Pellet cost vrs other

[rickwai]

Only thing wrong with that calculator is 15% RM corn is based on a bushel price not on a 40 pound bag and a bushel of corn at 15%RM is 53 pounds, not 40. I guess it you buy corn by the bag (never seen that), it would work. Myself, I don't even factor in that because I feed corn to my cattle so I just 'snitch' what I need for the stove out of the grain tank. The corn I get is pre cleaned too and at no cost to me (I actually trade for related farm operations. I plant his produce crops with one of my tractors because one of my tractors has the ultra low ground speed necessary to pull his planter with a crew of migrants setting plants, so the corn is free, sort of.

15%RM is the benchmark for storage. If you tank corn above 15%, it molds in storage and becomes unusable far as consumption for animal feed or commercial processing is concerned.

The table works, sort of and remember, I mix my corn with pellets at a 1-3 ratio to mitigate clinkers. The pellets do the same thing as oyster shell. Unlike oyster shell, pellets burn and create heat.

Field corn here is averaging around 4 bucks a bushel (53 pounds old crop) Like propane, it varies daily depending on the price set by the Chicago Board of Exchange.

Yeah I figured it on a Bu. at 56 Lb at $4/bu and divided it down to what 40lb cost would be since they did not have a Bu. tab. Then I googled the btu value of a lb. of corn at 15% moisture. I know it is not exact science but its fun to calculate it out every once in awhile to see what I am saving. I am saving some money. I dont mind tending the stove, not much else to do in the winter . And I like the fact that I buy the corn direct from the farmer right down the road . Corn only has to be trucked a few miles total from the field to my stove. That has got to cut down on some pollution I would think.

I own my 500 gal propane tank and fill it once per year in late July when price is down and that carries me for the year for HW, furnace on occasion, range, clothes dryer and my gas grill is plumbed into house propane. I use about 350 gal/yr.

 

[woodnomore]

I spend around $200 per month for corn. I replaced the filth and labor of a wood stove. I have electric supplemental heat that has rarely been used this winter. My electric bill is more than $200 less each month this winter. Granted I am burning corn 24 7 but it is one of the best investments I made in my house.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I know some folks on here swear by their wood stoves (and some swear at them...lol) but when my wife and I first got married, we owned a home on 40 wooded acres in NE Ohio and we heated 100% with wood from the 40 acre woodlot. Granted, back them wood stoves weren't as good as they are today and we had a big Buck (I think) in the basement (was a walk out basement) with vents in the floor to let the heat up and circulate. I was much younger then and I still remember cutting dead trees and dragging saw logs (had a little Farmall A back then) and cutting and splitting it with a maul and ax and stacking it and hauling it in and feeding the big stove constantly and hauling out the ashes and cleaning the chimney, it was all work and then the bugs from the wood stored in the basement too.

Don't do any of that anymore for the most part and at 70 I don't want to either. Hard enough farming. I like kicking back in front of the fire and tossing in a bucket of corn 2 times a day and a once or twice a year vent cleaning. It's more intensive than turning on the central furnace but it's a helluva lot easier than the woodstove route.

Just my view and you may not agree and that is fine with me.

 

[SpaceBus]

I know some folks on here swear by their wood stoves (and some swear at them...lol) but when my wife and I first got married, we owned a home on 40 wooded acres in NE Ohio and we heated 100% with wood from the 40 acre woodlot. Granted, back them wood stoves weren't as good as they are today and we had a big Buck (I think) in the basement (was a walk out basement) with vents in the floor to let the heat up and circulate. I was much younger then and I still remember cutting dead trees and dragging saw logs (had a little Farmall A back then) and cutting and splitting it with a maul and ax and stacking it and hauling it in and feeding the big stove constantly and hauling out the ashes and cleaning the chimney, it was all work and then the bugs from the wood stored in the basement too.

Don't do any of that anymore for the most part and at 70 I don't want to either. Hard enough farming. I like kicking back in front of the fire and tossing in a bucket of corn 2 times a day and a once or twice a year vent cleaning. It's more intensive than turning on the central furnace but it's a helluva lot easier than the woodstove route.

Just my view and you may not agree and that is fine with me.

