Sorry if this has been beaten to death. Does anyone have any opinions of info on wood/coal furnaces

Fuel oil is just getting to high and I have been wanting to become more self sufficient. So I have been exploring alternative heat sources.
After weeks of research I really like the idea of a wood/coal furnace that can blow through my existing ductwork as well as heat water.

Unfortunately I can find no one who has experience with such a thing.

I can get this particular unit locally for about $1200.oo plus $200 for the water heater.

http://www.usstove.com/proddetail.php?prod=24AF


Any thoughts

If I understand you correctly you mean a thermostatically controlled draft. I was not sure if I need it or not. It is not listed as an option on this model on US stoves website.

One of my concerns is how accurate is this system. Meaning if I set the thermostat at 70 how much will the actual room temperature fluctuate?

Here is what it says about what purpose the room thermostat serves.


How Your New Furnace Works
Unlike conventional heating (gas, oil, electric), wood or coal
heating requires more user attention. Your furnace, with
its automatic combustion air blower, alleviates the constant
need for adjusting the burning rate common to other units
on the market. The fire, however, must be started and
subsequent fuel added by the user.
Conventional heating system produce heat only when the
thermostat calls for heat. This way of heating is inefficient
and often leaves part of the home either too hot or too
cold. Your furnace is designed to deliver heat as long as
there is a fire in it. The fire intensity is regulated by the
room thermostat, high or low, the fire continues to produce
heat. This heat is continuously distributed throughout
the home by a distribution blower. This constant supply of
heat is uniform and prevents drafts.

What sort of difficulties,other than feeding this thing,would you guess I will encounter?