The Economics of Burning Wood

[bholler]

👍

And those two precision seated intake valves on a woodstove, those have to be really expensive and hard to manufacture.

I see where you're coming from, I don't know why I ever questioned the price of a stove.

There are no intake valves in a short block

 

[clux]

You can by a 350 long block for the price of a lot of woodstoves. That's crazy considering the difference in the precision of parts that go into them. Somebody in the production chain has to be making a boatload of money on stoves.

 

[bholler]

Oops sorry I thought you said short block

 

[bholler]

Regardless you are comparing apples to oranges. And if you are talking long blocks there are lots of stoves cheaper than an average Chevy 350 long block. And many are way more than the most expensive stove available.

Now compare a brand new long block to a new stove. Or a rebuilt stove to a rebuilt motor that would be more accurate

 

[clux]

Regardless you are comparing apples to oranges. And if you are talking long blocks there are lots of stoves cheaper than an average Chevy 350 long block. And many are way more than the most expensive stove available.

Now compare a brand new long block to a new stove. Or a rebuilt stove to a rebuilt motor that would be more accurate

Yeah you're right.

This is obviously why humans invented internal combustion engines thousands of years before wood stoves. The stoves were just too complex and expensive to make.

I don't know what I was thinking........

I'm gonna go out to my shop and cut out a small block head with my plasma torch now. Have a nice day.

 

[bholler]

Yeah you're right.

This is obviously why humans invented internal combustion engines thousands of years before wood stoves. The stoves were just too complex and expensive to make.

I don't know what I was thinking........

I'm gonna go out to my shop and cut out a small block head with my plasma torch now. Have a nice day.

I really don't understand your argument here. Or the point of it. So I am done

 

[Ashful]

But the people building stoves aren't machining parts to thousands of inches either.

If it's off by a few thousands of an inch can it burn a house down?

Clearly the thought process of someone who doesn't actually work in a production environment. Cost is dictated first by production volume. Precision is cheap, by comparison.

 

[BillBurns]

Cant we all just.........get along? Both the motor and the stove are expensive to a point. I would much rather have my stove than a 350 Chevy, but thats just me. Probably due to the fact I drive a "rice burner"....A Hyundai Sante Fe, lol.

 

[bholler]

Cant we all just.........get along? Both the motor and the stove are expensive to a point. I would much rather have my stove than a 350 Chevy, but thats just me. Probably due to the fact I drive a "rice burner"....A Hyundai Sante Fe, lol.

I actually have nothing with a Chevy small block right now. Other than a 6.0 ls in a truck. But I have had many. Currently mainly have fords. I do wish the parts were as cheap for Windsors as they are for Chevy 350s though

 

[BillBurns]

And Im in North Central PA. The great outdoors, elk, deer, bear, coyotes, ect. Gotta LOVE it!

 

[bholler]

And Im in North Central PA. The great outdoors, elk, deer, bear, coyotes, ect. Gotta LOVE it!

I am central central pa we all those other than elk.

 

[BillBurns]

The state has an elk viewing cam....not sure what the site is, but you can see them fairly often. I live close to Penfield and Triple Nickel Highway...555....its pretty remote.

 

[bholler]

The state has an elk viewing cam....not sure what the site is, but you can see them fairly often. I live close to Penfield and Triple Nickel Highway...555....its pretty remote.

I have been north and seen lots of elk in the past. They are impressive animals

 

[Jotel me this]

It’s been almost 7 years since I bought my wood insert and I am finding that this year with Oil jumping to nearly $5 a gallon everyone is interested in burning wood. The problem is the costs have skyrocketed. I was able to find a floor model Hampton Hi300 for $1800 dollars in the fall of 2015 . I think I bought the smooth 5.5” liner for 750, and the block off plate and Roxul insulation was about 150. So all in it was about 3k. I think that stove this year is $3800.
Will burning wood save you money.? Probably not.. this is a lifestyle and everything changes. You will definitely be warmer my entire first floor is in the mid 70s all winter. But honestly my wife now says that 73 is cold. When we used just oil the house was 65 to 66. To keep it warm takes a lot of time and Effort. It have not paid for wood ever it’s everywhere near me. I did buy a Kawasaki mule ,built woodsheds,bought chainsaws etc.. so it’s far from free. I also feel that there is price gouging going on in the wood stove business, but it is supply and demand
I am reading all the posts here and I blown away by the costs. I also noticed the advice here is sound and honest. Installing a block off plate on an insert makes all the difference, seasoned wood is a must( you think you know what seasoned wood is but you have no idea until you burn for several seasons. If your new here and reading reply’s from seasoned members listen to them …they know from trial and error.

