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[gspren]

   Today I got my oil tank filled for $1.69 Gal and if I pay in 10 days I can knock another 2 cents off. Last year I went through some of this years wood so I am switching the house/domestic back to oil and just use the OWB to heat my "Man Cave" shed where my old dog lives and I relax. It's a 12 X 22 shed with a cast iron radiator and I keep it about 62 degrees, only need to fire the wood off once a day and use very little. Maybe this way I'll get caught up on my wood cutting.

[coolidge]

Trader .    I might consider the same approach, but all I have is a wood burner, I really should put a backup system in before I can't get wood anymore.

[Roscoe]

Propane is cheap this year as well but there is no way I'm going to start using it and limit my stove use. As long as I'm able to cut firewood, those oil and gas companies can choke on their product. Especially after they've been putting it to the less fortunate ( non Stove owners ) for YEARS.

[mlappin]

Propane is cheap this year as well but there is no way I'm going to start using it and limit my stove use. As long as I'm able to cut firewood, those oil and gas companies can choke on their product. Especially after they've been putting it to the less fortunate ( non Stove owners ) for YEARS.

Like when propane hit $5 a gallon awhile back?

[willieG]

a couple of years ago my son paid for one fill up of his propane tank 1.14 per liter (that prompted me to build him an OWB) This year I installed a whole house generator that uses propane (I have no natural gas near me) and my fill up price was 49.9 per litre, that was in December I am thinking it may be less now?

[intensedrive]

I admit tempting for people that purchase wood, not so tempting for people that have access to free wood.  I have not done the math here, but I pay $140 per full cord of wood and burn on average 13 cord a year.  That is just over 1,800.  In the past with propane cost I would not blink a eye at 1,800.  But here is the catch, when I burned propane 4 years ago It cost me $825 per month with the stat set at 58 degrees.  With wood I run my house mostly at 68 - 70.  If memory serves me right first propane fill was December, January, February, and last fill March.  Average fill then was around 800 - 850.  Total cost to heat my house at 58 degrees four years ago was 3,300, and was cold and miserable.  Only propane appliance was the furnace everything else is electrical. So lets look further, if I was to heat the house to 68 degrees using propane, my costs could have soared to 5,000 or even more.  Savings approx 3,200 per year WOW!..  If prices got low enough, never will for this old farm house.  The thought of just turning a dial up without dealing with wood .. I would be a trader in a heart beat.

[gspren]

   I have access to "Free" wood right here on my little farm, I have good saws, tractor with loader, ATV, UTV, trailers and splitter, but at 64 years old with a bad ankle I cut only a few hours at a time. With these oil prices I am trying to get ahead on next years wood while still keeping a fire going for the Man Cave.

[Roger2561]

Even with the low oil prices, the cost it saves me to buy a grapple load, cut, split and stack it compared to the amount oil it takes to heat that old house, it's still cheaper for me to burn wood.  Plus, I consider running the chainsaw, woodsplitter and stacking it part of my wellness program.  Now, in 10 years time check back with me, I may change my mind.  Roger   

[fireboss]

if you do a little each day its easy doing wood! i do about an hour a day , some day i might cut for an hour, another day i put some in the wood shed or one day clean up the mess, but every day for a hour i something that has to do with the wood burner,and like rodger said its better and cheeper then the gym!

[fireman69lfd]

I work for a Fuel Company and 10 years ago when fuel prices were $2.40 I decided it was time to go with an OWB. I had a small wood boiler in the basement but it didn't burn that long, and the colder it was the more I was gone working. It just didn't work out, and at $6500 a year for fuel oil I am am very happy with to outside time that burning wood makes me do. I love it !!

[atvalaska]

1.95for#1fuel oil here !!!  Yea....I need to have an oil boiler to bring my energy rating up ,as it scores my system by efficiency! ...I will tie in to my wood coal set up!

[Bud Man]

gspren, I understand what you are doing. I think it's a good idea. Sometimes people fall behind cutting wood, maybe because of an injury or extra time spent at work or whatever the case may be. Now is a good time to conserve your resources and buy some less expensive fossil fuel and get caught-up on your wood supply.

[mlappin]

I won’t “pay” for heat unless I have no choice, with the emerald ash borer I have another 100 ash trees to drop this winter then next winter we are having 70 some plus trees logged out for furniture. Mostly red oak, white oak and cherry with a few veneer quality walnuts and hard maples. Would be a sin to let that go to waste.

In the shoulder seasons I heat the shop and house with a waste oil boiler.

[mlappin]

Even with the low oil prices, the cost it saves me to buy a grapple load, cut, split and stack it compared to the amount oil it takes to heat that old house, it's still cheaper for me to burn wood.  Plus, I consider running the chainsaw, woodsplitter and stacking it part of my wellness program.  Now, in 10 years time check back with me, I may change my mind.  Roger

I’m still doing physical therapy for my neck and back, I started around the first of September, my therapist says as long as I can do it without causing any more damage, cutting wood is great therapy. It takes strength, stamina and flexibility to do.

[racnruss]

WE moved this (last) year to rurals and filled the propane tank at 1.01$ per gallon and locked in a contract at 1.48$ for two years.   I said, " why hook up the boiler at all this year?"

By November I couldn't stand looking at that boiler not running.   So, its hooked up and running.  It will take a few more years to pay itself off now  that propane is cheap.