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expiredSUCHaDEAL posted Jun 01, 2026 05:07 PM
expiredSUCHaDEAL posted Jun 01, 2026 05:07 PM

Cowboy 20 Lb. Hardwood Lump Charcoal $18 Free Pick Up True Value Hardware

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$27

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Jun 01, 2026 05:49 PM
114 Posts
Joined Apr 2018
KCFORREALJun 01, 2026 05:49 PM
114 Posts
This is terrible charcoal. I made a major buy of it some years ago and now I only use it for a hot burn on my Big Green Egg. The reason is it's they say it's all hardwood but what they don't tell you is that they have pieces of wood in there that they've gotten from scap pieces of wood - goodness knows where they got it from. They're like sawed ends like some construction crew would leave after they were cutting lumber to size. Anyway, I'm including a link to the ratings for this charcoal it hasn't been updated since 2013 but I doubt that they've changed.

You should also know that it's made in Mexico for what that's worth. Also, I read the description at the site that the original poster linked to and while it says it's all hardwood it doesn't say it doesn't use lumber because lumber is hardwood.

p.s. I ran this post past Claude AI and you can see what it said after it did some research. Scroll down for that. Note that I'm aware that this post is for the Mexican version not the Costco version but my warning still stands.

https://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdat...bag108.htm

Claude AI: You're substantially correct, and here's what the research shows:

The Mexico-made Cowboy lump (which is what you have): The 2022 Naked Whiz review found no scrap lumber in their specific test bag, but rated it mediocre overall — lots of small pieces (49% small, 14% chips/dust), excessive sparking and popping, low max temp of 796°F, and high ash production. They suspect the "mixed hardwood" is mesquite and oak but Cowboy won't specify.

The lumber scrap issue is real and well-documented for Cowboy's American-made Oak & Hickory version. Multiple users on forums have reported finding tongue-and-groove flooring scraps in bags of Cowboy Oak & Hickory from Costco. One forum commenter noted finding charred tongue and groove lumber scraps in the bag as well. The Virtual Weber Bulletin BoardBBQ Brethren

Your key point about the "all hardwood" claim is spot-on. Most bags do not fully disclose their wood source, and some manufacturers use lumber scraps — and construction lumber can contain preservative treatments. The safest approach is to buy from brands that explicitly state the wood species and source. If a bag says only "hardwood" without specifying species, that's a yellow flag. The Charcoal Factory

So your read is correct — "all hardwood" doesn't preclude milled lumber scraps, and the sawed-end appearance you described is consistent with what others have found in Cowboy bags.
Jun 01, 2026 07:04 PM
2,556 Posts
Joined Nov 2018
IndigoWinter2667Jun 01, 2026 07:04 PM
2,556 Posts
Quote from KCFORREAL :

This is terrible charcoal. I made a major buy of it some years ago and now I only use it for a hot burn on my Big Green Egg. The reason is it's they say it's all hardwood but what they don't tell you is that they have pieces of wood in there that they've gotten from scap pieces of wood - goodness knows where they got it from. They're like sawed ends like some construction crew would leave after they were cutting lumber to size. Anyway, I'm including a link to the ratings for this charcoal it hasn't been updated since 2013 but I doubt that they've changed.

You should also know that it's made in Mexico for what that's worth. Also, I read the description at the site that the original poster linked to and while it says it's all hardwood it doesn't say it doesn't use lumber because lumber is hardwood.

p.s. I ran this post past Claude AI and you can see what it said after it did some research. Scroll down for that. Note that I'm aware that this post is for the Mexican version not the Costco version but my warning still stands.

https://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdat...bag108.htm

Claude AI: You're substantially correct, and here's what the research shows:

The Mexico-made Cowboy lump (which is what you have): The 2022 Naked Whiz review found no scrap lumber in their specific test bag, but rated it mediocre overall — lots of small pieces (49% small, 14% chips/dust), excessive sparking and popping, low max temp of 796°F, and high ash production. They suspect the "mixed hardwood" is mesquite and oak but Cowboy won't specify.

