Fire Thread! - Stoves, Wood, Axes, Chainsaws

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A thread to discuss burning things in your house and everything that comes with it.

Stoves.
Firewood & wood storage.
Axes.
Chainsaws.
Tree felling.
PPE.

I have a Clearview 400P which is max 5kW - https://www.clearviewstoves.com/stove-details/pioneer-400p

Currently burning pine, black poplar and cherry. Pine is great for getting the fire going and cherry is an exceptional hardwood, very long burn time and masses of heat.

A bit too much wood to store at the minute. I fell, cut, split and stack all my own wood and have another job lined up for a few more cherry to come down soon after doing 4x medium silver birch last week, which I've just finished splitting.

Spoiler

Top right is 5x cherry all done. All mega leaners pretty damn dangerous things. Approx 4m cubed.
Bottom left is my garage racking mostly polar with some pine. Approx 2.5m cubed.
Bottom right is a little store I made which is rammed with pine. Approx 2m cubed.

Chainsaw wise I'm running Husqvarna 550xp & 435mk2 as well as a Stihl MS391.


Hoping there is some more link minded people on here to have some discussions in here.
I imagine a lot of people do have stoves either way so could also be a good thread to discuss those for people who want to put one in or have problems with existing stoves etc

 

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@xdcx that is some amount of firewood

I have a Hamlet Solution 5 widescreen - https://www.aradastoves.com/solution-5-widescreen/p36746
Love having it lit this time of year

I buy my wood from different companies here in NI
I use to get season hard and softwood and store it in my shed, but have done a few changes during lock down and shed has gone from 12x10 to 6x6
So get kiln dried wood in bags that stores neatly

Miss this bigger shed and seasoned wood, far better value for the money.

Got a m cubed of birch not shown and 2.5tonne of pine logs still to to cut and then split sitting at my friends. They say you can never have too much but I definitely do as no where to keep it all!

What sort of money are you paying in NI for wood? I guess it comes as ton builder bags or m cubed?
Soft is about £40-50 and hard about £60-80 here at min for builder ton bags worth (Scottish Highlands).

2 years ago I had a guy doing kiln dried hardwood for £65 a cube which was ridiculous cheap for stuff all under 10% ash/bech and even some oak. He gave up though which sucks and anything kiln dried around here at moment is like £70 for a ton bag of soft.... a good bit less than a true m cubed and soft also so way less value for money than previous guys stuff.

 

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Wood prices are high at the moment.
I'm buying seasoned hardwood at £110 per M3 which is the best I can find locally from reputable sources. Loads of FB marketplace sellers offering wood in a variety of formats, but it's so hard to work out their quantities or know if it will actually be seasoned.

Holy moly. £110 is crazy money. What is it testing at when you get it? Less than 15%.

There is lads about here selling "seasoned" HW for £60 a ton bag. Father in law got stung, bought 2 bags and the stuff was soaking. Plenty of these FB marketplace types will happily take the utter **** even though you have their name and details and they have the balls on them to show up at your house and take your money.

Is that one of them Valiant stove fans you have on your new stove there? I have the 3 blade one for years and really rate them. Was a good xmas present for the FiL also and he loves his also.

 

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Can anyone recommend a stove fan?
They all look pretty much the same so I was going to go with the cheapest on Amazon.

I've had this for going on 3 years and the father in law we got him it for Xmas last year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Valiant-FIR361-Premium-4-Blade-Powered/dp/B012CDB1AU?th=1

NOTE, Ventum 3, link goes to the 4 blade option. It's 3 blade VENTUM 3 we have. It's excellent.

ps that Stovax of yours is a beasty. Cracking stove.

Good thread, I have a 550XP Mk2, got my chainsaw ticket last year, NPTC 201,202 & 203 (CS30,CS31). Produce all our own firewood now, mostly ash and a bit of oak.

I'm thinking about selling my 435mk2 and 550xp and getting 550mk2. Have you used a 550XP to compare the mk2 with?

I am very keen on getting a Woodburner installed in our kitchen/diner - it's a big room that tends to take a while to warm up.

What can I expect to pay for installation and does anyone have recommendations on companies?

thanks!

It really depends on a lot of things.
Where about are you located?
Very, VERY roughly you will be unlikely to see any change from £3k at least if it's a complete new install of a new stove in a large area of your house.

 

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My first choice of wood burner has to be Clearview - best stove I have ever had but expensive but you wouldn't regret it.

If you have a house built before 1970's get the chimney liners checked -We had ours checked and was told they were OK - 8" clay liners -2 yrs down the road we had black tar water come through ceiling - Turned out builder put them in upside down with sockets faceing down - Had to rip it all out and put a liner down .

Clearview all the way.

400P here.
500 at in laws (over 20 years old, only replaced front rope this year for him, never needed anything else).
400 at sister in laws.
750 at her uncles.

