How much do you spend on wood heat?

[Isaac Carlson]

I am amazed at how many people count every possible thing when figuring cost. If I did that, I would never do another thing in my life.
Do you charge your families for personal time? If you burn wood, you are cutting on your own free time. Just like going fishing/hunting.

I don't count the cost of tools because they are tools and I would have them anyway, just like my truck.

 

[Sawset]

800 saw one
2200 stove
1000 ss class a
200 hearth
400 trailer, 50% of total use
300 leanto shelter outside
100 conduit etc storage inside
1300 chainsaw two
100 files fuel-jugs etc
3000 tractor, 10% of total use
1000 splitter

10,400 for 13yrs
800/yr
Not including transportation, fuel costs, my labor, eq maintenance or overhauls. I could sell the equipment, and recoup a lot of the cost, but they aren't for sale. Like a farmer - land rich, dollar poor, and I'll remain dollar poor as long as I'm doing firewood.

 

[hobbyheater]

If we didn't heat with wood, our electric bill would be $400 a month on a yearly average instead of $100 a month.
One of our big costs is the surcharge on our house insurance of about $40 a month, as wood is our primary source of heat.
We burn 4 cords a year at a cost of about $100 a cord; cost for saw operations and gas for the pickup and splitter.
The boiler that we bought in the early 80s cost $ 4,500 but lasted nearly 40 years. The new boiler has cost $ 20,000 by the time it was hooked up and running.
For me, firewood is a hobby and my splitter is a lot of fun. The splitter cost $ 4,500 40 years ago. It is sure nice now in my retirement years to have low monthly electric bills , and the thermostats set a 74 and long showers and full bathtubs with the major investments behind us!
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[ispinwool]

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

a bit off topic... but we used to have a Belgian draft horse...I'll show you a pic of her if you show us a pic
of yours

 

[johneh]

a bit off topic... but we used to have a Belgian draft horse...I'll show you a pic of her if you show us a pic
of yours

View attachment 304708

Ask and you shall receive

 

[ispinwool]

As for the cost of burning wood...Hubby already had most of the tools, we already had the tractor since we
had the horse, the splitter was 'necessary' after hubby had shoulder surgery and it's been long enough
ago, I don't remember how much it was. The free wood is off of our friend's 300 acres. **My next purchase will be cutting chaps for hubby. I'm terrified of the chain saw (LOVE my axe!!) so he uses it. So I kinda figure that burning wood is barely $100/year. I have noticed that our gas heating bill drops by 1/2 when I burn everyday. Well worth the time and effort.

 

[Caw]

a bit off topic... but we used to have a Belgian draft horse...I'll show you a pic of her if you show us a pic
of yours

View attachment 304708

Oh boy this thread got spicy

🔥

 

[LostGarn]

Just the wood and the tools from what I buy and cut cost me about $450 a year.

 

[Caw]

TLDR - way less than I'd be paying for gas and especially electric or oil around here.

 

[sweedish]

I think maybe on this thread people seem to be getting into the “I’m right he is wrong” mindset. We are all different, with different priorities.
I have no interest in spending a bunch of time and money on a classic car, or spending the time and money on a well manicured lawn, but I can appreciate it when I see someone who has.

The idea is, try to make good financial decisions in the present, so in the future we may pursue interests that make absolutely no financial sense whatsoever. How we all get there is the road hopefully we all find.

 

[mojoliveshere]

This is my first year burning in this house. So far I've spent $75 on wood (some very dry poplar and some very wet cedar). Combined with some aggressive scrounging I have about 1.5 cords of fir, cedar, maple, oak, and spruce (gotta love wind storms!) I don't anticipate paying for more wood until maybe spring 2024, and only if Im not able to find it.

I do plan to buy a chainsaw soon, likely a decent battery powered thing, so that will add about $400.

So ~$475 for 2 years.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

Scrounging is great. We have scrounged a ton this year. My neighbor saw me coming home with a trailer load and asked "don't you have enough wood?" to which I replied "never".

 

[mojoliveshere]

Scrounging is great. We have scrounged a ton this year. My neighbor saw me coming home with a trailer load and asked "don't you have enough wood?" to which I replied "never".

Agreed! The only limit is space, and unfortunately I have little, living in the burbs.
My 4 year old now reminds me to watch for wood, so suffice to say, we're always looking!

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I think my son (16) is getting tired of doing wood this year. We scrounged at least 15 cord this year. All within a couple miles of home.

 

[mojoliveshere]

I think my son (16) is getting tired of doing wood this year. We scrounged at least 15 cord this year. All within a couple miles of home.

chit, I'm not surprised! That's a lot of wood.
But there's still more or there.......