Why can't someone make these things closer to Mo? I'd buy a pallet in a heartbeat just to try them and to supplement my sometimes less than adequate volume of self-cut wood.
I'd MUCH rather buy these Bio-Logs or the logs that Thomas or Jonas sell than buy mystery cordwood from the WoodMan.
BTW: A new WoodMan came to my door this morning, unsolicited. I didn't make it to the door in time, so he left his calling card. He wants $100 for a so-called 'RANK' which the card claims is 4 x 8. No mention of split length. I guess it is whatever he feels like providing. If his wood is par with the WoodMen that came before him (making an informed assumption), then he'll deliver it with both ends criss-cross stacked. If a split is 18" in length, then two criss-cross stacked ends is 3 feet of the 8 foot dimension of the so-called RANK. At about 1/2 less volume for criss-cross stacking, that shorts the so-called RANK by 37.5%. Typical. Priceless. And THAT cleaver tactic, along with a dozen others, and the oh, so sublime enjoyment (sarcasm) of interacting with a neighborhood huckster that I may never lay eyes upon again, is why I would MUCH prefer to buy the compressed wood logs instead, at least if I'm going to need to put money down for wood fuel due to living in suburbia, back-ache, time constraints, etc. and the price is anywhere close to reasonable. $250 a ton is reasonable in my mind, but on the high end of reasonable. At $130 - $180 a ton, I'd be tempted to burn them exclusively and stop chopping wood!
The compressed logs from Thomas, Jonas, and BioLogs come in reliable weights, with consistent moisture content, and predictable wood quality (= BTU's). You always know exactly what you are getting for your money. That, to me, is worth a bit extra. And then there are several other conveniences over cordwood like inside storage with no fear of bugs, less dust, compact size, easy transport using a two wheeler, wagon, etc., and a long, slow, highly predictable burn rate in the stove.
I loved burning the two brands I've tried so far: North Idaho Fire Logs from Thomas and High Energy Fire Logs from Jonas. I'd highly recommend using these things to anyone who needs to buy their wood fuel, has special restrictions regarding processing or storing of wood (injuries, small yard, no wood lot, etc.), but still enjoys burning.
The thing that surprised me most about these logs was the incredible predictability of the heat output and burn times, as well as the increased level of flames in my cat stove when compared to seasoned cordwood. I actually had more primary combustion (visible flames in the fire box) using Thomas' North Idaho logs than I do with regular cordwood. I get more heat, too, because they tend to burn a bit faster due to the lower moisture content. Still, I can limit the consumption rate by only placing one log at a time in the firebox with the air full open. That's how I normally burn anyway, so it suits me just fine. If I had a whole pallet of these logs, I'd try adding a few more at one time and see how damping the air down worked for a longer, unattended burn. I just can't find 'em around St. Louis.