The lumber scrap issue is real and well-documented for Cowboy's American-made Oak & Hickory version. Multiple users on forums have reported finding tongue-and-groove flooring scraps in bags of Cowboy Oak & Hickory from Costco. One forum commenter noted finding charred tongue and groove lumber scraps in the bag as well. The Virtual Weber Bulletin BoardBBQ Brethren

Your key point about the "all hardwood" claim is spot-on. Most bags do not fully disclose their wood source, and some manufacturers use lumber scraps — and construction lumber can contain preservative treatments. The safest approach is to buy from brands that explicitly state the wood species and source. If a bag says only "hardwood" without specifying species, that's a yellow flag. The Charcoal Factory

So your read is correct — "all hardwood" doesn't preclude milled lumber scraps, and the sawed-end appearance you described is consistent with what others have found in Cowboy bags.
I work in the timber industry, you aren't getting construction waste in charcoal. Outside of very sketchy brands its all wood from the mill that did not make QC standards and gets sold to these manufactures instead. In practice, that is no different than getting the wood directly, and it is still real hardwood. It's not wood that was sold and used on a construction site (which, for reference, is almost always softwoods).

It looks terrible, and any decent brand should know how people will react, and not use it, but profits come first. It's not a situation like landscape wood chips that are actually reclaimed wood.
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Jun 01, 2026 09:50 PM
29,427 Posts
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SUCHaDEALJun 01, 2026 09:50 PM
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29,427 Posts
Quote from KCFORREAL :
This is terrible charcoal. I made a major buy of it some years ago and now I only use it for a hot burn on my Big Green Egg. The reason is it's they say it's all hardwood but what they don't tell you is that they have pieces of wood in there that they've gotten from scap pieces of wood - goodness knows where they got it from. They're like sawed ends like some construction crew would leave after they were cutting lumber to size. Anyway, I'm including a link to the ratings for this charcoal it hasn't been updated since 2013 but I doubt that they've changed.

You should also know that it's made in Mexico for what that's worth. Also, I read the description at the site that the original poster linked to and while it says it's all hardwood it doesn't say it doesn't use lumber because lumber is hardwood.

p.s. I ran this post past Claude AI and you can see what it said after it did some research. Scroll down for that. Note that I'm aware that this post is for the Mexican version not the Costco version but my warning still stands.

https://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdat...bag108.htm

Claude AI: You're substantially correct, and here's what the research shows:

The Mexico-made Cowboy lump (which is what you have): The 2022 Naked Whiz review found no scrap lumber in their specific test bag, but rated it mediocre overall — lots of small pieces (49% small, 14% chips/dust), excessive sparking and popping, low max temp of 796°F, and high ash production. They suspect the "mixed hardwood" is mesquite and oak but Cowboy won't specify.

The lumber scrap issue is real and well-documented for Cowboy's American-made Oak & Hickory version. Multiple users on forums have reported finding tongue-and-groove flooring scraps in bags of Cowboy Oak & Hickory from Costco. One forum commenter noted finding charred tongue and groove lumber scraps in the bag as well. The Virtual Weber Bulletin BoardBBQ Brethren

Your key point about the "all hardwood" claim is spot-on. Most bags do not fully disclose their wood source, and some manufacturers use lumber scraps — and construction lumber can contain preservative treatments. The safest approach is to buy from brands that explicitly state the wood species and source. If a bag says only "hardwood" without specifying species, that's a yellow flag. The Charcoal Factory

So your read is correct — "all hardwood" doesn't preclude milled lumber scraps, and the sawed-end appearance you described is consistent with what others have found in Cowboy bags.
Appreciate the feedback on this, not familiar with the stuff. I'll have the post expired to avoid anyone buying it and getting shafted.

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