wood fire/oil fire

[Fred Henderson]

How many rigs out there are wood fired and how many are oil fired. I know that some use natural & LP gas.

[rschoo]

I have a home made wood fired evaporator that’s not very efficient - wood per gallon of syrup. Even with the price of fuel oil being high it's still a bargain on the larger rigs when you consider the amount of work to burn wood on say a 4'x14' evaporator. I helped a friend of mine a few years ago run an old english tin 3x10 Leader drop flu that burned wood and it was a lot of work. I wouldn't want to fire anything much bigger than that with wood unless I was retired, looking for a way to stay in shape and owned an easily accessible wood lot with some high BTU per cord wood.


http://www.burnsbest.com/Info/woodvalue.php

[archangel_cpj]

Have a friend who beefed up his grates and he burns coal gets it for a few bucks a ton and then he has a coal bunker in the shop and shovels away. I told him we ought to build a conveyor belt to run the coal into the evap. Burns hot with an induced draft

[Fred Henderson]

Tell your friend to get a pulverizer for that coal then look out.

[brookledge]

Fred
In response to your original question of what type of fuel everybody uses.
I would guess that wood is still the most common especially in the small hobby size evaporators.
But as to whats best I feel it comes down to individual situations. Some have access to all the wood necessary and others don't. some may not have the time to cut the wood. I know some who have switched to oil because of their age.
There was a producer in my town a few years ago who worked for a propane co. and he would use tanks(100 lbs. to 100 gal) that were picked up at homes that weren't needed anymore.
This way he got the gas real cheap and the company didn't need to spend time handling partial full tanks.
Wood definitely requires the most labor.
There are so many factors for each one of us as to why we use what we do maybe someone could set up a poll of some sort that just counted the types of fuel used so we could see what is the most popular amongst the traders
Good luck
Keith

[archangel_cpj]

ya fred thats how the old steam locamotives like the big boy and challenger were looked like a blast furnace

[Fred Henderson]

The is/was apaper mill near here an 30 years ago they used pulverized coal to fuel their boilers. There were 2 huge rotating drums that did it and the coal was blown into the boilers with high pressue air. They achived total combustion on thier coal.

[Fred Henderson]

Brook, I thought that I was doing a poll but it did not come up that way so rather delete and start over I just let it go.

[Sugarmaker]

Wood fired 3 x 10 drop flue King. :D :D

[Russell Lampron]

Wood fired 2x6 raised flue, no blower. Have access to free wood. With RO machine used 1-1/2 cords to make 80 gallons of syrup.

Russ

[maplehound]

wood fired 3X8 Dellaire. With new hood and preheater this year. I always hae plenty of people willing to give me wood if I clean it up for them. Also brother just had his woods timbered and there is all the wood I can cut.
Ron

[Russell Lampron]

Ron,

I had my woods logged off 2 years ago. I have 69 acres of limbs and a pile of about 20 cords of hardwood pulp to get my wood from. I also have trees that have blown down since the logging was done to cut up. No shortage of fuel here for a while.

Russ

[oldemaple]

Wood fired Small Brothers 3X8 with preheater. I started sugaring back in the 70's when oil was high priced, so I went with wood. Getting a little old to be fireing the rig every seven min. but still having fun doing it.

[mapleman3]

Oil.. love my oil... hopefully in the future .. "Veggie Oil" Made at home if guys can do it for their car... I'll do it for the syrup !!! :lol: 8)

[Bob Shields]

I use oil for my 30" X 8'. Had used wood befor, but so nice to flip a switch and have steam in 5 min. Also nice to have constant heat and flip a switch and shut down with just a little flooding of pans.
It would be nice to go back to $.60 a gal. oil.

Bob Shields

[White Barn Farm]

I use wood in my 2x5. I have a neighbor who has hardwood slabs that I get really cheap. Works great and the kids love to bring the wood in.

[sbmaple]

3x10 wood fired.More wood then we can possibly burn,have given it away in the past.Some have told me there's a different flavor between oil and wood made syrup.I've never seen any difference in flavor.

[HanginAround]

I like wood (don't have an evaporator LOL), because of the ambiance in the sugar camp. Sometimes you can smell the oil in a sugar camp that uses it, and that kills an maple smell at all. But I certainly see why oil is the best option for lots of people.

