I just purchased a 650 sq ft cabin in upstate NY. I can't decide on wood or pellet, they both seem to have pros and cons. Anyone with any suggestions or experiences I should consider? thanks. I will be using the cabin as a recreational get-away.
Wood vs Pellet
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Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Do you have dependable power at the cabin to run the pellet stove? Does the cabin have an existing fireplace? Do you have a source of firewood? Are you more interested in a heat source or the firewatching. Do you intend to stay at the cabin during the getaways or to use it as a basecamp?
With a good source of free or cheap firewood and a desire to relax and watch the fire I would go for the wood.
With a good source of free or cheap firewood and a desire to relax and watch the fire I would go for the wood.
Yes, there is electricity to the cabin.
No fireplace.
Cheap firewood everywhere.
More interested in heatsource.
My wife will stay put and I'll be out and about.
Thanks for the reply, I just want to make sure I make the right choice. By the way, I have a Lopi ,Freedom insert and love it.
No fireplace.
Cheap firewood everywhere.
More interested in heatsource.
My wife will stay put and I'll be out and about.
Thanks for the reply, I just want to make sure I make the right choice. By the way, I have a Lopi ,Freedom insert and love it.
webbie
Seasoned Moderator
For quick starts, you can't beat pellets. But the fuel cost will get high if you use/need a lot. Also depends on your life style. Do you enjoy the idea of either getting, storing, stacking, splitting, etc.
Given the location of your place, I'd say Pellets are double to triple the cost per BTU. Again, that does not mean a lot if you are going to be there 2 days a week......
Given the location of your place, I'd say Pellets are double to triple the cost per BTU. Again, that does not mean a lot if you are going to be there 2 days a week......
Martin Strand III
New Member
Then there's the matter of your personality...
Do you like to fuss about, adjust things once in a while, hear gear noise, be without heat if power fails, get your fuel by picking up the phone and placing an order, deal with bags of little wood things I call 'rabbit pellits' and make repair phone calls for things you can't fix yourself? Or do you like to do an honest days work outside, stack and cure some hefty pieces of stored sunshine, load a firebox and enjoy dependable heat without moving parts* and get a good nights sleep?
The former is pellit. The latter is a non-cat wood stove.
Any questions?
Aye,
Marty
* No blower, fans or other wimpy gadgits.
Do you like to fuss about, adjust things once in a while, hear gear noise, be without heat if power fails, get your fuel by picking up the phone and placing an order, deal with bags of little wood things I call 'rabbit pellits' and make repair phone calls for things you can't fix yourself? Or do you like to do an honest days work outside, stack and cure some hefty pieces of stored sunshine, load a firebox and enjoy dependable heat without moving parts* and get a good nights sleep?
The former is pellit. The latter is a non-cat wood stove.
Any questions?
Aye,
Marty
* No blower, fans or other wimpy gadgits.
HarryBack
New Member
possibly since your wife will seem to be tending the unit more than you, you might ask her what she likes?
Wood would likely be the cheapest source, and you get the added benefit of alot of healthy exercise cutting, splitting, stacking, seasoning, carrying with wood as well! I assume also you wont mind putting up the chimney the wood stove will require, or the important cleanings....bet the view is nice from the roof....you arent afraid of heights, are you? Also, being the man who likes variety, Im sure you wont mind the fairly sizeable temperature swings youll get with the wood, heck, you can always open a window, cant ya? Rather than mess around with the complicated thingy on the pellet stove...whats it called?..oh, the THERMOSTAT!, you can tinker away trying to get exactly the right air setting vs damper setting to ensure that when you go to bed, you wont have to get up at, oh, say 3AM, and restoke the stove, close the window you opened earlier when it was 85 in the room, etc.....
Actually, the above was more in response to ole Marty S's comment....
Anyhow, its really a preference thing.....no answer is right or wrong, you just have to factor in your likes and dislikes, what works best for you. Good luck in the endeavor!
Wood would likely be the cheapest source, and you get the added benefit of alot of healthy exercise cutting, splitting, stacking, seasoning, carrying with wood as well! I assume also you wont mind putting up the chimney the wood stove will require, or the important cleanings....bet the view is nice from the roof....you arent afraid of heights, are you? Also, being the man who likes variety, Im sure you wont mind the fairly sizeable temperature swings youll get with the wood, heck, you can always open a window, cant ya? Rather than mess around with the complicated thingy on the pellet stove...whats it called?..oh, the THERMOSTAT!, you can tinker away trying to get exactly the right air setting vs damper setting to ensure that when you go to bed, you wont have to get up at, oh, say 3AM, and restoke the stove, close the window you opened earlier when it was 85 in the room, etc.....
Actually, the above was more in response to ole Marty S's comment....
Anyhow, its really a preference thing.....no answer is right or wrong, you just have to factor in your likes and dislikes, what works best for you. Good luck in the endeavor!
Kenny1
Feeling the Heat
Probably Harry said the most important thing.
