Save $$$ - Heat with Wood

[Larry Caldwell]

For some pure fun, try the Fiskars Splitting AX ($63 at Wal Mart) I was wedge/sledge, maul for many, many years. Then the Fiskars X27 (now "Splitting ax") came out. never looked back. Almost totally replaced the splitting maul. First time I used it thought "This can't be doing what I'm seeing)

My maul has a little kick out on the side that keeps it from ever getting stuck. I have to admit I'm thinking about getting a hydraulic splitter, but so far it's just thinking. I may rent one one of these days. It's a beautiful firewood cutting morning, bright sunny sky and 35 degrees. You can't beat weather like that for being outside and active.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

"What next? Gonna object to people going fishing because the harvest isn't a paying proposition?"<<<Yes, what a complete waste of time when should be out cutting firewood so it be sold, so then you can go buy a Geothermal heat pump, and or oil for your oil furnace, propane for the propane furnace, wood pellets for the wood pellet furnace, remember firewood has value, can also be sold so you can buy imported fish sticks from China at your local Whole Food Store, or at Amazon.

There is a wide variety of rural people. Industrial farmers plant property line to property line, without even a fence row to break the monotony. They would never let a wood lot stand. They would rip it out and plant soybeans. All his equipment has an air conditioned cab.

That's entirely different from a family that lives in the country because they want to enjoy their land and being outside. For years I would stuff an 8" round into the stove at bedtime, which would leave a bed of coals in the morning. A few 2" rounds on the coals and open the damper would give me a roaring fire and a warm house by the time I finished showering and dressing for work. It would burn down to coals again, I would damp the fire and leave. A wall of south windows would warm the house and tile floors all day. I would come home, clean the ashes out, start a new fire, and repeat. We kept the heat pump set at 60 degrees, but it rarely came on. With the ability to handle a max 10" round, making firewood was mostly cutting and not much splitting.

BTW, I just had my annual physical. The doc goes over me with a fine tooth comb, and always comments on how healthy I am, and that at 70 I am taking no medications. Great blood count, liver enzymes, total cholesterol of 135, no joint pain, no problems breathing or with other major organs, no sign of diabetes, and a ticker that is working fine. On the down side, it's time for new hearing aids, because I'm really getting hard of hearing.

Convenience kills. I credit a lot of my good health to outdoor activity, like cutting firewood. People sit around until they rot, and then they die. Meanwhile they miss things like sharing their lunch with a raven.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

How do you dry wood in the PNW???

It is skill I need to learn living in a rain forest with ferns near Olympia.

Here in the PNW we have a summer drought that lasts about 3 months. Just stack the wood outside and move it into the wood shed in September before the rains come.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Are here no such deal is going to work. There's an abundance of free wood. Do they split the 4th cord?

Yeah, all the cords are processed the same, but you have to haul your own firewood back to the house.

 

[turnkey4099]

There is a wide variety of rural people. Industrial farmers plant property line to property line, without even a fence row to break the monotony. They would never let a wood lot stand. They would rip it out and plant soybeans. All his equipment has an air conditioned cab.

That's entirely different from a family that lives in the country because they want to enjoy their land and being outside. For years I would stuff an 8" round into the stove at bedtime, which would leave a bed of coals in the morning. A few 2" rounds on the coals and open the damper would give me a roaring fire and a warm house by the time I finished showering and dressing for work. It would burn down to coals again, I would damp the fire and leave. A wall of south windows would warm the house and tile floors all day. I would come home, clean the ashes out, start a new fire, and repeat. We kept the heat pump set at 60 degrees, but it rarely came on. With the ability to handle a max 10" round, making firewood was mostly cutting and not much splitting.

BTW, I just had my annual physical. The doc goes over me with a fine tooth comb, and always comments on how healthy I am, and that at 70 I am taking no medications. Great blood count, liver enzymes, total cholesterol of 135, no joint pain, no problems breathing or with other major organs, no sign of diabetes, and a ticker that is working fine. On the down side, it's time for new hearing aids, because I'm really getting hard of hearing.

Convenience kills. I credit a lot of my good health to outdoor activity, like cutting firewood. People sit around until they rot, and then they die. Meanwhile they miss things like sharing their lunch with a raven.

Same here, almost 83 and I'm out there working wood every chance I get. If it hadn't been for 'wooding' I would have been a chair bound 300lb lump or most probably dead already. Last physical passed clean bill of health with a few prostate problems (none serious) and advice from Doctor "Whatever you are doing, don't change anything" Little did he know but he just gave me permission to keep up on the beer He detests people having even 1 or 2 a day.

 

[LD1]

When someone confesses to tax evasion it's sort of hard to see it any other way.

Who confessed to tax evasion?

Again......reading comprehension is a good skill to learn

 

[Industrial Toys]

I put on the "night time clunker" prior to retiring on a good hot fire. Usually something I can hardly manage into the fireplace.

