I buy wood, should I buy pellets instead

[ScotO]

Where I am, pellets cost 50% more than cordwood . . . and also more than natural gas, and my neighbors never have a storm blow down a ton of pellets that I can grab for free.

+1 here......I love to recycle trees, even if they go before their time.....lol.....some are tree huggers, I'm a tree burner......don't get me wrong, I love trees.....it has been proven they are more of a green energy than anything else, everthing else is either using trapped carbon fuel or made of trapped carbon fuel.....

 

[sebring]

Thanks everyone for your input... The pellet stove I was looking at needs a combustion blower. So I went to the englander website to see what they cost. MAN, there are way more parts to them than I realized. Now I am no longer looking at pellet stoves anymore...

 

[fredarm]

There is no such thing as a "cheap" pellet stove! They are really an appliance--closer to a washing machine than a wood stove. I started out my quest to reduce my heating oil use looking at pellet inserts. Once I saw they used circuit boards, relays and multiple motors I went for the wood insert and have never looked back.

 

[sappy]

Had a Harmon p61 pellet stove for 12 years. It is the best I feel in pellet stoves. With that said I sold it in may and in its place I put a new woodstock soapstone woodstove. We have had only less than a dozen fires so far but like the even Warmth and will like like it when the power goes out as with the pellet I had to restart each time. Also less to go wrong on the stove-no electronics. The pellets are great but I like the feel of the wood in my hands and the satisfaction of feeling the manly thing like as I harvest wood I am taking care of my family. Same pride as bringing the meat home or whatever. Now I am just turning 50 soon and have had my shate of body bangups. I fell off my parents barn roof 17 yrs ago and had massive recontructive surgery on my arms. I still have no prob doing the wood and when I can't I would get it delivered and bet I could lift a 16 inch stick. The pellet bags are not liteai40 lbs. It is all in what you want for ur lifestyle as well as ease of daily life.
Good luck. Some good options it sounds like.