If your wife is going to be tending it often, what would she like?
Hard to beat the price of wood heat. Pellet convience has its merits as well.
Of course, you could put in one of each.....
If your wife is going to be tending it often, what would she like?
Hard to beat the price of wood heat. Pellet convience has its merits as well.
Of course, you could put in one of each.....
HarryBack
New Member
Pellets are going to give you convenience, cleaner burn, and with some stoves - automatic operation. Wood has the potential to give you lots of warmth, lots more work, but perhaps more satisfaction too. What are pellets going for in your are currently? What is a cord of wood going for? Does the cabin have any other heat or is this it?
Corie
Minister of Fire
I can't imagine a 650 sqft cabin in upstate new york WITHOUT a wood stove. There are a myriad of neat little stoves that would fit the bill nicely for you. From cast iron, to soapstone or steel, the world is your wood stove shop!
buildingmaint
Feeling the Heat
If the cabin is in the woods you don't have to go far for your heat supply.Where will you store pellets in a 650 sqft cabin? Plus you have to hall the pellets up there.
HarryBack
New Member
yeah, maybe so, but he likely wouldnt use alot of pellets either.....bag a day for that size of a place? maybe less? So, for a week, hed need 7 bags? The wood youd have to cut a year ahead of time and let season....if you buy it, you still gotta haul it and store it.
Less than a bag a day is what I'm guessing. But I am assuming there is a driveway. Problem is that it is small enough to preclude a decent sized stove. That means constant feeding of a small wood stove. If the cabin has backup heat, then I'm all for the wood stove. But if it doesn't then the pellet stove seems soooooo much more convenient and appropriate. The choice also depends somewhat on how much time is spent in this cabin. Is this a primary residence or secondary?
I really appreciate all of your comments! The cabin has no other source of heat, the stove will be it. Plus, it does have a small entrance way where I can store wood. There is actually an old wood stove in it now, but it is not up to code and in disrepair. I can't get insurance on the place until I fix the problem with the stove. If I go wood, that means 2 pipes out of the roof, If I go pellet , it can be vented out the side. I don't mind all the work that goes along with wood as I have a Lopi Fredom insert in my home. I am worried about power outages, but then again, I won't be up there every week-end, probably 1 week-end a month. I did hear about noise issues with pellet, is it that loud? I suspect each ( wood/pellet) has their merits. By the way, my wife is leaving it up to me, she doesn't mind which stove we purchase as long as she's warm!
Martin Strand III
New Member
Andre B. said:
Maybe it was this one:
"Problems with Low Power Setting (earth stove pellet)"
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/6497/
or, maybe this one:
"Why Didn't My Pellet Stove Stay Lit?"
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/6533/
Go for a real wood burner, man!
Aye,
Marty
Come on. there are hundreds of posts from folks with wood stove problems too. That's often why they come here. There are a ton of satisfied pellet stove owners also. I'm not advocating one or the other, just trying to balance the options. Given the occassional use, I would stick with wood too. But some folks want to show up and turn on the furnace. That is where the pellet stove will shine. Most people heating a cabin with wood complain about the up and down temperatures. A pellet stove can run on a thermostat, even temps. nuf said.
MrGriz
New Member
Either one will certainly do the job of heating the cabin. What you have to focus on is your 'lifestyle' preference, for lack of a better term.
Do you enjoy the added work of acquiring and processing wood?
Would you rather order, cut open and dump in a bag of pellets?
Do you like to putts and tweak a bit, or do you want to set and forget?
Do you mind the temperature swings of wood or would you prefer more even heat?
Do you like the look of a wood fire vs a pellet fire?
What is the price and availability of each type of fuel in your area?
Etc...
Personally, I evaluated these aspects and went with a wood burning insert for my fireplace. There's really no right or wrong answer; it comes down to preference.
Do you enjoy the added work of acquiring and processing wood?
Would you rather order, cut open and dump in a bag of pellets?
Do you like to putts and tweak a bit, or do you want to set and forget?
Do you mind the temperature swings of wood or would you prefer more even heat?
Do you like the look of a wood fire vs a pellet fire?
What is the price and availability of each type of fuel in your area?
Etc...
Personally, I evaluated these aspects and went with a wood burning insert for my fireplace. There's really no right or wrong answer; it comes down to preference.
You guys are pretty dam smart eh! What a controversy, wood or pellet? I guess I am biased as I work at a pellet plant and have had free pellets for many years. With the pellet stove noise, its something you get used to real fast, just like the clicking clock or rain falling on your roof. You eventually don't hear it any more, also the distribution fan on my stove is always blowing and that is constant and drowns out the auger motor. might be dif. in a very small cabin though. As for the power you can use a car battery to back up the power for up to 3 or 4 days, just go to Canadian Tire, or I mean whatever you got down there thats similar and get a power converter and hook that up to a 12 volt battery, and your power outage problems are solved, temperarily. Having a cabin, one should probably invest in a generator anywaze, and with that you could charge your batteries and your pellet stove would work even without power lines.
