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[MattyNH]

how much wood is in a grapple? and do you buy it cut and split or in logs?  in my part of ontario (canada) if you buy fire wood it ends up not much cheaper (if any) than heatig oil

6 to 8 cord is in a grapple....really depends on how the trucker stacks the log length wood in the truck.. I buy wood in log length..  If I was to buy the wood already processed id be paying $180+ for a cord of hardwood..Much cheaper processing it myself..Wood is always cheaper than oil..Just a matter of the labor part...

[yoderheating]

 I own only 2 acres with very little trees on it and have never bought wood in my life. Look around and you will find free wood. Check with guys who do tree trimming, I know a guy who is willing to give me all I want.

[oldchenowth]

I have a 1400 sq ft farm house built in the early 1900's with minimal insulation.  My wife leaves the thermo at 75 day and night.  My rough calculations are I have gone thru 3 - 4 cord (full) since October.  I have a gasifier and I live in Michigan with a lot of open fields around me (windy as hell most often)  I would guess I would have gone thru 300 - 400 gallons of propane per month in the colder months = $1500 - $2000 to date.  Mind you these are just rough guesses, but I cannot see being without my owb ever again.  Granted I have access to free fire wood so my cost of operation is way low.  Up front was a different story.  Stove, rad, insulated pex, pump, pex, fittings, custom plenum, trenching, etc. , I am staring at about $9200.  I plan on heating my pole building next year so my consumption will increase, but so will my savings on gas.  In my humble opinion, it's a no brainer, fly OWB gasifier.  I don't think I have made a better long term decision, ever.  Choose your brand wisely, and I believe it will pay you back ten fold.

Rich

[MattyNH]

I own only 2 acres with very little trees on it and have never bought wood in my life. Look around and you will find free wood. Check with guys who do tree trimming, I know a guy who is willing to give me all I want.

I own 2 acers of land myself..But Im for the most part wide open.. I do get a fair share of free wood like pine and popular..But no one gives hardwood for free unless its a big ass tree that no one wants to deal with.. I have called tree contractors in the past.. Have yet to see a drop of wood..I know I can get junk wood all day off of craigs list..

[tulenutn2o]

My personal opinion is this: I do not turn down any free wood, period. Any wood that tree trimmers bring me is good wood to me. All wood puts off heat. pound for pound-pretty similar. I have never paid for wood although I have traded labor once or twice on jobs I would have done for free( friends).

[RSI]

Pine actually puts out more btu per pound than hardwood.
Non resinous wood has around 8000 to 8500 BTU per pound and resinous wood has around 8600 to 9700 BTU per pound.

[MattyNH]

Pine actually puts out more btu per pound than hardwood.
Non resinous wood has around 8000 to 8500 BTU per pound and resinous wood has around 8600 to 9700 BTU per pound.

true on that..but doesnt last as long as hardwood does in he dead of winter...

[MattyNH]

My personal opinion is this: I do not turn down any free wood, period. Any wood that tree trimmers bring me is good wood to me. All wood puts off heat. pound for pound-pretty similar. I have never paid for wood although I have traded labor once or twice on jobs I would have done for free( friends).

   I hear ya on that..free wood is free heat/hot water for sure...I never turn down free wood...

[juddspaintballs]

Pine actually puts out more btu per pound than hardwood.
Non resinous wood has around 8000 to 8500 BTU per pound and resinous wood has around 8600 to 9700 BTU per pound.

while that may be true, 5 lbs of dry white pine takes up a lot more space than 5 lbs of dry white oak

[csnow]

I have a 1400 sq ft farm house built in the early 1900's with minimal insulation.  My wife leaves the thermo at 75 day and night.  My rough calculations are I have gone thru 3 - 4 cord (full) since October.  I have a gasifier and I live in Michigan with a lot of open fields around me (windy as hell most often)  I would guess I would have gone thru 300 - 400 gallons of propane per month in the colder months = $1500 - $2000 to date.  Mind you these are just rough guesses, but I cannot see being without my owb ever again.  Granted I have access to free fire wood so my cost of operation is way low.  Up front was a different story.  Stove, rad, insulated pex, pump, pex, fittings, custom plenum, trenching, etc. , I am staring at about $9200.  I plan on heating my pole building next year so my consumption will increase, but so will my savings on gas.  In my humble opinion, it's a no brainer, fly OWB gasifier.  I don't think I have made a better long term decision, ever.  Choose your brand wisely, and I believe it will pay you back ten fold.

Are the gasifiers picky about the wood as far as being split or whole?


Rich

[yoderheating]

 My gassifier doesn't seem to do as well when I use 15 inch+ wood. I split anything that large or bigger.

[MattyNH]

I cut all my wood 25 inches..due to what size my wood splitter can split....

[csnow]

My gassifier doesn't seem to do as well when I use 15 inch+ wood. I split anything that large or bigger.

Thanks for all the responses, I'm really thinking of getting one just got to figure out what one, maybe I'll start buying misc parts, to help ease the price pain.

[tulenutn2o]

Pine actually puts out more btu per pound than hardwood.
Non resinous wood has around 8000 to 8500 BTU per pound and resinous wood has around 8600 to 9700 BTU per pound.

Yea, I had some earlier in the year that I would only throw a piece or two in with a full load cause it burned so hot. I think it was the same species that they make those starter sticks out of.

[tulenutn2o]

I save the big rounds for when overnights are cold, like last night at -12. still -4 right now.