Out of Wood :-(

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Jearley35purdue

Jearley35purdue

New Member
Nov 8, 2014
64
Clinton, Ohio
Got the newby blues. Ran out of wood as it's my first year burning. Thought I had a good lead on some 2 year old seasoned oak advertised at 8/10% moisture content. Pulled into the sellers drive and saw rowes of and rowes of split and stacked seasoned oak and got a little excited. Only to be told to pull around back to a pile, not stack, covered in snow and froze together. Apparently the thaw we had last weekend followed by sudden freeze froze everything together. I knew right off the bat I had been duped but yet like a moron still took a truck load home for 75$. This chit is terrible, no way even close to 28% let alone 10%. Can barely get a fire to top 500f with the air wide open. I knew better, but like an idiot proceeded due to being desperate. To add salt to the wound tomorrow's high is 0f wi -30f windchills!!!!!! Sorry rant over!
 
Well, chalk it up to being new, these things happen. The good thing is this will probably be the only time that you'll let it happen to you, so out of bad comes good!
 
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get some redstones from tractor supply, I just picked up 24 packs to mix in with my not so good wood
 
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I watched someone in front of me put 8 bags of ready to burn wood into his shopping cart at Home Depot today. Bags of 8 splits each to the tune of $7 per bag. $56 to burn for maybe 2 days. I almost passed out! I always do my scrounging and buying in early spring so the wood has time to season if the seller screws me with green wood. Can't really go wrong that way unless you're buying oak.
 
Get some Eco Bricks.... http://www.ecobrick.net/dealerloc type your zip code in and find where they sell them near you...call the #. I'm in Ohio and can buy them for $210 a pallet. One or 2 bricks mixed with wet wood does wonders. You can also get some of that wood in and get a fan blowing on it and then warm it up in the stove room...it actually does help. Been there, done that ...last year. But the Eco Bricks or similar ones mixed in will take a lot of the work out of it. It will bring that temperature right up.
 
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Same boat here. First year burning and truly believe this wood stove is the best purchase I ever made in my life. I went from $700 electric bills (all electric) last year to $100 bills this year. All while walking around in my underwear at 80 degrees in a 2500sq ft home.

All until the wood was just about out....I thought two cords would do it for me. I ran out and got desperate. I found one place that had some "seasoned" oak. I only tested 2 pieces (newb) at 20% and thought I'd be ok. I'm now home and watching the water bubble out of the ends......gun to head emoji inserted here.


Lesson learned!!!

I am contemplating cutting my own starting this spring and getting out of this nasty, scamming, wood sales game.
 
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Autorotate said:
I am contemplating cutting my own starting this spring and getting out of this nasty, scamming, wood sales game.
Click to expand...
If you can this is the best way to go. Some folks have to buy because of lack of equipment or scrounging just isnt an option where they live. I think you will have greater satisfaction putting up your own wood because you will be involved in more of the process. I read the threads about the wood sellers and thank my lucky stars I live where I do having endless forests with free wood all around me. I wonder if you and the op can find some construction sites and get some of their cut offs or throw aways? Obviously avoid any treated lumber. I certainly feel for you both!
 
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Ash will dry a lot faster than oak....looks like some eco bricks or the like can help you out now...will cut down on the amount you're going to have to burn to keep the temps up. Last year I was in your situation. I tried wood pellets in a cage added to the wood. It worked but was tedious and messy. Then I found the eco bricks in my area...tried them and said, never again will I be fighting wet wood. Ordered some pallets of bricks, started collecting my wood to get a supply drying. Now this year I have dry wood and still continue to mix with wood because it cuts down on the amount of wood I have to store and handle. The start ups are either from a coal bed or a fire starter leaned against the brick...absolutely no kindling from a cold start and it's engulfed in flames in a few minutes.
 
Don't feel bad about not being prepared......been burning for a few years now and we're cutting it real close this year.....ran out last year....a month short
 
I got a cord of oak for 50 bucks in nj bc the seller dropped it on my driveway and told me it was 2 year seasoned. Im not a newby and i could tell its only a month old. I told pick it up by hand and take it away or take 50 bucks ill save it for next season. Orig. wanted 170
 
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Thanks all! Feeling somewhat relieved that it happens to not just me every once in awhile. I've got a huge stockpile of wood fell, bucked, stacked just 2 miles from my home. Just got to cut it into rounds and get it to the house to split and stack. These temps have just been killer! -3f for the high today and -34f wind chills make working outside for any length of time difficult!!! I'm gonna check out tractor supply and rural king today for some Eco bricks!
 
