Anyone else sick of burning wood?

[wdchuck]

FarmerMike, those thoughts are easy to see and agree with.

My dad gave up harvesting/burning firewood when he was 80yrs old. He's much happier for it.

 

[smokinj]

I think maybe I'm getting burned out. It's not so much the burning wood, I love the heat it gives off, as it is all the work involved. I've been heating my house for 17 years with wood. Before that is was the folks house. I'm not getting any younger and its alot more work than it used to be. My time is limited and it seems every spare moment is spent cutting wood in the fall. I'm thinking of having an lp furnace installed for next year. The gov't rebate thing has helped to make up my mind. I'm not going to completely quit burning wood but it would be nice to burn it when I want not the other way around. I can afford the lp, thats not the issue. I've been cutting wood for so long it would seem weird to not have to depend on it. I would still heat my shop with wood and house during jan and feb, and imagine in no time I would have a five year supply for that. To only have to cut four or five cord a year would make it seem fun. I've got plenty of easy cutting so thats not the problem. Anybody else go through this. I have thought of just buying the wood but that isn't done much around hear. Would like to hear what you guys think. Thanks

Sounds like a good plan....

 

[iCreek]

I guess you all have to consider one's health, as they might live alone or both be old and not able to 'fire up'. So having a secondary heat source is probably a good idea.

When we built our new rancher about 7 years ago I did not consider wood heat, although my FIL and BIL down the road both heat with wood. So after my BIL upgrade to a larger OWB, after building a new shop, the old OWB was offered to me. I turned it down the first year so they stored it in a shed. A few years ago after propane sky rocketed, I second guessed myself and we installed it that Nov/Dec. I have to say it was one of the smartest things I have done, cuts down the winter expenses, and keeps me lots healthier harvesting wood on our farm. It is also nice having two stats, so my old primary propane is now a good backup.

 

[howellhandmade]

Sure, what the hell, it's not like you can't go back or burn however much wood you feel like cutting. I'm in a different part of the curve; I still love the work and just wish I had more trees of my own. But if everybody depended on wood there'd be a shortage of wood too.

Jack

 

[YCSTEVE]

Farmermike,

I've been there too! I have a gas furnace and a wood furnace. Here are a couple things I do.

1. Don't start burning until later in the year. I wait until Dec 1st.
2. If natural gas is cheap I won't burn if its above 35 degrees and sunny.
3. Let equipment do the work like log splitters and tractors.
4. I even shut parts of the house off and just have a warm room.

After a little bit of Number 4 I usually go down in the basement and light the fire.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

My wish for Christmas is to get some sort of bungee cord set up that I could reel the stove in to my easy chair, fill it, then let it snap back into place.

Now that's funny! I repped ya for that!! LOL...:greenchainsaw:

 

[CrappieKeith]

Now that's funny! I repped ya for that!! LOL...:greenchainsaw:

Good one!

 

[ray benson]

Backup heat source , good idea. Also nice to be able to use it in the early fall and late spring.

 

[Boogieman142]

nope, love burning wood. I do have oil back-up in my yukon as well. Does it work, no idea hasn't run in a few years.

 

[pipe welder]

I'm with you 110% Farmermike, after 35 years of it and two seasons of one of those stupid OWB's I had my fill of wood. Have sinse gone to a different system and a different fuel. I can heat my house for a 100 bucks a month on coal and that includes the fuel to go get it. That's 25 bucks a week, no splinters, no skinned knuckles, no smashed fingers and no more down in the back from packing big chunks of wood. No way would I go back to wood as long as I can still get coal. It's just so much better. Most of these guys are young or at least have someone young to help. Fine for them, not for all of us.

 

[svon89]

I used to haul wood for my parents wood stove for years. Then got my own house, and didn't have any real room to put a stove. Last year I built an addition, basically just to put a stove in. I keep the thermostat on the propane burner at about 55, and use the stove to supplement heat above that. I found that I really missed being out in the wood gathering wood, but didn't miss the stacking at all. All part of the fun, but it seems to have become an addiction. If someone calls me up, and says they have free wood for me, I am right over to get it even though I have at least two years ahead.

I think it is good physical activity, and enjoy it. If I stop enjoying it, and start liking work more then I will just pay for the propane to keep warm. But for now I just use the propane to keep the chill off.

 

[Scootermsp]

$$$$$ TODAY is the day. My OWB is officially paid for! I put it in Summer 2008. Based upon average oil use and price over 4 years right now is payback day for my unit. I run it 10 months a year. If you don't want to do your own wood, It would still be cheaper to buy it and have it stacked than LPG would cost. I keep my house as warm as I can stand it too!

