Save $$$ - Heat with Wood

[FTG-05]

LD1 earlier in this thread, I think you stated you cut, split and sell 30 cords of firewood per year (whatever the number, not gonna look for it, irrelevant to the question).

Which is: Where do you get the wood. If you get it fromn your own land, do you figure in the cost (or loss of income) for the sale of the standing timber?

 

[LD1]

LD1 earlier in this thread, I think you stated you cut, split and sell 30 cords of firewood per year (whatever the number, not gonna look for it, irrelevant to the question).

Which is: Where do you get the wood. If you get it fromn your own land, do you figure in the cost (or loss of income) for the sale of the standing timber?

Get wood from many sources. Not on my land, rather on neighboring properties. I have several locations to cut all within tractoring distance.

Alot of wood comes from fallen ash trees. The EAB has decimated ash trees in our area. And they are constantly coming down.

Some wood comes from tops. What is left behind when a logger harvest's a woods.

Some of it comes from clearing out fence rows. And fence row trees have no value to any mill that I am aware of.

Some of it comes from storm damage cleanup.

Some comes from tree trimmers clearing power line ROW's.

So there is no loss of income. The wood I cut is only good for firewood and nothing more. And if I do not cut it, it will either rot (in the case of the fallen trees in the woods, or tops left by loggers). OR someone else will cut it in the case of tree trimmers work, or if a farmer is wanting a fence row cleared.

 

[4570Man]

I get most of my wood from tree guys. I've cut about 35 cords this year and I haven't cut a tree on my place that didn't need cut anyway.

 

[IXLR8]

My home came with electric baseboard heat. I had an old wood stove, Vermont Castings Defiant Encore, that I installed in the existing chimney. I was spending about $300 a month for electric heat, I now spend about $300 per season to heat with wood. Wood is cheaper for me, also my wife and I both love the feel of the radiant heat from the wood stove.

 

[LD1]

My home came with electric baseboard heat. I had an old wood stove, Vermont Castings Defiant Encore, that I installed in the existing chimney. I was spending about $300 a month for electric heat, I now spend about $300 per season to heat with wood. Wood is cheaper for me, also my wife and I both love the feel of the radiant heat from the wood stove.

That was my same scenario.

House had baseboard. Expensive.

Got through two winter's with wood. But did nothing for ac.

The cost of JUST and AC system was not much savings over a heat pump or geothermal.

So I chose Geo so I can heat AND cool with it.

I can now heat cheaper with Geo than I could with wood.

Sure it's a big upfront cost. And that certainly factors. But for me, I was looking at a big cost anyway wanting air conditioning.

 

[dodge man]

LD1, I'm sorry, I just don't buy into your theory that you have to factor in what the wood is worth if you sold it. I understand what you are saying and yes, it does have value. If I looked at things that way half the stuff I do in life wouldn't make finacial sense and I'd probably wouldn't have any fun.

 

[jk96]

LD1, I'm sorry, I just don't buy into your theory that you have to factor in what the wood is worth if you sold it. I understand what you are saying and yes, it does have value. If I looked at things that way half the stuff I do in life wouldn't make finacial sense and I'd probably wouldn't have any fun.

I agree DM. You have to realize that most of us would never split wood in the first place just for resale. We either use it or don't split it. Given that our bill either stays the same if we don't use wood or goes down if we supplement with wood heat. It is not costing us anything other than maybe the tools we use to get it to the wood pile.

 

[Snobdds]

Wood heat is radiant heat. It heats the objects in the room, including humans. It's a heat that takes longer to heat soak everything, but when it does, that heat is hard to loose. Heat pumps, forced air furnace, etc are convection heat. They heat the air in the room...you will never get a heat sink using convection heat. That is why radiant heat is such a warming heat. I don't care if it's not the most economical, I put a higher value on radiant heat over convection heat, and because of that I will always have a wood stove going.

 

[LD1]

LD1, I'm sorry, I just don't buy into your theory that you have to factor in what the wood is worth if you sold it. I understand what you are saying and yes, it does have value. If I looked at things that way half the stuff I do in life wouldn't make finacial sense and I'd probably wouldn't have any fun.

Its not a theory.

Its a fact that the wood you are burning has actual cash value if you would choose to sell it.

I understand that burning wood is indeed a money saver for alot of people. The debate here is just "how much" is saved.

Lets oversimplify. Lets say there are three of us. We are all neighbors. Have exact same houses and exact same heating demands. We are Dodge-man, JK96, and LD1.

JK96 chooses just to buy heat. (propane, Nat-gas, electric, heat pump....pick your flavor). He handles NO wood, and dont want to. He spends $300/month for 6 months out of the year to stay warm. $1800 total

Dodge-man choose to cut, split, and burn 10 cord of wood to heat his house. He assumes this is low cost heat cause he only has the cost of running the equipment. A few gallons of saw and splitter gas, some equipment upkeep, etc. Maybe $200/year worth. He feels he is saving $1600 per year, and getting free exercise and enjoys cutting wood.

LD1 also enjoys cutting wood. But doesnt like the mess in the house, and the hassle of keeping a fire going. So like Dodge-man he also cuts 10 cord a year. But rather than burn that wood, He chooses to sell it for $160/cord. Still has the ~$200/year in running the equipment. He takes the remaining $1400, puts another $400 with it and buys heat just as JK96 does. Yes he is spending more than dodge-man to heat his house, but its worth it to him not to have to deal with the fire and mess in the house.

So is Dodge-man really saving $1600 a year when compared to LD1?

 

[turnkey4099]

I've got a guy that helps me split wood just for the exercise and won't take any money.

Sounds like me. I am clear cutting a half mile row of huge, old, dying willows at no charge to the farmer. When I started I suggested he couild kick in a bit of gas moneiy (17 miles from my house) occasionally. He did give me a $100 the second year, none since. I'm 82 and if it weren't for the 'wooding' I'd probably be dead or bedreidden by now. Just came in from manually splitting on my woodpile for 1.5 hours.

I hate winter as I don't get the exercise I am used to.