Coalpail.com Forum

I want to vote to re elect Obama. Is that the right decision? LOL!!!! I started with a Coal chubby. It worked well, but I had to keep it turned up to get lots of heat out of it. As a result, It had short burn times. So, I got a Harman Mark III. It keeps the house HOT and doesn't need to be stoked as often.

No regets my wife I firgured out we would have spent 1500 to 2000 dollars on oil and probally around 300 to 400 on firewood and not mention we would have to stack and carry in the firewood when the snow would be blowing.Now all we do is go into the basement and get a bucket full of rice and oh we only spent just under a 1,000 bucks.

It's time to answer my own question. Heated my home for the past 3 yrs with wood and my decision to switch to coal was by far the smartest thing to do. No more cutting trees,loading wood,hauling, stacking, mess in basement etc... It's going to feel really good not to fear climbing the roof in winter to clean chimney. Now I'm enjoying more time with family, since work load is cut by 90%. Only regret I have is the plumber I used. Totally made the project go over budget.

I just want to add in to the discussion. Definitely pleased I made the switch. I burned in several hand feds for years then made the switch to an Axeman Anderson 260 last season. All I can say is the difference is night and day between heating a large Victorian with oil as opposed to coal. I have a one-pipe steam system that is over 115 years old. It started out using coal back then and I feel great that it's back to coal now. As others stated similarly, oil nearly bankrupted me. Plus, I was forced to be stingy with the Tstat. Not anymore. I woudn't even think of keeping it below 70 degrees now. Add to that virtually unlimited hot water and showers never felt so good.

One last thing I'll say is that it is like a hobby. I enjoy going down to visit the Axeman, especially when there is a call for heat.

this will be our 4th year burning coal. I wish I would have done it 8 yrs before that when I bought my house. we were using oil, always cold and always paying the oil man. after spending about $4000 somthing had to change so we got a stoker boiler. we are now always warm with the efm 520 boiler. plenty of hot water and the thermostat is never below 73 unless we turn down the main floor stat to burn coal in our newly installed chubby. The chubby is for fun and looks. we sure do love it.
we have saved enough money by burning coal that we don't mind spending a few extra buck to burn in the chubby just for fun.
switching our home over to coal was the best move we could have made. I hope to be burning coal for the next 40 yrs.

Best single thing I did for warmth, convience and cost. My wife still brags to her friends that sneered about the "Coal Heat" that has a special softness to it (thought it a woman thing..but you know, it's kinda true).

Been heating my Machine Shop for year with Modine Propane unit...I remember when it was cheaper than Oil @ $1 or so a gallon/Lb. or whatever. Last yr was the final straw @ $4.50 per 100gal.

I heat my house @1650sq ft. (primary source Coal) @ $750 per yr.

My shop is only 20" x 24" and my StokerII is almost ready to get fired up, it won't cost diddly to heat my space.

So yeah, I'm using the saving to take a trip to Ocho Rios.