how it burns.If your nut is similar in consistency to the consistency of the rice for sizing & purity, I will be very happy with the nut as I am so far with the rice.

 
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windyhill4.2
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Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Sat. Dec. 12, 2015 8:47 am

fifthg, the Reading rice we were burning was a square-cut coal,yours is like flat flakes. Is this due to the processing method or the type of coal ?

 
fifthg
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Location: southern anthracite field,Schuylkill County,Pa.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
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Baseburners & Antiques: Peninsular Western Hot Blast No.44K and Reading Foundry & Supply Co.

Post by fifthg » Sat. Dec. 12, 2015 9:02 am

That would likely be from the veins proximity to a geological fault.The thrusting of the rock and coal strata has "crushed" or maybe just deformed the coal a little bit.This is probably why you have noticed it is quieter travelling through your worm feeder,and settles differently in your burn pot.Your use of more air was a good adjustment.Our coal,and Reading's as well as others,will vary in fracture characteristic and shape, as we mine closer to and away from geological disruptions.Coal does not blend as easily as a liquid or gas fuel,obviously.Thus,variation from year to year in everyone's coal.Thanks for your support,windyhill.

 
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windyhill4.2
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Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Sat. Dec. 19, 2015 11:51 am

10 days since I started this thread & have yet to hear from anyone else that is burning Gale coal. That is surprising to me.We have been burning Gale coal for about 15 days now & I am very pleased with it to this point.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Sat. Dec. 19, 2015 3:29 pm

Only a small percentage of people burning coal are actually on this forum, and not everyone jumps into coal quality discussions...probably because it usually goes the same way as a discussion about engine oil, or the best kind of truck.

I have heard good, bad, and average reviews about the coal from Gale...but I can say the same thing about most of the other processing companies.

To those that are shopping around, the best advice I can offer is to get some feedback from someone with recent experience burning the coal you are considering. Hopefully that person has experience with the different characteristics of anthracite, and if that person has nothing to gain or lose by giving you their opinion, even better. If you plan on buying a large quantity of coal, ask for a recent analysis of the product you would be receiving.

 
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windyhill4.2
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Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Sat. Dec. 19, 2015 4:32 pm

Well,i guess I am a unique type of person or customer. I bought my used EFM from an unknown person,i only knew of him as a forum member(scottscoaled)i didn't have anyone that I knew to be able to ask if they knew him & would advise doing business with him. I was looking for a new source for coal,a breaker to buy from directly,i asked some questions on some coal thread & member fifthg posted about Gale coal & also pm'd me informing me that he was the owner of Gale Coal Co. & would be pleased if I did business with them. With that info & my phone call to Gale added some more info ,i decided to just get Gale coal & try it. fifthg had assured me that I would be pleased with their coal & so far I am very happy with it. Early this yr., I was planning on buying from Lehigh in April/May,but found out that they were only loading semi-trailers till Sept. when they would be loading smaller trucks,but only on Saturdays.Gale offers 5 days from 7-4 +Saturday from 7-noon during the heating season. I prefer dealing with a company that better accommodates its customers schedules with more days & hrs to choose from,that is one of the main reasons I went to Gale Coal & getting a pm from the owner helped sway me too..Gale was $160/ton,same as Lehigh,but $20/ton less than Superior which would be our closest breaker.I had already tried Superior & found it was ok,it is a high ash coal & the load we got had a high percentage of fines,it also took more pounds of Superior than it took of the Blashack & Reading for the same weather conditions.I have no experience with Lehigh or Direnzo but I do believe that both the reading & Blashack are considered to be premium coals & I see very little if any change with burning the Gale coal. :D

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Sat. Dec. 19, 2015 4:42 pm

Maybe I should have said "To those that are shopping around and nervous about what kind of product they might receive". I have also ordered boilers site unseen, and have experimented with TT loads of coal from new sources...but not everyone is willing to do that. In fact, some are almost paranoid about mailing a large check and waiting to see what they get in return.

If you are happy with the coal and service, that is all that matters. Sharing your experience may help someone less adventurous make a decision.

 
russocw75
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Post by russocw75 » Sun. Dec. 20, 2015 9:46 am

You began this thread by requesting comment from current users of Gale coal. I have used both Lehigh and Gale and prefer Lehigh.

I used Gale for one season several years ago and found it to be quite adequate. However, I had heard very positive things about the quality of the coal coming from Lehigh under the its previous ownership. When it became available to the public in ton quantities, I decided to pick up a ton and try it. As long as it is available, I will continue to use it.....even though it is available to me only one day a week.

Lehigh is a much larger operation than Gale, and is laid out to handle much larger shipments (rail and truck). To provide limited access to the property for pickups and small trailers is understandable and speaks nothing to customer service.....theirs is outstanding. I have also found the property at Lehigh to be more convenient to navigate.

As for coal quality, in my view, Lehigh burns better than Gale. It is dry when loaded, has less stone and burns with less ash. I have not had a single clinker or clogged grate with Lehigh. I in no way mean to denigrate Gale coal.....I was very pleased with all the above with their coal. However, for the same price per ton ($160), and a shorter pick up, I will stick with Lehigh.


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