# Wood burning\fire wood



## Pruitt1222 (Apr 22, 2010)

One of my hobbies is burning wood for heat, Many people in this area do it and I was just wondering how many of you guys do it? Aint nothing better then having a 40 dollar electric bill and 12 dollar gas bill in december. And thats for keeping my water hot, driveway clear of snow, house, and garage toasty. Currently we are getting ready to replace our yukon burner for a energy king unit, I tell you the best part about it is being able to buy big chainsaws without the wife rasing to much of a fuss. I think in a past life I was a logger maybe, I love felling and cutting trees almost as much as fishing "maybe more in the fall".


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## perchin (Apr 22, 2010)

Yeah........... We burn wood, Although I don't share your love of cutting wood....probably cuz I don't get any help. Its worth it though. We have not had to have our propane tank filled in the last two years, The only thing in our home that uses propane is our stove. Our average electric bill is only about $70.00.


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## Loggerhead Mike (Apr 22, 2010)

we've got a wood stove, cant beat them things

that saw's a hoss.


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## Jim (Apr 22, 2010)

We have a fireplace insert. It keeps the house at 80 during the Winter. We love it. Best thing we purchased. Getting ready to cut down 5 trees in the backyard in a couple of weeks. That should net us about 3 cords.


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## bAcKpAiN (Apr 22, 2010)

I live in Philly and a friend had a wood burning stove for heat. Every week or two during winter the Fire Department would be called out because there was smoke coming from his chimney. :lol:


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## Pruitt1222 (Apr 22, 2010)

Loggerhead Mike said:


> that saw's a hoss.


Thanks, Its my baby. Stihl 084AV, 121cc 8.6hp sports a 35 inch bar with a 59incher for back up. So what kind of amounts does everyone burn? We burn 8 to 12 cord a year here over a 5 year average. We also have a insert but only used it during the ice storm 2 years ago, It worked well but made half the house cool and the other way to stuffy. Better then freezing though. Backpain tell your buddy the key to burning in town is well seasoned wood, If you burn wood with 10% or lower moisture you have almost no smoke. And if the neighbors complain just tell them to go some where, Your being green.


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## FishingBuds (Apr 22, 2010)

Been wood heating our old country home that was built in 1900 since we bought it back in 2004, I have a Old Timer heat box and it heats the hole house very well. I burn 4 1/2 to 5 cords usually as needed thru the winter months. never used any other heat, the wood guys are catching on cause they sure as heck have raised the prices per cord. I had the chain saws and splitters in the beginning but, I burn so much I don't have enough time to do it all, so about 2 or 3 cords I have to buy.

it takes dedication for sure to commit


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## Jim (Apr 22, 2010)

I go through 3/4 cord of wood per season. I get allot of scrap wood from my fathers wood shop and his buddies shop. All Oak, cherry, mahogony scraps. Dumpsters full.  

Hit your local furniture wood worker for free wood, they pay to have it removed, you would be doing him the favor. That stuff burns hot and fast. I usually start the fire with that stuff and then throw a log or two in.


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## Brine (Apr 22, 2010)

having them things that close to feet with flip-flops makes me cringe


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## Pruitt1222 (Apr 23, 2010)

Brine said:


> having them things that close to feet with flip-flops makes me cringe


 :LOL2: Its not bad till you get saw dust between your toes. :wink: Hey fishingbuds we live very close, what size of area are you heating? Iwould love to get down to that little amount of fire wood. The first two years for us was crazy trying to figure out how to load our furnace and set the draft controls, we tore through the wood. We do alright now but the wife refuses to load anything heavy and tooth picks burn quick, Hoping the new furnace will end this. It has a large enough box and after burner to only load it twice a day. We heat 1800 sq ft house minus basement, houses hot water, and 700 sq foot garage via hot water also. They are talking about banning outdoor burners here, there smoking up the out skirts to bad or something. To many people burning green wood I guess.


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## cyberflexx (Apr 23, 2010)

Jim said:


> I go through 3/4 cord of wood per season. I get allot of scrap wood from my fathers wood shop and his buddies shop. All Oak, cherry, mahogony scraps. Dumpsters full.
> 
> Hit your local furniture wood worker for free wood, they pay to have it removed, you would be doing him the favor. That stuff burns hot and fast. I usually start the fire with that stuff and then throw a log or two in.



Any good crankbait making material in those scraps, Jim??   


Pruitt, since you like cutting trees, I have one maybe two you can come cut and have all the wood from. I'm in Huntington WV. Not sure how far away from me you are located.


