Wood-Burning Noob Looking For Advice

I would recommend you find a dealer you like first and pick a good stove from what they carry. My guess is you would want a stove in the 2.5 cubic foot range. Big enough to deal with the occasional bitter cold night, but still appropriately sized for your average winter night.
Back to the kids topic, my experience with kids and stoves is that it is easier with toddlers than with elementary age kids. The toddlers seem to listen better and it's easier to put the fear of God into them about the fire. The older kids don't seem to respect the fire quite as much as I'd like them to. No matter the age, it takes consistent reminders and attention.

From the den, I would think the heat would convect pretty well throughout the living area. The bedrooms might be a little cooler but that's nice for sleeping. Later, your kids may want to hang in their rooms to get away from you, but that won't be for a while yet. Echoing what's been said, you gotta have dry wood. Get that out of the way first, worry about the stove later! Good idea, going after stuff that's already down. If you're not experienced with falling trees (even if you are,) it is dangerous. Take a hatchet and chop into the trunk of a down tree to make sure it's not too punky. It doesn't have to be perfect, just somewhat solid. Stack single-row in a breezy spot. Sun is an added bonus but air movement through the stack is the main thing. Top-cover your stacks but let the air blow through the sides. Post #2 in this link shows an easy way to make single rows with concrete blocks, timbers and 2x4s. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/2016-2017.142439/#post-1926009 Grab any small, dead standing trees you see. If the bark is falling off or is already gone, they are pretty close to being burnable. Oak, Hickory and other dense woods, while long-lasting fuel, also take the longest to dry, so scrounge soft Maple (Red, Silver) if you see a neighbor having one taken down or find some on craigslist. You can talk to a tree service, they may bring you some soft Maple, Cherry or Hackberry to save them having to dispose of it, and it's less work for you. You may be able to get them to cut it to length. I would cut to 16" just to make sure your wood isn't too long for whatever stove you get. If all else fails, you can get some compressed-wood logs to help you make it through the first year. From what I understand, they aren't all created equal, though...

You could just start with used stove in good shape as long as you don't overfire it and crack it you could re-sell in a few years for about the same price. Plus that way you make sure you like burning wood etc. If cost isn't a problem I like the look of the Blaze King stove with the adjustable draft flow, if wood is not seasoned real well you could burn bypassing the cat. etc. Min. needed to burn wood 2 chainsaws one 4x4 truck (used is probably better IMO) and one stove. I like the older used truck so if say a branch brushes up along the side you won't cry. LOL I'd prob say just buy 1-2 cords to start and then start cutting on your own after that. You need the head start this year!

Reasons for 2 saws
1. You pinch your saw in a log (and it happens) nothing better to get a pinched bar out then another saw.
2. For some reason your saw breaks down (happens)
3. You dull your chain so it hardly cuts. (Hit rock in dirt, hit buried metal or rock in log, bullet, barb wire, nail etc)

MacinJosh said:

if I start a separate thread on "what stove should I buy"

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Did you read the "sticky" thread at the top of the forum topic page? Good info there, too.

jdogg said:

if wood is not seasoned real well you could burn bypassing the cat.

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You won't get much heat since the cat section of the stove keeps heat from reaching the stove top if the cat's not burning. Without dry wood, you won't be a happy camper.

I'm not sure if it was mentioned yet, but pay attention to the clearance and hearth board requirements (of the various stoves) while you figure out which stove you want.

I think most people like to have a lighter limbing saw say 35-50cc and then something somewhat larger for bucking wood say 55-70cc. And yes you can cut with just one saw and you can haul it out of the woods anyways you can, car, van, trailor, atv, lawnmower etc. I just find a older 4x4 works best for me.
Old but true saying "Wood is the only heat that warms you 3 times once when you cut it, once when you split and stack it, and once when you burn it"

MacinJosh said:

My buddy Doug said to get two saws. Seems to be the general census. As for now though, I have a budget I need to stick to so the one saw will have to suffice. By the time I have a stove I'll get another. Suggestions on size? I have the Stihl MS-270 with a 18" bar. What other saw should I have?

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There are many pro cutters here, and on Arborist Site, who carry only one saw: Stihl MS440.

You only need two saws for the reasons mentioned above, if you're prone to screwing up a lot.

Me? I like always using the lightest saw that can do the job: 35cc top handle for limbing, 62cc with 20" bar for general purpose work, and 85cc with some larger bars for working the big stuff. If I did it over again, I'd probably just buy a 290 top-handle and a 440.

MacinJosh said:

Well look what my sticky trap caught. *sigh*

You're supposed to kill and eat the mice Kentucky Rat Snake.....not get caught in the same traps designed for them!

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He probably followed a mouse right in. Did you get him out?

Another time, use cooking oil/olive oil etc...you'll get him out.

When you get the wood stove next year you are going to be extremely thankful that everyone stressed getting your wood cut split and stacked now. I didn't get that done my first year and had to end up buying the compressed bricks. That and maple rounds my buddy had stacked in his yard for 2 years. This year I'm ready.

I'm gonna be upgrading this year to an ideal steel hybrid. Can't wait.

As Baba said . . . you may not be getting a woodstove this year . . . but you'll have a definite leg up on most newbie wood burners when you do get your woodstove as your wood should be ready to go and you will not be struggling with semi- of totally unseasoned wood.

MacinJosh said:

Thanks guys! So if we were to make a "Josh to-do list", it sounds like my first few action items should be to


1.) Contact my local fireplace pro and ask him to inspect my existing chimney that I plan to use for the stove.

2.) Purchase a chainsaw and start cutting up the lumber on my property. I was planning on starting with trees that are already down. Is this a good idea? I would think that would be easiest unless they are completely rotten, etc. Thoughts?

3.) Start stacking the wood. Can anyone post some pics of their setup so I have a mental picture of what I need to have? Ideas to keep it elevated? Someone mentioned palettes I believe? Where do I get those and are they treated so they won't rot?

Appreciate all the help guys. Really want to do this right the first time and make it work so I have a good wood burning experience. hehe

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Yea go for the downed trees and mark the ones that are dead standing but be careful a rotten tree might not fall right and the dirty wood dulls the chain real quick. Have fun be safe