Wood Burner going Pellet I think

[bags]

BroBart, I see pellet bags are more work for you likely. And if wood costs the same then that makes sense. If pellets get too pricey it's back to wood I go. Maybe wood while your there and awake and pellets at night? No matter what we do seems like a no win at times. I thought the OWB was the answer a decade ago and it was then and many years but things change. Gotta roll with the punches................

 

[Chitownhillbilly]

Cord wood (hardwood mix) goes for $225 to $300 per cord and most charge additional for delivery with throw off and more again to stack.

Similar to my area, $300 is pretty standard for Hardwood delivered with additional costs for stacking.

 

[SKOAL MAN]

I only ever handle my wood once. I ordered it cut split and seasoned by the dump truck load, dumped 10 feet from my patio door. So it goes straight from the pile into the stove, 25 feet total! Why stack it?

 

[newyorker]

i burn wood in my caddy furnace load once in morning half a load at dinner then i go to work and load before i go to bed i have 60 acres hardwoods right behind house have a drive in basement my ranger holds 3/4 face i bring in 2 face at a time 2250sf new build house heats easy no adjustments just turn the thermostat i bought the saws new, dozer i already had and always had a utv doesnt cost me to much to burn wood and i dont handle it alot wood is clean and have three years split and stacked ash and red oak 4 full cord a year i couldn't imagine a better cheaper way to heat im 26 been doing it this way for 7 years pellets are clean and make alot of heat but the wife doesnt mind stoking the fire and i dont mind cutting and splitting in 30 years i might feel diffrent but if im going to buy something its going to be lp

 

[Wilbur Feral]

How is the maintenance so much less? I load my pellet stove twice a day, I loaded my reburn wood stove 2-3 times a day. I clean my pellet vent 2-3 times per season, cleaned wood stove chimney once at the start of each season. I empty ash out of my pellet stove a couple times a week, my wood stove was once a week. Take apart a wood stove and vacuum never? Change gaskets,auger motor,fan, combustion fan! I don't understand how this is less maintenance! The wood stove usually got fired up in late October and never shut down until the end of March.

Help us remember: You're now burning pellets because...? Seems like you just love wood stoves.

 

[SKOAL MAN]

Help us remember: You're now burning pellets because...? Seems like you just love wood stoves.

Because I injured my back, and the stove was free and so we're the pellets!

 

[F4jock]

I always love how the cord wood versus pellet discussions assume cutting and splitting the wood. Two tons of split Oak delivered and dumped is around the same price as going and hauling a ton of pellets home.

Gee. I get mine delivered by the pallet and placed in my garage with a fork truck. Only handling required is pouring bag into hopper. No going outside required. As the man said, 25 feet total and garage is attached. As for why stack, Skoal, in my experience you gotta tarp it to keep it dry and it takes up less room.

 

[velvetfoot]

I've been getting log loads of wood, and truth be told, I kind of like processing the pile. I'll probably still be doing that while I can, even with the pellet boiler. It's nice and toasty where the insert is and the fire looks nice.

Central heating is nice, however. There are reasons why it's so popular, one being that it's controllable for the whole house.

Another option for central heat that I've seen are wood and pellet stoves and inserts that also heat hydronically, for those far-flung rooms that never get warm and to heat your hot water. You get a nice view of the fire too. I think they're mostly European, and the wood models require short splits.

 

[tiger]

Bio Bricks

Looked it up, those are so cool! That would not have been an option for me, I guess, closest dealer 100's of miles north of me. Shoot, I would have taken a ton of those just for the old wood stove when I get around to turning it into a chiminea.

 

[Highbeam]

How much for a cord of split Doug Fir delivered? Bone dry it is 3,000 pounds a cord.

200$ in the summer, 250$ in the winter. A "cord" is not as accurate as a ton of pellets but we can assume an honest seller for the calcs. No tax on firewood, 10% on pellets.

Of course, I don't buy firewood like that. I tend to also cook my own hamburgers and brew my own coffee each day.

