Firewood and wood heat
- Thread starter Alderman
- Start date
- Nov 4, 2004
- 24,345
- 6,655
I've always used gas. Our home started out with LP and we switched to Nat Gas in Feb 2022.
My ex FIL heated with wood. I would cut and split wood every time we were there. Used a Husqvarna saw.
I have a Husqvarna 450 18" bar. Great saw that has never let me down.
JD338
My ex FIL heated with wood. I would cut and split wood every time we were there. Used a Husqvarna saw.
I have a Husqvarna 450 18" bar. Great saw that has never let me down.
JD338
Last edited:
jimbires
Handloader
- Aug 16, 2011
- 3,152
- 1,856
I have a stihl 038 saw with a 20" bar . I bought it right after I bought my house , it's 41 years old . it's been a good saw . about 15 years ago the points went bad . I could not buy them , so I put a little electronic ignition box in it , and it works great . then the gas went to ethanol blend . the ethanol blend gas was killing the carburetor , I would buy 5 carb kits at a time . a while ago a local gas station started to sell ethanol free gas , since I've been running that I have not put another carb kit in it . this saw runs like a champ , but it's heavy not much plastic on it .
yes , I do heat with wood . this is another thing I've went full circle on . when I first bought my house I burnt wood because it was the only thing I could afford . I could go out in the woods and cut standing dead trees , and nobody cared , they were happy to get the dead stuff cleared out . then I switched and heated with heating oil . at the time it was cheap , and easy .when I first started to heat with heating oil it was under $0.50 per gallon . when heating oil prices got to where I didn't want to pay them , $3 - $4 per gallon , I bought an outdoor wood / coal stove and went back to wood . now I buy triaxle truck loads of logs and cut them here at home . a guy just can't go in the woods and cut now , trees are money. last year I paid $1000 per load of logs . the past 3 or 4 winters I've burnt hard coal ,(anthracite ) through the bitter weather . the price of coal has run $200 per ton . this past year it was $225 per ton . I just talked to the guy I buy the coal from , it's $375 per ton right now , and he expects it to keep going up . these coal prices are me picking it up at his coal yard , he charges by the ton for delivery . I'm done burning coal , until the price gets lower . I lucked out a couple weeks ago . they are putting in a cell tower about 1/4 mile up the road, and I was able to get the wood . I had to get it out of there ASAP . when the guys came back to work the logs would be in their way , and they would haul them out . they didn't know how long I'd have to get the wood , so I kept right after it . I got the last load #13 out on a Saturday , and they were there Wednesday . I have a bunch of work stacking now , but I'm not on a deadline . there is nothing easy about heating with wood , it's all work .
the start .
my gas powered , self dumping , wheelbarrow .
last full load
all the wood at home
my typical woodpile for winter
yes , I do heat with wood . this is another thing I've went full circle on . when I first bought my house I burnt wood because it was the only thing I could afford . I could go out in the woods and cut standing dead trees , and nobody cared , they were happy to get the dead stuff cleared out . then I switched and heated with heating oil . at the time it was cheap , and easy .when I first started to heat with heating oil it was under $0.50 per gallon . when heating oil prices got to where I didn't want to pay them , $3 - $4 per gallon , I bought an outdoor wood / coal stove and went back to wood . now I buy triaxle truck loads of logs and cut them here at home . a guy just can't go in the woods and cut now , trees are money. last year I paid $1000 per load of logs . the past 3 or 4 winters I've burnt hard coal ,(anthracite ) through the bitter weather . the price of coal has run $200 per ton . this past year it was $225 per ton . I just talked to the guy I buy the coal from , it's $375 per ton right now , and he expects it to keep going up . these coal prices are me picking it up at his coal yard , he charges by the ton for delivery . I'm done burning coal , until the price gets lower . I lucked out a couple weeks ago . they are putting in a cell tower about 1/4 mile up the road, and I was able to get the wood . I had to get it out of there ASAP . when the guys came back to work the logs would be in their way , and they would haul them out . they didn't know how long I'd have to get the wood , so I kept right after it . I got the last load #13 out on a Saturday , and they were there Wednesday . I have a bunch of work stacking now , but I'm not on a deadline . there is nothing easy about heating with wood , it's all work .
