Welcome to FHC... We don't just talk about wood around although it's what unites. If you like saw & power equipment there's a nice section for that too, and it sounds like that's right up your alley...
Welcome aboard Greg. Several sub-forums to keep you busy. That's a real nice deal you've got going there. Almost looks like you could eat a sammich off that cement pad. We're always looking for like minded folks to hang around with, so, hang around. You've obviously been doing this for a couple minutes or so.
Again welcome! Always enjoy seeing others equipment & the way they set it up. If you build or have things you have built, photos with descriptions of the build process are of interest to most of us here. It is amazing the wide variety of methods used by the members here to gather their wood. If you hear of events with chainsaw activities, pass the information along. (GTG=Get to gathers, charity wood cuts, ...) Looking forward to you future participation!
Welcome Greg! Great looking setup you have. My bro lives in Jersey and also has an outdoor furnace. How many cord do you think you burn a year in that? My bro uses 3' splits and rounds, what size are you cutting??
Greg, welcome to the land of BTU's. Very nice set up you have there, impressive to say the least. A photo on your first post, you'll fit in fine here for sure.
The furnace pictured was a Mahoning, about 11 years old. I sold it and bought a Central Boiler, which is ready to go but will not be firing until fall. The old unit loved firewood, though I did burn year round, and everything flammable. Heat 5000 sf, plus domestic for 6 person household. The lean to holds 15 cords and in 12 months I would burn somewhere around 17-18 cords. But that included pine, plus I did skids, junk mail etc.... My new one will be Oct 15 - Apr 15 only, and I will burn only seasoned hardwoods, so we will see. They claim it to be 40-60% more efficient.
I don't know much about the outdoor boilers except when I visited my brother. He had a small kubota tractor with a loader, he would fill his bucket 1.5x in the morning and both loads would fill his furnace. Once loaded it would last him 24 hours. He heated a 2800 sq ft house and his hot water in the winter with it. During the summer he would have electric for his HW.
Hello Greg. I'd love to see your 4wd cart. My brother might be interested in something like that, he could carry up stairs with. Glad you jumped in...
I first started cutting wood 3-4ft long, but learned quickly that when I got it pretty big, and was the only person in the family that could pick it up, I was the only person that ever picked it up. So I just cut to 24 inches and make a stack in the back and one in the front in general. Seemed to work just as well. I love the outside boiler concept, and all the smoke and dust and processing etc.. stays at my barn, about 75 yards from my house. Hope that helps
I I'll post a pic someday, but this link is a video of what I have, if you click on one at top: http://www.mucktruckamerica.com/VIDEO-CLIPS.html I have the blue one, and it has prolonged my "wood hauling out of difficult spots" career ten years, as I cut a lot of back yard stuff for people etc... Plus it has a ball hitch on the front and I use it to move trailers, log splitters etc....
Welcome to the forum Greg. That looks like a nice area for the wood and the OWB. That is a lot of work for heat. Many of us have 15-20 cord of wood on hand but one year's burning won't deplete the supply. In our house, we burn 3-4 cord. Most years it is 3 but last winter was very close to 4 or perhaps 4 total. Don't think I've ever put up 18 cord in one year nor would I like to start that now. My hat is off to you for being able to do this. Do you have any idea how much you can save with the OWB over heating with gas or oil?
Not sure exactly. The old unit was really more like an incinerator surrounded by water, with a blower to ignite it, etc... and we burned it year round when my four sons were home since we had enough domestic demand to justify it. But now we use elec for domestic and only burn winters. The new furnace uses natural draft, and has a design that burns more efficiently. So will let you know after a winter what it takes with the new one. I am guessing to do the domestic and heat for 5000 sf winter only, I can do it with 7-8 cord. We will see. I cut locally with two buddies who also heat with wood, though with regular inserts, and they use about 5 cord each. But even with the old furnace, I guess I might save 3000 per year in oil and elec. Both the old one and new one have oil fired backup, and in 11 years I have burned 150 gallons total. No idea what heating my place with oil only would be. But for me, wood cutting is how I sort out the world, and get to work with my best friends and sons. But at age 48, the more efficient furnace and only winter burning is looking like a timely idea!
That sounds great Greg. And yes, as you age, the works seems to get harder. I still love the work but just can't do much of it. Still, it is pretty easy to keep up so long as I don't sell any or give too much away.
That's a cool rig. Bet it works great down in the woods... "But for me, wood cutting is how I sort out the world" ... man, have you landed in a band of brothers...
Nice pictures Greg.... Look forward to hearing more about your new furnace and dryer wood. Welcome to the Forum.
