How many cords do you think I need

[Bspring]

I tend to heat my house as hot as the wife wants it when using wood but If I am paying a monthly bill it will stay on 65. I also place a value on the exercise that I get from processing the wood. I could buy a splitter but would rather do the work by hand. My wife likes to help so it is time that we get to spend together.

Hows she like the 044? Mine has ran the 880 many times now.

Unfortunately, I have to keep her away from sharp objects. She is very accident prone and has the scars to prove it. I stand clear when she has the maul but keep a close eye on her. She is a very hard worker and hates it when I out work her so when we are together we get alot done.

 

[Cascade Failure]

Cost opportunity can be a b!t@h...

Start with the total cost of purchasing the fuels you are considering using. Then you have to factor in...everything. Price of saw, oil, gas, time away from work, taxes and fees, enjoyment (good luck pricing that), exercise (again, good luck), comfort from one type of fuel compared to another (show me a formula), convenience (formula...?) ... The above will NOT be the same for all of us.

Crunch YOUR numbers and use whatever fuel you want. I can purchase wood cheaper than cutting it myself when I factor everything else equally. The bottom line for me is that I like the feeling of independance of doing it for myself.

 

[fabsroman]

Cost opportunity can be a b!t@h...

Start with the total cost of purchasing the fuels you are considering using. Then you have to factor in...everything. Price of saw, oil, gas, time away from work, taxes and fees, enjoyment (good luck pricing that), exercise (again, good luck), comfort from one type of fuel compared to another (show me a formula), convenience (formula...?) ... The above will NOT be the same for all of us.

Crunch YOUR numbers and use whatever fuel you want. I can purchase wood cheaper than cutting it myself when I factor everything else equally. The bottom line for me is that I like the feeling of independance of doing it for myself.

Right now, I bill out at $155 an hour. So, if I have work coming out my ears all year long, then it does not make monetary sense for me to cut the wood myself. With that said, I usually have free time after April 15th, and that is when the chores start to get done like fixing the car, home repairs/improvements, getting ready for hunting season, reloading, etc. Thing is, I don't really consider most of those chores. Like you, I like being independent. Hardly ever take my bikes, vehicles, equipment, etc. to anybody to have them repaired. In fact, I am thinking about putting in a 40x40 two story addition with 4 garage doors on the basement portion and a vehicle lift.

I enjoy cutting wood with my dad, and hope it will be the same with my kids once they are old enough.

As long as I don't have legal/CPA work to do, cutting, cplitting, and stacking wood makes financial sense. I already crunched those numbers. It will also be nice to heat the house to 75 degrees and not be scared to walk out to the mailbox and get the utility bill.

 

[Cascade Failure]

Cost opportunity can be a b!t@h...

Start with the total cost of purchasing the fuels you are considering using. Then you have to factor in...everything. Price of saw, oil, gas, time away from work, taxes and fees, enjoyment (good luck pricing that), exercise (again, good luck), comfort from one type of fuel compared to another (show me a formula), convenience (formula...?) ... The above will NOT be the same for all of us.

Crunch YOUR numbers and use whatever fuel you want. I can purchase wood cheaper than cutting it myself when I factor everything else equally. The bottom line for me is that I like the feeling of independance of doing it for myself.

Right now, I bill out at $155 an hour. So, if I have work coming out my ears all year long, then it does not make monetary sense for me to cut the wood myself. With that said, I usually have free time after April 15th, and that is when the chores start to get done like fixing the car, home repairs/improvements, getting ready for hunting season, reloading, etc. Thing is, I don't really consider most of those chores. Like you, I like being independent. Hardly ever take my bikes, vehicles, equipment, etc. to anybody to have them repaired. In fact, I am thinking about putting in a 40x40 two story addition with 4 garage doors on the basement portion and a vehicle lift.

I enjoy cutting wood with my dad, and hope it will be the same with my kids once they are old enough.

As long as I don't have legal/CPA work to do, cutting, cplitting, and stacking wood makes financial sense. I already crunched those numbers. It will also be nice to heat the house to 75 degrees and not be scared to walk out to the mailbox and get the utility bill.

 

[fabsroman]

I tend to heat my house as hot as the wife wants it when using wood but If I am paying a monthly bill it will stay on 65. I also place a value on the exercise that I get from processing the wood. I could buy a splitter but would rather do the work by hand. My wife likes to help so it is time that we get to spend together.

Hows she like the 044? Mine has ran the 880 many times now.

Unfortunately, I have to keep her away from sharp objects. She is very accident prone and has the scars to prove it. I stand clear when she has the maul but keep a close eye on her. She is a very hard worker and hates it when I out work her so when we are together we get alot done.

Same for me. It might be a bloody ordeal if my wife were to try using a sledge hammer and wedge, or an ax. The chainsaw would be a disaster, even the small one. I think she would be scared to death of it.

The crazy thing is she is one of the better coordinated ones in her family. Her father and sister would cut off both their legs and arms in 5 seconds flat if I handed either of them the MS261.

 

[Cascade Failure]

Cost opportunity can be a b!t@h...