If it were me deciding I would base my decision on the convenience of each fuel supply, if your in the bush you probably got wood all over? Not sure how your forests look or your condition of health, Older people like pellets as it does not involve chopping or packing wood around or using a chain saw. I am a person of opportunity, if I had to pay for pellets when there is a forest of free wood, the choice would not be a hard one.
Ryan
If it were me deciding I would base my decision on the convenience of each fuel supply, if your in the bush you probably got wood all over? Not sure how your forests look or your condition of health, Older people like pellets as it does not involve chopping or packing wood around or using a chain saw. I am a person of opportunity, if I had to pay for pellets when there is a forest of free wood, the choice would not be a hard one.
Ryan
Andre B.
New Member
- Oct 25, 2006
- 391
rakuz66 said:
From what I have seen the mission critical dependability of the average pellet 'stove' is not as good as the average wood stove. Also most wood stoves will continue to work to some degree even if something is broken.
Based on talking with friends who have them pellet burning furnaces seem to be better.
Pellet stoves do have a max output while a wood stove can be pushed a bit by hand selecting the wood you put in and how you stack it in the stove. Could be handy when you arrive late Friday to a cold cabin.
On the other hand an automatic pellet stove could be connected to one of those telephone control boxes so that you could call ahead and get the stove started before you get there.
How well does a pellet stove start up from dead cold, say -20°F on pellets that have been sitting in the hopper, auger for the last 3 or 4 weeks?
Don't make the wrong choice.
I think a wood stove is more adaptable to whatever wood supply you have. Even if you get to the point where you cannot cut and process your own wood you can buy it, or even those BIG chunk wood size pellets.
Mr Whitfield
Feeling the Heat
How old are you, I had a wood insert and went to a pellet. The wife loves the push button start,
set it and forget it. You can buy a cheap generator for power outages. I asked your age because as you get older it will get harder to lift wood etc. I have 2 pellet inserts replaced 2
wood burning insert, It's the best thing I did home and house in the mountains. I love my whitfield Advantage II-T, this unit is very quiet. Pellets Forever
!
set it and forget it. You can buy a cheap generator for power outages. I asked your age because as you get older it will get harder to lift wood etc. I have 2 pellet inserts replaced 2
wood burning insert, It's the best thing I did home and house in the mountains. I love my whitfield Advantage II-T, this unit is very quiet. Pellets Forever
!
GVA
Minister of Fire
They are nice pellets.... but why are they so long? sometimes i've had several that were 2" plus... Just wonderin'....Goldfever69 said:
Well, I guess I can pass on a bit of my knowledge! LOL...
There are a lot of factors that determine pellet quality. Obviously moisture is a big one. The wetter the pellet the longer the pellet, but other things come into play. The faster the pellets are pushed through the die the longer the pellet. Also, the life of the die plays a role in length. A brand new die makes very short pellets for about 500 tons then as its age increases and the inside of the holes are worn in the pellets become longer. Also, the set up of the rolls that create the pressure determine the pellet length, there is also a plow inside that directs the shavings that determine pellet length. This is a quality control issue most of the time, it is up to the operator to make that quality pellet and if he does not have the experience needed we get a undesirable pellet. Also, We use grain to start and stop our pelleters, if the person stopping the machine does not hit the abort gate then grain filled pellets hit the bagging line.
If you have very long pellets you should examine a bit to see if you can notice clear areas in the pellet, if so then that is grain, we use a bucket of grain to start the machines to help warm the die as running straight wood to them would cause such a temp difference that the dies crack in half, they are worth about 30 grand so its not something we want happening.
I have been the senior Op here for a few years, and now I am the production manager, there is nothing I don't know about wood pellets and how to produce them, maybe I should build my own mill LOL...
Any more questions?
There are a lot of factors that determine pellet quality. Obviously moisture is a big one. The wetter the pellet the longer the pellet, but other things come into play. The faster the pellets are pushed through the die the longer the pellet. Also, the life of the die plays a role in length. A brand new die makes very short pellets for about 500 tons then as its age increases and the inside of the holes are worn in the pellets become longer. Also, the set up of the rolls that create the pressure determine the pellet length, there is also a plow inside that directs the shavings that determine pellet length. This is a quality control issue most of the time, it is up to the operator to make that quality pellet and if he does not have the experience needed we get a undesirable pellet. Also, We use grain to start and stop our pelleters, if the person stopping the machine does not hit the abort gate then grain filled pellets hit the bagging line.
If you have very long pellets you should examine a bit to see if you can notice clear areas in the pellet, if so then that is grain, we use a bucket of grain to start the machines to help warm the die as running straight wood to them would cause such a temp difference that the dies crack in half, they are worth about 30 grand so its not something we want happening.
I have been the senior Op here for a few years, and now I am the production manager, there is nothing I don't know about wood pellets and how to produce them, maybe I should build my own mill LOL...
Any more questions?
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