I saw the thread in here, but it is rather old, so I thought I'd see what current opinions are.
Six or Seven years ago I had split a ton of Lumberjack pellets when I was in Texas (DogBreath was part of that).

I will be needing some in a couple months and was looking at Lowes and WallyWorld.
Both sell PitBoss.
The competition blend is cheapest at about the same price for 40 lbs (including tax) that I paid for the bulk Lumberjack per lb.

I will pick up a bag just to try and make my own opinion about them, but thought I'd ask others here what others think of them now.

TIA

I purchased about 10 bags of them last year when they had them on clearance. They worked out great for me. Just finished off my last bag.

Lately I have used both brands, and am now stuck on LJ Hickory Blend (70/30 oak/hickory). I note one difference between the brands:
The PB's have much more loose dust, the LJ's have the least of any brand I tested before. That may be batch related, but it is very obvious to me now.  No problem with ash from either.   

I had a few bags I have been working through.  I don't think they create any more ash than any other pellet with the exception of cookinpellets which I have found to have the least amount of ash.  Granted this is only from observation and memory.  I have not performed any type of scientific testing to validate that.

Dust seems to have been the complaint in the old thread. Still seems to be an issue.
My guess is that longer they sit, the more chance of dust due to weight eventually causing some at bottom to break.
The last bag of LJ I opened had a lot of dust. and I have had them for a long time.

Dust has not been an issue for me.
It burns just like the pellets, you just don't get the energy from it.

Since my local Lowes sells the Pitboss pellets, I have used them quite often and never really noticed any big difference between those or the cookingpellets or LJ pellets I have also used.  I am definitely not an expert on different pellets characteristics as you might have guessed.  Currently using cookingpellets from a dealer I found here in NJ.

I am unimpressed, I prefer LJ or cookin.  I find what look like shavings mixed in with the pellets that I remove by hand, never had to do that with LJ or cookin.


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I am unimpressed, I prefer LJ or cookin.  I find what look like shavings mixed in with the pellets that I remove by hand, never had to do that with LJ or cookin.


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I have been using LJ for some time. Ever since I noticed that the 20 lb bags had almost no dust in the bottoms  when loaded. That has been a consistent plus for me, since I rarely have to clean out the bottom of the hopper. Perhaps that is in part due to the fact that i don't stockpile large amounts and I do keep them in a dry closed space. I really like their Hickory  mix and Comp mix.

I’ve been using the PB pellets for years. I have 4 Traeger’s to feed and never had any issues with PB. I tried a couple of the other brands and just can’t seen to get the high heat out of them.

Seeing as how price is part of your consideration let me suggest you look at your nearest Tractor Supply Co. and see if they are stocking Bear Mountain pellets like the one near me.  Mine stocks four varieties at $9.99 for 20lbs.

Seeing as how price is part of your consideration let me suggest you look at your nearest Tractor Supply Co. and see if they are stocking Bear Mountain pellets like the one near me.  Mine stocks four varieties at $9.99 for 20lbs.

I pay the same price for the LJ's at the local Atwoods

Ever since I noticed that the 20 lb bags had almost no dust in the bottoms  when loaded.

Color me uninformed, but I've used several different brands of pellets, including lots of Pit Boss, and I've never worried about pellet dust. I'm probably wrong, but it seems to me that the dust progresses thru the auger along with the pellets. 

Ever since I noticed that the 20 lb bags had almost no dust in the bottoms  when loaded.

Color me uninformed, but I've used several different brands of pellets, including lots of Pit Boss, and I've never worried about pellet dust. I'm probably wrong, but it seems to me that the dust progresses thru the auger along with the pellets. 

My thoughts too. Sawdust burns like the pellets, but provides less energy I suspect.

Ever since I noticed that the 20 lb bags had almost no dust in the bottoms  when loaded.

Color me uninformed, but I've used several different brands of pellets, including lots of Pit Boss, and I've never worried about pellet dust. I'm probably wrong, but it seems to me that the dust progresses thru the auger along with the pellets. 

My thoughts too. Sawdust burns like the pellets, but provides less energy I suspect.

I don't have proof to ground my assessment, but I think that sawdust is more of a problem in pits that are not a pellet drop than those that are.

 My take on pellet dust(fines).  Will burn much faster than a solid pellet due to its surface area to density ratio.. Ever dump charcoal dust from the bottom of the bag onto a fire? = instant flare-up, gone in an
 
 instant... It's also more hygroscopic for the same reason leading to it solidifying in the presence of water or high humidity.

 Is it good or bad?  Depends. If kept dry there is no reason not to use dusty pellets as long as they used and not allowed to sit exposed to the atmosphere, with the amount being the exception. A large quantity

 of dust could build up @ the bottom of the hopper and auger as dust doesn't flow easily due to its shape, density and static electricity.

  What I do is to sift the pellets in the bottom of the bag if I deem there to be too much.  Periodically I let the hopper pellet level drop to almost empty and use a small, 2" paint brush to sweep the sides and

 bottom of the hopper of dust. It mixes with the pellets and into the fire it goes.