I would never heat exclusively with an old smoke dragon. The worst I get in my house is some saw chips and bark. Maybe a bit of moss. No more bugs now that my wood is fully seasoned. If jy house were full of bugs and I had to load the stove every four hours to keep from freezing I might feel differently as well.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Back then, 40 years ago or so, that is all there was, and it worked and it was work, I did forget to add, I still have and use my Stihl 028 I cut longs with back then. Been a good saw right along. About 40 years old now, still purring along. No plastic on that saw except the air cleaner shroud. Everything else is alloy. Heated grip too. It gets cold in Ohio during the winter.

I still cut wood but it gets piled and roasted out back (storm damage).

 

[m159267]

We have been down this road before but my personal reason to have one is comfort. Having a point source of heat in the winter is a great way to drive the cold from a body. I would never turn my thermostat up to 75, but that is the temperature when I sit 6 feet away from my stove.

Nothing beats enjoying 75-77 degree warmth in my downstairs family/TV room with the outdoor temps in single/sub-zero digits (and you can throw in some blowing/drifting snow while you're at it),

 

[SidecarFlip]

It's a primal thing. Man and fire have always been partners. Problem is, sometimes fire gets out of hand. Rapid oxidation of a combustible material producing heat can sometimes get out of control.... and then the fire department has to be summoned.

 

[SpaceBus]

Back then, 40 years ago or so, that is all there was, and it worked and it was work, I did forget to add, I still have and use my Stihl 028 I cut longs with back then. Been a good saw right along. About 40 years old now, still purring along. No plastic on that saw except the air cleaner shroud. Everything else is alloy. Heated grip too. It gets cold in Ohio during the winter.

I still cut wood but it gets piled and roasted out back (storm damage).

While it gives me a twinge of sorrow to hear you burn wood in large piles, that is your right to do so. The pollution of air quality is staggering from open wood burning. I used to do it, but then I saw the effects of the Western NC/East TN wildfires in the blue ridge and smokey mountains. Now I have "smokeless" fire pits and I don't have to feel bad.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Doing my part to contribute to global warming... Same with all my farm tractors, all pre 4 units. All blow particulates when worked. If they don't smoke, they ain't making any power.

 

[SpaceBus]

Doing my part to contribute to global warming... Same with all my farm tractors, all pre 4 units. All blow particulates when worked. If they don't smoke, they ain't making any power.

Who cares about global warming, why are you happy to pollute the very air entering your own lungs and those of your family, friends, and everyone else? Diesel emissions, I have two diesel vehicles myself, are directly shown to emit cancer causing particles. Same with wood smoke. I do everything within my power to emit less so that myself and everyone else might have better air quality. Climate change might not be real to you in a land locked area, but there are many cities that are slowly being submerged.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Oh well......

 

[rickwai]

Who cares about global warming, why are you happy to pollute the very air entering your own lungs and those of your family, friends, and everyone else? Diesel emissions, I have two diesel vehicles myself, are directly shown to emit cancer causing particles. Same with wood smoke. I do everything within my power to emit less so that myself and everyone else might have better air quality. Climate change might not be real to you in a land locked area, but there are many cities that are slowly being submerged.

Do you have corn in your area? I think I read that growing corn uses up more of the emissions Than burning it in a stove puts out. And we are on a solid fuel burning forum you know ? (just kidding around)

 

[woodnomore]

I burn piles without guilt. I spent 20 years working wildfire I figure I earned my offsets.

 

[zrock]

Who cares about global warming, why are you happy to pollute the very air entering your own lungs and those of your family, friends, and everyone else? Diesel emissions, I have two diesel vehicles myself, are directly shown to emit cancer causing particles. Same with wood smoke. I do everything within my power to emit less so that myself and everyone else might have better air quality. Climate change might not be real to you in a land locked area, but there are many cities that are slowly being submerged.

I do agree with pollution control.. but what i find interesting is 20, 30, 40 plus years ago no one thought about emissions and go figure less people were sick... but of course back then people had work ethics and worked their ass of sick or not... My personal opinion is its not all this crap that is making people sick its all this crap people put into the foods to "make" them last or healthy... that is making more people sick... Prime example look at people that are more self sustained or living off the grid... Maby some of these protesters need to try that and see just how good they have it..LOL

Now back to the real topic...

 

[zrock]

Doing my part to contribute to global warming... Same with all my farm tractors, all pre 4 units. All blow particulates when worked. If they don't smoke, they ain't making any power.

