For the vast majority of our 29 winters together, Janis and I have heated our home with wood. This was not done because we had no other options but because it just made sense. Our first home was only one year old and had a new natural gas furnace that worked quite well. It also had a fireplace which sent more heat up and out the chimney than it ever pumped into the house, so it wasn’t long before I ripped out the fireplace and installed a wood stove. Shortly thereafter we shut off the furnace never to start it again. When we sold that home 13 years later the buyers got a 13 year old, new furnace. Our current home also had an old gas furnace which was huge with ducting spreading out in all directions like a ominous silver octopus that was ready to attack and eat anyone who dared to venture into the basement unarmed. That furnace was so big it reminded me of the old children’s book about Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel Mary Ann. Although old, this furnace worked quite well and we used it for a couple years. But in 1999 we tore it out of the basement to provide more space in the utility room and we installed two woodstoves in the house – one upstairs and one downstairs. Both stoves are Irish imports from Waterford and we have been very happy with them. Getting out of bed on a chilly morning and starting fires in the stoves and waiting as the house warms to a toasty level has been one of the privileges (yes I consider it a privilege) that we get to enjoy during the cold Idaho winters. We burn approximately 3.5 cord of wood each year to heat our home and still have some left to heat the garage whenever we are working out there.
All this has been a longwinded approach to say that as the summer dwindled into fall and fall began to give way to the colder temperatures of an early winter, it was time to replenish the woodpile. And so, in late October we traveled to the hills to cut firewood. Now “going after firewood” can mean many different things depending on who you’re speaking to. For some of you it may just mean going out to the back 40 where all the timber needs thinning, for some it may be helping a neighbor clean up his woodlot. But around here the key word is “travel”. This year we travelled 147 miles (1 way) to cut the needed wood. There are trees available in the South Hills just 45 miles south of here but a person may drive around for hours to find enough dead trees to fill all our needs. By traveling north as far as the Stanley Basin, we end up in an area of Lodgepole Pine forest that has had a bad infestation of Pine Borer Beatles which has killed a large portion of the trees there. As a result, the U.S. Forest Service does not charge for permits as they do in other areas and they encourage removing the dead trees in order to reduce the fire danger. Although the beetles have always been in the forest, the pine trees are more susceptible now as a result of 10 years of drought. Another benefit for us is the fact that we can cut all the wood we can haul and we don’t have to move the trucks or trailers in order to fill them. In the end, going the extra miles saves us lots of energy and time, and the money evens out in the end. This year we cut and hauled back 4 cords. While in the woods we fell, buck and cut the trees into four foot sections which are easy to carry and load.
This year Grandpa (my father) asked if he could go with the boys and I, which of course we thought was a great idea. Good help is always appreciated! We left at 7:00 a.m., arrived at the cutting area at 10:00 a.m. and had everything cut and loaded by 4:00p.m. Tyler and I did all the cutting and Matthew and Grandpa did all the loading. We were back home by 7:oo p.m. making the gathering of a whole winter’s fuel a 12 hour job – 6 hours driving time and 6 hours cutting (with a ½ hr. break for lunch).
Matthew Loading
Saw Work
Dad & Matthew loading
Loaded and ready to leave
Crossing Galena Summit
All told, I figure the whole trip cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $275. I know people who spend that much in just one month during colder winters. Yes I feel just as I did 29 years ago – burning wood is a pretty good deal financially, even if I have to drive to get it. Sweat is really cheap, and we very much enjoy getting out into the forest to cut it!
Now mind you, a 12 hr. day to get it into my driveway….the job isn’t done by a long shot. It still has to be cut into 16″ pieces and stacked into the wood yard. The whole family gets in on this action. All this cutting takes some good sharp chains on the saws. The filing of the chains falls to Tyler who does a wonderful job of it. When he gets done with a chain, it slices through these logs like a hot knife through butter. I cut it to length while Janis, Matthew and Tyler stack it in the wood yard. This task took another four hours or so bringing the total hours up to 16 for a year’s worth of wood.
Sharpening Chain
Cutting to length
Janis stacking
By combining this wood with the elm we split in September, we now have at least two years worth of heat. It tickles me every time I look at the woodpile! It’s a good feeling to have at least one year’s worth of wood in reserve, especially in these uncertain economic times. God is faithful to provide our needs and we thank Him for His abundant provision!
Allen
November 19, 2008 at 6:00 am
Alright, maybe I could comment again as I’ve already ended my silent lurking time.
You are really correct in how good it is to warm up with wood. And it’s just not cheap but I think a wood fire is much nicer way to heat home. It just feels a lot better than any other alternative.
What kind of stove you are using? I think, especially when building a new house and considering stove for heating, one should pay a lot of attention in the type and quality of stove. Here in Finland we use a ‘heat reserving’ fireplaces. They are built of bricks or stones and the hot air from fire circulates many times inside the fireplace before going outside. You don’t get the heat as quickly as from a normal steel stove, but it last very long time. For example, in my parents house they normally make fire two times a day even in the coldes times (-10-20 Fahrenheit).
Same kind of fireplace was in our former house where I was living as a child. It just wasn’t as effective. It was like a support system for electric heating. But we would make a fire every morning and then again after coming from school or work. It really saved a lot of money over a year and was generally a pleasant job to do. It was a common job every autumn to gather wood, chop it and pile to the shed. We only used wood that had dried atleast one year. That way it gives more energy. Also we took the wood inside something like one week before using to get it as dry as possible.
