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1

Equipment / Re: Question for Skid Steer Owners

« on: March 07, 2015, 07:16:14 AM »

Great feedback everyone. Really does depend on primary use.  For me it would need to be a 'do everything' machine.  And I also have over 70 acres and it has logging roads criss-crossing the whole thing.  It takes a while to get from one end to the other on a Rhino so using something like a tracked skid steer would be really slow.  If I can't have both, I think I'm leaning to the tractor for now as it gives both more flexibility and higher ground speed.

If someday, I do some serious logging (selling saw logs), I can see a skid steer really doing the trick.

2

Equipment / Re: Question for Skid Steer Owners

« on: March 05, 2015, 06:27:27 PM »

I'm intrigued by this thread as I know a piece of heavy equipment is in my future.  Until now, I assumed it would be some type of tractor with attachments.  Please tell me more about what makes a skid steer different from a tractor and what some of the relative advantages and disadvantages are versus a tractor.

I'll be doing lots of skidding, but didn't want to spring for a full blown logging skidder.  Figured a powerful enough tractor would give me that capability, plus all the attachments to groom a food plot and everything else.  Right now I use Yamaha Rhino 660 for all those chores, but you have to cut fat trees to 10' or less sometimes to pull with the Rhino.

3

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Will the water be hotter...

« on: February 23, 2015, 05:42:33 PM »

I'm running a new Central Boiler e2400.  It is 100 feet from the house.  1" pex that is also slipped into black 6" conduit piping.  I'd say it is buried on average about 3'.  I live in the Adirondacks, so pretty cold.  I'm losing 15 degrees from the boiler to my basement. I have those round analog thermometers that Central Boiler sells in a tee measuring input and output temperatures.  So if my OWB is at 190, it hits the house at 175 and is usually at 155 leaving the house.  Does this seem like a lot of heat loss from OWB to house?

1" pex but is it insulated?  Is it 3 wrap, 5 wrap, soft foam, closed cell foam (logstor, rahau, thermopex)?  Do you know what brand the underground line is?  Do you have snow melt over the buried line?

It is Thermopex.  But I haven't noticed any melt above the lines.  2491 was the part number next to Thermopex on the invoice from the dealer.

4

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Will the water be hotter...

« on: February 23, 2015, 05:36:50 PM »

I'm running a new Central Boiler e2400.  It is 100 feet from the house.  1" pex that is also slipped into black 6" conduit piping.  I'd say it is buried on average about 3'.  I live in the Adirondacks, so pretty cold.  I'm losing 15 degrees from the boiler to my basement. I have those round analog thermometers that Central Boiler sells in a tee measuring input and output temperatures.  So if my OWB is at 190, it hits the house at 175 and is usually at 155 leaving the house.  Does this seem like a lot of heat loss from OWB to house?

5

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Let's see some shelters over you OWB..

« on: February 22, 2015, 06:57:34 AM »

I'm going to have a '5 bay' car port built this year using cedar posts.  I wasn't planning to have any sides on it.  Four of the bays will be used for wood storage and one of the bays will be left open to drive through, park under or store some stuff.  I'm still looking for ideas, but that's what I'm thinking so far.  I don't think I want to cover the OWB based on the amount of smoke that comes out the door sometimes when feeding. 

6

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Ever miss a inside fire?

« on: February 20, 2015, 11:51:51 AM »

With my drafty house on a sub zero day I sometimes light a fire indoors in the old Vermont Stove to get the temperature up faster, but do like my OWB.  I like having the indoor stove as a backup if both the power were out and my generator wasn't running.

7

Central Boiler / Re: Proper way of stacking wood in e2400

« on: February 15, 2015, 08:09:20 AM »

Thanks everyone.  I'm going to try loading the larger ones in the middle, smaller ones on the sides.  That makes sense.  Keep the ideas coming.

8

Central Boiler / Proper way of stacking wood in e2400

« on: February 14, 2015, 02:16:08 PM »

First year, loving this free heat.  I'm sure I'll figure this out eventually....Has anyone learned any tricks to avoid the bottom middle burning out and the rest of the logs 'holding each other up' and creating a hollow space?  I know I'm stacking them in properly per the instructions, but sometimes I wind up with a void that needs to be poked and prodded down into the coals sometimes.

Thanks

9

Fire Wood / Re: Wood racks

« on: January 25, 2015, 08:38:47 AM »

I'm new, only had a own for three months and I'm looking at different designs for firewood racks / sheds, current I just have my wood stacked on the ground or pellets and it is not very organized. I plan to build something in the spring once I have a design. I would like to know what others do.

I've been looking for a plan to build a '4-5 bay cedar pole carport' for storing wood.  I want each 'bay' approximately big enough to park my Toyota Tacoma long bed under.  I figure 3-4 bays filled with wood and one left empty to park under when it snows or other misc. storage. 

If you come across anything like that in your quest please PM/share them.

Thanks in advance.

10

General Discussion / Web based remote temperature sensors

« on: December 16, 2014, 08:02:13 AM »

Hi all,

What do you find to be the best remote temperature sensor?  I leave my home sometimes for a week here and there:

-Want to track highs and lows
-Should only need a router to connect to internet - not a computer connection
-Should send an alarm email or text when a user specified threshold is met
-Should be able to log into internet and view current temperature or history
-Nice to have  - wifi connect to router; wifi connection from sensor to unit
-Nice to have remote water sensor that is wireless
-Nice to have remote outdoor temperature sensor
-Nice to have - cost 250-375

Thanks

Sorry - I posted this in the wrong Forum section - can a moderator move it? - thx.

11

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Looking to buy outdoor wood burning furnace this year

« on: March 09, 2014, 08:06:00 AM »

Thanks for all the responses.  Seems like maybe a Central E-Classic 2400 or 3200 might be the way to go since my options are already limited by the state.  If anyone has experiences with either of these I'd like to hear it.  Also which may be better for heating two buildings totaling about 5000 sq ft?

Do these systems usually contain an antifreeze to prevent damage if the system goes out/off during the winter?  Or are they all made to run continuously?  In other words, if my friend doesn't get there to load it and it goes out am I doomed?

12

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Looking to buy outdoor wood burning furnace this year

« on: March 08, 2014, 07:59:31 AM »

Hi All - Hopefully you can bear with a few newbie questions, until I find the time to thoroughly scour the site and learn to ask the right questions.  Here a few to start with, along with some background:

Background:
-Located in the Adirondacks of NY.  Got hammered on propane this year.  I have an open loop geothermal system with propane backup for the last 10 years that's been very finicky, troublesome and recently very expensive because it's been a really cold winter.  I have over 50 acres and unlimited pine, birch (white and yellow), beech, hard maple, soft maple, hard hack....I'd be burning mostly seasoned hardwood.  My house is approx 3000 sq ft and moderately insulated.  I'm planning to add a garage/pole barn (co-located near the new furnace).  There are no restrictions on type of furnace I can install.
 
Questions:
1-What are the handfull of best well regarded conventional brands?
2-I want a stove that only needs once a day or every other day loading (I'm not there a lot and a friend would come over and load it).  Ideas on size or specific models?
3-I'd like a stove that can burn anything (including pine), but would mostly be burning hard wood...Ideas on specific models?
4-Any particular dealer / installers in my area that anyone can recommend?
5-I'm planning to leave the propane system in as backup and to fire the DHW system and kitchen stove.  What are some of the other key questions I should be asking but haven't? 

Thanks everyone