A wood pellet machine allows DIY pellet production, avoiding the need to constantly obtain fuel for stoves or boilers.
Furthermore, this machine will enable you to recycle the wood chips produced by your garden shredder in an extremely profitable way.
Before purchasing this product, please consider that pellet production requires an operator to continuously feed the machine with raw material.
There are many models of wood pellet machines available according to the type of their power supply:
The first ones can reach different power ratings depending on whether they are single-phase or three-phase. They are relatively light and feature compact dimensions.
Tractor-mounted wood pellet machines need a connection to the tractor PTO. These machines are small-sized and ensure good hourly output.
The latter, on the other hand, ensure very high production and are generally very similar to electric ones.
The operation of these machines is quite simple: the motor heats the wood chips and pushes them through cone-shaped holes.
During firing, the cellulose molecules release a substance called lignin, which acts as a glue and compacts pellet cylinders. The resulting material is then pressed and cut to the desired size by means a blade.
Wood pellet machines offer many advantages, even in the short term.
Here follow the most important ones:
The materials entered into the pellet mill also influence the pellet quality.
In fact, if using materials with a high moisture content, the pellets will not produce much heat and will tend to dirty the stove.
The cleanliness of the material entered into the machine is also crucial, as soil and stones can lead to premature wear of the machine.
Recycled wood from furniture components, such as chairs or tables, should also be avoided, as the wood used undergoes numerous treatments, and its combustion would release a large quantity of pollutants.
Among the pellet mills listed here, those produced by Ceccato Olindo certainly stand out for their construction quality. They are completely Made in Italy and are recognised throughout Europe as a excellent product for turning wood chips into pellets.
GeoTech Pro pellet mills are also worth mentioning, as they are characterised by an excellent price/quality ratio.
For those who need to produce limited quantities of pellets, we recommend evaluating the professional pellet mills powered by a single-phase 220 V electric motor featuring 3 Hp.
Anyone with access to three-phase 400 V electricity can take advantage of the power of pellet machines, which boast power ratings ranging from 5 to 10 Hp.
If there is not access to electricity, but you don’t want to give up producing pellets with great production results, you should consider purchasing pellet mills with 4-stroke engines or tractor-mounted models. The latter models, although smaller in size, offer a similar hourly output.