You as a young hoarder......When did you find the passion

Wow...so many great beginnings!
Those CT guys...meh...whats a little heat and sweat. 98% of that job was completed in the cool these last three weeks, as soon as the job was on the radar. Not sure I'd start a job/score/scrounge that big, at this point.

My folks burned in the very early 70's, right around the oil crisis. Big ol smoke dragon, Nashua. I "helped" dad as a tyke....hauling rounds outta the forest. He cut alone out there, Pioneer 2075 type thing. He didn't keep many chains handy, i remember hearing that saw bog down always....dull chains I'd guess. I'd ride the top of the log trailer (towed by an old 6hp Tecumseh powered Wheelhorse). In squishy season, that trailer went over with me on it more than once. I usually landed on my feet!

He says he ran thru 13 cord a year....sounds right since seasoning wood wasn't popular I guess. But he split that all BY HAND!! That is some serious man-points in my book!!

Same as Eric Schamell, my own first taste in cutting was 11 years ago....when those 2 storms hit here, putting power out for a week each time. We stayed warm at our apartment hand cutting fallen trees for a pastor/mentor, who needed it. My geo prizim hauled a lot of wood.

My first little saw was a gift from a friend, a little arborist saw. While CSS for the Pastor, an old farmer dropped by (neighbor) and said....see all those trees over there? If you can cut 'em, you can have 'em. My first Husqv was quickly purchased. Another friend GAVE me an old Dodge 3500 (12valve) dually. Pulled the utility body, and put on an oak 9x9 bed, and a new tranny. I cut a couple dozen big cherry trees. Our friend stayed warm for a year or more on those 12 cord.

We cut and hauled for 3 retirees, sometimes cleaning their yards up, others, going on scrounges with them. I sold the truck after the wood source dried up, sadly.

In '17, finally in our own place, we wanted a wood stove, but had no chimney for it. In '19 a friend offered me whatever wood we could carry off the farm he was clearing. He even let us load and use his truck to haul it home. I think we had 12 cord hauled by Christmas. We split some, as I had a splitter given as payment for doing a tree job. The rest sat as rounds till spring of '20. We had no wood stove, no planned chimney. Not sure what I was thinking....maybe of selling some? But we hoarded and hoarded.

Summer of '20, we dismantled the OLD oil burner, and hired out to install a gasser....vented thru the side of the house....which meant we could use the masonry chimney for a wood stove!! We lined the thing, installed a CL find...Jotul 500, and fired it off for the first time January 11 this year.

Like others here, the oil burner was filled every 5 weeks, as $500 a whack, and that just kept the place from freezing. We used kerosene burners and spent another $500/yr in kero, to space heat one room to comfort level, and in case power went out.

Between stove, liner, liner installed, 2 new saws, extra gas to run our new truck, we're out $4-5k. The whole setup will be paid for in 3 or 4 years, assuming gas and oil consumption stay the same.

We've lived in cold drafty places, been without power for extended periods, been unable to cook or bathe by conventional means in those times...and I refuse to support oil and electric monopolies as far as I have a say so. I think since January, the furnace has run 3 or 4 times, one just be sure it would still run!

I stumbled on FHC a couple times, looking for info. I've had to unlearn what I knew from my beginnings with a smoke dragon. The amount of folks here willing to share and help out is truly amazing. FHC was a goldmine, as we know of only "casual burners", and folks with either waaay out-dated and sometimes flat out dangerous advice and tactics.

Relationally, Dear Son and I, and to some degree Dear Wife, have bonded much over trips to the woods, time splitting and stacking, helping others here and there, sometimes for money. He's a nut about splitting by hand. At FHC, I am happy to have finally met a member in person, and have been greatly encouraged when needed.

Sirchopsalot