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## Captain Ahab (Apr 23, 2010)

My buddy runs a Tree Service company


i get free wood and have yet to turn on my heater in the past two years


i burn about 4-6 cords each winter


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## dyeguy1212 (Apr 23, 2010)

Captain Ahab said:


> My buddy runs a Tree Service company
> 
> 
> i get free wood and have yet to turn on my heater in the past two years
> ...




That's awesome... your buddy is saving you a pant load in heating costs


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## Pruitt1222 (Apr 23, 2010)

cyberflexx said:


> Pruitt, since you like cutting trees, I have one maybe two you can come cut and have all the wood from. I'm in Huntington WV. Not sure how far away from me you are located.


Thinks for the offer but thats abit of a drive, About 5 hours or so. Hey guys, most tree companys will drop fire wood at your house if you have the area to do it or will tell you to come pick up as much as you can. A lot of tree service companys treat wood as a waste product no matter what it is, Someone taking it off there hands saves them money. You can also get wood chips from most free as well. Looking for free wood shoot me a pm with your location, got a lot of buddys in the biz


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## FishingBuds (Apr 23, 2010)

Pruitt I can burn 26" logs, its a old timer and you can see the box in the back ground







I at first was getting trash logs at a local lumber yard, the stuff burned quick, since the last 5 years I have gotten good lumber and its a major differance. we heat all day and at night i just load it up set it on slow, and in the morning there's ambers there to rotate another burn 8) 

Again its dedication to burn 100% wood, but well worth it in the long run people :wink:


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## gregk9 (Apr 24, 2010)

Captain Ahab said:


> My buddy runs a Tree Service company
> 
> 
> i get free wood and have yet to turn on my heater in the past two years
> ...



I burn about that much a season too. But I don't have a buddy with a tree service.


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## bassboy1 (Apr 24, 2010)

We burn about a cord a winter, give or take a little bit. 'Course, our winters down here are a bit shorter than most of y'alls. 

I thoroughly enjoy splitting wood. Good exercise. I grew up in a house that had only wood heating, so it's just one of those things. Where we are now, we have a fireplace on two floors, but they aren't near as efficient as the old woodstove we used to have, so burning wood does save us a lot, but we still have to run the furnace from time to time.


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## Captain Ahab (Apr 26, 2010)

Pruitt1222 said:


> Hey guys, most tree companys will drop fire wood at your house if you have the area to do it or will tell you to come pick up as much as you can. A lot of tree service companys treat wood as a waste product no matter what it is, Someone taking it off there hands saves them money. You can also get wood chips from most free as well. Looking for free wood shoot me a pm with your location, got a lot of buddys in the biz



Not here in the North East - firewood is gold! Price of a cord of good wood - if you could find it, was over $400.00 this past winter. Most places were sold out by November

In NY City they were charging $500.00 for a "city cord" which is less then 1/2 a normal cord


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## bassboy1 (Apr 26, 2010)

Captain Ahab said:


> Pruitt1222 said:
> 
> 
> > Hey guys, most tree companys will drop fire wood at your house if you have the area to do it or will tell you to come pick up as much as you can. A lot of tree service companys treat wood as a waste product no matter what it is, Someone taking it off there hands saves them money. You can also get wood chips from most free as well. Looking for free wood shoot me a pm with your location, got a lot of buddys in the biz
> ...



Holy crap. Down here, a full cord can be gotten for less than 150, delivered. If your willing to split it yourself, you can often find already cut, free for the pickup (tree companies cut it into firewood size pieces, and few actually want to use it).


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## perchin (Apr 26, 2010)

bassboy1 said:


> Captain Ahab said:
> 
> 
> > Pruitt1222 said:
> ...



Wow :shock: .... the rare occasion we pay for a cord its only 75 bucks. The tree services around here don't give anything away, they sell it to the public for firewood, and to the sawmills. I forgot to mention the younger gentelmen we buy ours from brings it to us already cut from 20" to 24" logs. He always asks where he can stack it for me too.....probably cuz I tip him usually about $20 to $25


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## playall8 (Oct 16, 2010)

I have 2 stoves and I only heat with wood!!!! Love it there is nothing like cutting wood on a cold day. I can spend all day doing it.


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## Jim (Oct 16, 2010)

Same here! love heating the house with wood.


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## KMixson (Oct 16, 2010)

Pruitt1222 said:


> I think in a past life I was a logger maybe, I love felling and cutting trees almost as much as fishing "maybe more in the fall".



My father used to make my brother and myself cut down trees with a two man crosscut saw, no chain saw. We also had to split it with an ax or maul. Started at a young age, maybe five or six. My "love" for it subsided by the time I was six or seven.