November 19, 2008 at 10:51 am
We just bought firewood. The last firewood cutting trip nearly ended in divorce (only partly kidding) so we paid a guy who does this for a living. We still have to split it and stack it, but I can deal with that. Wood is our secondary source, but we’ll see where the world takes us in the next several years.
November 19, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Yes, it is certainly a good feeling to have all that wood. And what a beautiful sight! All those logs on the vehicles! :-D Janis and I have the same job: stacking. That and burning it is what I do best. :-D
November 20, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Could you give a recommendation on chain saws? My boys are in need of one and I have no idea what to look for or what I might expect to pay.
Thanks so much,
Cheri
November 23, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Cheri,
My Dad asked that I respond to your question about chainsaws because I was the one that did most the research when we bought ours. Sorry about the delay, I plain forgot.
I’m not an expert on such matters but for what my opinion is worth … I would seriously consider going with a Stihl. This is the brand I chose and I have not had any reason to regret the decision. In my experience with Stihl, (chainsaws, trimmers, blowers, hedge-trimmers), they seem to have an edge over the competition and I have not found another company that could match their parts or performance quality. Most of their equipment is now running hybrid engines which last significantly longer than standard two-strokes and for chainsaws seem to provide some of the best power to rpm ratios out there. Another thing I like about their chainsaws is that most of them are also equipped with an anti-vibration system which drastically reduces the potential nerve damage in your wrists and hands if using them for extended periods of time.
A couple other things to think about would be:
1. Make sure whatever one you chose is equipped with a good blade-brake. Both of our Stihl saws have them and they work great to take away much of the risk in kick-back situations by stopping the blade almost instantly. My father and I have known people who have suffered serious injuries from this. Chainsaw wounds are not pretty and this is not something I would ignore.
2. The length of bar and chain. Our first saws had 16 inch bars and were capable of getting most smaller jobs done. However, when I bought our new ones I decided against this size and would do so again, esp. if I planned on having only one. I have now tried 16 18 20 25 and 30 inch bars and have found that for most situations I greatly prefer the 20 inch for several reasons. Obviously this size will handle larger trees than either a 16 or 18, (up to a max of about 36 inches), but it is still small enough to be comfortable holding overhead or taking limbs off a fallen tree, (I could not say the same of the 25 and definitely not the 30). It also is long enough to do most your cutting with a straighter back. This may sound silly but unless you happen to have an incredibly strong back using a shorter saw all day can “cripple” you up pretty good. We have found that in most situations this is avoided with the 20 inch bar. The longer the bar is the slower the saw will dull, but also the more teeth there are to sharpen. All Stihl bars are interchangeable, but to use a 20 inch bar I wouldn’t go with anything smaller than a 341.
3. Also although it is does not affect your choice of a saw I would highly recommend getting the proper hand-sharpening equipment, (its cheap), and learning good sharpening technique because having a properly sharpened and adjusted saw make all the difference in the world. You know what they say, “If you are going to spend to hours chopping wood, spend four sharpening your ax.” There is a lot of wisdom in the saying.
After doing my research, using various saws and talking to a couple friends that used to be in the logging business, I finally decided on a Stihl 361 which cost me around 600 dollars. If money was a larger part of my decision then I would possibly consider a slightly smaller saw, (say a 261) and go with a 18 inch bar instead. However, even though top quality brands like Stihl cost more than what you could find at a place like Home Depot, they are also WAY better quality. If it were me, I would go with a quality saw from a reputable company even if it meant getting something smaller than what you feel would be ideal. At least you can be sure you are buying something that will last for years of heavy use and will be worth the money.
Just my opinion!
All the best,
November 23, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Cheri,
Another thing to think about is that with quality brands like Stihl you can always get parts and service if something goes wrong. This can make a big difference if you don’t do all of you own mechanics and is not often available with cheaper “retail” brands.
November 23, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Tyler,
Thanks so much for the wonderful information. I am printing this off to give to my boys and we’ll keep our eye out. I really appreciate the time you gave to this answer.
Blessings,
Cheri
December 5, 2008 at 9:34 am
Is it possible to put 1 full cord of wood into a full size pick up bed?
December 6, 2008 at 9:17 am
A cord is easy. We’ve had as much as 1.7 although it was a load, and pulled a trailer to boot. We usually load just over 1 cord in the truck. Since we drive so far for a load, I want to bring back as much as possible each time we go. Just don’t try it with a 1/2 ton pickup. It would also be wise to know the load rating of your tires. I also wouldn’t drive 70 mph on the return trip!!
December 8, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Tyler,
I have a request…how about a saw sharpening tutorial via photo or video? Would love to learn about the necessary equipment and the correct procedure.
Blessings,
Cheri
December 11, 2008 at 9:49 am
Hi Cheri,
Sure, I could do that. I don’t have any kind of video equipment so it will have to be with photos. I will get started on it sometime the first part of January.
Thanks for asking,
Tyler
December 11, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Tyler,
Thanks so much!!! My boys are excited to learn!
Merry Christmas!
Cheri
February 13, 2009 at 1:28 pm
[...] where we had woods that we could manage indefinitely to meet our firewood needs. As I related in Gatherin’ Wood and Good Gifts we have to travel for our wood, sometimes quite a ways. Although we can gather it [...]
February 14, 2009 at 11:20 pm
I have had my Husquarvna for five years and have never had a single problem with it. But I have heard they and stihls are exactly the same monster. Quite awhile after this post, but oh well. ;)