How'd you find Hearth.com, and what has it done for you?

[Jags]

I was searching the internet for information on my hair loss. I found out that it was most likely due to me burning pine. With that resolved, I moved on to learning about the possible treatments for a small splotch on the tip of an ear - knowing that is was more than likely a form of skin cancer - it was here that I learned of the MS361 and its ability to cure cancer (thanks Stihl).

It was later in the week and I had felt an urge. An urge that prompted a web search. Low and behold - I learned that the Summit comes in Whore house Red. Outstanding.

This forum has been a wealth of information for me.

As far as "how did I find this place" - hey wait a minute, this isn't hearthnet.net...where the heck am I??

 

[jaydee]

Googled and found people ready and willing to share their knowledge - I've learned a lot, thanks to you guys.

 

[Troutchaser]

I was a wealthy successful businessman until I came across hearth.com. By accident one night while surfing the web I came across this site. I lurked for a few hours and then joined in the posting. Over time I became more and more addicted to reading posts and interacting with the forum members. The next thing you know I bought a wood stove. Then another. Then another. Then a pellet stove. Then came chainsaws, a log splitter and chimney liners and log carriers and wood racks and I became obsessed with gathering firewood. Before long I was spending more and more time on hearth.com and putting up firewood. My business started to suffer as well as my home life. My wife complained that all I wanted to do was hang out with "those wood guys". The kids started staying away from me because I was posting and reading and stopped bathing. They said I was "stinky". In short order my accountant informed me that all of my employees had quit, the bank account was empty and I would have to file for bankruptcy. It didn't matter to me all I wanted to know was what the progress of the cat vs. non-cat discussions were leading to. Was or was not EBT a answer for long burns? Were PE stoves really worth extra money over an Englander?

One afternoon I heard the door slam and a car drive off. On the table in the hall was a note from a lawyer telling me my wife had filed for divorce and was taking the kids with her. I cried for about ten minutes and then went to see if anybody had scored anymore free wood off of craigslist. Nobody had in a few days and that REALLY made me sad.

So the house has been foreclosed, I drink pretty much around the clock (or at least I will until the pawn shop stops taking my stuff) and hang out on hearth.com 20 hours a day. I get a couple of hours sleep along the way resting my head on the keyboard.

Now Craig has made me a moderator and life is looking up! I have stoves and hearth.com. Who needs all of that other crap in life.

I must admit I really miss his old Avatar of the little Guy...sometimes I thought he was telling the story even moving and talking.

For me goggling about stoves. May have to leave don't want to lose the business can't afford the wood then.
md

Agreed. The little guy loading the stove has got to come back. I miss him.

 

[raiderfan]

Let's see... Hearth.com made spend money towards many things I never thought I would!! Darn site made me put a wood stove in my basement, then replace that wood stove with a brand new PE Alderlea, and then, when I thought all was calm, it had me start the planning for a pellet stove install in my living room for next winter Thanks guys :lol:

 

[Stump_Branch]

Stumbled backwards into Hearth.com when I tripped over my old,less-than-efficient,Dutchwest Large-Cat and abruptly purchased an EPA-insert like I was grabbing a candy bar while online at the supermarket. Only AFTER my purchase did I do some research on EPA stoves and how to run them. Thats when I found Hearth.com , and the real learnin' began. While I got lucky,and am very happy with my insert, it reminds me of my M.O. in life - jump first, THEN worry about how deep the water is!! :coolsmile:

I'm Pretty much the same. bought the insert then did the homework.

Was looking for liners, prices etc. some how stumbled here. after looking at just about everything (wood anyways) decided id have to throw in my 1.25 cents everynow and again. Mostly was to ask questions and seek out advice since I missed it my formatable years. so now I have about 5-6 cords of oak curing, im burning 24/7, Stihl chainsaw, and couldnt be warmer or happier.

 

[LLigetfa]

Someone on another forum asked me if I was BrotherBart of hearth.com fame so I had to come over here to see. I was using the same "Technology for Country Folk" avatar as BB at the time.

As for what has it done for me, it taught me that I didn't know nearly as much as I thought I did.

 

[ellipup]

At the end of last winter, my husband & I started to consider getting a wood stove insert. We had been introduced to alternate heating sources when we bought a year round home in the Catskill Mountains in NYS. The house we bought had an Enviro Pellet stove. It saves us money on Electricity up there, as that is the heating system. At home in Long Island, NY we heat with oil and I dont have to tell you what that runs, so we decided to go for it. The Jotul Rockland C550 was installed last April. I only had enough time to do those first few curing fires. Made it ready for this winter. I have started burning in the chilly fall weather here. I came across this site before I bought the insert to learn as much as I could, and find that I am now putting it all into practice. I am able to start a fire and burn without smoke after a bit. Yesterday was the first time I got the stove close to 500*. I got myself a magnetic thermometer and put it where the heat blows out. Very helpful with the proper operation of it.

 

[firefighterjake]

Not sure if this is the right forum, so if not my apologies. But as I read all the excellent advice, I wonder:
1. How each of you get into the forum, and Looking at woodstoves and doing my customary research on various makes and models and I stumbled across this forum

2. what, if anything, it has done for you? It has changed my life . . . before I was lost in the wilderness, a blind man with nothing but a tin cup, a soul who had no hope and then I found Hearth.com and my life was changed forever. Well, it has made me a lot smarter . . . allowed me to get the right sized stove for my home, given me the knowledge to build my own hearth, showed me how I could easily heat my entire home just by using a fan and it has allowed me to "meet" some great guys . . . although some are misguided like Backwoods who is still convinced that splitting wood vertically is the right thing to do with a hydraulic splitter.

