All you wood burners....

[Yo Hoot]

I live in the NE and heat my house 100% with wood. This is my first year doing it. It's a blast and I'm saving a small fortune. I have a wood insert in our fireplace and a freestanding soapstone stove in the rec room on the other end of the house. Even if you have to buy split and seasoned wood you still save depending on where you live and your heating costs.

This was my first fire in the new insert. . (Hearthstone Clydesdale)
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And this is the soapstone on the other end. .
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and it's chimney...
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I have a forum going for wood and hearth related discussion. Please feel free to join. I'm trying to get it moving along with members. . Tell me what you think of the layout... suggestions?
Hearth-Forum.com • Index page

 

[NIsaacs]

Nothing feels better than wood heat and power outages will not bother. However there is quite a bit of work involved with it, especially if you cut your own wood. Also you need back up heat for when you are gone.



Looking at those fancy stoves, I would say it will be a while before you save a small fortune. Good luck with your new adventure, they will last a long time.



Nick

 

[Yo Hoot]

Thanks. I have THE reason to burn wood. Our propane bill this year was going to be between $4000 and $5000. Last year it was around $4000.



I get my wood for free but I split and stack. Unfortunately since this is my first year, I had no reserve so I bought three cord at $175 each delivered. I now have plenty staged and should be good for next year.



My breakeven will be in about two years. After that we'll be saving a minimum of $3000-$4000 a year.

 

[Greenleaf]

Yes. Wood. I do. For many many years now.



I hear that often, but I can tell you it isn't true. Other heat does feel better. For instance, when I get home my house will be 60 or 65 °F depending on the wind and ambient temp.



Light that Vermonst Casting off and soon you'll feel it... ... ... ... ... . from one side only. It is convection heat. You'll only feel the heat from the side of your body facing the stove. The opposite side of your body is much much cooler. Go to the other end of same room; now you are much cooler all over. The bathroom is very cool.



Then after some time, the room/house heats up. And I mean up. It will soon be 75 to 80° and your hot. The fire isn't fueled over night because at bed time it's 75 to 80.



I do have to have a humidifyer. If you don't, your skin is cracking. So is the drywall and wood floors.



Outside of all the labor involved and potential chimney fire(s) it is great. I would never pay for the electric and propane except if/when I travel from home on a weekend get-a-way. Then I'll set the thermostat for 50-55°



I would love to visit a website on wood heating. I have three wood stoves in my home. I only use two;one up and one down.



I do have one flu w/ a S. S liner. All that constant flu cleaning still allowed a fire and cracked apart the tile liner. MY wood is very well seasoned. Very well. And it is the good stuff;ash/oak/cherry/walnut/locust

 

[Greenleaf]

Some pics of my main floor operation. I keep the supply in the cellar. I don't keep it outside. I like it indoors where it's warm... ... ... ..... and handy.

 

[MChrist]

Just yesterday I was looking at log splitters when I came across one from DR. I forget what it's called, but look it up. It uses a 6 hp motor and 2 75 lb flywheels. The flywheels store the energy and shoot the ram into the wood about 3 Xs faster than a normal hydraulic. I don't split enough wood to justify the cost, but I thought you may be interested.

 

[JLEONARD]

In my last house, home for 26 years, I had a Buderus coal/wood boiler that I plumbed into the main oil boiler with hot water radiators.

The system worked great, but wood did not last the day while at work or the night so I used coal except for early fall, late spring. I would burn 4 1/2 tons each year, plus about 2 cords of wood.

The chimney (over 40 feet) had no lining, so I had it lined with "Supa flue" which is a very lightweight cement type mix the is pumped in the chimney from above arouns an inflatable air bladder. Once the stuff is set they let out the air and pull the bladder out. That system worked perfect , it never cracked, and never creosoted up bad.

Now and my current place I only burn a fireplace a couple times a week in winter. More for ambiance than anything as I know a fireplace is about 0 percent efficient, although there's nothing like a fire.

 

[mwilson]

Just yesterday I was looking at log splitters when I came across one from DR. I forget what it's called, but look it up. It uses a 6 hp motor and 2 75 lb flywheels. The flywheels store the energy and shoot the ram into the wood about 3 Xs faster than a normal hydraulic. I don't split enough wood to justify the cost, but I thought you may be interested.

Fingers Man, fingers... ..... Ouch... .



Mike.

 

[mwilson]

I burn a lot of wood but lack a cat to place by the stove.



That seems to put me in a minority... .



Does a Psychotic Cummins Loving 20lb Yorkie count???????



Mike.

 

[Greenleaf]

lemme see a picture... ... ... ...

 

[mwilson]

Will do, if I can get him to sit still tonight.....



Mike.

 

[MChrist]

Fingers Man, fingers... ..... Ouch... .



Mike.

DR® Power Equipment - DR RapidFire Log Splitter



Check it out. . if I had a lot of wood to split...

 

[jhenderson]

It's a copy of the Super Split. Rack and pinion driven by the flywheels. Return is a large spring. Fast for straight, clear wood. Not so good for knotty or twisted stuff. It uses 1 short wedge for a reason. It won't push a tall wedge through big wood. It also won't push a 4 way wedge. Be careful, there's no time to pull back an errant digit.

 

[MChrist]

Trying out the new DR Rapidfire wood splitter - YouTube

It does look like a copy of the splitter you mentioned, but in this video, if you skip to around 2:30, you'll see him going through tough log. I was impressed.

 

[mwilson]

lemme see a picture... ... ... ...

Vermont Castings Propane Heater in Dining Room... Will be on a small hearth soon, need to finish the wall paper first.





Buddy, The Wonder Dog..... What more can I say... .....



Mike.

 

[mwilson]

The Workhorse

Regency Stove, in the family room of the daylight basement.

No catalyst needed, uses air tubes across the top of the firebox. Annual chimney cleaning yields only a fine powder.



Does the lion's share of heating duties. And dries grandkid's ski-pants, sheets, and anything else she can hang up on the various racks.



Use the propane units for a little extra on cold evenings.



Also use about 400 gallons of #2 per year for the HWBB furnace which includes our domestic hot water. Not too bad considering how cold it gets here sometimes.

 

[Stranger]

Need to cut and split firewood in a hurry?

Take a look at this!

 

[mwilson]

Take a look at this!

It certainly is not his first day running it, he can shake everything into place quite easily.



Those BobCats are twitchy little varmints, he has my respect.



Mike.

 

[Greenleaf]

I have seen some really interesting machines at a trade show for forrestry. Nothing on a bobcat, but industrial fire wood making none the less. Some auto load the wood into a dump bed.

 

[jhenderson]

I watched the video. I'm still not impressed. 2 or 3 attempts for a large diameter stick, more for something tough. That's not productive. My American, with a 4 way head and 12 second cycle time, would split any of that wood with 1 shot, and it cost the same.