Thanks Hearth.com, and here's why...

[Wood Dog]

Back in the spring of 2014, after 23 years, I had finally had enough of feeding my 48" wide Heatilator with massive pieces of wood, hoping to get ahead of my propane bill. My wife and I agreed that an insert might be the way to go. Well, I made the decision and she agreed (my back couldn't take it anymore).
That's when I started looking online for info and quickly stumbled across this website. I soon figured out that all of the best, unbiased information I could ever hope to find was contained within these website walls. Goldmine!
After about 6 months of on-again, off-again reading here, we decided on getting an Osburn Matrix insert, based on the comments and opinions I found here. The looks were great and the ratings of that unit fit our situation nicely. We have a 1700 sq. ft. earth-contact home, built in 1991. Open design with a hallway heading to the bedrooms/ baths. Attached garage with the fireplace sharing that wall.
We purchased the insert from a local dealer for a couple hundred dollars more than the online dealers. Felt like a good point-of-contact was worth it? Got the 6" hard-pipe liner online (good deal/ good service), made me second guess myself for NOT buying the insert from them as well. Installed it myself with no problems (my work history is construction).
That first winter (2014-15) we burned as much wood as we had before (approx. 3 cords). However, the pieces of wood were smaller and the fire was constant. Instead of burning nights and weekends, only, as we had the previous 23 years. We had a couple of chilly mornings during our learning curve, but never turned the furnace on until late March.
Booyah
That first winter taught me a lot on what all of you all meant by DRY wood. The old dragon we used didn't much care about moisture content. This new one does. And when I get a load of really dry wood in there, the heat output is amazing. Just amazing - compared to the old Heatilator. This Matrix has kept us hot when the thermometer was down to 10*, and will surely keep us very warm below that temperature.
Having graduated from the purchase/ installation concerns of this forum, I am now a frequent reader of the "Wood Shed" forum, as well as the "Gear" forum. I don't pretend to know it all, but I know a whole lot more because of Hearth.com. All thanks to you guys - the contributors to this wonderful site.
This is my first post, just got registered last week. Been reading for 2 years. I now have a 3 year supply of wood stacked up in my shed with next year's bunch split, stacked, top-covered and catching the breeze. Mostly thorny locust, oak and hickory. I drive down the roads and look at trees with a keen eye on the dead ones.
It is an illness, isn't it?

 

[BrotherBart]

What this place is all about.

 

[prezes13]

Yes it is sick. I get mad when i see guys picking up wood on the side of a road. Or drive around pointing out wood stacks in backyards or checking out chimneys for a sign of smoke.

 

[Warm_in_NH]

I put up a similar post 3 years ago here. Still learning stuff, may or may not ever be useful to me, but enjoying the read.

 

[Lake Girl]

I'm still learning about wood and woodstoves and I own a pellet stove! Thanks for the shout-out... and keep reading/posting Did anyone mention that we like pics. Pics or it didn't happen

 

[firefighterjake]

Welcome . . . this site kinda sucks you in . . . you come here thinking you will just peruse the site a bit, get some ideas on what stove to buy . . . and the next thing you know you're posting a question or answering a question . . . and before you know it you've made on line friends who you may never meet . . . but whom you care about.

It's a special site . . . not too many of them out there are like this one . . . for such a rather dull topic (i.e. burning wood) it is pretty active and folks here are just plain nice.

 

[jb6l6gc]

+1. Enjoy the community here. I think everyone has had a thank you moment on this forum. Most lurk around for a while and then finally join in. I know I will now need to learn More about dry wood too as I'm in the process of replacing my old hotblast to a new epa drolet tundra. The old hotblast would take almost anything just had to adjust the air a bit. I have a feeling my wood isn't as good as I thought. Luckily my new unit came with a moisture meter!

 

[woodhog73]

I agree it's a great site.

I'm relatively new to wood burning in a modern stove ( insert) but did grow up in a family that burned for heat. I've been burning wood in open masonry fire places but it's not even close to the same thing as heating with a nice modern stove of some sort.