 

[woodbooga]

That means I'll never turn the heat up above 60. Mostly it stays at 55. If I didn't burn wood, that wouldn't change, because I hate paying for oil. So I'd be cold and miserable all winter long.

Like Marc, I live in an old New England farmhouse - though his is a bit older than mine. A previous owver did some insulating - and I've bolstered the house's ability to retain heat. But there's a limit unless I want to completely gut the place and make it modern. Which I don't since we bought an old house purpousfully. If we wanted a new house, we'd have bought one.

And the thermo rests at 53°, with the oil burner kicking on somewhere between 1:30 and 3am in deep winter. Heats the place up to 60, which is a good sleeping temp.

There are times when I might rather be doing something else but I'll always be a wood burner. It's a challenge to me every year to see how low I can get the oil usage.

When the oilman cameth a couple weeks ago, he topped us off. Only burnt 96 gallons all last winter - had to pay for 100 gallons actually, which is their minimum delivery amount.

The pay off is at times like these (tonight) when my family will be over for Christmas Eve Lobsters and everyones hanging out in the kitchen round the old Glenwood cookstove. Priceless!

Family's coming tomorrow. We're in year 3 of a new tradition of Chinese take-out, so no lobstah for us. Though our cookstove will be stuffed with a chache of applewood I've saved for the occasion. It'll be bakin' a couple of mile-high apple pies.

 

[beerman6]

$$$$$ TODAY is the day. My OWB is officially paid for! I put it in Summer 2008. Based upon average oil use and price over 4 years right now is payback day for my unit. I run it 10 months a year. If you don't want to do your own wood, It would still be cheaper to buy it and have it stacked than LPG would cost. I keep my house as warm as I can stand it too!

congrats!

 

[coog]

I missed not burning wood after a couple years off so I got back into it.I will have a new dilemma when I build our retirement cottage down on the ranch; we have a 50% share of an oil and gas well down there, and will be hooked up to the gas line via a farm-tap.My plan is to use this to stay "off-grid"with a generator, but I'll probably also be tempted to have a gas boiler and in-floor heat.At the very least, we will have a couple of huge, energy inefficient fireplaces.

 

[Thechap]

Well, lets see? Do I love burning wood? I had surgery on my right shoulder last year, didn't help. Surgery scheduled again for January 13, 2010. Everytime I fill the OWB tears come to my eyes from the pain in my shoulder and my back. I then go to the garage just to watch the smoke. Will I continue? You bet ya. Not a slave to no one but myself!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Chap

 

[jerryw66]

I'm 43 now, my family burned wood pretty much since I was born. When I got my own place in 86, I bought a used daka wood furnace, only heat we had, loved it, but I partied a little out of town then, and when I'd get home after a long weekend, the house wood be verrrry cold. Like frozen solid cold, after some busted pipes, and a really dangerous chimney fire, I quit in about 93 didn't burn in the house again till 07, always had a stove in the shop. I really missed the wood, cutting, heat and such. back in the 80's we had to burn wood, it was a necessity, now I burn it because I like it and it's much more fun.

 

[turnkey4099]

Worked the woodpile as a kid until leaving for the service. 21 years later couldn't wait to get back to it. 74 now and out there at least once a week cutting and hauling. Got way more than what I need currently but am building a stock for 'retirement' if I get too beat up to cut anymore. I have asked to be buried with at least one saw so I can cut up the coffin to stoke the devil's fire with. Just finished sharpign 3 saws with temps in the mid 20s. Plan to go out again on Saturday if the cold weather holds.

Some people think I am nuts. The rest are sure of it.

Harry K

 

[logbutcher]

GO WOOD !!
Only when the saw is taken out of my "cold, dead hands" . or, when the body will not come down for breakfast.
Hey, look at the majority muddling around the malls with thunder thighs . Want to be like them ? :monkey:This wood heat gives us too much freedom, satisfaction with a real job well done to quit. Besides, in spite of the sweat, it can be fun to bust your a$$.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

 

[Storm56]

Turned 53 today. Have had the OWB for 5 years now. I gotta say thus far I pretty much enjoy the wood experience. I heat quite a bit including my garage and large pole building. I just love having heated garages. I do not growl at the better half if she turns up the thermostat. I thoroughly enjoy heading out in the woods on the John Deere and taking my ever constant companion, (my almost 7 yr old german shepard), for a few hours of cutting, loading and even stacking. On occasion the better half helps out but usually it's just the dog and I. Life is good. Happy Holidays All!