Not hating on the wood burners but...... burning pellets has been relaxing

[bags]

I can not say how much easier the 40 lb bags have made my life this winter. I am sold on pellets stoves. No complaints from the old witch either LOL! A warm witch is a happy witch.

 

[rcook430]

I'm with ya. Pellets aren't free but the pros outweigh the cons for me.

 

[Husky]

If I still had access to free wood I would still be burning. I miss the process form start to end. Saying that, this is my first year of pellet burning and it has been much easier and much less labor intensive.

 

[BrotherBart]

Different smoke for different folk.

 

[TimfromMA]

Access to free wood would be the ONLY reason Id choose wood over pellets.

 

[Babaganoosh]

I've only been here a few months but there are times when I look at the new posts and two thirds of them seem to be people having problems with their pellet stoves.

I like wood stoves over pellet stoves for now but in 20 years I will probably enjoy dumping a bag a day into a hopper instead.

For what it's worth I have a pellet bbq and I love it.

 

[GeHmTS]

You all love your pellet stoves until the power fails... Get your battery backup folks.

 

[TimfromMA]

Nothing to split and stack, thermostat controlled, auto ignition, burns cleaner, runs longer on a fill and I can store 2 years worth of fuel in 64 square feet of floor space.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Different smoke for different folk.

I'd agree with that. Myself, I prefer 40 pound bags of rice coal in a coal stoker. Just like pellets with 33% better output, minimal fly ash and the same look as a freestander.

Unlike pellets and like wood, you can store bagged coal anywhere outside. Moisture is no issue.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I've only been here a few months but there are times when I look at the new posts and two thirds of them seem to be people having problems with their pellet stoves.

I like wood stoves over pellet stoves for now but in 20 years I will probably enjoy dumping a bag a day into a hopper instead.

For what it's worth I have a pellet bbq and I love it.

The big issue with a pellet stove and why you see people on here with issues is they are extremely mechanical with electronic control and must be maintained properly or issues arise unlike a cordwood stove where you stuff in a log or 2 and clean out the ashers ocassionally. I bet 70% of the issues discussed on here are attributable to maintenance issues.

 

[Pellet-King]

When I got married in '87 I moved into a home with electric heat, never used it, first priority was a new Consolidated Dutchwest Woodstove, It was alot more work buying, loading and stacking wood, I used it for 12 yr's until I bought my Whitfield, I heard of pellet stoves back then but I'm glad I waited until they were more refined, finding pellets in the '80's had to be hard to find.

 

[legrandice]

My parents just switched this year from 2 wood stoves to one of each. The wood stove is in the basement and gets one good burn a day. The LOVE the pellet stove and really appreciate the time saved. They still have a good 2-3 years of wood in the back yard. I will keep them supplied.

 

[rcook430]

I would bet more than 70 percent.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I would bet more than 70 percent.

I'm trying to be nice.................

 

[kniffin50]

Burned wood for almost 20yrs,in this house.All cleared from the property,getting down to the end of the free wood.I replaced basement wood stove with a pellet stove this year.It was a good move for me.In a few more years I'll do the same with upstairs insert.I find the pellets allow me a lot more time for other things that I enjoy to do.Processing the wood is labor intensive and I do enjoy doing it.But I won't miss it when I stop.

 

[bags]

I still have plenty of "free" wood and do like burning it but have gotten about beat to death dealing with it the last couple of years. Being out of town for work in the winter four years straight now was the deal breaker. The wife was ready to move but deals with the pellets well. I'll get back into some wood burning but I can honestly say I do not miss it a bit this year. Not at all.

The time to process wood for me now is very limited and it is a lot of work. Time is money and I do not mind paying for pellets at all for the ease and time saving benefits. I too would look at a coal stoker if the correct coal was readily available here.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I still have plenty of "free" wood and do like burning it but have gotten about beat to death dealing with it the last couple of years. Being out of town for work in the winter four years straight now was the deal breaker. The wife was ready to move but deals with the pellets well. I'll get back into some wood burning but I can honestly say I do not miss it a bit this year. Not at all.

The time to process wood for me now is very limited and it is a lot of work. Time is money and I do not mind paying for pellets at all for the ease and time saving benefits. I too would look at a coal stoker if the correct coal was readily available here.

Next you'll want me to deliver a load.........................

 

[Chrisnow86]

I have plenty of lad to cut my own fire wood. But when it's your only source of heat pellets are way better.. Ya you have to pay but to have a heat source that runs when you are not home, it's worth every penny

 

[bags]

I have plenty of lad to cut my own fire wood. But when it's your only source of heat pellets are way better.. Ya you have to pay but to have a heat source that runs when you are not home, it's worth every penny

Exactly! Nice, long, consistent burn times and hardly any fuss. The wife was done last winter and was even chapped when I "drug home another heating thingy home." Now she seems to not recall saying that. Funny she has move her favorite chair almost in front of the pellet stove and hangs her feet over an arm and directly in the warm jet stream of the dist. blower. Huh? Have not heard one complaint and she even stocked another ton into the garage herself while I was gone. LOL!

I had enough for the week already carried into the house stacked in a closet close to the stove. It's amazing how much warm air motivates that chic. I spring for a house on the beach in the future and she had better be running around with a halo and a smile at all times. If not, I'll just fish more.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Nothing to split and stack, thermostat controlled, auto ignition, burns cleaner, runs longer on a fill and I can store 2 years worth of fuel in 64 square feet of floor space.

Same can be said for many forms of heating. Including wood in some cases (except the auto ignition part).

I've only been here a few months but there are times when I look at the new posts and two thirds of them seem to be people having problems with their pellet stoves.

Thats where I am at. I'm about ready to have someone push my pellet stove out of the back of my pickup when I hit 55mph. Got to say though, on the days (or nights) I am working the long shift, it has really saved my butt during the cold spells. Well, at least the days that it was working.

It definitely hasn’t been as relaxing of an experience for me. Sometimes I get really frustrated and need to relive some stress and go out to the wood pile and split wood.

 

[Chrisnow86]

pellet stoves need maintenance just like a oil burner.. if you treat them good they will treat you good back.. a lot of issues you see are from first time posters on here and its after a flawless 7 year operation.. replace a auger motor or vacuum switch.. still a lot cheaper then paying a hvac tech to do work to a oil burner

 

[ScotL]

I've only been here a few months but there are times when I look at the new posts and two thirds of them seem to be people having problems with their pellet stoves.

I like wood stoves over pellet stoves for now but in 20 years I will probably enjoy dumping a bag a day into a hopper instead.

For what it's worth I have a pellet bbq and I love it.

Threads like this one are also rare because when things are working fine, usually nothing is said. It just seems like there's a lot of stove problems in the forum because a problem is the top reason to start a thread and many of the people who frequent here are a great resource to fix that problem. Plus the other reasons mentioned above.

 

[Old Spartan]

Burned wood most my adult life as a primary heat source. Installed a pellet stove this year because I have reached the age where the toil of wood out weighs its advantages to me.

As with most things in life the change comes with trade-offs.