In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Fire starter price/availability

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by g60gti, Feb 4, 2021.

  1. g60gti

    g60gti

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    Been using the lightning nuggets fire starters for some time now. Amazon usually has the 50 count boxes for 12 bucks which is enough to last me about 3 seasons. Needed to order some more and I’ve seen prices from 23-30 dollars over the last 2 weeks, crazy! I guess that’s the price now but hate paying that much for them when I was used to a pretty consistent price for years. Figure I’d buy some of the cheaper Rutland ones from tractor supply but the last 3 times I’ve been in there they’ve had no fire starters at all. Associate said they haven’t had a shipment in months. Guess even fire starter supply and pricing isn’t safe from the Covid! Might have to put the kids to work making some homemade ones.

    Anyone else see shortage, price gouge around your area?
     
  2. Warner

    Warner

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    Haven’t bought them in years. FE7BFE07-2881-4B70-AFAA-38BFCD99475B.jpeg You can make them real cheap. Egg carton, saw dust and wax from candle butts.
     
  3. Sandhillbilly

    Sandhillbilly

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    Same here
     
  4. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

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    Crumpled newspaper and some sticks i picked up off the ground gets my fires started.

    I always have fatwood sticks handy, as well.
     
  5. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

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  6. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

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    Or you can also try super cedars. I get 4 starts from one but some even get 8 starts from one and the fire lasts a good long time in case some wood is hard to light. They also work great starting brush fires and can even be used for cooking.
     
  7. Slocum

    Slocum

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    41EBB5EE-1CC1-47DD-885C-84BAB848DDCB.png No shortage of these. They do a good job.
     
  8. buzz-saw

    buzz-saw

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    I cut up old pallets from my work on the band-saw , take a hatchet and just split it into some small splits , a couple pieces of newspaper and a match. Free and easy. Also use some of the dry sticks that I pick up in the yard.
    Never used a fire starter of any kind.
     
  9. Chud

    Chud

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    Walmart has several different brands. The cheapest $10 box usually sells out, so it’s best to get what you need when they hit the shelf in the fall. This time of year there is only name brand starters. Pretty slim pickins on space heaters too and it hasn’t been in the low teens yet.
     
  10. lukem

    lukem

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    MAPP torch and a few small sticks of wood. One bottle lasts the season.
     
  11. mat60

    mat60

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    Carboard and some wood scraps from the shop and a torch. I no cardboard isnt a great idea.. Most winters I use the 144 pc box of fire starters from Tractor supply.. I sometimes break them in 1/2 and they still worked fine.
     
  12. Bill2

    Bill2

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    That's all I use also but I only have to start the stove twice a season. Once at the beginning then I shut it down sometime at the end of January to clean the chimney then start it right back up for the 2nd time. I heat with 99% Beech and it leaves a lot of coals so even if I don't need to put any wood in the stove on a warmer day there's always coals still in it to start at night.
     
  13. Geoff C

    Geoff C

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    I’m on season 3 of my $4 1lb propane torch.


    No need to pay 3x as much for mapp.
     
  14. Cash Larue

    Cash Larue

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    I buy these at Ace. There’s never a shortage. They work great. Not terribly cheap at $17.99. But a box of them lasts a looooong time. 21BEA4A3-4ED1-4614-B7F2-E8001C380AA4.jpeg
     
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  15. JC@ATL

    JC@ATL

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    I make my own...sawdust from chop saw and shavings from planer...thrift store slow cooker with thrift store candles...old lobster pot to mix and mini dixie cups stuffed. Neat and clean, and the wife loves them.
     
  16. Fanatical1

    Fanatical1

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    A half dozen newspaper balls and a stick or wood bark is all I ever used.. I guess a firewood starter might be better, but I never used one in my stoves...not yet anyway..
     
  17. jackseamon56

    jackseamon56

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    Strips of birch bark to kindle pine sticks to kindle strips of hardwood - and we're off! Not much invested except time to collect birch bark in early summer, pine sticks in late fall and as needed, and pick up and bag hardwood sticks from the splitting area.

    Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk
     
  18. Ejp1234

    Ejp1234

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    I can see you want them to be scent free too!
     
  19. Warner

    Warner

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    I got that crap from my mom years ago for xmas. It holds the work bench down.
     
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  20. CHeath

    CHeath

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    my wife orders so much from Amazon, i have a years worth of cardboard lol
     
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