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Excel vs New Heat


fergyguy

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Just spoken to my local coal merchant ref purchasing 40 x25kg bags of Excel ... he informs me he no longer sticks it but replaced it with New Heat which he says is made by same supplier as Excel and it’s slightly larger and all round a much better burn. Now the price is £10 per bag so my question is has anyone else started using New Heat? Is the price reasonable ? Or do I keep hunting a merchant who can supply Excel?

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2 minutes ago, DaveP said:

I've used both, prefer New Heat - I find that Excel burns too hot and wrecks my grate (Villager Puffin).  New Heat is cheaper, produces less ash, lasts as long and is cheaper (£11 vs £13).

I use new heat and I too prefer it. Second winter on solely that. Low Ash etc etc. Recommend. 

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6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

So why would you load it onto the boat & carry it from the back to the front instead of directly to the front ?

Probably because Richard orders a good few bags at a time and is being sensible in not blocking an emergency exit with several bags of coal.

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1 minute ago, Liam said:

Probably because Richard orders a good few bags at a time and is being sensible in not blocking an emergency exit with several bags of coal.

Sorry, I still don't see why he couldn't load them directly in the front, or the ones that he can accommodate at the stern load at the stern, and the balance load at the front - why carry them thru the boat from back to front ?

 

Thought - UNLESS - the boat is moored 'stern in' with no bank or pontoon alongside (pretty unusual on the canals -but  not in the Med)

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There's obviously a reason for it otherwise I doubt he'd do it.

 

The obvious one to me is that you'd put a few bags in the front under the cratch cover so when its blowing a gale and chucking it down you can refill the coal bucket easily and in relative comfort. You've got too many bags to store in the front though so the others go on your cruise stern.

 

When you're in the mood during a dry day you restock the forward well with bags from the stern end. Makes sense if your stove is in the front half of the boat. I don't think he actually carries them through the boat, probably around it outside.

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2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Why would you not just load it directly onto / into the front ?

Because it's not convenient for either me or Liam at the time of delivery, and not particularly safe, and there isn't room for all of the bags I buy, and.........

 

I have carried them both through the inside of the boat, and along the mooring to load them via the cratch. Depends how I feel at the time of doing it.

 

Given that 20kgs are available, and Liam and other customers were struggling a bit with 25kg bags, it's worked out well all round.

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New Heat -  yes ,I've used about 6 bags.  I found it pretty good.  Equivalent to or slightly better than Excel.  Medium/low ash yield.

 

But it was relatively expensive per kilo as it came in 20kg bags rather than the standard 25kg sacks.

 

Call me a cynic, but I'd say the 20kg bag shtick is more about stealth inflation than providing convenience. 

 

Not a bad fuel tho' 

 

 

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Usually we burn Excel but here at Kings the coal merchant only supplies Newheat. Last year was definitely inferior to Excel, not so hot, more ash, dirtier glass but this year difficult to see any difference. £9.60 here for 25kg bag.

 

And yes. 20kg bags are easier and 10 kg a doddle.

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Oxbow produce both Excel and Newheat. They also produce two non authorised fuels called Glow and Red.

 

The problem being that the same mould for Excel is used for Glow and the mould for Newheat is shared with Red.

 

I'm by no means saying all do this, but there are some unscrupulous people out there who will sell Glow as Excel and Red as Newheat. Unless they are taken to a lab there's no real way to tell the difference.

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1 hour ago, Keeping Up said:

Last year we had a few bags of XL and found it much better than Excel. Given that they have to sound the same, is there any connection between them?

Oxbow subsidise the cost of their official Oxbow branded coal bags. I know they do this with Excel so I assume they do this across their product range.

 

If you get Excel that's not in the Oxbow branded bags then I'd ask questions as the merchant would be better off with half cost bags than spending the full amount on generic "smokeless fuel" bags.

 

 

 

oxbow-excel.jpg

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