How much do you spend on wood heat?

[Secondaryburns]

Burning wood certainly saves money,and there is no better heat imo.But you have to factor in your time,even if you enjoy doing it on your own property.Cutting,hauling,splitting,piling,then transporting to the heating source,and sometimes repiling is a ton of work and takes a lot of time.HARD WORK.So for those reasons time has to be considered.I may spend $200 per season on fuel,parts,etc(providing my saw,splitter,atv,truck,etc dont fail)but how many hours of labour,and at what rate of pay do i spend each year?Many many hours.Not to mention the initial cost of the woodlot,taxes,processing gear....
So its pretty hard to say i can heat my house for $200 per year,a lot more factors are at play.

 

[weatherguy]

I have two years' worth I cut and split and I figured it was about $200 not counting my time, it's probably time I would spend in front of the tv watching football or baseball so it was time well spent.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

First year burning so the Jury is still out. Still trying to figure out the Insert operation for the best heat output and how to get heat to other parts of the house. Right now I'm just hoping I don't run low on wood and I can reduce the amount of oil I use.

Dont get discouraged.. We all started there at some point, some have it a little easier then others with moving heat. You'll see the savings once you get this down.

 

[Newbie78]

I don't consider gathering and splitting wood hard work. More like light-ish exercise for this nearly senior. When I was young, I would have barely considered it exercise. That being said, my trees are small so I generally don't struggle with large pieces.

On topic; very little spent on wood, as I have my own supply on my own land and I have owned all of the required tools/equipment for many years. So expendables only, which don't add up to very much per year.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Burning wood certainly saves money,and there is no better heat imo.But you have to factor in your time,even if you enjoy doing it on your own property.Cutting,hauling,splitting,piling,then transporting to the heating source,and sometimes repiling is a ton of work and takes a lot of time.HARD WORK.So for those reasons time has to be considered.I may spend $200 per season on fuel,parts,etc(providing my saw,splitter,atv,truck,etc dont fail)but how many hours of labour,and at what rate of pay do i spend each year?Many many hours.Not to mention the initial cost of the woodlot,taxes,processing gear....
So its pretty hard to say i can heat my house for $200 per year,a lot more factors are at play.

I completely disagree with this. You dont have to factor your time in at all. I never do and have been doing this for years. Why don’t I factor in my.time? My time is exactly that.. its mine to to with how ever I choose, You can factor in lost wages if you so choose because you took time off of work to do it.

This is just an example. I can do whatever I wish on a Saturday, my choice is to sit in front of the TV and watch Gilligan's Island or split wood.. Both are on my off time neither cost me anything. So by your thoughts me splitting wood instead of sitting in front of the TV theres some kind of associated cost from one to the other. There is not, there is only a savings because your labor saved you from purchasing some type of energy. There is no cost to your free time, what you did was build equity in the the wood you processed that your using for fuel. Any cost associated with wood heating is the actual out of pocket cost for example.. gas for the splitter or the splitter itself, or any direct loss of wages due to having to split or processing when you take off to do such labor

Do you you put an associated cost for your time to work on your car, what about working on your home on the weekends. There are no losses on your time..

 

[Caw]

Definitely a question that would need a lot of assumptions. I use my Unimog to move wood from my woodlot to my house, so do I include the cost for the Unimog?. The woodlot is overstocked and in need of major pruning of diseased beech so if I do not burn the wood, its going to get girdled and left in place (probably 30 or 40 acres will get girdled). It really comes down to consumables, fuel for the truck to move it, fuel an oil for the saw, fuel for the splitter and a chain every few cords. My sag is probably in the $25 a cord range.

That's interesting. So you just girdle and let it fall naturally to thin and maintain the lot? Much less work and safer than felling.

 

[peakbagger]

Yes sad to say, no real pulp market in my area and access to the land is very steep. A skidder could do it and maybe one of the Unimogs but it would tear up the "road" I have a couple of lifetimes of readily accessible firewood that I can drag down to a landing.

 

[peakbagger]

Yes sad to say, no real pulp market in my area and access to the land is very steep. A skidder could do it and maybe one of the Unimogs but it would tear up the "road" I have a couple of lifetimes of readily accessible firewood that I can drag down to a landing.

 

[Eman85]

My cost just went up this year as I bought a new saw.