Got my 400P for £500 second hand. In the best local stove shop they know me as "the guy who got a 400 for 500" because the installation guy was raging he can't even get a clearview that cheap and was jealous

So yeah. Best in the business. There's a reason the entire family has them

 

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Only used the 550XP for a couple hours, few years ago. Nice saw, don't think there's much real world difference between the two. Probably better to have two saws than one MK2. I also have a 35cc Efco which gets used for light stuff.

Oh I've got an MS391 with 20" bar as well so 550XPmk2 would be my general use for most stuff saw until I need the 391.
And just got handed a little MS170 that I need to sort/service and then have that at disposal also.
Never short of saws in my garage!

 

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Do these stove fans work well with open fireplaces? Our living room heats up nicely but it doesn't spread to the rest of the ground floor.

It depends what temp you are getting around the fire really.
I'd imagine if you have quite a low mantle above the fire it may work if you find a stove fan with the lowest start temp possible. I don't think you will get warm enough on the hearth to get it going but if you have a probe or spot temp device, you can check what temps you get in places you could sit the fan and check that against lowest op temps of some fans.

 

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No they don't work at all. Need to be sat on the hot surface of the stove to generate current to work the fan.

Current is generated by heat difference between two semiconductors. Doesn't need to be sat atop a stove at all, although that of course is the best place to put one, as that's where it's hottest Unless you don't have one

Some state 50-60c is enough to get them going. Problem will be the height of mantle on an open fire. Heat rises but disperses as it leaves the fireplace so I still don't believe it will be hot enough for 60c on most open fires. You could dangle it from mantle so it hangs closer to fire but all depends on the fireplace etc.

 

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**comments removed**

@Luke - nice. Do you just surf local ads and collect what you can or have someone you know always getting rid?

 

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Over a year ago we moved to the Highlands for change in pace of life, unknown to me the amount of things I was about to learn. The house we bought has a stove in the livingroom but also a log burning biomass boiler (Perge) with a humungous 3,000 litre accumulator water tank. There’s also an oil fired boiler which is the primary source of heating, but this thread is about wood so...

So yeah, wood! A year ago I never thought I'd be doing this but life is like that .

Nice post man
Where abouts in the Highlands have you ended up?

We have had 4ton off the forestry before and 2.5ton the time before that.
We got 4ton for £20. PITA as they won't let you run a saw on their land even if it's erse end of nowhere.
Got 2.5ton again sat with nothing done yet but we got that for free from a private cut up an estate.

Did you get your stuff from forestry recently? They have really went off on dropping off wood or letting you go in to take some even if you are willing to pay. The nonsense we got spun recently is that if you go in there with their perms and trip over something then they are liable.... Had a few "off" dealings with forestry commission or whatever the hell they call themselves now but at the point now where I don't even waste my time. They'd rather leave a pile to rot for years than let anyone make some actual use of it.

Oil prices are ridiculous right now. Cheaper than mains gas and way cheaper than wood as things stand. Never thought we would ever see that.

 

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@gav_172 thanks, the 20T of wood cost just under £500 and then another £200 to the haulier to get it to me. Seems expensive after what xdcx just posted.

Not too bad. Prices we got were to go in and remove the wood ourselves remember so it cost them nothing. Getting it out and delivering to you will cost a lot so it's a fair price you paid.

I did see someone locally selling artic loads of beech. Can't remember the price but was MUCH more than you have paid. It'll be mostly pine/larch you get I imagine from the forestry.

@xdcx cheers, we ended up a few miles north of Invergordon, roughly 30 miles from Inverness. Absolutely beautiful and a far cry from Swindon where we moved from (I'm originally from Glasgow). I originally bought the wood in February but my haulier delayed things a little then they shut the forests down during lockdown. I didn't have a problem with the forestry commission, but I do know they won't let you in for the reasons you say, it's all security and pass, permits and risk assessment required.

I've noticed the price of heating oil is starting to creep back up. I last filled up at 22p a litre (before that it was more like 50p) but the last I checked it's around 30p inc vat. It's no doubt going to go back up to normal levels next year.

I know the area very well. I live in Conon and work in Invergordon

Father in law just paid 22p PL also recently. When he first moved up here it was over 60p PL. He's on about getting IBC's and filling them whilst it is cheap but I think he is silly to bother with that nonsense.

 

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Honestly had so many IBC's at work recently would have paid you to come and take 20

Not much thieving goes on about here @Mysterae_ unless you've heard of it recently up your way? We lock nothing up and leave everything laying around, doesn't even cross our minds but I guess that's all fine and well until it bites you in the bum one day. My GF are her parents are from Lancashire and they've been up a long time but still hide away and lock everything up.... from a different world full of bad 'uns!

Only "break in" I remember was when I was back down in Fife. My dads 4x4 got window broken to steal the TomTom.... if only they tried the door first as the thing was unlocked and open as it always was

@Mysterae_ we viewed a house out back of Evanton and drove past one in Ardross. I'm keen to get a bit more out and get a bit more for the money up your way. So hopefully one day soon I'll have a bit more land and space.

