BUY firewood or CUT firewood?

You've spending more money to cut your wood in one year, than I have spent in 25. I'm on my third saw (one Homelite Super XL, one Poulan, and I'm still using my Husky 350 I bought for just a bit over $300). I've still got my same old double-bit, my 6lb maul, my 8lb sledge and my iron wedges. I do have a $500 HF logsplitter for the tractor, but I just bought that last year. It can be done cheaper than you outline. More work, or trading off work, but cheaper.

Secondly, it's not always just a money thing. I make just shy of $37/hr and I would a heckuva lot rather be home splitting wood, than jumping through some of the work hoops I do on a daily basis. Good work, sweat and clean air are a type of therapy all their own. That's why I live where I do, and like I do.

All comments posted are great, important and true.

Still we had the best day yesterday in the sun, crisp fall day. Didn't cost much, independent somewhat. I think wood stoves and cookstoves are the best.

Saturday we cut and brought back to our wood-shed the tallest tree which fell in a wind storm last year. We would see, before it fell, our Tall-Tree out our north windows in the, Deer Island, which is a one-acre wooded area within a 55 acre Alfalfa field on our Quarter.

It was a cord when stacked. It took four-hours.

I will split later. I have been using a Splitting Maul, Wedge and 8 lb sledge.

We just ordered a 4tn electric splitter on sale at Canadian Tire for $199 normally $399. A relative has the 4tn electric and swears by it, and had been using a friends 20 tn gas -- says the 4tn is great. The reviews on line are excellent. Will report on that later.

I make good per hour wage when working out, and I would pay to do what we did yesterday. Life is good and so is wood -- hey that rims.


Tillie-The-Tractor, Ford 1900, with Loader and Brush Hog, on Back, Stacked with Wood, Nancy Wagon with Wood.


Alex and Nancy with Top of Tallest Tree

We try to enjoy our time, and cutting our wood, really, is good, for us.

All the Best,

Alex (and Nancy)

__________________
Thou art That

We have an earthbermed home, passive solar. Have heated our different homes with wood for 37 years. We have always had our wood supply and cutting wood is one of hubby's favorite things to do. We have all good equipment, cared for well. We use @ 3 1/2 full cords per year to heat the house and for the cook stove. There is something sooooooo soothing about wood heat, just love it and hubby so enjoys seeing it all stacked in the woodshed ( done by May 1st, weather permitting).
In your case, buy the logs or buy the wood cut and split. Then plan ahead for the following year.

cut it, that way you get heated 3 times from the same wood,cutting it, splitting and stacking it, burning it.

Alex, is that a new tractor? It seems a bit more shiny than the last one I remember seeing a while back.

Thanks edcopp,

It's the same 1985 Ford we've had for seven years. Before we brought it to our Homestead we had it painted and heavily serviced as a part of our purschase agreement. It looked great then.

It looks good now, but you can't see the scraches, small dent in one fender, or holes in the new-when-we-brought-it- to-Homestead Brush Hog.

The little Ford is a great tractor.

I should touch up and weld on the Brush Hog.

Thanks,

Alex

__________________
Thou art That

I'm surprised so many people think you need to spend so much to cut firewood. When I was younger my family always heated with wood. All we ever had was a Homelite chainsaw or 2, a maul, sledge, a few wedges, sharpening file and an old trailer. As far as being to much work my great grandma was still cutting and splitting her own firewood into her 80s.

Well, after splitting 6 pickuptruck loads in one weekend, and still having another day's work to do.......and being a woman doing it with help from my 12 year old......anyone who is not an invalid can do it with a splitter. It is expensive to rent one if you have tons of work to do. I would ask a neighbor and give them a split or save up if you have a woodlot and intend to use wood. A lot of people here are using woodburners. You can use big logs, so u don't need to split. They are outside, and you only need to put in heat twice a day. But, big money at the beginning (possible 10k). If you can spare some time every day, and don't need to do it quick like I did, you could definitely do it without the splitter. It goes much better when the wood is cold, and warms you up good. I can't wait to get all my wood up for the winter, and am hoping dh gets me a splitter next year!

Health benefits should be factored in. When I put up wood a while back between cutting and loading and unloading and then splitting and stacking when it got colder out I lost a good bit of weight.