I'm not new however to wood cutting and firewood processing and I'm seasoned in that area but I'm a newbie with with stoves and this site has been helpful.

Just wish I started heating with wood sooner than I did it's been enjoyable. Ive only got roughly one winter season burning in an insert and it's helped keep my furnace off many a cold days.

My only regret I think is that I didn't go with a cat equipped insert. Something I learned from this site reading the different reviews. Mine only gets roughly 3 to 4 hours burn time perhaps 5 hours if I'm lucky, and have the air at it's lowest setting. And I'm including the coaling stage in those numbers. So heat output spikes and falls dramatically over a few hours. For that reason I burn mainly on weekends and around dinner time when I can tend to the stove. Still though on a typical Saturday I'll load the stove at say 7am and then again around noon, again around 4pm and again around 8 pm. That keeps the house warm, and the furnace off the entire day except for around 1am the house temp drops enough for the furnace to kick on. However it's impossible to do that during the week when no one is home for 10 hours.

 

[Jags]

This place will lure you in and the next thing you know you are a couple dozen posts in. I am probably even up to a hundred by now....

 

[Wood Dog]

Lake Girl,
It did happen. And if these pics come out in this post correctly then I will have multiplied my computer talents by tenfold.

 

[begreen]

Nice looking setup there Wood Dog

 

[Warm_in_NH]

Sharp, like the square look, from the stove door to the vents, all ties in nicely. Well done!

 

[Woody Stover]

It did happen.

Wood heat and pro golf on TV; Sweeet!

 

[heavy hammer]

Nice insert! It seems like everyone here started out kinda in the same boat, I know I did. I just read old posts for a couple of years looking for info, finally this past summer I joined and wish I had done it much sooner. Very knowledgeable people here one way or another you get the info you are looking for. I have been burning my Oslo for five years now and I learn more every year. The key is dry wood and getting ahead, but you see that now. Keep posting everyone here is pretty nice and very willing to help!

 

[HisTreeNut]

This is a great place for sound advice and help and +1 on a nice bunch of guys & gals. I am like you, grew up burning wood and I was also familiar with modern stoves. Still, these folks have taught me a lot as I learn more about my stove...and as mentioned, after a while you do not ask as many questions & you start giving answers.
My wifey will comment to me..."Are you on that wood burning place again?" And I respond that Hearth.com is my Facebook.
You will like it here. Nice stove & set-up, btw.

 

[AmbDrvr253]

Like many here I started by lurking as well. I am still learning, tho smarter nonetheless, and enjoy the wood burning life. This is indeed a priceless site.

 

[BrotherBart]

everyone here is pretty nice and very willing to help!

And every once in a while if they aren't, we fix that.

 

[jetsam]

And every once in a while if they aren't, we fix that.

How do you hand out beatings over the internet?

*takes notes*

 

[Omaha419]

Yes it is sick. I get mad when i see guys picking up wood on the side of a road. Or drive around pointing out wood stacks in backyards or checking out chimneys for a sign of smoke.

Guilty as charged.

 

[HisTreeNut]

How do you hand out beatings over the internet?

*takes View attachment 177271 notes*

Or like this...

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[beatlefan]

Great looking set-up wood dog! How long will it burn between feedings?

 

[BrotherBart]

Or like this...

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The way they all act when banned.

 

[Wood Dog]

beatlefan,
If I had it loaded up, fire going good and the air just shut down to the minimum, we'd wake up 7-8 hours later with plenty of coals for a quick restart. For a medium sized firebox... that's not bad?

 

[FionaD]

How do you hand out beatings over the internet?

*takes notes*

 

[beatlefan]

beatlefan,
If I had it loaded up, fire going good and the air just shut down to the minimum, we'd wake up 7-8 hours later with plenty of coals for a quick restart. For a medium sized firebox... that's not bad?

Not bad at all!