For myself, it was helping out a neighbor that got me into Hearth.com in the firts place - we had a disabled couple with three kids and no money next door in CA, and it was an excuse to get a saw, go up to the mountains, and cut some wood to help them out that got me into wood burning again after many years.

Finding this site really reinforced my passion for wood burning, and when I moved out to WY the woodstove was the first purchase I made. So I guess it got me back into a lifestyle I really missed from growing up, and an appreciation of the joy of trees, 2-strokes, and radiant heat.

 

[firefighterjake]

Random thoughts . . .

Great thread topic!

Best post so far (in my humble opinion) . . . Brother Bart . . . although Jags is most definitely a close runner-up.

Craig . . . not a bad post to start . . . how did you start up hearth.com . . . why, what was your goal . . . and did you ever realize that this simple on-line forum would truly evolve to the point where it really has made a difference and changed folks' lives (and I'm being serious here) since you can see that by allowing folks to share the knowledge many of us are better for it . . . all thanks to this forum and its members.

. . . Now about that duck . . . .

 

[quads]

1. How each of you get into the forum, and
2. what, if anything, it has done for you?

I don't remember exactly how or why I ended up here. I have had an Internet connection since 1996 and I don't think it was too many years after that when I found this site. I was using a 33.6 modem. At that time it was still the old-type bulletin board, it might not have even had picture capabilities, and you didn't have to register to post. You just made up some name to put on each post and had at it. I probably used the Ixquick search engine (is that thing still operating?) and searched for woodstove or something like that.

Hearth.com has given me endless hours of entertainment and information.

 

[ispinwool]

1. I believe I was looking around the web for "hearth baking" and lo and behold--I found Hearth.com
2. I can't list all the great things this site has helped me with....a few: I've gone from "20
minutes to relight from coals" to only about 2-3 minutes; I learned about stack effect; where and what
kind of splitter to buy; fans to circulate air; etc etc etc

And--a few weeks ago I was worried about getting the part to fix the furnace...after all the help
I received here---who needs the furnace??
(ok--I'll admit, on bitter cold days we'll need it for back-up...but so far we're fine!)

Thanks to all who so freely share their knowledge!

 

[paredown]

Over our first winter in our "new" project house, we froze and still had combined gas/electric bills well over $1000--and this while we were reeling from my wife's layoff and carrying our second apparently unsaleable house.

I started researching in mid 2007 thinking that burning wood ought to help (like Slyferret)--I somehow found the archived posts (?looking for info on an older insert) and read a lot--and moved on to post in here once I had some idea of what questions to ask.

I'm on and off a lot of forums looking for information on my head-scratchers for the reno--this site is on my go-to list for the nice atmosphere and depth of knowledge and easily one of the best for any topic.

When we stumbled onto our free stove (!) my first thought was to post here, since these were the folks that would get the biggest kick out of it...

 

[smallcabin]

I was looking up how to build a hearth for a wood stove in my cabin and found this place. Glad I did for sure. Even though I have been looking on this site for a year and never posted anything until this week, I feel like I have learned a lot just sitting back and reading what others have done and their experiencies. So I want to say thanks to all involved. And I own a new US Stove aps 1100b, just not installed yet. Thanks, Rick

 

[VCBurner]

Good thread. Universal question. I already had two stoves when I found this site. I was looking for a newer stove and researching when I stumbled on this site. It was amazing the amount of knowledge that can be found here! It kept me sane when I was laid off last year. Now that I'm laid off again it'll keep me busy THIS winter. I've learned a lot from hanging around here. Just helped my next door neighbor install his new Harman pellet stove with information I learned here. He has lived in the house since 98 and never had any kind of stove until I got mine and he realized that I only went through 200 gallons of oil in a year. His house is now a constant 70+ without spending a drop of oil since he put his stove in.

I don't know how anyone lives without a stove of some sort. Thank you Hearth.com

 

[raybonz]

I was looking up how to build a hearth for a wood stove in my cabin and found this place. Glad I did for sure. Even though I have been looking on this site for a year and never posted anything until this week, I feel like I have learned a lot just sitting back and reading what others have done and their experiencies. So I want to say thanks to all involved. And I own a new US Stove aps 1100b, just not installed yet. Thanks, Rick

WTG Rick welcome aboard!

Ray

 

[raybonz]

Good thread. Universal question. I already had two stoves when I found this site. I was looking for a newer stove and researching when I stumbled on this site. It was amazing the amount of knowledge that can be found here! It kept me sane when I was laid off last year. Now that I'm laid off again it'll keep me busy THIS winter. I've learned a lot from hanging around here. Just helped my next door neighbor install his new Harman pellet stove with information I learned here. He has lived in the house since 98 and never had any kind of stove until I got mine and he realized that I only went through 200 gallons of oil in a year. His house is now a constant 70+ without spending a drop of oil since he put his stove in.

I don't know how anyone lives without a stove of some sort. Thank you Hearth.com

Sounds like you're doing well with that new stove Chris..

Ray

 

[GunSeth]

I found this place when I was looking to buy a wood stove. I needed a message board that had threads I could browse to gain knowledge. And gain knowledge I have. Now I burn clean and mean!