Oldest Gasification User

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Birdman

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Hearth Supporter
May 21, 2008
278
NH
So I was thinking to myself. How long will my Tarm Solo 40 last? 20 years? 40 years? Will it outlive me? Will someday I be too old to fill it up? and or process my own wood? How old will I be when this happens? 65? 70?75? 80? Then I had 2 more thoughts. Does it make sense to buy one if I was say... 60 years old? (which I am not). My other question?... does anyone know of any older person who still uses wood gasification? ( Not sure what " older" is). Maybe a wood gasification online award could go to them? The Hearth.com Wood Gasification Award?
 
For those that opt the cremation route at the end of life, maybe they could just get gassified in their own unit??? :smirk:
 
ISeeDeadBTUs said:
For those that opt the cremation route at the end of life, maybe they could just get gassified in their own unit??? :smirk:

hhhmmmm, never thought of that!!! I wonder how well seasoned I will need to be to obtain proper gassification!?

I don't consider myself "old" at 53 but I expect to still be burning wood in the same boiler into my 70's...and I hope to still be able to obtain my own wood on my own terms.
 
been heating exclusively with a dumont tempest boiler with 1500 0r 2000 gal pressurized tank, no backup, (one of the first gasifiers) since 1981. am now 56 and while i have my own woodlot and intended to stay the course with both the dumont and the wood, this last year has me wondering both about the dumont and the wood.
 
I''m 57 now, just bought my gassifier, and will likely be 58 when I finally finish installing it. A recent back injury caused by unloading an oak desk, as if I was still 27, makes me think you do have a point in considering the age factor. I still prefer to think my body is 27 and discount the more realistic perspective you draw attention to. Luckily I had already moved into place the 1000 gallon storage tank, the boiler, and put up seven cords of wood. On the other hand, sadly, an 82 year old acquaintance recently passed away while carrying wood to load his outside wood burner. This gave me pause to think about what I am doing, and the inevitable facts of aging. My take is that after 79 years of age you should consider stopping that sort of activity, and prior to that take care of yourself in the process of acting half your age. No need to stop gassifying however, and all that goes with it, especially the exercise. Just be more sensible in your approach, and stay forever young.

Have your wife load your gassifier after you hit 80.

Mike
 
Birdman said:
So I was thinking to myself. How long will my Tarm Solo 40 last? 20 years? 40 years? Will it outlive me? Will someday I be too old to fill it up? and or process my own wood? How old will I be when this happens? 65? 70?75? 80? Then I had 2 more thoughts. Does it make sense to buy one if I was say... 60 years old?

I'm 63. I bought it last year. I hope the end is not 65! I hope 75-80. We old folks just have to use smaller splits(to carry), less axe splitting, more hydraulics and brain to replace brawn. So far it's working for me, and since I seem to be the oldest guy around, I'll try to remember to report once a year on if I can still gasify. However, we old guys are forgetful, so I might not.
 
My wife has told me many times I was going into the GW. Just wondering if that means after I pass Or Sooner I never asked her that????
 
wood burning is a lifestyle choice for most of us. there is not much that i would not give up to burn wood.I am 51 and find the routine grounding. if planned right i think there might be only one better way to die!
 
I'll be 68 in April and am still splitting my wood with a maul. I would use the hydraulic splitter that I'm half owner of, but i can get it done faster with the maul.
 
Gary_602z said:
How did all you old guys learn how to use the internet? :lol:

Gary (54)

Survival!!! I trade stocks, bonds and options online. It's my retirement income.
 
Gary_602z said:
How did all you old guys learn how to use the internet? :lol:

Gary (54)

Easy!! I helped Al Gore invent it!

Don (61)
 
Bot my Tarm at age 59, now in third burning season. When I buy or plan almost anything of substance, it better outlive me or it's not worth doing. Our forested land is being managed for harvests 50+ years from now -- should be the retirements for the grandchildren.
 
I asked this question at the beginning of the thread because I was concerned there were no people out there gasifying who were older( over 60?) with wood. I had this vision of me maybe regretting wood as I got to that age. I have been doing the wood thing... my whole life( not gasifying... just cutting and splitting). It is something I do enjoy. I am grateful to see there are others out there who have that " can do " attitude. Now, I can rest easy... knowing there are people who still do the wood thing who are " older " . Thank you to those who have given me feedback! So for the other part: Will my Tarm outlast me? About how many years will it give me? 20? 30? 40? Can I expect us both to depart at the same time? I am in my mid thirties.

PS: Do you think Gore invented storage too? Actually... who did invent storage?
 
I am into my third burning season with my Econoburn 150 and inspection this year revealed absolutely no corrosion of any of my system components that were visible. I am wondering what a reasonable life expectancy of the boiler itself will be, as I would like to burn wood until I take a dirt nap. I'm 43, so hopefully I have another 40! One concern I have is availability of electronic parts, as they tend to obsolete quickly in today's world.
 
I wouldn't worry about the electronics, there will always be a way to replace/upgrade the limited control necessary in a boiler system - just look at nofossil and others using homebuilt control. My thought (at 38) is that I will outlast the boiler and have to replace it - what new technology will come next?
 
If I eat enough garlic and cabbage I gasify quite nicely thank you.... :sick: :red: Don't expect that to change as I get older - they don't call em "old farts" for nothing you know...

Gooserider
 
There are four of us sharing information on the Essex boilers. All four boilers were made in the 80's. A couple in the 1982 era, mine was made in 89. That is pushing 30 years.

Also for replacement control parts, our boilers look the same but our controllers seem to be all different. I have been upgrading my control devices to Dwyer Instruments thermo switches; two of these can run a boiler including shutting it down when the fuel is gone (which is not always part of a boiler system).

As for aging boiler men, or women; my neighbor burn wood in a wood stove, cuts his own wood, he has the most beautiful wood shed, put us all to shame (it is so nice I should post picture of it), he is in his eighties.
 
Birdman said:
I asked this question at the beginning of the thread because I was concerned there were no people out there gasifying who were older( over 60?) with wood. I had this vision of me maybe regretting wood as I got to that age. I have been doing the wood thing... my whole life( not gasifying... just cutting and splitting). It is something I do enjoy. I am grateful to see there are others out there who have that " can do " attitude. Now, I can rest easy... knowing there are people who still do the wood thing who are " older " . Thank you to those who have given me feedback! So for the other part: Will my Tarm outlast me? About how many years will it give me? 20? 30? 40? Can I expect us both to depart at the same time? I am in my mid thirties.

PS: Do you think Gore invented storage too? Actually... who did invent storage?

God himself invented storage. Look at the btu's stored in the oceans. :) We were made to be heated with radiant energy and heat stored in water.

BTW: Al Gore did not invent the internet but he sure did make up AGW. ;)
 
muncybob said:
ISeeDeadBTUs said:
For those that opt the cremation route at the end of life, maybe they could just get gassified in their own unit??? :smirk:

hhhmmmm, never thought of that!!! I wonder how well seasoned I will need to be to obtain proper gassification!?

I don't consider myself "old" at 53 but I expect to still be burning wood in the same boiler into my 70's...and I hope to still be able to obtain my own wood on my own terms.

Just get a really good bed of hardwood coals cooking along before the cremation...
 
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