On a recent 2_ week camping trip we explored a lot of the forests in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Beautiful country. There are 10,000's of acres of hardwood tree covered private and public lands, a lot of it being oak/hickory type, yet other than a few seasonal cabins, I saw virtually no homes with firewood stacks. I thought that a bit odd considering the firewood resource is so abundant. I know there are some FHC members from that area. What's up?? Is natural gas super cheap or free if there is a well on the property? Just curious.
Wood burning is work. I was driving around early in the morning this past weekend looking at all the dormant chimneys and thinking about how much $ each household pays duke energy every month. If it’s $100 each that’s mind blowing.
100$ maybe down there. I was talking with an extended family member at thanksgiving. Her and her husband are highly educated electrical engineers in there late 30’s and quite able bodied. They heat a fairly large house and decent size shop with propane. 1k$ A month! They own roughy 100 wooded acres in Maine and have less than a cord of wood laying around unsplit for the winter. I don’t get it
Yep getting your own firewood is a lot of work and a commitment. Even when I do not feel like doing it I still do. Not everyone is willing to do what it takes. But a 1,000 a month sure would be a motivator.
I agree 100%, I like doing firewood but there is some times, you just don't have the ambition or drive to do so. But no wood = no heat. So it pushes you to do it and that push is a good thing at times. There is times when I am short on wood and trying to get wood out of the woods in butt deep snow or mud and it makes you question it, but other times its a good mental calmer and destraction and not to mention a good workout! I don't regret telling the misses when we moved here that I wanted a OWB.
My farm house is on the edge of the Ozarks. I have 6 cords of wood cut, split, stacked and aged for winter. I know many people with wood boilers to heat their house and water. But, I agree, were in the minority. It's easier to use propane, ng, or electric heating. I just won't do it anymore. Last house in town was electric heat and it cost $300+ a month to heat to 64f. Ive maybe used 6 gallons of saw mix and a jug of bar oil this year. I got 50+ once used chains for $20. I have $600 in all 5 of my saws, bars, and chain. Got a log splitter for a Christmas/ birthday present. First winter burning wood I broke even. I figure BTU for BTU it would cost $1000/ month to keep the house the same temperature all winter with propane. More with electric.
Not in the Ozarks, but I'm in NE Missouri near Florida, Samuel Clemons birthplace. It's more farmland here than south of the river, but we still have an abundant amount of hardwood. I have about 15 cords of oak (red and white) and hickory, with some elm, ash and sugar maple. I love the whole process of cutting up the wood, hauling, splitting and stacking. Of course the best part is the burning. The stove started out as ambience, but is now a quest to beat the propane company. The Ozarks is a pretty area, with a lot of spring fed streams.
There are definitely fewer and fewer people burning in my area than in times past. I guess it’s too much effort.
I'm 79 yo and able bodied. I enjoy the whole wood burning lifestyle. I do all my own cutting. The exercise is important for my physical and mental health. I know folks who roll their eyes when I talk about wood burning.
yep. Total electric, two furnace house. Some of those months that had sub zero days ran me up to 1,100 before. That’s why I got the boiler, and told the company I wanted a turn-key set up. I save about three thousand the first winter. f I was dealing with anything under 500 a month, I wouldn’t mess with the boiler. I have no issue with buying the items to make css easier. It translates to hundreds a month, that stays in my pocket.
I can have weeks of sub 0 days and 7 months of needing heat consistently no bills allowed over 300 or we
We burn 5 to 7 Cord per year. All Oak and Hickory. I have 6 acres of Timber. My property is surrounded by much more timber. Purchased wood is $185 Cord here in SW Missouri. The wood I purchase is typically green and unsplit. My goal is to get 21 Cords stacked on the property. As of now we have about 15. I’m working on 2023 wood. The house has a firewood furnace ducted to the whole house. 90s era. Large fire box large glass. We enjoy being able to see the fire.
Ozark, 15 cords is a lot. Where you stack it? Pics! You buy green and unsplit. Does that mean in the round or logs? $185/cord for that or is that price for split? Delivered or you pick up?
Near Springfield Mo, long time wood burner. I use wood as our primary heat source but our heat pump is so efficient and our stove puts of so much heat I find it difficult to regulate house temperature until day time temp are below 40 or nighttime temps are below 30. Those nice days it only cost me $0.50-1.00 per day in electric. Avoiding the time spent starting a fire ever night is worth that to me after working 12-14 hours 6 days a week. The last week we have had highs in the 50’s-70’s everyday. I recently heavily thinned 2 acres at my office, I cut 68 white and red oaks 14-34” dbh, I estimated this at 80-100 cords of fire wood, I gave away 50-70 cords, kept maybe 10 cords, piled and burned the butt flair, limbs and any crooked pieces (in town yard trees no logger would take them). This was a business decision not a wood lot management decision.
fox9988 - I saw a post from you before we travelled to the Ozarks and looked 72717 up where what I assumed was your zip code. Was going to PM you and stop to say hi to a fellow FHC member if I got close enough to your area on our travels, but we ran out of time and never made it that far south in the state. Awesome country where you live.