All I know is wood is cheaper than propane. Anyone who claims propane is cheaper either works for a propane company or doesnt know math. My house runs on propane and I can go through propane so fast for heat I can literally watch the needle drop and the dollars fly. My heating bill for the entire winter last year burning wood was a mere $500. On propane alone it was $6000.

 

[BillBurns]

I kinda feel ya. I went thru 2000 in oil last year , and it wasnt that bad of a winter. How to "they" expect us to keep paying more and more and more.....with less money? Its basic human needs....heat, water, and food. Good luck getting them all. But heat I can do.

 

[Ashful]

I went thru 2000 in oil last year...

I could go thru 2000 in oil every year, without these tandem Ashfords going all winter. But whereas I think you were talking dollars, I'm talking gallons!

 

[BillBurns]

Sorry, I did mean dollars, but it seems like its 2000 gallons some years , lol....thank God for wood!

 

[NickW]

Considering my electric bill would average around $600+/- per month during heating season with the electric baseboard heat and with burning it averages under $200 during heating season, I like the economics of wood burning...

 

[Toasty-Yote]

All I know is wood is cheaper than propane. Anyone who claims propane is cheaper either works for a propane company or doesnt know math. My house runs on propane and I can go through propane so fast for heat I can literally watch the needle drop and the dollars fly. My heating bill for the entire winter last year burning wood was a mere $500. On propane alone it was $6000.

Wow, where do you live? I put in an insert that keeps my gas furnace from turning on and I am saving about $100 per month on a 1,600 SF home. At that rate, given the seasons in NY, I am estimating that it will take about 12 years to get ahead on the money portion of the purchase and install. Not that I have any regrets. Living off the land and burning deadwood beats paying the power company and using more fossil fuel any day.

 

[Hwkmn05]

One of those "easy" winters with March to be determined, 2 nights below zero and most days above 32. Ran the oil burner one week, barely moved the needle, ran one 12k heat pump 24/7, and have burned 1.5 cord. Started Nov 01 up to this day, Heat pump cost est $450, Firewood $300, Oil $50. Safe to say I will be under $1000 cost for this heating season. Without firewood, Easily $3000.

 

[Max W]

This Efficiency Maine comparison graph uses it’s reported figures but on site you can put in your own. They figure wood at $350 / cord. Of course no additional costs are listed for any heat source but it‘s a starting point for a general commparison.

 

[begreen]

This Efficiency Maine comparison graph uses it’s reported figures but on site you can put in your own. They figure wood at $350 / cord. Of course no additional costs are listed for any heat source but it‘s a starting point for a general commparison.

Can you post a link to the website?

 

[Max W]

Residential Heating System Cost Calculator | Efficiency Maine

Our heating cost comparison calculator can help you estimate your annual home heating costs for different heating systems.

www.efficiencymaine.com

Efficiency Maine

Programs and incentives to help you upgrade the efficiency of your home or business

www.efficiencymaine.com

 

[begreen]

This Efficiency Maine comparison graph uses it’s reported figures but on site you can put in your own. They figure wood at $350 / cord. Of course no additional costs are listed for any heat source but it‘s a starting point for a general commparison.

Thanks. It's a rough guess. There are no inputs for house size or unit efficiency. Still, it shows we are at the bottom tiers of heating costs. And it isn't far off for the worst case scenario here which would be the propane furnace I took out before installing the heat pump.

 

[dafattkidd]

I burned wood in my first house and closely calculated my savings. Within the first year I was in the black. After 9+ years I saved close to $12,000.

I’m still in the red with my new install at my new house. By the end of next winter I think I’ll be in the black. I paid significantly more for this install.