chunk wood vrs pellet wood stoves insites please

[Cannon_Farms]

What made you come to like one over the other?

We have just had to take over care of our MIL who is insistent in staying in her home and thats ok, however because shes at an advanced age we are trying to make things easier for her to handle with my BIL no longer there and shes far away from us.
In a nut shell the places was bought for her and he agreed to remodel the house and has done a lot of demolition without repair so there is no central heat the house. Shes not able to safely get into the basement to feed the barrel stove so we are going to put her something upstairs of the insert type.
Im thinking pellets would be easier for her but have no experience with them so personal experiences are appreciated

[mrs whodunit]

For a senior I would think pellets would be so much easier to handle. One could take a big metal garbage can, put it near to the stove and fill that with as many pellets as possible. That way MIL can just use a scoop of some type to fill the hopper on the stove. Would be much easier that a wood stove IMO

I prefer a wood stove but then I don't have any health limitations.

We had a pellet stove in the house when we bought it. I took it out as it didn't put out the BTU's necessary and used too many pellets ($$$)

Have you considered a Toyo oil stove? They are economical, put out great heat and are care free.

[Cannon_Farms]

Will a pellet stove or a Toyo heater burn without electricity ? we are looking at a cord of wood going for $200 locally

[Cannon_Farms]

Do you know where I can find prices on the Toyo heaters without contacting the company?

[karenp]

A pellet stove needs electricity to run the blower and the auger that feeds the pellets. They do make a back-up battery attachment, but they are pricey.

[Cannon_Farms]

I thought about that after I posted we are trying to come up with a alternative to electric heat, as if you kinda noticed what happened to ATL last year and she lives in ATL

[mrs whodunit]

Toyo needs electric to run too.

Around here I see them used from time to time. Got one sitting out in my shop. Cant decided to keep it if we sell this house I can re-install it.

Can't remember what we paid for our new 17 years ago. We have owned 2 others houses since then that also had Toyo's.

Around here there are a few dealers that sells the Toyo's

[blanket]

For what you are describing I would put in propane heat

[BlackFeather]

Every year the orange place my wife works runs out of pellets and some people have to hunt around to find them, If they had a stove that used pellets, corn or could use fire wood that would be better, otherwise your at the mercy of the pellet suppliers.

[Riverdale]

We have a multi-fuel stove. We can burn pellets, cherry pits, olive pits, clean corn, rye, stuff like that.

We also have a generator for when the power goes out.

[trulytricia]

I used a pellet stove a few years and thought it more trouble than a wood stove. The bags weigh 40lbs, I have a poor knee. And typically you buy them by the ton in order to get the better price which means you have to store them outside the house. Moving bags was very hard for me. Sure you can keep a trash can full but someone has to do that too.

Since you need electricity to run the pellet stove why not consider an electric space heater?

[woodsman14]

My .02¢, pellet stoves aren't worth their prices. They Require another source of energy just to operate, parts (and you will need replacement parts) are equally pricey, they have digital controls so can't be repaired 99% of the time, air mix can vary (you must control outside air supply rate) especially if you "buy pellets as you go" or vary the pellet brand because of wood type/moisture content/pellet compression and overall size.

Stick to tried and true... Real wood stoves.

[woodsman14]

Also, don't be fooled by manufacturer names.... America Stove Co. is Chinese made and owned!

[mrs whodunit]

Originally Posted by trulytricia

Since you need electricity to run the pellet stove why not consider an electric space heater?

Because electricity is a cold heat. Not at all a comfortable
heat'

[trulytricia]

Originally Posted by mrs whodunit

Because electricity is a cold heat. Not at all a comfortable
heat'

I've been very comfortable in a room with an electric heater. No it's not the best. But I thought we were talking about what is doable for an old lady.

I have over 35 years of keeping warm with nothing but a wood stove. And I intend to go back to that when we can get a chimney in this new [old], place. But I will keep the furnace that's running on propane and the electric space heater because this is Wis.

Georgia is not as cold as here. Should be much easier to stay warm.

What does this elderly lady really want? Is her mind sound?
Just saying, as an older woman I would rather carry pieces of wood than bags of pellets.

[am1too]

Originally Posted by Cannon_Farms

Will a pellet stove or a Toyo heater burn without electricity ? we are looking at a cord of wood going for $200 locally

I need to buy a rig and haul you fine folks some wood.

[am1too]

Wood split small enough should be no problem. I can get a winters supply of scrap lumber for hauling. It would also stack very nicely. My vote is for a wood heater independent of an outside energy source.

[Ardie/WI]

IMHO, pellet stoves in the living quarters are dusty.

[sustainabilly]

Originally Posted by Cannon_Farms

Will a pellet stove or a Toyo heater burn without electricity ? we are looking at a cord of wood going for $200 locally

You might take a look at the kumastoves.com site. They sell an oil drip stove that doesn't use electricity. The mfg. claims "...efficiencies of over 80% and can consume as little as 1 gallon in 24 hours."

[mrs whodunit]

Originally Posted by sustainabilly

You might take a look at the kumastoves.com site. They sell an oil drip stove that doesn't use electricity. The mfg. claims "...efficiencies of over 80% and can consume as little as 1 gallon in 24 hours."

Same efficiency as a Toyo. But I love the fact it doesn't use electricity.