New Woodmaster 4400 owner

[tealducks]

Hi All.. I just bought a used woodmaster 4400 2 weeks ago... It is still sitting on the trailer in my barn as I don't have anything ready for it... I currently burn fuel oil and the Pre buy price for next winter is 3.00/gal.... I spend around 1500-1700 a year on fuel oil... and that's just for one year and we keep the house @67 degrees... my cousin has this same stove and swares buy it... Anyway I am new to this whole thing and want to have somewhere to go if I have questions or concerns...

Since I don't have a woods on my property, I will have to buy wood. Guys I work with have OWB's and some burn slab wood and others burn logs.. I would like to know your guys thoughts on pros vs cons of slab wood... It is cheaper I know but will it last as long??? I have a 1500 sq.ft brick ranch house that is in wide open farm country. I look forward to talking to alot of you guys!!! thx.

 

[Circle B MN]

I prefer split rounds over slab wood. Depending on the supplier you can get a lot more bark than wood in the bundle. Either way you do it, seasoned, dry wood will burn the most efficiently and with the least amount of emmissions. Best of luck.

 

[shelbythedog]

I just have to chime in because we are neighbors. I'm over here north of Hemlock and west of Freeland. If you have a way to haul it, Willsie Lumber in Freeland has a pretty good deal going on slabwood, $40 a bundle, it is debarked hardwood. Also, lots of cutting being done in my neighborhood by Consumers so be on the lookout for that as well, your neighbors who don't burn will be happy you cleaned it up for them. If you want any info on buying a load of logs I may be able to help as well, I gathered a lot of info on that last fall when I shopped around, feel free to PM me. Trust me, the feeling is great when the gas man backs in the driveway, checks the tank, and pulls out without filling because you haven't used any fuel.

 

[flyboy553]

Dang it!! As soon as I read that you would have to buy wood, I went back to see where your from! Alas, too far away to be a potential customer! lol

Welcome to AS. You will learn more stuff here than you thought you needed to know! Great, people on this site, always willing to help!
Ted

 

[blakey]

I burned slabwood for a few years, I was getting a log truck full plus the pup and he would stack the bundles with the grapple so it was pretty handy having it right beside the owb. I found them much smokier than logs, partly because they end up in a heap in the firebox with poor airflow and also because they are always outside and end up wet.

Now I get a truckload of firewood logs, usually ash, much easier to cut up and move in the shed, when the snow comes it is 100 times easier to pull wood out of the shed than cut up bundles of slabs covered in snow.

I went through a mountain of slabwood compared to logs. Part of it was that I was cutting them 4 ft long and getting a flame thrower out the CB's chimney ( I now don't load past the baffle)and part was poor combustion from smoldering too much.

Anyway that was my experience, hope it helps.

 

[tealducks]

Thanks to all for commenting on my post... I will try and talk to a local guy on here and see what kind of info he found.. It is a great feeling knowing there are people out there that offer help!!!!

 

[shelbythedog]

PM replied to. And we here at AS love pictures, so you might consider giving us a few pics of your boiler setup, saws, equipment, etc.!!!!

 

[Charly]

Hi All.. I just bought a used woodmaster 4400 2 weeks ago... It is still sitting on the trailer in my barn as I don't have anything ready for it... I currently burn fuel oil and the Pre buy price for next winter is 3.00/gal.... I spend around 1500-1700 a year on fuel oil... and that's just for one year and we keep the house @67 degrees... my cousin has this same stove and swares buy it... Anyway I am new to this whole thing and want to have somewhere to go if I have questions or concerns...

Since I don't have a woods on my property, I will have to buy wood. Guys I work with have OWB's and some burn slab wood and others burn logs.. I would like to know your guys thoughts on pros vs cons of slab wood... It is cheaper I know but will it last as long??? I have a 1500 sq.ft brick ranch house that is in wide open farm country. I look forward to talking to alot of you guys!!! thx.

I use to have the same stove, go with logs. I made racks to stack the slab wood, it would be about three feet high. Then I would cut thru the stack in two places and have a bunch of 3 ft long pieces. Big draw back, the flames will be roaring out your stove door by the time you have the stove only half full of slab wood. Takes too long to load the stove with slab pieces. Out of log wood, fine but other than that, too much handleing of the slab wood.

 

[ktm250rider]

I've had a 5500 for 4 years now. Never going back to propane.

I burn my pine in the warmer times and hard wood in the colder. I think slabs would work great in spring and fall, but like others said, too much for the dead of winter.

 

[tealducks]

I've had a 5500 for 4 years now. Never going back to propane.

I burn my pine in the warmer times and hard wood in the colder. I think slabs would work great in spring and fall, but like others said, too much for the dead of winter.

Thanks. I am considering using a mix of slab and log and see how that goes.. I may be able to pick up some free wood locally so I may mix it in and see how that goes.... I can see how it would take a while loading a bunch of slab wood, never really thought of that I guess... I will just have to try and see how things work out I guess... I have a neighbor kid that has a bunch of dead ash trees that he may make me a deal on so I could mix it with some slab if I choose...

 

[tealducks]

PM replied to. And we here at AS love pictures, so you might consider giving us a few pics of your boiler setup, saws, equipment, etc.!!!!

Will do for sure.. First I have to get my old barn torn down, then prep the ground so I can pour a slab and then get rolling!!!!!!