wood insert vs pellet insert??

same ambiance? IMHO no freakin way. But I am biased.

There are pros and cons to both. I will try and list some.... I am sure others can add more but..

Pellet stove PROs
easy to use
set it and forget it (for say 24 hours)
automatic feed
cleaner
fuel is ready to burn immediately

Pellet stove CONs
have to buy pellets
noisy
don't get those pellets wet or they are trash
need electricity (back up generator if power goes out)


Insert PROs
ambiance
"free" fuel is avaiable
collecting fuel can save you a Health Club Membership
If you scrounge your fuel you will learn trees
If the wood gets wet, it will dry and still be good
good excuse to buy more toys (chainsaw, splitter, etc)

Insert CONs
dirtier (debris on floor from wood)
scrounging "free" fuel can be time consuming
must reload a few times a day

This is certainly a short list and no where near all inclusive but..... its a start

I've had three pellet stoves (a Whitfield and two Quadrafires). I agree with BeGreen regarding the complexity of a pellet stove...a lot more to go wrong. They also can't be used when the power goes out, unless you have a generator. When they work correctly, they are fine, but if pellets start piling up in the basket (and I had that problem sooner or later with all three), they are a royal pain.

I agree with everything that has been said so far. However, I think the complexity of a pellet stove gets less as you learn it. Yes, I've had pellets pile up in the firepot. I've had pellets that were a little too long clog the auger. (Grr! and Brrr!) I've had snap discs that tripped. I've had two days that the stove wouldn't start no matter what I tried, then started immediately when the repairman set foot in the door. But, that was years ago. Now the pellet stove is an old friend. I love the pellet stove for its ease.

I'm just getting to know my wood stove. So far, it's great. It's a really small stove, so I have to fill it more than if I had put in a larger one. But, the flames are absolutely hypnotic! (Flames in a pellet stove are bit like watching a blast furnace.) Also, my cats are convinced that the wood stove is their new best friend.

I don't dispute that at all. There's a whole lot of electronics in my pellet stove that could fail at any time. But, there was also a lot of user error when I first got it. It should be as simple as clean it, load it, forget it, but I found a way to muck it up. Now, it seems easier than my wood stove. I'm sure I'll get the hang of wood burning. Then, when the pellet stove has a circuitry issue, I'll be swearing at it. I'm enjoying having both types for now.

BeGreen said:

Yup electronics, several motors, blowers, auger, safety switches, ignitor, etc. Many more moving parts.

Click to expand...

That's what scared me off of a pellet insert. That and having to buy all my fuel (I buy about half now and scrounge the rest).

I think that part of the question has to be: How involved do you want to get? Wood is work, particularly if you are doing the processing yourself. Every split gets touched probably at least 10 times before it is burned. Pellets, I would think much less so, maybe 4, I'm guessing. Both need space for storage, pellets take up less, but wood can be stored outside with no ill effects. What did it for me was the fact that if I apply myself, I can get all my wood practically for free (If I don't count man hours). You will have no control over the price of pellets. There will always be free wood to scrounge. (I hope)

I find pellet stoves about as interesting as gas logs as far as the view goes.

I can sit mesmerized in front of my wood burning insert just watching the flame show. That and the fact that my fuel comes from my yard, not the store.

Scrounging wood is great, if you can find it. Here, it is not plentiful. If you find it, you're lucky. Most of it must be scrounged in the summer. People don't have woodlots. A cord of wood goes for ~$300. A ton of pellets goes for ~$275. We are more likely to have room for a ton of pellets in the garage than a cord of wood in the average yard. I manage to do both.

The choice is very dependent on where you live.