Coal winter close to end update

Here is the deal for me switched over to coal for this year with an old Crane 404 coal stove fairly small but a bit bigger than the Avalon Pendleton wood stove I used. Here are the differences I found.

They both make dust and dirt just different kinds both similar in work required to keep cleaned up.

Wood gets very hot then tapers off coal plugs and chugs with the same output over a long period of time.

If you have to buy wood like me coal is about 30% more money but comes ready to use as 300 million years old more or less Wood bought is never seasoned no matter what is claimed.

During cold weather the Pendleton would get 4 to 5 hours a load so at least once during the night get up load relight coal burns 8 to 24 hours with no help depending on temps outside and wind.

Coal makes more ash than wood by far and has to be dealt with every 12 to 24 hours.

Coal has no bugs or creatures that crawl out from under the bark when thawed wood does at times.

They both have a place and a lot depends on age physical ability age etc. that allows you to perform tasks needed.

Coal like wood has variants just like different types of wood coal from different mines have different burn rates and willingness to burn.

I like the long burn time and hate the daily ash detail to empty the pan but sleeping a full 8 is a winner for my life.

At the end of the day lots similar lots different but my take on it. For my situation and life challenges coal wins by a bit. And yes this is all about anthracite coal not bituminous. That is a whole different world.

Dave

I started for a couple of reasons first being I am in my 60's with a worn out back and knees from working too hard for too long but both kids got through college and soon to be a grandfather and starting to feel like one. This makes cutting and splitting wood something out of my reach so have to buy wood. Wood in SE CT is around 225 for a 'seasoned' cord that needs at least 18 moths to 2 years more. I enjoyed burning wood but it was getting difficult to do is all and rarely slept through the night so a full 8 hours not going to happen with what I have to work with. Zoning (historical district) told me no on the thought of having 10 cords of wood in a residential neighborhood.

I would be very wary of stoves sold by Tractor Supply or Agway if US stove or Hotblast and the others like it. They are fragile and difficult to run at times and very easy to over fire. If going to buy new and would wonder why think Hitzer DS Machine and a few others but they are currently among the best new. A good condition 50 to 100 year old coal stove witll serve you just fine though spare parts problematic and sometimes need to be recast using a broken original as a pattern. The peak of coal burning high tech was around 1909-1925 and an old Glenwood or Crawford base burner or parlor stove among the very best. They are the pinnacle of converting coal into heat economically. They usually have nickel plated trim mica windows and a work of art, just be prepared to dig very deep to own one. 2500 to 3500 for a retstored one is not uncommon. I have an inexpensive stove that is around 45 years old and does a fine job and have 250 tied up in it including changing a cracked window new gasket and stove paint.

I would suggest anyone interested and like me like wood but physically a challenge to deal with it and getting too old to easily cut and split it or have to buy unseasoned wood do a search for coal burning forums before diving in. It costs a good deal more than wood even if you have to buy the wood at 225 a cord but way less than fuel oil or propane or God forbid electric. It is a tool and has it's place and if young and strong have access to a wood lot switching is going to cost a fortune compared to burning wood you cut and split. The whole point of the post was and is what it is like to burn coal from one wood burners perspective, certainly not a recruiting drive to switch over as it has plenty of pitfalls as well starting with a coal stove is a lousy wood burner no matter what anyone says it is basically a smoke dragon that has to be run hot and fast or a creosote factory so the small fire in the shoulder months to take the chill off probably not a great idea unless cut up pallets for an hour. So that versatility is gone but a good one will idle along at 175 stove top for days on end. 24 hours is easy and some have gotten up to 53 hours but they are better at this than me too.

I have been told by other the DS runs fairly well is all never burned one a friend has a Hitzer and loves it and last I heard Harman is getting out of the coal stove biz. I do know the US Stove and some others sold at bargain prices are junk.

If you live in NE in general there are 2 basic coal mines you can get coal from at a dealer. Kimmel from Tractor Supply if they carry it again and Blaschack that is sold by several dealers. It is generally in 40 to 50 pound bags depending on deal and varies from 250 to 320 a ton so you have to shop around. Kimmel is easier to learn with as it lights easily and reacts fast for coal but still slow compared to wood.. It also has very large blue flames initially maybe 8 to 12 inches tall. and still 4 to 6 for the next few hours. It does burn hot so you have to be careful to not let it get away from you until it settles down after reloading.. The safety device is to open pipe damper and top loading door to kill draft and flush heat up the chimney and cools back down quickly. Blaschack burns slower and cooler but longer by far. It also takes longer to change after a different air settings made. I burned about 3 tons in a 1400 sq.ft. house and had to reload about every 12-14 in cruising above idle about 250 on stove top. 10-12 at 400 to 500 and a few times I ran it up to 700 on -17F nights with a very stiff wind maybe 25 gusting to 45.that is every 6 to 7 hours. Best bet is to start your first fire when you can take a day or so off work and be around it and better if anyone in you area burns coal invite them over for beer and pizza for a first coal fire party to show you the ropes as nothing like wood other than the first fire for a half hour burning wood to start the coal. A lot of coal guys burn wood in the shoulder moths and switch to coal when it gets cold enough to do it for 24 hours without the need for a 'window stat'. Hope this helps.