the start .
my gas powered , self dumping , wheelbarrow .
last full load
all the wood at home
my typical woodpile for winter
salmonchaser
Handloader
- Dec 13, 2013
- 4,628
- 3,874
I've always burned wood, when I was a kid dad would get a load of logs delivered and my brothers and I would cut it with a misery whip. Dad figured it would keep us out of trouble.
When I lived on the west side I burned about 50/50 maple and Doug Fir.
Over here in eastern Oregon we have quite a bit of pine we are thinning on the property. I get a cord or two a year of pine then I'll cut three cords of Red Fir and Larch. Not much in the way of hardwood in our area.
I run a small Stihl MS310, chisel bit ship chain.
When I lived on the west side I burned about 50/50 maple and Doug Fir.
Over here in eastern Oregon we have quite a bit of pine we are thinning on the property. I get a cord or two a year of pine then I'll cut three cords of Red Fir and Larch. Not much in the way of hardwood in our area.
I run a small Stihl MS310, chisel bit ship chain.
RL338
Handloader
- Mar 23, 2017
- 2,801
- 4,404
Dad still burns wood , he has a Husqvarna , my brother has a Sachs Dolmar , I have the poor man saw Poulan.
KinleyWater
Handloader
- Jun 15, 2019
- 1,025
- 1,330
Only wood heat in the house when I was a kid. Used a hand saw and and 8 lb splitter. I don't suggest it, but I highly recommend having a spare bow saw and hand splitter sitting around just in case. A light layer of motor oil on the saw blade will do wonders in keeping the rust at bay for long-term storage.
Don't burn wood for heat, but I do cut and split wood. Use a cheap Poulan 16" that's been a good saw for what it is. My brother has a Husqvarna saw, 20" bar I think it is, that I also use for the bigger stuff. I'm getting a pretty good pile of split fire wood I'll sell. Predominantly red, white, and rock/chestnut oak.
End of last summer my outside A/C unit finally was wore out. For what it would cost to replace, for just a little bit more money I could put in a heat pump. So I went with a heat pump that was tied into my existing oil hot water boiler as a hybrid system for my heat. I like it. I only burned 85 gallons of heating oil for the winter, and my most expensive electric bill was for a 36 day billing cycle that they also overcharged on and I was issued a credit on the subsequent bill. That most expensive bill was $206. Average electric bill for the winter was $157 and around $100 of that is normal electric bill.
I will say I'm locked in yet on an old price of .0799 per KWH. Most people are currently paying at least .14 KWH due to numerous increases in electric starting 2021.
End of last summer my outside A/C unit finally was wore out. For what it would cost to replace, for just a little bit more money I could put in a heat pump. So I went with a heat pump that was tied into my existing oil hot water boiler as a hybrid system for my heat. I like it. I only burned 85 gallons of heating oil for the winter, and my most expensive electric bill was for a 36 day billing cycle that they also overcharged on and I was issued a credit on the subsequent bill. That most expensive bill was $206. Average electric bill for the winter was $157 and around $100 of that is normal electric bill.
I will say I'm locked in yet on an old price of .0799 per KWH. Most people are currently paying at least .14 KWH due to numerous increases in electric starting 2021.
When I was a kid and growing up wood heat was always the primary heat source. Even had a wood cook stove for a while. Old farm house, drafty windows, used a lot of wood. I remember cutting slab wood on an old buck saw with one of those large belts hooked up to a pulley on a Oliver tractor. Just a little guy at the time, but everybody had a job and it needed done. Lots of time revolved around dealing with firewood. It is a cozy source of heat for sure. I miss some things about it.