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## gregk9 (Oct 16, 2010)

KMixson said:


> My father used to make my brother and myself cut down trees with a two man crosscut saw, no chain saw. We also had to split it with an ax or maul.




And I bet the walk to school was about 10 miles round trip...all up hill.  :mrgreen:


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## Jim (Oct 16, 2010)

gregk9 said:


> KMixson said:
> 
> 
> > My father used to make my brother and myself cut down trees with a two man crosscut saw, no chain saw. We also had to split it with an ax or maul.
> ...




With no shoes! :LOL2:


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## cavman138 (Oct 16, 2010)

Jim said:


> gregk9 said:
> 
> 
> > KMixson said:
> ...



In the snow


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## BassAddict (Oct 16, 2010)

cavman138 said:


> Jim said:
> 
> 
> > With no shoes! :LOL2:
> ...



They had shoes Duhhhhh, They just had to share a pair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :LOL2: :LOL2: :LOL2:


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## Ranchero50 (Oct 17, 2010)

There has to be a certain irony, but I heat the garage with oil fired hot air. In the house I have a freestanding wood insert stove with a furnace fan blowing through it. That puppy will throw some heat at 400` flue temps. We burn 4-5 cord a year, less now that the kids and wife hump it up to the house  

This year I did put a big 3 wheeler tire on the front of the wheel barrow for them. :mrgreen: 

Speaking of saws, I'm down to an even 20 right now. Mostly Stihl in use but my favorite is my '55 Diston DO-101 with a 5hp Mercury motor.

Jamie


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## Andy (Jan 12, 2011)

I use only wood heat and go through about 5 cord a year. I need to stock pile some up and head north to sell it... LOL Some around here are selling for about 150/cord split and delivered. I go out and cut my own, theres just to much out there for me to have to buy from someone else.


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## Jim (Jan 12, 2011)

Andy said:


> I use only wood heat and go through about 5 cord a year. I need to stock pile some up and head north to sell it... LOL Some around here are selling for about 150/cord split and delivered. I go out and cut my own, theres just to much out there for me to have to buy from someone else.



Going rate here NOW is 300-350 per cord. 

I love my fireplace insert. Keeps the house at 75 +- a few degrees.


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## Captain Ahab (Jan 12, 2011)

Full cord of firewood in New York City - 5 to 6 HUNDRED dollars


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## FishingBuds (Jan 12, 2011)

still at $115 to $125 here a cord.

this is a cold one this year< already burned 2 1/2 cords


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## Outdoorsman (Jan 13, 2011)

Excellent topic....

I used to heat 100% with wood...1700 sq. ft. used about 2 - 3 cords per season. I also liked being outdoors cutting, splitting, and stacking wood. I ended up investing in a gas powered hydraulic log splitter...best investment ever... 12.5 HP / 35 ton ram... would split both vertically and horizontally ....that baby could split some wood. I also loved the warm, even heat form the stove. I used to put a pan of water on top for humidity, made quite a few pots of coffee and tea as well as cooked a few meals on top. Mine was a catalytic stove... I had tubes running across the inside top with small holes in them to burn combustable gas inside the firebox...they say that type has a more efficent, clean burn. Also had a window in the door so watching the fire with my lady was real nice on cold nights...

Here is a real excellent website dedicated to heating with wood.. 

https://www.woodheat.org

November of 2009 I moved out of that house and into a smaller place with no wood stove. I sometimes think about putting in a small wood stove (900 sq. ft.) but the heat bill is not to bad and times (money) are real tight these days, so I guess the stove will have to wait.... I think one of the things I miss most about the old place (do not miss much)...is heating with wood.

Outdoorsman

PS: Editied to add....Another thing I used to (and still) do just to keep costs down and just stick it to the utilitey company is kinda partially pretend I do not have any electricity for lighting....then and now about 90 % of my lighting is by candles or oil lamps. Easy for me with no children in the house. Candles can be had real cheap by the boxfull at estate and moving sales...this took a while for my lady to get used to, but when she seen the drop in the electric bill and started to enjoy the soft light she was on board....of course she (we) still use electric lighting for some stuff....but not much....


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## cornbread (Jan 13, 2011)

We also have a fireplace insert Regency I-2400.we love it.
https://www.regency-fire.com/Products/Wood/Wood-Inserts/I2400.aspx

The wife and I remodeled our favorite room in our house several years ago we installed a large TV, new carpet and a wood bearing insert. This was a retirement present for me and a treat for my wife.

