I do the same...to me SS wood certainly has its place, even though I'm 4-5 years ahead. Just as Midwinter mentioned on the first page, its easier to regulate the house temp with lower BTU wood. Oh, and I am a silver maple fan too...stuff burns hot! One thing that hasn't been brought up is the difference between running a cat stove vs non cat...I think regulating the house temp is easier with a cat stove, regardless of the wood BTU...so like Eric VW said..."each to their own burn needs" Oh, and some like to keep the house temp pretty consistent...some don't mind letting it swing 10*...we usually keep it within 2-4* all the time...but that is easier to do with a computer controlled whole house wood furnace though too...
Red Maple is burnt here 24/7 and i like it alot. I know its called soft maple but 2 year old css drives a great fire and the T5 can make it last a very long time. House is easy to heat so its not like i need petrified oak.
