Stockpiling Several Years of Coal??

Who is stockpiling several years worth of coal?? I'm adding on to my outdoor coal bin, and bringing in another 24 tons of Superior coal this summer.
My reasons are:

Coal prices are slowly going up,, Superior is going from $140/ton to $150/ton in August.
Diesel prices are not coming down anytime soon,, So I think I might as well get the coal at today's transportation costs.
Building supplies prices are down due to the drop in new house building,, so If I find time,, it will be more reasonable to put a roof over the coal bin.

And... I really like the secure feeling of knowing I have 2-3 years of coal to heat the homestead,

Anyone else doing the same??
This first photo is last year's load of 29.5 tons, in a temporary coal bin,
[attachment=1]29tons.jpg[/attachment]

I moved the coal to this coal bin:
[attachment=0]newcoalbin5.jpg[/attachment]

I'm adding an aditional bay to the left of this bin, and pouring a concrete floor,, so that the coal won't sink into the mud/ash base..
New photos will follow..

Greg L

My plan is for a 10-12 ton coal bin. That should hold two years worth for me based on calculated useage. I'll know better next year what my actual useage is. With me money has always been feast or famine. I'm planning on having a lot of extra coal to get me through the next famine cycle. I could be hungry but dam I'll be warm.

I'm doing the same thing Greg, I bought 23 tons last month. I'd like to get another truck load next spring, I know it will be more then, but I need to build a bin, for now the tarp works fine. It's a great feeling to know you have several years of heat paid for and them Arabs will not be getting any more of our money

Dave

I plan to have eight tons (two-years' worth) on-hand before Winter starts. Maybe a little more. I can distribute that much around the edges of my garage on pallets, but not much more. One of my buddies suggested I get a gun, too, because the way oil prices are going I may have the only fuel in the neighborhood.

This week I will pour concrete for my coal bin. I plan on getting 19 - 23 ton delivered ASAP. That will be a four or five year supply for me. I'm spending almost my entire savings account on this project, but I won't have to pay for heat for a long time. The account will build back up, and then some.

Funny how we humans are..... Is it good planning and common sense, or is it greed? At one point I was thinking "With all that coal I'll probably have people asking and I'll sell a few tons now & then". Yesterday my wife and I were talking, and later in the day I relayed that conversation to someone that suggested they could buy coal from me after I get my big load. "Ya know, we have no idea what the price of coal will be in five years. I'd be pretty stupid to sell 2/3's of my coal for $250 and then have to pay $450 or $500 a ton when I need more". So, we won't be selling any coal.

On the other hand, Fred, maybe you have taken the first step toward becoming a dealer....

25 tons under the front porch, 15 tons in the basement, 3 tons of bagged in the shed, and 7 tons in the out door coal bin... yep guess I'm planning on stockpiling! Have 15 tons on hand, 20 tons coming in the next couple weeks via tri-axle, so only 15 more tons to plan before the price increase in August.

Based on the cost of energy right now, might not be the best time to be paying for transportation costs, but if you weigh the cost increase that is certain by summers end against the uncertainty of the price of diesel... guess I'm going to bite the bullet and forgo some extra curricular activities in favor of that old fable about putting something away for a rainy day.

Mattahus, you remind me of a squirril I saw once while driving. I saw him from a distance crossing the road. He'd go three feet, stop a second, go three feet, stop stop a second, and go again. As I got closer I could see he had so many nuts in his cheeks that he couldn't hold his head up. He'd through up his head and start running. He'd go about three feet as his head made an arc and then it would hit the ground. After a second he'd do it again.

I'm just hoping that a mine subsidence doesn't give the black gold back to mother earth! Would serve me right for trying to plan and outsmart current events.

Freddy where can you get bulk coal near orrington? I live in corinna and am buying a coal stove soon. I have only found bagged coal so far. Thanks Dan

Paris Farm Supply in Newport or Peletier Flower in Arrostic County. Maybe Downeast Coal in Gouldsboro? I'm not sure, they might have only bagged. I think there's someone in Milliknocket too.

well considering stocks are a terrible gamble at this point in time, inflation is high, savings accounts are paying 2% if your lucky, stockpiling coal is a pretty good investment. I really doubt coal will be cheaper in the next few years than it is today. I'm happy to have a full season's worth stored so I don't have to worry about freezing to death, I can't afford 50 tons otherwise I'd fill the barn full of coal.

Count me in. If I can score 23 tons I'll be set for about 7 years. Now wouldn't that be nice. I have an area that is 30 x 25 can anyone tell me how high 23 tons would be in this area?

Thanks

traderfjp wrote:Count me in. If I can score 23 tons I'll be set for about 7 years. Now wouldn't that be nice. I have an area that is 30 x 25 can anyone tell me how high 23 tons would be in this area? Thanks

Check your PMs, also coal berner is the expert here, he posted the info many times, for my money Superior and UAE are the ones I would go with for large quantities at predictable quality.

Seeing as how I live frugally in a small apartment in my barn, my fuel needs aren't great. Between six tons of inside storage and another 13+ tons in outside storage, I should have enough for several years. Incidentally, I didn't pay a dime for any of it. I mined it from other people's cellars. Yes, it is hard work, but it pays $400-$500 per day in avoided coal purchases. It is actually more than that because there are no after tax dollars involved.

If the coal ever runs out, my fall back is wood. There is lots of it on Craigslist. Some of it is even cut to stove length.

I have wondered about burning compost. I let two landscapers dump leaves and clippings in a space not more than 1/3 acre. This has been going on for 20 years. I have never calculated the yardage, but there has to be the equivalent of 15 dump trailers. In addition to that, the DPW has some huge compost piles behind the town garages. It's available for free

One should also consider auto fuel storage. On Friday, Israel reiterated its intent to bomb Iran if they persist in developing nuclear weapons. Iran is the Persian Gulf's second largest exporter. You can count on shortages should that happen. The Straight of Hormuse will be blockaded.

I maintain enough fuel supply to run my Dodge Ram Diesel for 60,000 miles. I have so much fuel that lately I have been selling some of it off for $0.20 below the daily NYMEX closing price. On Friday, the quote was $3.97. I may curtail sales because it is getting harder to find cheap replacement fuel. Cheap means $0.00 to $1.50 per gallon. $0.00 usually means I have to remove the homeowner's tank.