 

[Garbanzo62]

I would never factor tools or my time into the cost. I got my saw to clean up stuff in the yard way before I got the insert. Once I got the insert, I invested in Chainsaw chaps and a log jack just because I knew I'd be cutting more. We bought a dump cart to haul the load of Oak we got from taking down the Mother in Law's tree, but I'll use that for other stuff than hauling wood. (sure beats a wheelbarrow). As far as splitting and stacking goes, I find swinging the maul to be a nice workout and mentally therapeutic. If something pisses me off I can always take it out on the rounds.

 

[Newbie78]

I actually touched my leg with a powersaw a couple of months ago. 😱 Thank God I was wearing my chaps. The saw stopped dead. I cut through one layer of the stringy stuff. That event shook me right up. I would have cut my left knee to pieces. Stupid. Clumsy. I was working amongst beatle-killed jack pine snags over the course of days and due to clingy branches everywhere I slowly but surely began working the saw closer and closer to me. I'd never, ever allowed the saw that close before. Stupid. Clumsy.

This after 45 years of running tools, including powersaws, professionally and recreationally.

I immediately bought replacement chaps and also some protective gloves.

wear your gear. If you don't have gear, get it.

 

[Garbanzo62]

Even cheapo chaps are better than no chaps. Only issue with chaps is you can't fix them. Once you hit them with a saw, it is new pair time. But even expensive top of the line chaps are less expensive than walking through the ER doors. We pull names for x-mas and you are suppose to list items you want. Logger Helmet is on my list this year.

 

[Newbie78]

that's me right there just above and through the left knee.

 

[kennyp2339]

Upfront costs were high, but the dividends, especially this year are 10 fold.

 

[Garbanzo62]

that's me right there just above and through the left knee.

I have a scar on my left thigh from a similar close call. Only had jeans on. Fortunately it was when the saw was spinning down and I caught myself before it hit my leg full force. Just a deep scratch, but woke me the hell up about how quick things can go bad.

 

[JamesGuido]

i get seasoned cut/split oak at a final cost of 200 bucks a cord and a slab of smoked bacon.

 

[ericm979]

that's me right there just above and through the left knee.

Looking at that diagram it seems like wearing a cut resistant glove (if there is such a thing) on the left hand would be a good idea.

 

[GrumpyDad]

People have been asking me how much it costs me to heat my house for the winter. Before gas prices went sky high, it was under $100.
Now it might be $150-200. That includes bar oil, chains, etc... People seem shocked at that number, but I am just as shocked at their cost. A friend told me it was over $1000 a month for heat. That's crazy. I helped him install a wood stove and now his heat bill is a small fraction of what it used to be. He even buys wood from me when I have some to spare. We scrounge wood as locally as we can to save time and fuel and reduce bug/disease transmission.

How much do the rest of you spend on wood heat, all expenses considered?

I dont think alot of solid answers will be garnered in this thread from the average person but I could be wrong.

Most of us dont have access to 'free' wood. BTW there is no such thing as free. Even if you own a sizable piece of land, have your own trees - there's overhead there. Planting trees, cutting down the ones already mature, hauling them back to a saw/split site, all that work to cut rounds, split, stack. There is a SIGNIFICANT amount of time involved with a single cord of wood. There is a youtube video of a guy that shows what he goes through to get a cord of wood from tree > a customer.

FOr me, $200 a cord is VERY MUCH well worth it to me to have someone deliver hardwoods to me. I do have to split a good portion of it again, and then stack it. And then anything that needs dropped on my property, then yea I will saw and split that.

I figured out that Im about .40 cents a piece of wood, considering the price of the wood itself, splitting gas/maint, all the other accessories I buy to burn etc, not to mention pennies a piece for my time if I worked minimum wage rates in 1980.

If I burn in wood stove per day Im at $12 a day. If I use oil heat TODAY Im at $15 a day. Last year, oil won out. This year wood wins out but, oil still is my go to unless Im not busy that day and planning to be home working on my place.

These HUGE differences people are seeing, Id love to know how they are making that happen. If they consider a part time job cutting/hauling free wood, totally free...then well...have at it . Some will say eh hey I like the exercise or I like the work. Sure, but are there other things you would RATHER do than that? I dont mind and even enjoy at times getting wood into a pile be it from 'free' wood or wood delivered. And I like hauling it in (unless snows on the ground) and having a full set of racks near my door. Looks nice too. But Id rather be doing many other things instead.

 

[Newbie78]

Looking at that diagram it seems like wearing a cut resistant glove (if there is such a thing) on the left hand would be a good idea.

yup, and the back of the left hand has the stringy stuff pad in it. Not the right. They are readily available and have been for years. The back of the left hand , neck and head are typical kickback injuries. For those who think they can stop a true kickback with reflexes or strength, they are sadly mistaken. They also make coats with left arm protection and I believe shoulder protection too. I am not there yet...