Start with the total cost of purchasing the fuels you are considering using. Then you have to factor in...everything. Price of saw, oil, gas, time away from work, taxes and fees, enjoyment (good luck pricing that), exercise (again, good luck), comfort from one type of fuel compared to another (show me a formula), convenience (formula...?) ... The above will NOT be the same for all of us.

Crunch YOUR numbers and use whatever fuel you want. I can purchase wood cheaper than cutting it myself when I factor everything else equally. The bottom line for me is that I like the feeling of independance of doing it for myself.

Right now, I bill out at $155 an hour. So, if I have work coming out my ears all year long, then it does not make monetary sense for me to cut the wood myself. With that said, I usually have free time after April 15th, and that is when the chores start to get done like fixing the car, home repairs/improvements, getting ready for hunting season, reloading, etc. Thing is, I don't really consider most of those chores. Like you, I like being independent. Hardly ever take my bikes, vehicles, equipment, etc. to anybody to have them repaired. In fact, I am thinking about putting in a 40x40 two story addition with 4 garage doors on the basement portion and a vehicle lift.

I enjoy cutting wood with my dad, and hope it will be the same with my kids once they are old enough.

As long as I don't have legal/CPA work to do, cutting, cplitting, and stacking wood makes financial sense. I already crunched those numbers. It will also be nice to heat the house to 75 degrees and not be scared to walk out to the mailbox and get the utility bill.

OK...then, without knowing what it would take to heat your house I would suggest...triple what you have if the cost opportunity is not prohibitive. Next year, and every year after, have at least double of the previous years' supply on hand. For efficiency sake, get a year or two ahead if storage space is available.

 

[Bspring]

I tend to heat my house as hot as the wife wants it when using wood but If I am paying a monthly bill it will stay on 65. I also place a value on the exercise that I get from processing the wood. I could buy a splitter but would rather do the work by hand. My wife likes to help so it is time that we get to spend together.

How do you like that Yukon Big Jack furnace? I bought the Yukon Eagle - Polar with natural gas backup. It is supposed to get here today. I also want a JD 3x20 tractor too. Been looking at the 3520 and 3720. The tractor is going to happen after next tax season or the one after that. I'm even thinking about the 4120, but that might be way too much tractor and not fit in the garage. I just got a MS261 and MS660 too. Now, where we really differ is in the wife category. My wife has no desire to split wood. She barely even helps stack it. I am waiting for the kids to grow up a little to help with chores around the house.

So far, the day isn't going too well. Batting 0 for 1 today on deliveries. Got 5 Stihl chains that I ordered off e-bay and not a single one of them is right and one is used and filthy dirty. How somebody can screw up an order this bad amazes me. Hoping the furnace delivery goes smoothly.

As far as exercise goes, I ride a road bike and mountain bike. When I was a teenager, I used to race against some of the guys you see in the Tour de France now. I picked college instead of going the pro cycling route. Still get out about 2 to 4 days a week and have 800 miles in so far this year. Before the kids came along, I put in about 4,000 to 5,000 miles a year. When I was a teenager, I road about 10,000 miles a year. When I am not riding, I try to get out in the woods/marsh/field and hunt or out on the water and fish. Exercise for me isn't an issue. I am active one way or another, except for when I am working which requires me to mostly sit on my butt.

I am very happy with the Big Jack. I will say that there is learning process and I continue to get better with it. As for the tractor I wanted to be cheep and get a smaller one but my wife knows me and told me I would regret it so I got the 3320 with a loader. I had no idea how much I would use it. It is worth every penny I spent on it.

That bike will really keep you in shape but you will find some new mucles if you spend enough time swinging a maul. Most of our free time is spent in the mountains on our dirt bikes. Before we shifted to dirt bikes we raced quads and I did get to race against some of today's pros (Joe Byrd and Barry Hawk).

 

[laynes69]

Comparing costs from fuel to wood, all looks good on paper. But actual efficiencies will vary a bit and that would throw off potential
usage. We have a decent sized home with tall ceilings and 42 windows. Last year we used 6.5 cords from the end of September to April or so of this year. I'm not sure of the specs of the furnace, but 4 cords with that square footage will go fairly quick. If the wood isn't seasoned, burn times will suffer as well as heat output. It's nice to hear from other furnace users so keep us updated on everything.

 

[fabsroman]

Comparing costs from fuel to wood, all looks good on paper. But actual efficiencies will vary a bit and that would throw off potential
usage. We have a decent sized home with tall ceilings and 42 windows. Last year we used 6.5 cords from the end of September to April or so of this year. I'm not sure of the specs of the furnace, but 4 cords with that square footage will go fairly quick. If the wood isn't seasoned, burn times will suffer as well as heat output. It's nice to hear from other furnace users so keep us updated on everything.

The good thing about this house is that there is only 10 to 12 windows, and they aren't even big, and a sliding glass door. Most of the heat during the summer comes from that sliding glass door. We get a decent amount of heat in the house during the winter from the sun shining through that sliding glass door. I really hope I don't have to use 6+ cords of wood, but I know that 100 gallons of heating oil didn't even last us 3 weeks from mid February at a thermostat set at 68 degrees.