Admitted Mistake I'm an Idiot

[Highbeam]

And weigh that against; chainsaw breaking, truck won't run, tire flat, need new chain, fuel etc. Your gonna have maintenance either way, just depends on which side of the process you want it on.

What you have to remember is that those potential problems (never had them) happen during the off season when you're accumulating fuel and not related to the actual heat producing device. These potential break downs are not heat related and won't leave you with a cold house in the winter. Compare to a pellet eater that only breaks down when you're using it which will result in a cold house in the winter.

As they say, "the hay is in the barn". Once your wood fuel is prepared then you're done. Just burn it. No worry about a break down at a bad time.

Your stove choice factors into this too. It was double the work to heat my home with a non-cat and it's 9 hour burns than it is with my cat stove and its 24 hour burns. The non-cat used more wood too! So to minimize the efforts of biomass heating, as well as the cost of biomass heating, your stove choice is important.

 

[heavy hammer]

Like the others have said everyone has had something not go there way with burning. With that being said if it was easy everyone would do it. First couple years can be rough, but once you get all the gears spinning on the wood burning machine it's awesome. When you get two to three plus years of seasoned wood ready to go a saw or two some mauls or a splitter. The animal is on its own you will look back and say it wasn't that bad. My first year had very little seasoned wood and didn't know how to get the Oslo to make all the heat everyone said it could. Two years later I have couple years of seasoned wood and have a pretty good idea how to use the stove. The guys on this site are awesome to they answer any question and are very knowledgable. Stick with it and it will become a lifestyle.

 

[BradleyW]

Burning wood is a hobby for me. I hate to fish and have never hunted, so this is a way for me to get outside and connect with nature. It's a way to get some exercise and I am just continually mesmerized by the whole process. I really think someone should write the book Zen and the Art of Woodburning. This is my third year of burning and it's my first year with a full supply of dry wood, and it's been better than ever. Sometimes I have the stove shut down and cruising in 30 minutes just like everyone here would say and I didn't really believe it until now. Love the process, love the result. It's a good reminder that there is always more to learn, improvement to be made, and the joy is in the journey. And I really don't know how I would have done it without this site.