Hobby or dreaded task.

[YCSTEVE]

We burned wood when I was a kid, my Grandparents still burn wood. When I used to just burn wood in my shop ( 3-4 rik a year) is was a fun hobby now that I have a wood furnace in the basement and a 3 story 110 year old house (15-18 rik a year) it has turned into a task.

I used to use just an old homelite super ez and a splitting maul. Now I have a Stihl 290, homemade splitter, access to a dump truck a and front end loader and an old hog shed with a cement floor to store my wood in.

I suppose I lost my enthusiasm because I have to do it now or we freeze and have to pay an enormous gas bills.

I will say it is nice to have another option besides just paying the gas company. When it gets bitter cold and the ground is frozen and the wind is out of the north in the dead of winter its nice to have a stove full of hedge and an 80 degree house.

 

[cableguy256]

I'm in the same boat as a lot here... I used to have an oil furnace in my house and bought a hotblast 1557m.. now the oil furnace is just sitting there... I absolutely love cutting/splitting/stacking firewood... always have enjoyed it... the exercise and just being outside.... plus, for whatever reason, it is an awesome feeling to be outside in the dead of winter, snow falling all around, and seeing the smoke rolling out of the chimney. Reminds me of the days when my folks used to heat with wood. that and the not-so-lightly-taken fact that I'm saving approx. $1300/year on heating bills lol.

 

[CrappieKeith]

Great responses guys.
Back when I was a kid my dad and brother would hit the woods.
Nothing was more fun at the time. I remember a time when the snow hit real hard the night before and dad was pointing out some fresh deer tracks that went under this balsam.Well I had grabbed a bow and shook the tree.Of coarse all of this snow fell on him ...then I got chased into a sno drift....come out spitting and sputtering and laughing hard.
Cutting wood was a time to be out in mother nature's back yard.
Clean air,with some pretty nice smelling pines.
Of coarse the wildlife was all around...man did we kick up grouse back in the day.
We heated our home with wood and it was always great to come home to that wood heat after a day out ice fishing or trapping.
Fast forward 30 years...
I still burn wood but I'm not spending my time cutting and hauling anymore.
I guide so on the weekends when I'm not at my day job I'm on the water or ice.
I still haul wood in which is no biggy and having the 75 degree house on a 30 below zero day can't be beat.Especially when there's no propane bill what so ever! Well there is a bill because I go through a 20 lb cylindar every 3 weeks for my portable heater in the fish house. LOL

I do have propane back up and after 12 seasons my 100 lb tank is still half full. You just gotta love the smell of wood burning too.

Oh...no power...my house still stays a toasty 75 degrees.

 

[time warp]

I've been a a flooring installer for 33-yrs. now. I work inside peoples houses every day so getting out in the woods & cutting all day is like being on vacation. I've cut wood most of my life but always for family until I put in the owb. I try to 'stihl' away as much wood time from my other stuff as much as I can.

 

[gravely_todd]

For me, it is the enjoyment of being outside and the bonus is using power equipment !!! :hmm3grin2orange: I have access to a lot of free wood, so it makes financial sense to me as well. I do have some money invested in the "tools" I use to gather the wood, but it is WAY better than paying the gas company !!!! Also, I have an office job, so I am inside during the day and it is just so nice to be outside, and it is good exercise

Todd

 

[MH49]

I like the fact that I am making use of trees that would normally go to waste IMHO. I have been burning mainly elm this years which was all standing dead I assume from DED(?) I also like having blow-downs cleaned up, makes the place look better. Plus, I get to play tractors!

The only thing I don't like is that I don't have a wood shed next to the OWB for this heating season. Next year.

 

[husky455rancher]

well cutting is my fav. i enjoy splitting for a while. wehei find myself losing interest i crack open the beers. then it quickly becomes interesting again lol.

 

[zoulas]

I bought firewood once. Then I got a chainsaw. Life's good!

 

[JeffHK454]

Hate everything about screwing with firewood...but love wood heat.

For the last 30+ years I've been hunting,sawing,splitting and packing the stuff and am counting the days till I "give" my sons there love for firewood like my dad did me!

I've got a six and ten year old that I work like dogs ... they'll grow to hate it just like me...and wouldn't have it any other way.

Jeff

 

[scotvl]

even if natural gas was free I would still heat with mostly wood. It just goes right through you.

 

[ROOTSXROCKS]

Hate everything about screwing with firewood...but love wood heat.

I just love that I don't need the heat and I can scavenge for pretty wood to play with in the shop, and occasionally turn out something worthwhile.

 

[Woodjack]

Why would anyone just flick a switch when they can take a chain saw into the woods, haul thousands of pounds of wood back to the house, split all of it by hand, stack it all around the yard, cover it and recover it, then uncover it, carry the split wood inside their home piece by piece, stack it inside, sweep up the mess again and again and again, and constantly feed the box with more wood, and get bruised and scarred during the whole process???

. . . cause you love it. ugh ugh.

 

[frogg]

sure wish i had started cutting & splitting earlier especially now that i got a new man toy .

herman