Heating. Propane vs Electric vs Wood Pellet

[ovrszd]

Even my "free" wood that comes off the property is not free. I can sell it for $150 per cord. Just silly to say anything is free unless it has no value. If the corn is of such poor quality that it cannot be sold it is free.

5030 has a system that works for him and nothing wrong with what he is doing. Good to know the real costs so others can decide what will work for them. Every situation is different.

BTW, I would use corn if it made sense for me. Although I would need to factor in the cost of a few barn cats.

I totally agree. Well stated.

 

[ovrszd]

I heat my house for free. It's all electric. Someone paid my elec. bill. Ya, he owed me money.

Oh wait, I plowed his garden, and cleaned his drive way of snow, so he paid me. Maybe that elec. wasn't free!

Funny how that works out when thought thru thoroughly.

 

[5030]

Point is you could have sold the corn for $175 so it's got value.

Fair statement but, it's better for me to burn it (and the pellets) for heat. Not my corn actually, belongs to the guy down the road that buys hay from me. I give him a fair price on hay (I still make money on it) and he provides me with corn, which he has a lot of in as much as he's growing many hundreds of acres of it. Not junk corn at all. Nice dried down Midwestern dent and it's pre cleaned so nothing but corn. No junk in it and he delivers it to my GSI grain tank too. I got 8000 pounds this fall, in the grain tank. I use it for animal feed too.

Nothing in life is free. Not even free to die anymore.

I'd be foolish not to burn it. My bio mass stove is geared for any biomass fuel available. Just so happens field corn is ideal for me and a whole lot cheaper than buying it from the coop at $4.25 a bushel plus delivery.

26 outside right now, toasty 72 inside. Cats and pup are curled up around the stove, enjoying the heat. I'll be taking a snooze this afternoon in my recliner beside it as well.

The stove is 16 years old this year and other than consumables replacement, it runs flawlessly. I believe I paid 1200 bucks for it. I'd say it has really paid for itself many times over.

 

[goeduck]

Even my "free" wood that comes off the property is not free. I can sell it for $150 per cord. Just silly to say anything is free unless it has no value. If the corn is of such poor quality that it cannot be sold it is free..

It is probably better to say that a person is not spending money directly for the wood or corn. But you do spend money on the wood or corn (saws, fuel, etc.). But even if you sell a cord for $150, you have to subtract your selling costs (if you transport it, advertise it, etc.).

All of this is splitting hairs to some extent (but good discussion). It is less expensive for me to burn firewood that will otherwise rot away than pay a big electric bill. At least that is the way I look at it. :2cents:

 

[ovrszd]

It is probably better to say that a person is not spending money directly for the wood or corn. But you do spend money on the wood or corn (saws, fuel, etc.). But even if you sell a cord for $150, you have to subtract your selling costs (if you transport it, advertise it, etc.).

All of this is splitting hairs to some extent (but good discussion). It is less expensive for me to burn firewood that will otherwise rot away than pay a big electric bill. At least that is the way I look at it. :2cents:

Yep, I agree.

In this discussion regarding various operational costs of heating systems it's unrealistic to not place a monetary value on everything, including product that is given to you. In this discussion that product has value whether it's corn at $3 p/bushel or firewood at $150 p/cord. That value should be added to the operational costs.

 

[CobyRupert]

This link sells firewood for $60 a box. Probably $2000 a cord if you bought that much. If you say your ”free” firewood is really $150 because that’s what you can sell a cord for, isn’t that like gifting somebody $1850 of “free” wood that you could of sold for $60 a box?
Everything has a value, but which one? Free, $150 or $2000?
IMHO things can have simultaneous different values.
Like your grandfather’s pocket knife. It’s worth about $29.99 AND it’s also priceless...etc..
Hickory Firewood Box - Cutting Edge Firewood

 

[5030]

This link sells firewood for $60 a box. Probably $2000 a cord if you bought that much. If you say your ”free” firewood is really $150 because that’s what you can sell a cord for, isn’t that like gifting somebody $1850 of “free” wood that you could of sold for $60 a box?
Everything has a value, but which one? Free, $150 or $2000?
IMHO things can have simultaneous different values.
Like your grandfather’s pocket knife. It’s worth about $29.99 AND it’s also priceless...etc..
Hickory Firewood Box - Cutting Edge Firewood

My grandad didn't carry pocket knife, he carried a Model 29 44 RM Smith wheelgun and I have that.

 

[shooterdon]

A logging company is working at my neighbors place and we walked over yesterday.

They have some maple they will sell and deliver to my place for $50/logger cord. I had twenty logger cords delivered this fall for $1300 so did not need more firewood, but $600 for 12 cords was too hard to resist. I figure after splitting I will net about 10 cords of wood. After factoring in efficiency of 60%, that is the equivalent of $1850 of propane at my current cost of $1.40 per gallon.

It is nice not having to harvest the wood. I will have enough logs to last about 5-6 years (32 logger cords) for a less than $2000.

 

[ovrszd]

In my world you can't leave it lay that long. Especially Maple, which we won't even try to burn. I'm fortunate to cut/burn Oak, Locust or Hickory.

 

[RickB]

In my world you can't leave it lay that long. Especially Maple, which we won't even try to burn. I'm fortunate to cut/burn Oak, Locust or Hickory.

When I was young, foolish and cutting back hedgerows and selling firewood this is how Maple worked.

Green, green, green, rotten.