Autorotate said:
Same boat here. First year burning and truly believe this wood stove is the best purchase I ever made in my life. I went from $700 electric bills (all electric) last year to $100 bills this year. All while walking around in my underwear at 80 degrees in a 2500sq ft home.

All until the wood was just about out....I thought two cords would do it for me. I ran out and got desperate. I found one place that had some "seasoned" oak. I only tested 2 pieces (newb) at 20% and thought I'd be ok. I'm now home and watching the water bubble out of the ends......gun to head emoji inserted here.


Lesson learned!!!

I am contemplating cutting my own starting this spring and getting out of this nasty, scamming, wood sales game.
Click to expand...
So it sounds like the Manchester is working out well for you?
 
I'm down to my final seasoned cord. Hopefully I can stretch it until April. When the temps are above freeing in the day, I've been letting the electric kick on. However, we are in a brutal cold snap. I've been burning hickory and red oak for about the past 16 hours. And it looks like I'll be burning hard all week.

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Looks like I'll let the fire die on Tuesday so I can clean up before I prepare for some serious burning.
 
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D8Chumley said:
So it sounds like the Manchester is working out well for you?
Click to expand...

I can't even put into words how happy I am with the Manchester. This stove has saved my electric bill and my sanity.

I will never have to worry about leaving the thermostat on a cold 62 just to hope the electric heat doesn't kick on as much. Never have to worry about listening to that electric forced hot air not turn off.

Good call from you and I again thank you for your suggestion that it was a great stove.

Unfortunately at the coldest point of the year (1 degree with 60mph winds as D8 knows) I'm boiling pots of water out of the end of my logs.....once again gun to head emoji inserted here.
 
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Yeah, it's A-hole cold today!! News says WC -18 now, 73 comfortable degrees in the stove room. Manny cruising at 425-450* I'm just happy the boss told me to go home today. We are working on the NE Extension of the turnpike and it would've really sucked out there today. Hopefully I'm off tomorrow also. Autorotate im glad it worked out for you, some who have purchased the Manny have had issues but that's not the case for me, knock on wood lol
 
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Being that it's my first full winter burning, I got lucky. I found a guy that took down some big oaks that had been standing dead for several years. Got about 3 cord out of that score, and most of it was already under 20% when I split it. Plus I got about a cord of pine from a guy just a couple miles down the road. Pine is great for newbies because it dries so fast. It puts out great heat too, it just doesn't last as long as hardwood.
 
Don't feel bad. I had 10 cords on pallet racking in the barn. My math was 5 days per pallet when it was cold.
The last 3 pallets lasted 12 days. OOPS! Been abnormally cold and windy.

I think I've got 7 pallets in the racks, that were for sure good for this year. Then another 4 or 6 that were the oldest of 'next years' wood. Plus whatever the wife has left in the house.. Maybe a pallet and a half.

Dang it!

Still better than buying oil. I could use the bucket loader and get the snow away from a few of next years stuff outside. It's probably low 20s. Might come to that.

JP
 
Jearley35purdue said:
Thanks all! Feeling somewhat relieved that it happens to not just me every once in awhile. I've got a huge stockpile of wood fell, bucked, stacked just 2 miles from my home. Just got to cut it into rounds and get it to the house to split and stack. These temps have just been killer! -3f for the high today and -34f wind chills make working outside for any length of time difficult!!! I'm gonna check out tractor supply and rural king today for some Eco bricks!
Click to expand...
Yes this happens all the time, BUT, hopefully we all learn how important it is to get 3+ years ahead. This spring you have to make it a priority to split as much as you can, split it small this spring and get it stacked single row in the sun and wind, next year may still be a tough heating year for you but if you work hard this spring you will eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel, if you don't, you will most likely keep going through what your going through now, year after year......good luck......
 
By the looks of it, these kinds of Winter's are going to be the norm from here on out. At least for a few years anyway. Glad I took the advice of seasoned veterans on this site when I first joined a few years ago. No better feeling thank knowing your 3-4 years ahead of the game..:)
 
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