 

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So after singing the praises for those Valiant Ventum 3 fans for years.... mines died yesterday
Bought end of September 2018 so it has only done 2 winters and already gave up.
I have emailed Valiant but not got a reply yet.

Stripped the motor out of the thing. Can't believe how hard it appears to find a replacement for the damn thing....
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stove-Replacement-CWLAKON-Models-Medium/dp/B07JLBC2VZ

Out of stock. But that is the exact motor I need. Can't find that item anywhere else.
Clutching at straws but anyone got any ideas/suggestions on where I might get one of these motors?

 

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ummm buy one of these cheapys?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076M4B...lja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

I really don`t see the point of an expensive stove fanAll they have to do is move air

Mine was £20 more than that. Hardly expensive.

Valiant are sending me out a new motor for free It's over 2 years old but they said it's fine and they will honour it. So I am happy with that. Probably what that extra £20 on an expensive fan has rewarded me?

 

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I've seen one person in this thread mention solid fuel. Why is wood so popular now? I grew up with an open coal fire (I remember it being welsh/notts coal, and then Polish) and have fond memories.

We've rented cottages with wood stoves and staring at the flames is wonderful, but now we're thinking of installing one I've got the wood or multifuel question to face.

What's been the attraction of wood for you?

I vowed to never burn coal on mine because the people across the street, despite having 4 stores full of wood, burn coal.... and it is disgusting. You can taste it when you go outside and the reek goes all over the street.

I'm from a coal mining village and grew up with everyone burning nothing but coal in open fires for most of my childhood and even I still can't go back to that dirty stuff.

Also because I can get all my own wood and don't have to pay the coal man

 

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How to tell kiln dried hard wood from naturally seasoned soft wood? My Mum had a stove fitted last year and a friend of a friend gives her mates rates on logs and they're supposedly kiln dried, but I have my doubts and think she's just getting cheap off cuts from his main business of landscaping as some of it still has moss on it etc.

She pays about £70 for a half ton bag, what is the going rate for pucka stuff and how can I tell what it is she is getting at the minute?

Yeah if it has green moss on it then it's very, very unlikely it is kiln dried.
Post pictures of some pieces and split some to see what moisture % is in middle of some.

£70 is not mates rates for half a ton bag of anything. Even kiln dried oak IMO, that's rip off material.

£70-£80 in most of the UK *should* get you a full ton bag of seasoned hard wood. As in, if you are not buying from a total chancing ****** (of which there are many in the selling wood game unfortunately) it should result in a wood that is dry and great to burn. Someone decent will be able to tell you where it's from, what it is and how dry it is before you are lumped with the stuff.

I can get a full ton bag of kiln dried softwood (pine/larch) delivered here for £65. Nobody doing hardwood around here any more, it's all softwood as we have so much big cuts happening on the hills there is insane amounts of the stuff to be had as bulk.

 

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I was comparing price via her nearest suppliers, below

https://www.hardwoodlogsltd.co.uk/bulk-logs-delivered.html

https://www.wirksworthlogs.co.uk/kiln-dried-logs.php

How are you supposed to test the moisture content?

If the "barn stored" stuff is below 18% I would be buying that from Hardwood Logs Ltd. Much better value than what your mum is getting now with half a ton bag for £70.
If Hardwood Logs are a decent bunch they will have no dramas about telling you what their barn stored stuff is roughly around moisture content wise.

Wirksworth are boasting that their ton bag is now ONLY £120.... jeees, what the hell was it before?!? Way too expensive IMO.

A standard 3.5 Transit type tipper would be absolutely bursting with 3m3 in the back I'd think. 3 builders bags is nowhere near 3m3 so just be weary of these people selling. Builders bags feel like short changed each time as they do not hold that much wood, a lot of wasted space. So seems better with tipper loads but you literally have not a clue how much you're actually getting that way. So just try ensure it's decent humans taking your money. Absolutely despise the fact there are people out there potentially being ripped off, it's horrendous.

 

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The tipper load is a piled high Hilux, I've being buying from him for about 8 years and his prices have crept up. But he's local, the timbers are local and he's reliable.

He's (as of the last delivery) moved to loading the builders bags into the back of the pickup as it's more economical interns of delivery times / load deliveries a day.

The bags are roughly 1m2 as I measured them and three bags / tipper load fill my just over 3m3 log store

They are maybe 1250 bags which would make more sense if that is what you are measuring out.
You have the sort of guy that everyone wants. Trusted and proven!

 

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Does looks dry. Will burn alright.
Wouldn't pay £70 for half a bag of that though. £40 would be "mates rates".

 

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Yes as @200sols says.
A builders ton bag I like to think is very approx 3/4's of a m3.

@Telecaster from your original question I thought you said she was purchasing half a bag at mates rates. I assumed that was half a builders ton bag since that's the most common method of delivery/sizing loads for buying wood.

If it is a full builders ton bag she is buying full of that stuff above for £70 then that is very reasonable indeed!