Tell Me Why You Chose Pellet Over a Wood Stove or Insert

[briansol]

I wish i had one of each.

Wood is hotter, and can work without power. But it requires more work, filling it more often, etc.
Pellet is easier, can go 12-24 hours without human intervention or more on some larger hopper stoves, and is arguably safer from its electronics.

At the time of my purchase, I was gone 10+ hours a day for work + commute, so the only way to do it was with pellet.


Now, i wish i had a wood stove to run for those really cold days and to supplement my costs with sacavenged wood (which is everywhere since the past few storms rolled through)

 

[Skagdog]

1) My boys (6&7) aren't big enough to haul/split/stack and store all the wood for me yet.

2) I'm out of town sometimes and this is easier for my wife to load and the cleaning is quick.

3) I'm lazy and don't want to do all things listed in #1 above.

 

[movemaine]

Consistent temps, no need for "tending", convenience, "green"ness (wood waste versus chopping trees)

 

[Hoot23]

I'd be doing it by myself. This way I only have to move 4.5 tons of pellets instead of 8-10 cord of wood. Not mentioning cutting, splitting, and stacking.

 

[jtakeman]

Consistent temps, no need for "tending", convenience, "green"ness (wood waste versus chopping trees)

Well, Some of the mills(VMP-GAP-Geneva) as using log to chips for pellets. Lumber industry keeps crumbling. Log to chip offers some stability. From what I understand its still selective harvest from sustained forestry. Instead of the log going to the lumber mill, and we get teh waste product. The log goes to the pellet mill. Waste(bark) goes to wood mulch or is used for heat to dry the fiber before milling.

 

[Scols]

My pellet burning /oil burning friend spent the day with us yesterday after he lost power during the snowstorm. I will keep my woodstove.

 

[quickrch]

After a wood furnace, the pellets are much cleaner. It is easier because I only fill it once a day. It was very easy to install. It is much cleaner. Yes cleaner.

 

[Scols]

Please correct me if im mistaken, but dont you have to clean an auger,hopper and stove?. I shovel out my woodstove once a week, and that fills a 2 1/2 gallon bucket and takes about five minutes.

 

[Bioburner]

I clean my harman about every 2 weeks. It does not need it but I like to keep the effeciency up and I can do the entire process in less than 15 minutes. The ash bin can go up to a ton with the right pellets. Bin extention allows 3 or so days of no touch burning. I have a propane freestanding stove as backup that requires no electricity. Bring on the snow.

 

[DexterDay]

I currently burn Both wood and pellets. I love both of them for different reasons.

If it was to come down to choosing one?? Pellets all the way. Even though my wood is Free (yeah, Free, after my Truck, Trailer, Splitter, 7 chainsaws, all need safety equipment, plus the time, energy, and space that 3 yrs of wood needs/ I have room for the wood. For an idea, look at the Link in my Signature/ Evolution of a Woodstack) So yeah. Pellets.

Automation, Cleaner, Consistent heat, Fuel is already "Seasoned" (no need to wait 2-3 yrs), plus the Wow factor.

I still have friends that are amazed at How much heat comes from the little Flame on my Quad!! Absolutely amazing.

What brands are you looking at? Any specific models?

 

[Malatu]

It was just today I started considering a pellet instead of the wood stove. So I really haven't considered any particular manufacturer of pellet stoves. I'm open for suggestions. Based on what I'm reading, if I pulled the trigger today, it would be a pellet stove not a wood stove.

 

[saladdin]

I'm almost 40 and my body is already breaking down. No way I could handle cutting, splitting and hauling wood when I'm 60.

 

[movemaine]

oh! and the most important part - my wife has allergies/asthma and strong allergic reactions to smoke, etc. The pellet stove doesn't bother her at all.

 

[doghouse]

My pellet burning /oil burning friend spent the day with us yesterday after he lost power during the snowstorm. I will keep my woodstove.

Hey! Who let the wood burner sneak in here?

 

[TJC]

Like the others said, ease of operation, not cutting, stacking etc of wood. I also didn't have a good source of wood without buying it. Might as well by pellets.

 

[velvetfoot]

Can you store bagged pellets in a dry basement? Thanks.

 

[Lousyweather]

All of above, plus...The people in the "Pellet Mill" section of this forum are WAY cooler than those in the "Wood" section....Go for the pellet- we rock!

WAY, WAY cooler

 

[Lousyweather]

dang- why has noone mentioned the mid-winter crawl up on the steep snow-covered roof to sweep the creosote and soot out of the chimney and the dangers of such? yeayeayea, i know you should also do this with pellets, but would be less frequent......

 

[Hoot23]

dang- why has noone mentioned the mid-winter crawl up on the steep snow-covered roof to sweep the creosote and soot out of the chimney and the dangers of such? yeayeayea, i know you should also do this with pellets, but would be less frequent......

My brother-in-law burns wood and last winter we had to get the 40' ladder out and un clog his flue. I should say me because he's scared of heights. That's not fun on a Sunday morning in the single digits.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Can you store bagged pellets in a dry basement? Thanks.

Yes.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

WAY, WAY cooler

Damn, I wanted to be warmer, my stove must not be working.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Please correct me if im mistaken, but dont you have to clean an auger,hopper and stove?. I shovel out my woodstove once a week, and that fills a 2 1/2 gallon bucket and takes about five minutes.

You have to clean a pellet stove just like a wood stove to remove that blasted ash.

Once the stove is cold I can clean the stove in a few minutes as well, now about that cleaning frequency I normally do it once a week, but it doesn't have to be that often.

Some of these stoves can operate for a ton or more before requiring a cleaning, pellet choice can make a huge difference as can operation mode.

As for power outages if you burn wood you still have to take care of the freezer, fridge, and other things a couple hundred more watts and the stove is right there keeping you warm.

 

[joescho]

I have both. I use both. The wood stove is much more work. You are a slave to the stove. When you come home, your first thought is stoke the stove and add wood. I get get up about 4 AM to stoke the stove. I'm emptying ashes once a week. I'm bringing in wood every week and sweeping up the scraps. Its lots of work.

Having said all of that, when I get the wood stove cranking, it does the bulk of the work over my pellet stove. The wood stove has the ability to warm the entire house (both upstairs and downstairs - thw wood stove is in the basement). My pellet stove gets to 275-300 degrees. The wood stove goes about 500-600 degrees.

So I guess my point is I agree with the others that the pellet stove is more convienent and less work. However, the wood stove pushes much much more heat.

EDIT: I have to add though that I have electric baseboard heat. Since I bought the pellet stove for the upstairs, the electric baseboards never kick on at all. I shaved $65 a month off my electric bill.

 

[Bkins]

Most people that run pellet stoves keep their homes warmer then when they use other forms of heat. Don't know what temp you keep your home to have your type of gas bills buit I would bet that when you get a pellet eater that your home will be kept warmer.

I am also a ex wood burner and although they can produce nice heat, in the past, it really hasn't been even heat. Not to also mention the upkeep on the wood stove, along with cleaning the flue I also had to do touchups on the paint/surface of the stove to keep it looking nice.

 

[Scols]

You have to clean a pellet stove just like a wood stove to remove that blasted ash.

Once the stove is cold I can clean the stove in a few minutes as well, now about that cleaning frequency I normally do it once a week, but it doesn't have to be that often.

Some of these stoves can operate for a ton or more before requiring a cleaning, pellet choice can make a huge difference as can operation mode.

As for power outages if you burn wood you still have to take care of the freezer, fridge, and other things a couple hundred more watts and the stove is right there keeping you warm.

How much ash does one ton of pellets produce?