One of the things we wonted to do was to make our self a little more self reliant that is something everyone should do but that is another story my Jon boat is a part of that thanking. 

Anyway we lowered our $200.00 to $300.00 natural gas bill in the winter to the mem. charge of $8.50. 

We also love getting out in the woods cutting and splitting our firewood. I have been cutting our fire wood since 2003 and to date I have not cut one live tree that was not going to the dump for storm damage of some kind all my wood has been dead stand or dyeing trees. I like it that way we all love nature don’t we are fishing men and lades aren’t we.

Like I said the wife and love cutting our wood and do it together most of the time. Yes it does take dedication for sure.

We use our savings for diesel fuel for pulling our camper and going fishing.

Do everything you can to be more self reliant you owe it to you family’s.


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## Outdoorsman (Jan 13, 2011)

Oh yea....almost forgot... 

Check with your local city or even county parks / highyway departments. If you have the space for a large truck to unload they would be happy to "dump" trees they cut down at your place usually for free... better have a big saw because usually they dunp some huge diameter logs...

Outdoorsman


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## Catarafter (Feb 28, 2011)

I grew up with wood heat.........it was great..........nothing like spending time outdoors cutting wood with the family. I don't recommend cutting wood with flip flops though!


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## Captain Ahab (Mar 1, 2011)

Catarafter said:


> I don't recommend cutting wood with flip flops though!



I usually use a saw myself - but hey, if you have really sharp flip flops


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## Pruitt1222 (Mar 4, 2011)

So tonight I officially shut down the wood farnace and turned the water heater on and the furnace up. My official tally of wood burnt is 4 cord and 3 ricks. Didn't run the insert as much as I have in previous years, mostly just the furnace. I would say this winter has been much warmer then the past few regardless of all the snow we got.


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## Jim (Mar 4, 2011)

Pruitt1222 said:


> So tonight I officially shut down the wood farnace and turned the water heater on and the furnace up. My official tally of wood burnt is 4 cord and 3 ricks. Didn't run the insert as much as I have in previous years, mostly just the furnace. I would say this winter has been much warmer then the past few regardless of all the snow we got.



Wow interesting!

We just ran out of wood last Sunday. We Burned through 7 trees that we had cut down last spring & my father supplied me with 3-4 truck loads of scrap oak, cherry, and Mahogany from his buddies wood shop. This winter was long and cold. I can hear the furnace kicking on now.....I am not looking forward to next months gas bill.


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## lbursell (Mar 9, 2011)

The only place I burn wood is in the smoker, but for here's some inspiration for your woodpiles next year....

https://i.imgur.com/8tyGp.png 8) 





Larry


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## Andy (Mar 9, 2011)

Thats crazy... After the work to get a stack of wood looking like that, I don't know if I could tear it apart.


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## Pruitt1222 (Mar 10, 2011)

lbursell said:


> The only place I burn wood is in the smoker, but for here's some inspiration for your woodpiles next year....
> 
> https://i.imgur.com/8tyGp.png 8)
> 
> ...



I have seen that befor, pretty neat. Well its official I shut it down to early, Its snowing cold and windy.



Jim said:


> Pruitt1222 said:
> 
> 
> > So tonight I officially shut down the wood farnace and turned the water heater on and the furnace up. My official tally of wood burnt is 4 cord and 3 ricks. Didn't run the insert as much as I have in previous years, mostly just the furnace. I would say this winter has been much warmer then the past few regardless of all the snow we got.
> ...


Wow, what size of trees cord wise? I am wondering if the snow on the roof had anything to do with our low burn tally compaired to most years previous. I assume only running the wood furnace over both the furnace and wood insert also had a cord or better to do with also. We ran that insert a lot befor our 2 year old started venturing around the house like a free range cow.


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## cornbread (Mar 10, 2011)

cornbread said:


> We also have a fireplace insert Regency I-2400.we love it.
> https://www.regency-fire.com/Products/Wood/Wood-Inserts/I2400.aspx
> 
> The wife and I remodeled our favorite room in our house several years ago we installed a large TV, new carpet and a wood bearing insert. This was a retirement present for me and a treat for my wife.
> ...



Just a little up date.

My sister lives across the street from me and her home is a little larger than mine we booth have natural gas the month of February her heating bill was $368.00 and mine was $8.75 (the mime charge) I love my wood heater.

More money for fishing and hunting.


"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.

When the people find they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic............" 
Ben Franklin


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## FishingBuds (Mar 10, 2011)

5 cords so far, I don't shut down cause im 100% wood heat, NO FURNANCE.

