Most robust gasifiers? (Will burn anything.)

[jklingel]

In a different thread, it was pointed out that an Econoburn gasser seems to be picky about what it burns, while a Seton is rather robust about burning wood that is not optimally dry. This is one individual's experience, at least. I'd be real interested in hearing what others have to say about different brands and their appetites. To me, that is a critical piece of information, as I am interested in burning as much stuff as I can, and not worrying if it is optimally dry vs just dry, punky vs solid, etc. Is there a "Most Robust" brand of gasser? I am aware that they are not barrel stoves, but I'd like one with a broad range of abilities. Experiences appreciated. Thanks. j

 

[slowzuki]

I don't think you'll find a true gasifier that is a "burning barrel". Different quality fuels use different amounts of air etc. In general, the larger the output of the unit the more tolerant to low grade fuels they are. The Seton types have a long list of other problems as people have documented on here. I'd guess the Garn's are a bit more tolerant of low grade fuel simply due to size.

The smaller the burn chamber the more critical good fuel is.

Edit: Most are quite tolerant to punkyness and softwoods but sensitive to water content. My Jetstream will burn up to 40% moisture people claim but you burn an awful lots of wood to make any heat at that moisture.

 

[jklingel]

Edit: Most are quite tolerant to punkyness and softwoods but sensitive to water content. My Jetstream will burn up to 40% moisture people claim but you burn an awful lots of wood to make any heat at that moisture.

•• I can believe that. It takes a lot of energy to vaporize water. Dry is good, naturally. Glad to hear that Punkers will burn, too.

 

[deerefanatic]

Seems to me like punky wood would burn better as it's got more air in it....... but, if left outside, it will get wickedly wet......

I'm disposing of my crap wood a stick or two per load......

 

[Eric Johnson]

I think moisture content is the key. If it's organic and dry, most gasifiers will burn it with no problems. The best wood with excessive moisture, on the other hand, won't gasify well, if at all.

 

[MarcM]

I think moisture content is the key. If it's organic and dry, most gasifiers will burn it with no problems. The best wood with excessive moisture, on the other hand, won't gasify well, if at all.

Maybe amend that to say "cellulosic" rather than "organic"?

 

[Eric Johnson]

I'm sticking with "organic," i.e., if it ever lived and it's dry, it should gasify pretty well.

 

[Nofossil]

I'm sticking with "organic," i.e., if it ever lived and it's dry, it should gasify pretty well.

With the possible exceptions of coral and Jimmy Hoffa......

 

[Eric Johnson]

Well, you got me on coral. But I'd take a whack at whatever is left of Jimmy Hoffa.

 

[pybyr]

I'm sticking with "organic," i.e., if it ever lived and it's dry, it should gasify pretty well.

a friend of mine saw a sign a couple of years ago saying "free range organic firewood for sale"

 

[slowzuki]

Yeah that is the caveat, punky wood is rarely dry! It has to be that much lighter to be dry.

 

[pybyr]

Yeah that is the caveat, punky wood is rarely dry! It has to be that much lighter to be dry.

I had a situation years ago where I had reduced rent for being a caretaker of someone's "other' home and was given free wood to burn as part of the deal

it varied a lot in quality- not so much in species (it was mostly sugar maple and beech) but in terms of not having been stored well somewhere along the way, although it was tinder dry when I was handling and burning it

I found that any of the seriously punky stuff, although it would burn, would vanish quickly with surprisingly little resulting heat

sort of fits with what I have heard about pellets- that softwood or hardwood doesn't matter all that much, you are buying by weight, and the fuel value is almost entirely proportional to the weight

rotten wood has already given up a lot of its weight, and thus a lot of its BTUs, well before you burn it

 

[DenaliChuck]

"...softwood or hardwood doesn’t matter all that much, you are buying by weight, and the fuel value is almost entirely proportional to the weight"

That goes along with what I understand...all cellulose, even non-woody, has the same btu/weight when dried.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Right. The only difference between species (for the most part) is the density of the fiber and lignun. Denser woods make better fuel. Drying is the Great Equalizer. I used to buy truckloads of logs and while the red maple and cherry always weighed as much as (or more than) the beech, hard maple and yellow birch when green, you really noticed the difference after a summer's worth of drying. There wasn't much weight left in the cherry and r. maple. Not much heat value, either.

 

[603doug]

Organic wood cost 30% more and burns without emissions and is approved for consumption by Al Gore

 

[DenaliChuck]

a friend of mine saw a sign a couple of years ago saying "free range organic firewood for sale"

I only buy free range...nothing worse than poor trees being grown cooped up like chickens or veal calves. ;-)

 

[pybyr]

I raise (and raze) my trees cruelty-free!

 

[pybyr]

Well, you got me on coral. But I'd take a whack at whatever is left of Jimmy Hoffa.

Oh, sheeeet,

I grew up in Jersey, not that far from where Bruce Springsteen grew up.

And mobsters moved in nearby as I grew up.

Surely the methane + biomass energy content of dead mobsters is at least as good as dead hardwood!