[royalmaple]

2.5 x 8 raised flue- once it gets here and set up. Wood fired.

Wood is not a problem. I got access to all the pallets scraps I could want for a lifetime of burning, even delivered and broken down into boards.

Plus from clearing house lots, and neighbors calling (once they knew I'd come and take it). There is one person in town that I met up with, he had a sign free firewood, it was cut to stove length and on the side of the road in a stacked pile. I grabbed that. Gave him my card, now every so often he calls me when he has another pile at the road side. Pretty slick, now if he would only split it too... :lol:

[timbers]

Wood fired on our 30 x 8 and finish on natural gas. We have 2 gas wells on our property that are used to heat our barn, house,etc. However we have a woodworking shop and have tons of scrap wood.
This is a very popular subject at our house as several teenagers would have more time on their hands if the didn't have to spend time moving wood around, also I think they would like to lines instead of using buckets
-can't say i blame them. ian

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Woodfired Leader 2x8 airtight with access to all the free wood I could want. Oil would be nice, but can't see spending $ 8 to $ 9 per gallon of syrup when I can cut 7 or 8 cords of wood on a gallon of gas and a gallon of oil and the other misc repairs. Besides, cutting and splitting wood is fun! :D

[Fred Henderson]

I also heat my home with wood and I can not begin to use the wood that my 37 acers generates.

[mapleman3]

same ole argument Brandon :lol: If I had FREE wood (all I want) I would do the same, but here I would have to buy it , it doesn't come easy here unless I want to use palletts.

[hookhill]

A neighbor of ours uses oil on one these aircraft carrier sized arches. It burns 7-8 gallons of oil in a hour. Not something I would want to pay for. Takes the fun out of sugarin. In Vermont wood is plentiful and mostly free. Yeah its a hell of lot of work but the stuff is falling down all around us. Doesnt make sense to burn something that is pumped out of the ground half way around the world when there is plenty of wood to be had.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jim,

As many thousands of acres of woodland around you, I would think that people would let you cut dead wood up for free for cleaning up the woods. :?

[mapleman3]

I should be so lucky :(

[Parker]

I burn wood in the 5x16 but I log for a living and produce a lot of junk that is good for nothing eleas but burning in the evaporator,,If I was in it for the money (is there such a thing?) I would have a BIG R.O. and a little oil fired evaporator,,,,,,,BUT there is NOTHING like seeing Mighty Marvin in a full boil burning super dry red oak,,,,,,,,makes the heart pound just thinking of it,,,,come on march!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

[markonsite]

Parker, where are you located? I'm in Hooksett and would love to see your rig some time.

Thanks,
Mark

[Pete33Vt]

40x14 wood fired here. I gotta cut alot of wood before the season. Sugarhouse is pretty bear. Wish ran would let up so I can get it cut. I have alot already down, and blocked, Just need to pick up and split. I have 400 taps on vacum andanother 150 on gravity. Just picked up 800-1000 if I want them. I just have to tap them and haul the sap. I am hoping for a good year. Woods the only way to go for me.
Pete

[Flatfoot95]

I used wood in my backyarder last year and will use the same in my new 2.5 x 8 when it is set up. I have access to all the free wood I could want. I cut and split over 40 cord this summer for sugaring and for my father and I to heat with. Free is me I always say.

[maplwrks]

I love my Oil!!

[treefinder]

i used to use wood , but i tell ya i used to buy slab wood and its got to be dry for $5.00 a bundle so by the time i got it, cut it ,stacked it , and fed the evap, oil figured out to be the same price at 2.19 a gal thats what i just paid on 12 -28-06 i have a 4x12 wood fired that i made into a oil fired.burns 9.5 gph. theres no more cool down in between firing just keep on drawing that syrup.i think it figured out to be about 2.5 gallons per gal of syrup. thats 155 gallons of sap an hour. now this might sound unbeleavable but randy at leader told me that a 2x6 will make more syrup per gallon of oil than mine . 2x6 burns 3gph thats pretty good if you ask me.so for all of you guy's that it take 8 hrs to boil your sap you could do it in 5 1/2.with no waste of sap at the end of the night when you wait for cool down. with oil you can draw your tank just about empty.cool down in minimal with oil couple of minutes.10.5 minutes to a full boil and 15.5 minutes to syrup with sweetened pans.


