Aging woodburner

3650 said:

The gentleman I just bought my stove from was 76. He sold me 3 cords with it. He was splitting some when I came for the second load. He helped me load all of it and it was all I could do to keep up with him. One tough old bird. I can only hope my 281 lb lard ass will live that long.

Click to expand...

Haha, 281lb. solid muscle maybe; 281lb. lard ass could be questionable. Don't know what it is, genes, luck, will power, probably all and much more. We do what we are destined to do I guess

I say the hard work will keep you able to do the hard work. I spent 3 solid hours splitting wood Saturday. I was a little tired but would not trade it for time in the gym. Had one of my kids helping me stack so quality time there too.

I added a second stove this year and during the time I tried to burn both, it was a lot of work. But the basement that was a cold cold dungeon became I decent place to hang out.

I am 52 and as far as I am concerned, I will do it until something makes it physically impossible!!

I've lost 60 pounds in the one year since I've gone back to wood heat. I've also hurt my back twice heaving 300 pound rounds around, but hey- I learned not to do that, started taking my maul with me into the woods, and have been good since.

I feel like I had a point to this story, but darned if I remember what it was. At least I am still in tune with this thread in that, I guess.

BKVP said:

I'm 56 and too dead cheap to run my NG furnace.

Click to expand...

Also, "I heat with a Lennox gas burner but YOU should totally buy a wood stove from me" is not the world's finest sales pitch.

jetsam said:

I've lost 60 pounds in the one year since I've gone back to wood heat. I've also hurt my back twice heaving 300 pound rounds around, but hey- I learned not to do that, started taking my maul with me into the woods, and have been good since.

I feel like I had a point to this story, but darned if I remember what it was. At least I am still in tune with this thread in that, I guess.



Also, "I heat with a Lennox gas burner but YOU should totally buy a wood stove from me" is not the world's finest sales pitch.

Click to expand...

300 lb splits...sounds like a better job for dynamite

Getting log length loads delivered makes it easier. Still work, still saving money.

velvetfoot said:

Getting log length loads delivered makes it easier. Still work, still saving money.

Click to expand...

That would be perfect but there is no such animal here on the prairie. I am rsigned to scrounging on Craigslist. There is a farmer.nearby that just had a hedge row demolished. He's got 7 house sized piles of wood. I asks if I could get some of it, "no" he said he's burning it, I said "you have enough life left to burn all that?" He said "I'll be burning those piles"......i couldn't believe it. That right there should be grounds for imprisonment. I dont understand what the farmers have against hedge rows. In Europe they are required.

My Dad was a farmer but he didn't like clearing hedge rows. We did keep them trimmed up though. We always had plenty of wood without removing the whole tree.

He's not using the wood for heat, he's burning the piles whole to get rid of them...it's just insane. There is a lifetime supply of wood there. I'll tell you why they do it.....it shades the crop and stunts the growth of a few rows of corn or beans. It all boils down to greed. Sorry for the rant guys......some things irritate me...this is one.....lol.

Smoked said:

300 lb splits...sounds like a better job for dynamite

Click to expand...

Rounds. Now I turn em into splits before I heave them into the trailer. It's big trees because it's hurricane deadfall. Here's a smaller tree that took up an impressively large amount of roots when it went. Gloves on the root ball for scale.

How often do you get to photograph a tree from the bottom?



Here's the guy I hurt my back on twice. It was around 40" at the bottom. I took some pictures halfway up because I kept finding that neat red and orange color in it.



30cc Echo CS-310 with a muffler mod and 20" bar! (It's not the size, it's how you use it!)

A few years ago, I stopped fighting the 25++ diameter rounds. Forever, I had taken a couple of 2 x 10 boards along so I could roll the rounds up into my pickup bed. Not even sure how I use to manage, many of them weighed in more than me. Instead, now I set them up on edge and section them with my Stihl 441. Quarters, sixths, eighths, whatever appropriate for the size and weight of the round. Life is much easier..... Especially with those green trees that have been blown down in high winds.

SteveKG said:

A few years ago, I stopped fighting the 25++ diameter rounds. Forever, I had taken a couple of 2 x 10 boards along so I could roll the rounds up into my pickup bed. Not even sure how I use to manage, many of them weighed in more than me. Instead, now I set them up on edge and section them with my Stihl 441. Quarters, sixths, eighths, whatever appropriate for the size and weight of the round. Life is much easier..... Especially with those green trees that have been blown down in high winds.

Click to expand...

I do the same thing. Plus it's fun to run the hell out of your saw and make noodles.

Been burning , and working full time, since 1984. When I started out, I'd scrounge. That's how I got my first wood stove. I went for a chord, and the guy said if I wanted it, I could have his old Jotul combifire, which was rusting out in the field ( Before the wood stove I'd burn open fires for clam bakes and amusement on the shore all summer long. Before I was married my idea of entertainment was light a fire and feed the guests)

Realized early on if I was going to keep burning wood for heat,and working, I had to buy it cut split and delivered. So, I stack 2 chords in the spring (used to be 4 before I bought the Woodstock PH), and slowly bring them in, once a week, under the hall stairs.

