How much do you pay for coal ?

[CaptainJacks]

I am considering selling coal from my canal side yard and wondering if people would buy it in recycled sacks rather than plastic bags.

How much do you pay and what coal is it?

I am also wondering what is the most popular smokeless fuel amongst boaters.

Cheers.

[junior]

I don't think there is a most popular make. There are quite a few different ones and I suspect you will get them all mentioned in this thread. I'll start you with 'Excel'. No idea what I pay for it as each place/coal boat is different and I tend to fill my diesel tank and then make the bill up to £XX amount with coal. I think it's usually between £9-£12 for 25kg sacks depending on type of fuel.

 

One fuel I like is eCoal50. I have yet to see it sold by a coal boat or canalside yard, yet it is popular in B&Q and the like. Perhaps you could find a niche in the market selling stuff that is hard for boaters to get from their usual outlets.

 

Personally I couldn't give a stuff what sort of sack anything comes in.

[cotswoldsman]

As long as the bag is sealed I would think I just paid £6.80 for 20 kgs Excel

[Zig Zag]

15 quid for 5 10kg bags of CPL smokeless at a local farm shop.

[Ricco1]

I think many boaters look to buy an oval type coal, this tend to burn for longer and once lit, is quite controllable. It's not critical whether it's classified as smokeless because as you probably know, canal boats are exempt from laws regarding this. Price is very important. If you can get below £9.00 for 25kg you should be able to sell a fair amount.

 

Another factor to consider is whether there is a supply boat operating on your canal. If so, you'll find many boaters are loyal to these, they provide a valuable service and although their prices are not rock bottom, they are pretty good. Personally, if there was a supply boat operating, I wouldn't bother.

 

It matters not a jot what the sack is like as long as it doesn't fall apart when you lift. it.

 

Hope that helps.

[bizzard]

The bags matters a lot if you store them outside. Water logged coal, the ovoid smokeless type especially will soak up rain water, be a job to light and will produce goo and creosote. So the standard waterproof plastic bags are a must for most folk. Mind you if the coal has been bagged when wet (common) I don't suppose it would matter. Like it or lump it.

[Smelly]

10.10 for 25kg of excel.

[pearley]

£9.35 for 25kg bags of Excel at The Boatyard, Hilperton.

Edited September 15, 2014 by pearley

[Grace and Favour]

Excel 25Kg sack £9.75 delivered from Lincolnshire Firewood Co

Mixed ovoids 25Kg sack £8.25 from the same place

Anthracite nuts 25Kg sack - £10:00 (I always use during the day/evening)

[Alan de Enfield]

I use "Stoveflame plus" (from our local 'open all hours' shop)

 

£9.50 per 25 Kgs but I get on well with it, no smells, virtually no ash, totally controlable etc. One bag lasts 4 days x 24 hours - with average boat temperarure 25^o + (Its worth the extra few pennies).

 

Mixed Ovoids are used by the boat next to us and three of them have got together and order 20 bags a time and it is delivered to KIngs at £7.25 per 25 kgs (this weeks price)

[Phil Ambrose]

Pre-pack Taybrite. £9-75

Phil

[CaptainJacks]

Does anyone use multifilament or super therm ?

[pearley]

We've used Supertherm from the coalboat at Castlefield in Manchester. Quite big ovals for our Boatman stove but otherwise good.

[twbm]

Another slant would be to investigate having it delivered by canal. Given that you'd want wholesale, maybe a word with John Jackson

 

http://www.coalboat.co.uk/

 

.. other suppliers are available.

Edited September 15, 2014 by twbm

[canals are us?]

I pay around £9.75 for 25kg of wildfire or £10 for 25kg of taybright or anthracite.

 

James

[Alan de Enfield]

I pay around £9.75 for 25kg of wildfire or £10 for 25kg of taybright or anthracite.

 

James

 

How do you get on with the Wildfire ?

 

I found it extremely dirty and smelly, the ash pan was full of 'yellow-ish' lumps of sulpher - when I emptied the ash pan I was choking in a seriously bad way.

 

The volume of ash produced was almost as much as the volume of wildfire put on the fire.

[craftycarper]

I really like wildfire I find it one of the longest burning coals ideal for keeping the fire going over night, but as I burn about 90percent wood I don't really suffer with the ash issues described above, which brings me to my next point to the op I think if you are fit and have time there is as much or more profit in selling bags of logs as you have a canal side yard already you can buy in the trunks and just cut and split them and bag them in different size bags, also makes the cut smell a lot nicer on a fresh winters morn than everyone burning cheap sulphur rich coal

[tree monkey]

I really like wildfire I find it one of the longest burning coals ideal for keeping the fire going over night, but as I burn about 90percent wood I don't really suffer with the ash issues described above, which brings me to my next point to the op I think if you are fit and have time there is as much or more profit in selling bags of logs as you have a canal side yard already you can buy in the trunks and just cut and split them and bag them in different size bags, also makes the cut smell a lot nicer on a fresh winters morn than everyone burning cheap sulphur rich coal

Although I agree about how much nicer wood smoke smells, have you any idea how much work is involved in "just" buying, cutting, bagging enough timber to be commercially viable and don't forget most timber bought in bulk would still be green, so seasoning space would be required

It's easy to underestimate

[alan_fincher]

It's not critical whether it's classified as smokeless because as you probably know, canal boats are exempt from laws regarding this.

Yes, but apart from throwing clag over your neighbours, (even if allowed), there is the issue of it gumming up your flues, and pouring corrosive muck down the outside of your boat.

 

Search out "Starcoaster's" threads on her experiences when K G Smith decided out of the blue that what they put in the bags for the formerly smokeless Stoveglow would no longer be smokeless.

[craftycarper]

Although I agree about how much nicer wood smoke smells, have you any idea how much work is involved in "just" buying, cutting, bagging enough timber to be commercially viable and don't forget most timber bought in bulk would still be green, so seasoning space would be required

It's easy to underestimate

. I know but I,m a glutton for punishment I have several mates that do it although one does have a large splitter and band saw but another mate uses only a chain saw and axe he runs a gardening business and collects all his trees through the summer logs them up stores them in a barn and when he has know work in winter bags em up and delivers them, it's just if your selling coal you may as well do logs as well I think and like I say I recon there's a better profit margin than coal but as you say more graft

[DustyDave]

£10 for 20kg of oxbow glow at home. Expensive but great stuff. I used to use house coal when all my heating was run from the stove. That was far cheaper but messy to deal with and not as hot.

 

Dave

[DHutch]

How much do you pay and what coal is it?

Best (only) welsh steam coal.

- 40*25kg bags, palletised, delivered, at £7.88/bag. Aka £315/ton.

 

http://the-coalman.co.uk/product-details.aspx?prd=11

 

 

Daniel

[canals are us?]

 

How do you get on with the Wildfire ?

 

I found it extremely dirty and smelly, the ash pan was full of 'yellow-ish' lumps of sulpher - when I emptied the ash pan I was choking in a seriously bad way.

 

The volume of ash produced was almost as much as the volume of wildfire put on the fire.

 

I have none of these issues except a full ashpan in a 24 hour period.

It burns to a fine powder/ dust and certainly get no lumps in the ash just grey/white dust. No smell or dirt.

The stove is a woodwarm fireview and has airwash and secondary combustion. On a layer on an established fire I can get 16 hours of overnight burning with the air supply virtually closed. Very little smoke out the chimney too even when just lit and heats the rads or water well.

 

James