My Dad and I heated with wood for a number of years. We used both Homelite (that is showing my age) and Stihl saws. The Stihl saws were much more durable and reliable. I am still using a Stihl saw that I bought for my Dad as a gift decades ago. If I had to buy another saw I would buy a Stihl.
Charlie-NY
Handloader
- Mar 11, 2005
- 1,384
- 735
I have a modern gas furnace. But ..... Gov Hochul just banned gas hook-ups for new construction. She wants everyone in NYS to have electric heat. The crazy thing about that is most of the electric generated around here is from gas fired generators. The cost of electric heat is almost triple what gas heat cost. Lawn mowers and backpack blowers are next on the "banned" list.
This state is completely crazy.
This state is completely crazy.
hunter24605
Handloader
- Apr 30, 2016
- 2,389
- 3,684
Growing up we had wood and I was too little to help much with the cutting, then dad had an oil stove and used that. When I first got married we cut and burned wood for an old house we rented all Incould afford at the time was a used McCulloch chain saw and served me well and I learned a lot about working on small engines. Then we bought I first house and burned wood for about 5 years then when I went on the road, the heat pump was what got used most. 17 years ago with only 1 child left at home, we moved to this house and it’s only source is a heat pump, there’s a fireplace that hardly gets used. The misses isn’t a hippie, but from time to time she’ll burn sage incense for the comfort of the wood smoke smell in the house. I’ll admit I do like Smokey woodsy smell in the house. I find it relaxing.
jimbires
Handloader
- Aug 16, 2011
- 3,152
- 1,856
jimbires
Handloader
- Aug 16, 2011
- 3,152
- 1,856
I've had the truck for about 25 years . the project I bought it for is long finished . it seems every time I think about selling it I get into something that the ole truck really helps with . I haven't had a license on it for years , due to the cost .That's a handy old truck.I'd have all kinds of uses for that.
the truck didn't dump when I got it , there was a dump rigging in the bed .there was no pump, I bought an electric pump . I put all this on , and the cylinder was no good , I bought a new cylinder . then this rigging wouldn't raise the bed high enough . I tried to buy a scissor separate since I had the pump , but no one would sell me it , only the complete kit . I ended up building the scissor set up . it's really a handy yard truck , the bed is 7' wide and 12' long . I need to replace all the boards on the bed , floor and sides . hauling all these logs really beat up the rotten boards .
here she is in all her glory .
- Nov 4, 2004
- 24,345
- 6,655
Jim,
That's a pretty cool old truck. I'm sure it's come in handy more than once.
JD338
That's a pretty cool old truck. I'm sure it's come in handy more than once.
JD338
Yoteklr
Work, load, shoot, hunt, repeat
- Apr 19, 2022
- 236
- 448
I grew up with wood heat. My dad and me cut the wood and I spit it amd carried it in after school.
I moved out and went to college ... came home to visit the first winter and there was a LP gas tank in the back yard! Guess I was cheap labor, lol.
I moved out and went to college ... came home to visit the first winter and there was a LP gas tank in the back yard! Guess I was cheap labor, lol.
Jim, that truck is great! I'd love to have something like that around my place
Yes we solely use wood for heat.I usually have 5-8 cords of red, white fir and tamarack for the winter. I also manage a large construction company so I burn the fall off from buildings. I have a still ms 290 with a 20” bar. Let the power go out, we have heat and I can cook on it.
Teknys
Handloader
- Jan 14, 2008
- 787
- 214
We just built our new place. When it's done the shop will have a propane unit heater and a wood stove. Got lots of wood split and piled up already clearing the place. The house is a Heat Pump. Lots of insulation. Went from 80's during day to 40's at night and the house swung 2 degs F. No heat or cooling on.
Saws: 1 Stihl and 2 Huskys get it done here.
Saws: 1 Stihl and 2 Huskys get it done here.