Then "shamefully" wait until some time after I hear my lady friend having gotten up, to restart the fire and have coffee on, do I emerge from my sleeping quarters. That's only on the weekends. Little wonder, the fires are out by Monday!

To be fair. I do try and have a roaring fire going and a chilled bottle of wine on her Friday evening arrival. Clean kitchen too .. . urgh!

 

[goeduck]

BTW, I just had my annual physical. The doc goes over me with a fine tooth comb.
.

What was he looking for?

 

[turnkey4099]

What was he looking for?

Sounds kinda kinky, no?

 

[LD1]

What was he looking for?

Brains?

 

[goeduck]

I need a good looking firewood cart. My wife tells me the wheelbarrow at the front door with firewood in it is too redneck. I do not bring wood in the house ahead of time to avoid insects and the back doors are up a flight of stairs so I end up leaving the firewood at the front door. I am thinking something along these lines but want something fairly large and built well. I have a smaller Chinese one for starter wood but need something more stout. This pic is from eBay. Any recommendations on brand?

 

[ultrarunner]

I like pneumatic tires but find I have to slime them otherwise they go flat just when I need them.

 

[4570Man]

It wouldn't be hard to fabricate one out of pipe. My grandpa uses a shopping cart but that's probably more red neck than the wheel barrow.

 

[Industrial Toys]

We often used a large Blue Box to carry wood. I attached some aluminum checker plate with the side edges turned up to extend the plate on a normal hand cart. So, you can wheel it onto the porch and then only have to carry it in. Somehow, I miscalculated and the wheels hit the bluebox so I have been meaning to make some adjustment.

 

[ultrarunner]

At my friends place he uses a canvas tote to bring in wood... he was catching **** from his wife for making a mess.

The tote solved the problems as the wood is 'Bagged"

I use a 5 gallon paint bucket which is just about right for an evening... remember small Lopi stove.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Who confessed to tax evasion?

Again......reading comprehension is a good skill to learn

Some guy named LD1, post #86. Simpler just to not report the income, isn't it? No income tax. No sales tax.

 

[aczlan]

Some guy named LD1, post #86. Simpler just to not report the income, isn't it? No income tax. No sales tax.

Where did he confess to tax evasion? I don't see anything in #89 about his personal practices:

Nope.

You implied that someone paying for wood, is actually paying more than face value for it (since they are buying with money that was taxed already).

And implied that cutting your own wood, would save more than the value of said wood because one would have to pay taxes on the income if they were to sell it.

IE: you implied that buying wood for $160 would actually cost someone closer to $200 because that $160 was taxed. And if one were to sell wood for $160 they would only net $120 after they pay taxes.

I just said this simply isnt true. Because most dont claim firewood income on taxes, so selling for $160, is $160 in your pocket, NOT $120 as you think.

And the $160 that they buy wood for, that is taxed money.........well its the same as paying for electric, propane, natural gas, etc. You are paying for it with taxed money.

So your claim is total bogus.

Aaron Z

 

[LD1]

People here are really good about taking a single sentence, totally out of context of a multiple paragraph thread, and totally distorting the meaning.

Let me try to clear it up for those that have a comprehension problem.

Do I pay taxes on wood sales.....nope.
Do I evade Uncle Sam to do so.....nope.

I claim every penny of firewood income. But I'm not stupid. I claim every penny of expense too. Tractor expenses, saw expenses, splitter expenses, dump trailer and travel expenses, etc. All of these expenses (on paper,) show as if I have no income from selling firewood.

And unless you sell hundreds of cords a year, that's just how it works out. So don't hate the player....hate the game.

This is why I say that "most" people don't bother to claim. Since the income and expenses are a wash, it's just easier to keep a simple tax return for someone who might sell 10-20 cord of wood.

I choose to claim it, because I have a business with my tractor. So am already tracking expenses, milage, filling a schedule c, etc. So adding a few more expenses and a little more income to the bottom line doesn't make my returns any harder, vs someone who doesn't already file a schedule c.

My whole point in posting all that to begin with back on page 8 or 9 was to refute your claim about paying taxes on wood sales. I claim everything the way I am supposed to, and no, I don't have to pay taxes as a result.

Those that burn wood for themselves....cannot deduct expenses associated with burning wood. THATS the difference

 

[TheMan419]

So one thing I did not see in this thread is the opportunity cost. If it takes you x hrs to produce that cord of wood what else could you have done to earn income during that time?

If it took you 10 hrs to produce a cord worth $160 and you could earn (net) $20/hr bush hoging for profit you would be better off doing that and buying wood. You would have $40 left over and a cord of wood.

 

[4570Man]

If your heating with wood purely to safe money you're probably not coming out ahead. It's already been well gone over that people enjoy the wood heat, enjoy cutting wood, need the exercise, or need to clean up fallen trees anyway. Same logic as owning a tractor for most people.