Thanks for including me in your community. We have retired and are in the year-long process of new home construction then relocation to a nice semi-rural 4.5 acre site. I attached a pic of our future rear porch view. You'll note the wood pile saved from land clearing and excavation to permit foundation installation. I need several new tools: Tractor that will be equipped for snow removal because we are in the Michigan - Indiana snow belt. There are 4 homes that share a 1/4 mile private road and I have a 600 foot driveway. I plan to move logs using pallet forks & chains. Chainsaw: (who saw that coming?) Got plenty of time for shopping. Fireplace: I'll be doing some research. We have many decisions to make
Welcome to the club! Good luck with the new construction. Expect to get lots of suggestions on how to spend your money!
Welcome to FHC. You'll like it here. We like beer, dogs and pics. A lot of very knowledgeable people here who are willing to share. You mentioned fireplace, might want to consider a fireplace insert. Would be much more efficient. Also might want to look into getting a splitter. Dennis, aka Backwoods Savage, has a nice little primer you might want to check out. Primer on Woodburning by Backwoods Savage
Welcome aboard _Robert If you know the sq footage of your new residence, and general layout I'm sure you'll receive much advice on stoves and/or inserts. Freestanding woodstoves perform great if they're centrally located, but it's obviously not necessary. And x2 on fireplaces being inefficient from a heating perspective. If it's primarily for ambience, then by all means. You'll find most members lean towards Stihl and Husqvarna saws, but there are others.
Welcome! Sounds like a tractor with a cab is in order defiantly gonna want a plow on it for that type of drive probly a v. A couple saws cuz one is none. Splitter, 4 way and log lift are nice. And a building to store equipment and enough overhang to cover wood stash. Shouldn’t cost much.
Welcome _Robert I have an insert and I love it. We only had a fireplace when we first bought the house. We lost more heat having fires in the fireplace than what we gained.
I'd opt for a snowblower on the tractor's PTO. I've seen a Kubota in action, up in the White mtns in February. Impressive.
Welcome to FHC! A stihl ms261cm would be a perfect starter saw for those logs. I’d get an orange tractor with at least 50hp that had a cab, loader, forks, grapple, snow blower, box blade, tiller, bush hog……. Bigger saws will be needed once you get settled in and start stock piling decades worth of firewood. Congratulations on the retirement, new home and toys of course!
Welcome to the forum Robert. Tractors are always nice to have. Fireplace is certainly not the best way to go. A free standing stove will perform so much better. Decisions are something we have to make daily. Some just require more thought than others.
Welcome to FHC _Robert .... .... Sounds like some fun new adventures in your new future.... Enjoy Retirement....
Welcome to the club! Helping you spend your money is one of our favorite pastimes. Another is looking at pics. You've got what appears to be a good start with wood.
Welcome the FHC. Congrats on your new adventure. If you can sneak in a few days of cutting, splitting and stacking now it will pay off big time when you are wanting properly seasoned firewood. I wouldn't spend a dime on a fireplace. Research a appealing looking freestanding stove and put it on a nice looking hearth with stone on the wall/walls behind it for a nice visual effect. This will give you fair payback in BTU's for your labor's creating firewood. My opinion. 600' drive! Nice. A shovel ain't gonna do it