4x12 oil fired
1450 on pipeline
farmall A, oliver 1555 deisel for gathering
woul like vacume for 08'
wife and three kids 12, 10 ,8

[brookledge]

For my situation I'm able to get all the slab wood for free although I give some syrup to each of my sources. Any ways for me it takes me about 4 hours of my time to haul the slabs, unload, cut, split if necesary and stack in the sugarhouse per cord.
With my evaporator I make 25 gallons of syrup per cord. As for my time feeding the evaporator I don't consider that an expense because I have to be there no matter what and I can easily feed the fire and keep up with everything else.
So if I use 15.00 per hour for my time to haul, cut and stack it cost 60 per cord and then if I add a few bucks for gas to cut and haul i figure it at about $65 per cord
65/25= $2.60 per gallon of syrup
Usually it takes 3 gallons of oil to make 1 gal of syrup
3X $2.25 per gal = $6.75 per gal of syrup
I average 275 gallons of syrup per year so at 6.75 per gal it would cost me about $1850 per year.
So even if I was to pay myself 15.00 per hour to cut the wood it would cost me 275 X 2.60 that would be $715 per year.
But the bottom line is that I enjoy putting in the wood and I don't have to pay myself to do the wood so my actual out of pocket cost is about $75.00 to make 275 gallons of syrup.
That is alot better than $1850
I know that this is what works best for me and that everybody has different circumstances. So if oil is the best for your situation than so be it.
I would consider adding an RO if I burned oil to help reduce the cost of fuel.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Keith,

Does slab wood burn faster than hardwood and softwood split vs slab??

[brookledge]

Brandon
I try to mix the slabs with both hardwood and softwood but it is predominately softwood. Pine burns the fastest I really like getting hemlock though,as it is alot harder than pine.
As far as what burns the fastest if the softwood slabs are bigger than say a 2X4 than it burns the same as the equivilent in round wood (2-3" tree)
Hard wood slabs and hardwood round wood will burn longer than the softwood so you have to feed the fire alittle sooner.
I think the best is a 50-50 mix of hardwood and softwood.
When you feed the fire the softwood will ignite quicker than the hardwood and give you quick heat and then the hardwood will kick in giving you longer burn time.
Alot comes down to how you split the wood if it is too big it will burn to slow and if it is too small it will burn to fast
Keith

[Homestead Maple]

Fred,
I have a 3x8 king with a Steamaway that is fired with oil. It is fired at 6gph and depending on the sugar content of the sap, I draw 3 - 3 3/4gals. syrup an hour. I have a water meter inline of my feed line and when everything is clean to start the season, I will move 143 - 148 gals. an hour through the evaporator and when the steamaway gets dirty, say half way through the season, the rate drops to 135 gals, an hour, so I know it's time to clean the steamaway and it's back up to the higher rate again for the rest of the season.

[treefinder]

i tell ya my own personal experance with wood is that i had a 3x12 wood fired and i cut my slab wood 3' lengths now if your cutting them @ 18" theres a cord . if i boiled one night and made 10 gallons of syrup i would burn one cord of mine @ 3' long would be 2 cord to any average person well maybe a little more syrup 10-15 gals my wife says thats no preheater hoods nothing bare arch and pans. i could never of made 25 gals on 1 cord. i used all white pine. my buddy has a 3x10 and they use fine split poplar and it burns hot and they only average 9.0 gals per cord 150gal of syrup divided by 18 cord = 8.3 give or take. now your wood burning is well worth the time and money. i don't have the space nor the time so fuel oil was the only way for me this year. first time with oil but know a lot of peaple with it and they seem to love it . i work 12 hr shift so its hard for my wife if i'm not home.to feed with wood but all around oil is easier got to admite.i would love to put on an r/o but money is getting tight i got out of it a couple of years ago do to not owning and owners cutting off. so i had to buy every thing back this year maybe next year if we make some syrup. but thanks for the figuring now i know about what its going to cost me this year in fuel!!