Well thats one way to look at it.. but when a Diesel smokes its being over fueled and not making as much power as it can..

 

[Pete Zahria]

I still remember cutting dead trees and dragging saw logs.. and cutting and splitting it with a maul and ax and stacking it and hauling it in and feeding the big stove constantly and hauling out the ashes and cleaning the chimney, it was all work and then the bugs from the wood stored in the basement too.
Don't do any of that anymore for the most part and at 70 I don't want to either

Sounds all too familiar!!


Dan

 

[SidecarFlip]

Well thats one way to look at it.. but when a Diesel smokes its being over fueled and not making as much power as it can..

Not really. When working hard, some un combusted diesel will go out the exhaust or if a post 4 diesel, wind up in the DPF. All my tractors make at least 5 horses more than rated power. How they are set from the factory. All stock but all pre 4 engines. The other thing that happens is, before the turbo's spool up, the charge air is less so again, some un combusted diesel goes out the exhaust.

 

[bogieb]

My propane cost is 3.71 per gallon (just got a delivery last week so have real-time data). Just for giggles, say I would use 100 gallons to heat with my boiler per month (it would be more, but can't prove that since I upgraded windows and insulation in 2014, so will use that number). $371/month to heat just the main floor (FHW is only run that way).

I go thru about 1 ton of pellets per month - lets say at $259/ton (I usually have coupons when I buy tonnage - so actually it would be less). Even adding $25-45 in electricity there is no contest on cost of heating with wood pellets - especially since I get a warm basement too.

 

[rickwai]

My propane cost is 3.71 per gallon (just got a delivery last week so have real-time data). Just for giggles, say I would use 100 gallons to heat with my boiler per month (it would be more, but can't prove that since I upgraded windows and insulation in 2014, so will use that number). $371/month to heat just the main floor (FHW is only run that way).

I go thru about 1 ton of pellets per month - lets say at $259/ton (I usually have coupons when I buy tonnage - so actually it would be less). Even adding $25-45 in electricity there is no contest on cost of heating with wood pellets - especially since I get a warm basement too.

A few dollars of electric is all you probably use. My stove runs 24/7 and my electric bill for the whole house last month was only $53

 

[Tonyray]

I had an ignitor staying on. that was the increase in my bill i couldnot figure out. Bad board component.shows what constant heat does.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Couple things that are obvious to me... The cost of propane, oil and Ngas is substantially more in the east than it is here and consequently, the quest for alternative fuels is more pronounced. Talked to my propane supplier yesterday, he stopped by to chat. residential propane here, yesterday was $1.10 tax included. I( still burn corn and pellet mix because we like the ambiance of it but it's really not necessary for survival even with my free corn it's a negative bottom line.

Matter of choice here in SE Michigan, not necessity.

We like it and we do it but certainly not a requirement of staying comfortable.

 

[bogieb]

A few dollars of electric is all you probably use. My stove runs 24/7 and my electric bill for the whole house last month was only $53

I use $45-50 of electricity in the summer (no A/C), and $75-95 in the winter. The bill directly corrolates with how much the stoves run. Since I am the only person in this house, I can pretty much attribute the increase to the stoves (the stove may start up 12 times a day each so that is fans and igniters both). We have some of the highest electric prices in the country (along with high propane prices), so the kW of electricity I use may not increase very much, but the cost goes up quickly.

 

[rickwai]

I use $45-50 of electricity in the summer (no A/C), and $75-95 in the winter. The bill directly corrolates with how much the stoves run. Since I am the only person in this house, I can pretty much attribute the increase to the stoves (the stove may start up 12 times a day each so that is fans and igniters both). We have some of the highest electric prices in the country (along with high propane prices), so the kW of electricity I use may not increase very much, but the cost goes up quickly.

Interesting. I would think some increase could be contributed to less hours of daylight and we are all trapped inside for way more hours per day than summer time. We have a pool we heat w/ a heat pump and we run A/C. I did look at a summer bill and last month bill and the kw/hr cost was the same about $ .10 per kw/hr.

 

[Tonyray]

My electric took a big jump little while ago but that was due to my ignitor not shutting off .

 

[SidecarFlip]

Be nice to get a 50 dollar electric bill....lol Ours runs around 250 bucks a month in the winter but we heat 2 water tanks (250 gallon each) for the cattle. Stove and central furnace for us in chump change.