At this point I heat over not only, unless we get a cold snap.


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## linehand (Jun 5, 2011)

Wood heat is great but I don't share the same enthusiasm most of you have. We have three wood burners to keep warm and it is a lot of work. I get tired of the mess and I almost feel bad watching my wife lugging wood up to the house. :lol: We have one in the basement...quad level house with no outside access. Carry wood through the house and mess back up. One in the family room and one in the garage. Pole barn is not finished but seriously considering a lp furnace out there. Been here for 12 years and now I just lay pallets on the ground and have piles of wood after I split it. Too lazy to stack it anymore. I fortunately get the majority of the wood for free. We have a tree crew that keeps the lines clear at work.


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## Ross (Jun 21, 2011)

My in-laws burn about 15 rank a year, maybe 7 cords, depending on how people measure. Their home is about 2600 square feet and they keep the house very warm.

I use electric and have a gas fire place. I will spend a couple hundred dollars or more year but my father in law cuts wood every weekend for part of the spring and almost every weekend in the fall (excluding deer season).

By the time you figure in time, gas for the saw and wood truck, maintenance on the saw and wood truck, lost days because of a bad back (he has been doing this all his life and close top 60 now) you could work half the time or less at Wal-Mart and come out ahead just buying having electric heat or buying wood.

Wood is about $35 a rank or about $70 dollars a cord.

Out my way it is not worth it to cut wood, unless you just enjoy doing it. 

I have a little chainsaw with a 14 inch bar and cut small wood or wood on the ground (I live on 24 acres, much of it wooded) for camp fires but I am not about to give up my weekends to save a few bucks.


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## cornbread (Jun 21, 2011)

I believe you need to recheck some of your information.

Around Alabama it would be hard to find a cord of good fire wood for less than $200.00.

If I was not heating with my wood heater my natural gas bill in the winter would me uppers of $300.00 a month.

I am over 60 and I love getting out cutting and splitting my wood I split all my wood with an ax a 10 pound sledge.

I also like getting out and going fishing also and seem to find time for booth.

It also fell that I and my wife are just a little bet more self-reliant than most and we like it that way also.

I also will have heat when the power is out.

To each his own.

Good day and good fishing.

Cornbread


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## Ross (Jun 21, 2011)

cornbread said:


> I believe you need to recheck some of your information.
> 
> Around Alabama it would be hard to find a cord of good fire wood for less than $200.00.
> 
> ...



Here is a cord deliverd for $140.00

https://shopping.rollanet.org/category/399/Seasonal/listings/754102/Oak-Firewood-For-Sale.html

This is in the big town of Rolla, get out to the country and it is less. You will ahve to load and stack it yourself. You will be surprised how hard some will work for money out my way. Seventy dollars may be hard to find but I have seen it. Allot will depend on who’s measuring it.

You can help yourself to all the wood you want at my place, no charge. You will find allot of farmers will offer the same. You just have to cut it and take away the tops. Leave the stump high enough for a bull dozer to push over.

I have a vent less fire place that will heat my living room, kitchen and dining room. I keep that part of the house about 74 deg. LP cost under two dollars a gallon last summer, I will use about 100 gallons. The rest of my heat is electric. The rest of my house about 68-70 deg. 
The electric bill gets close to $250 during the winter. 

I have six inch walls double pain window etc. My home is about 3100 sq feet but very efficient. I live out in the country, we have no gas lines running to us.

My father in law has had open heart surgery, his health isn't that good. Cutting wood is going to kill him. He wants to die in the woods anyway.


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## PSG-1 (Nov 10, 2011)

Being a welder, I built a fireplace insert. It's made from 1/4" thick steel plate, and has a 1/4" thick steel door on barrel hinges, with a sliding steel "window" that's about 6 inches by 12 inches. Having the steel door open, it works like a regular fireplace, although, with a flat inside top surface, instead of a steep pitch like the fireplace, (I had to make it to dimensions where it would fit inside the existing fireplace) it tends to smoke if you overload it. But if you shut the heavy steel door, it works like a wood stove/heater, as that 1/4" plate starts to heat up, it radiates a LOT of heat. 

I probably burn about 1-2 truckloads on an average winter, and double that if we have a really cold winter like last year. I have central heat and air, but I always enjoy burning a fire in the winter time.


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## V8_TITAN (Nov 11, 2011)

whats a heater ? and whats this thing you call winter ? we dont do these things here in fl. lol. But I wish there was a better way to keep cool in the summer because my electric bill ranges from 250 to 350 a month. But we just got a new A/C so its been going down..


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