If I'm getting 3000lbs of firewood for the same price as 2000 lbs of pellets, burning both at over 80% efficiency, then I'm ahead with wood by 50%. That seems to be a pretty good reward for the hassle of loading logs vs. pouring pellets.

 

[Highbeam]

I've been getting log loads of wood, and truth be told, I kind of like processing the pile.

This summer was my first go at buying dump trailer loads of logs. It was very pleasant to just roll them out with the peavey and make them into firewood onsite vs. the significant effort of finding and collecting raw material from far away places. It is fun and with the right tools it is not too hard on the body.

I would like to purchase a semi truck load of logs next time. Full 35' lengths.

 

[velvetfoot]

I would like to purchase a semi truck load of logs next time. Full 35' lengths.

Not possible for me, but an interesting idea. You probably wind up burning more volume of wood since it's mostly softwood, I assume.
I've been getting tri-axle loads that come out to 7 cords or so.

 

[Highbeam]

Not possible for me, but an interesting idea. You probably wind up burning more volume of wood since it's mostly softwood, I assume.
I've been getting tri-axle loads that come out to 7 cords or so.

In the west our loggers haul logs with semi tractor front ends and then a funky semi connected rear pair of axles that is only on the ground when logs are onboard. We generally don't haul logs with straight trucks, aka triaxle. Yeah, it will be two years of wood at a time or maybe I'll sell some. I take care of my older neighbor's wood needs too. Trying to be efficient and get the best price on raw logs. I burn 5-7 cords per year.

 

[bags]

Trying to be efficient and get the best price on raw logs. I burn 5-7 cords per year

That seems like a decent amount of cord wood there for such long burn time and the efficiency of a BK. How much of that is going into which stove? Is your shop stove burning around the clock in colder weather also. I have gotten by an entire season with the 5500 OWB on 8 cords during a milder winter probably similar to winters in WA. With that I was heating a barn, the house, garages, (about 7,500 to 8,000 SQ FT) along with unlimited domestic hot water. Colder winters I use 10- 12 cords.

 

[Polar Bear]

I'm not going to start anything regarding the wood vs pellet debate... but having burned both, neither are problem free. Both require work however, the work for the wood stove is primarily before the season, whereas the work for the pellet stove is primarily during the season....PRIMARILY. The biggest thumbs up for me was the fact that I was the only one who would start, stop, clean, maintain, monitor the wood stove. Now she can start it... however I'm still expected to do the other four things

 

[Highbeam]

That seems like a decent amount of cord wood there for such long burn time and the efficiency of a BK. How much of that is going into which stove? Is your shop stove burning around the clock in colder weather also. I have gotten by an entire season with the 5500 OWB on 8 cords during a milder winter probably similar to winters in WA. With that I was heating a barn, the house, garages, (about 7,500 to 8,000 SQ FT) along with unlimited domestic hot water. Colder winters I use 10- 12 cords.

I live up in the cascade foothills above the puget sound. Our burn season is 8-9 months long. It's not the bitter coldness that eats of the wood as much as the long heating season. Also our wood is softwood, the best we have is doug fir. One year with my last woodstove, a modern Hearthstone Heritage, I pushed over 7 cords of cottonwood through it.

I also estimate high when planning ahead for wood consumption. Before the barn stove I measured just over 4 cords through the BK to heat the house all year. Don't overestimate the value of wood stove efficiency. We are too hot more often than we are too cold, I like to keep the house in the 70s.

I do not try and keep the shop stove running all the time. It is used on the weekends and maybe once in a while on a weekday. I can put a lot of wood through it though since the shop is 1800 SF with 14 foot ceilings. I did install radiant tubing in the slab of the barn and would love to see a pellet boiler out there but they are so so expensive.

 

[bags]

That makes some more sense. Hey, It's better to have too much wood and not need it than too little and need it. It can always rotate in the following year. I've been in both situations and the first is better.

 

[Wilbur Feral]

Because I injured my back, and the stove was free and so we're the pellets!

Ah - understand. Well, enjoy the lighter weight of pellets, and good luck with the back.