Hugh –
I enjoyed Jim’s article “The Care and Feeding of a Woodstove“. We have a Blaze King Sirocco free-standing wood stove that, so far, we are very well pleased with, and, no, there is no financial interest involved. As the good ‘ol (sarc on) EPA has proposed new, tougher rules on emissions, this one was the best we could find with the lowest emissions.
Like Jim, we heat a lot with wood, with propane back-up, our home is approximately 2500 square feet, and seems to be well insulated. We use mostly pine and fir; our kindling is split from same.
However, unlike Jim, I am a paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair. We purchase our firewood from local sources, pick it ourselves, and stack it ourselves (the wife, grandson, and myself). Most of the firewood is split, however some “chunks” need to be split further. Needless to say, it’s hard to properly handle an axe while in a wheelchair!
Enter the “Smartsplitter”. This contraption is excellent for me to use in my condition. Basically, it is a weight that you slam down on a wedge which is on the wood you want to split. No matter the size, within reason, I can split wood with one hand usually after 2-3 strokes. I highly recommend this device for others like me, or to those who are not comfortable wielding an axe or maul.
Peace of the Season to all….
-D