I've never had the gloves before now, they are comfortable and presumably effective.

 

[Secondaryburns]

I completely disagree with this. You dont have to factor your time in at all. I never do and have been doing this for years. Why don’t I factor in my.time? My time is exactly that.. its mine to to with how ever I choose, You can factor in lost wages if you so choose because you took time off of work to do it.

This is just an example. I can do whatever I wish on a Saturday, my choice is to sit in front of the TV and watch Gilligan's Island or split wood.. Both are on my off time neither cost me anything. So by your thoughts me splitting wood instead of sitting in front of the TV theres some kind of associated cost from one to the other. There is not, there is only a savings because your labor saved you from purchasing some type of energy. There is no cost to your free time, what you did was build equity in the the wood you processed that your using for fuel. Any cost associated with wood heating is the actual out of pocket cost for example.. gas for the splitter or the splitter itself, or any direct loss of wages due to having to split or processing when you take off to do such labor

Do you you put an associated cost for your time to work on your car, what about working on your home on the weekends. There are no losses on your time..

Cost and time are directly related to pretty much everything.Yes its my time, whether im knocking trees down for heat or repairing my home.And my time becomes more valuable the older i get.

Heres one way to look at it.You pay the oil man to come fill your tank,pay the bill and your done.Zero work involved for the home owner.I spend 40-80 hrs working up firewood to heat my home,that is time i(personally)would rather use spending it with my family,or fishing,or hunting,or just relaxing.Value of time is different for everyone.But those who cut wood to heat their homes(myself included)Spend countless hours each year preparing for winter.That is worth something.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Cost and time are directly related to pretty much everything.Yes its my time, whether im knocking trees down for heat or repairing my home.And my time becomes more valuable the older i get.

Heres one way to look at it.You pay the oil man to come fill your tank,pay the bill and your done.Zero work involved for the home owner.I spend 40-80 hrs working up firewood to heat my home,that is time i(personally)would rather use spending it with my family,or fishing,or hunting,or just relaxing.Value of time is different for everyone.But those who cut wood to heat their homes(myself included)Spend countless hours each year preparing for winter.That is worth something.

Your example is completely wrong and proves the savings of wood heat. The home owner in your example HAD TO WORK to pay the oil man the mony didnt grow on a tree.. For example If I stop burning wood I would have to pay the oil man roughly 3k to heat my home.. the money came from my bank account whis gets filled from the WEEKLY PAYCHECK
Over the course of 10 years I spen 30k on oil. Ove the course of 10 years for wood heat, I spend 2k on gas 1k on a splitter 2k in lumber and 1k in saws for a total of 6k or roughly 600 per year over the same time period i saved 24k over 10 years.. Again you and I are doing this on our FREE time, weekends when your not working. Its called free time because your free do to what ever you want. Yo can split wood, go to the movies, go to the mall in which all of that time cost you nothing. . unless you took off from work to do this then you add in the lost wages.

 

[1kzwoman]

Three cords of Pine blocked ,split and deliver $675. Splitter to share with three family households in exchange for help with splitting larger pieces, stacking, maintaining splitter, saws etc, not much as splitter is 15+ years old.
Wood heat comfort at -20 priceless!,,

 

[Garbanzo62]

Looking at that diagram it seems like wearing a cut resistant glove (if there is such a thing) on the left hand would be a good idea.

They make Kevlar gloves.. Pit crews in NASCAR wear them

 

[Da16652]

Working full time and hunting in the fall left little time to cut my own wood. For most of the 36 years we bought our wood and only had to stack it and carry it in. Most years we spent on average $500-700 to buy the 5 cords of wood we used. Now it is getting more expensive. We installed a heat pump a few years back that works well in the shoulder season, however it does not compare with the warmth wood/ coal provides. So we spend about the same $500-700 each winter and burn about 3-4 months. This is still far less than most people pay for heating oil in our area.

 

[johneh]

I try not to put a price on my firewood
If I sat down and figured out the costs it would
be less to buy it!
Let's just see
What are the care, feed, and vet bills costs on a matched set of Percheron Draft horses
The land tax on 220 acres of mixed hardwood bush, saws, gas, oil, ATV
splitter, truck, felling, bucking, splitting, stacking, drying.
It all adds up to more than buying a cord
I am Retired so exercise, get out in the woods, and Sit beside a warm fire when it is -40 outside
PRICLESS