There is no wood on my barrier island, so any cutting and hauling would have to be off island anyway. If the splits become too heavy in my 70's/80's I'll switch to bio bricks

jetsam said:

Rounds. Now I turn em into splits before I heave them into the trailer. It's big trees because it's hurricane deadfall. Here's a smaller tree that took up an impressively large amount of roots when it went. Gloves on the root ball for scale.

How often do you get to photograph a tree from the bottom?

View attachment 175979

Here's the guy I hurt my back on twice. It was around 40" at the bottom. I took some pictures halfway up because I kept finding that neat red and orange color in it.

View attachment 175981

30cc Echo CS-310 with a muffler mod and 20" bar! (It's not the size, it's how you use it!)

View attachment 175982

Click to expand...

I would have liked to take some slabs out of that colorful stuff!!

Smoked said:

I would have liked to take some slabs out of that colorful stuff!!

Click to expand...

I still don't know what caused that. It was very pretty.

May be some workable wood left, about a quarter of that tree is still on the ground, but it's got a lot of rot in that section.

jetsam said:

I still don't know what caused that. It was very pretty.

May be some workable wood left, about a quarter of that tree is still on the ground, but it's got a lot of rot in that section.

Click to expand...

The picture of the underside had what looked like a large diameter rust colored ring. maybe it was toxic waste? Seriously, that was some cool looking stuff. Long Island is a bit of a drive though...

Im 52, been cutting splitting and burning as long as i can remember. I have about 4-5 years worth of wood all stacked up. I said when i finish that pile i will only burn just here and there or time for me to move somewhere warm. My poor joints are worn out

Smoked said:

The picture of the underside had what looked like a large diameter rust colored ring. maybe it was toxic waste? Seriously, that was some cool looking stuff. Long Island is a bit of a drive though...

Click to expand...

Those were two different trees. I haven't bucked the smaller one with the huge root ball yet. Both trees were in an area where it looks like the woman who used to live there did throw inconvenient waste down the hill, though. I dug around in the ground with a stick a little bit and didn't find whatever made that big rust ring.

Long Island is a worse drive than any map will tell you. It's imprisoned by NYC- if you go through at 2-3 AM it is a miserable drive. If you go at any other time, abandon hope (and whatever plans you had for the day).

cheapheatnow said:

Bought a wood insert back in 2007 at age 44. Scrounge cut, stack and split my own wood supply. About 5 cords per season. Totally addicted! Now at age 53, just wondering how long I can keep going. Already dreading the possibility I'll be too old to do this. Can't see going back to the furnace. Just wondering if others out there heat with wood well into retirement?

Click to expand...

69 and still burning wood neighbor, wife, and myself did approx 50 face cords last year and the task will be here soon for this year

jetsam said:

30cc Echo CS-310 with a muffler mod and 20" bar! (It's not the size, it's how you use it!)

View attachment 175982

Click to expand...

I did a 42" red oak with my 18" Husky. Just takes a bit of creativity to get the first few rounds off.

3650 said:

That would be perfect but there is no such animal here on the prairie. I am rsigned to scrounging on Craigslist. There is a farmer.nearby that just had a hedge row demolished. He's got 7 house sized piles of wood. I asks if I could get some of it, "no" he said he's burning it, I said "you have enough life left to burn all that?" He said "I'll be burning those piles"......i couldn't believe it. That right there should be grounds for imprisonment. I dont understand what the farmers have against hedge rows. In Europe they are required.

Click to expand...

Maybe reminding him of his soon to come demise rubbed him the wrong way
What a shame to waste so much primo wood though.

3650 said:

That would be perfect but there is no such animal here on the prairie. I am rsigned to scrounging on Craigslist. There is a farmer.nearby that just had a hedge row demolished. He's got 7 house sized piles of wood. I asks if I could get some of it, "no" he said he's burning it, I said "you have enough life left to burn all that?" He said "I'll be burning those piles"......i couldn't believe it. That right there should be grounds for imprisonment. I dont understand what the farmers have against hedge rows. In Europe they are required.

Click to expand...

If you have ever been sued for being a nice guy it changes your perspective on a lot of things, like letting anyone run a deadly tool on your property. Not saying this is the case here but I know these are the things that come to my mind when someone comes to my door. It's sad but that's the world we live in.

SCOTT S. said:

If you have ever been sued for being a nice guy it changes your perspective on a lot of things, like letting anyone run a deadly tool on your property. Not saying this is the case here but I know these are the things that come to my mind when someone comes to my door. It's sad but that's the world we live in.

Click to expand...

I agree. If a farmer or any land owner denys permission to folks wanting to do things on there land there's usually a back story to it.

Once you give people the privilege of using your land someone will screw it up. After a while it just gets easier to say "no" than to try to figure out who can be trusted and who can't.

Yeh, I get that.....just hate seeing the waste.

My father in law is 70 and still feeds an old school non gasser OWB. 365 days a year. About 15-16 cords.

I would keep wood cutting as its what keeps you younger and since you have more time on your hands as a person gets older just slow down and do it over a longer period of time. I think we all get in a hurry.

As far as getting sore buy you some good quality fish oil capsules and take a baby aspirin with it twice a day. As the two work in synergy to make Resolvins something drug companies are currently trying to make a synthetic version to sell as a med.