Wood master OWB

[460magnum]

Looking for likes/ dislikes/ recommendations. I liked the look and options of this OWB and I get it at a wholesale price!!!:jawdrop: Going to be buying one in the next couple weeks or so and wooooood appreciate your opinions.

THANKS!:greenchainsaw:

 

[Chuck Diesel]

No complaints with my WM 4400. The only thing I would do differant, is built a slab for the base. And install shut off valves on the pex inside the house.

 

[pipe welder]

I have lived with my 4400 for a year and three months. It works but I do have issues with it. In another post about the ash auger I stated that it works poorly as it comes from woodmaster. I stand by my former post regardless of what the guy who works for woodmater says. There are not enough holes in the grate for it to work properly no mater how much you stir in it. The unit uses a tremendous amount of wood so you better like cutting wood. I think the wood usage goes along with all outside boilers. The auger and grate can be fixed and I plan to do so before next winter. Some fire brick wouldn't hurt either but I think we are stuck with the wood consumption factor.

 

[ghitch75]

they all like wood!!

 

[HUSKYMAN]

My Woodmaster 4400 has been good to me after one year. No problems. I used a lot of wood, however I bet about 6 cords went to heating my pole barn alone. If I turn off the pole barn I can easily cut my wood use in half and go 24 hours on a full load.

They are good units. If you are just heating a house and hot water plan on using about 6-8 cords and laughing at the propane or oil company

 

[abohac]

Looking for likes/ dislikes/ recommendations. I liked the look and options of this OWB and I get it at a wholesale price!!!:jawdrop: Going to be buying one in the next couple weeks or so and wooooood appreciate your opinions.

THANKS!:greenchainsaw:

I've had one for 7 years now without a single problem. If you can get it wholesale go for it.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I have a 5500 and it's been fantastic. Heat my house (about 4000sq ft.), hot water, and barn (30X40). Don't keep the barn heated all the time just turn on seperate pump when I want heat in there on the weekends.
I went w/o the ash auger and don't mind shoveling the ash every week or two. Use approx. 10cords a year burning from Oct. - May.
Good luck...they all really like wood.

 

[460magnum]

Thats the thing. I don't know if I want to spend all my summers cutting firewood. Right now it is coming really really easy. I am not one that likes wading around in jaggers to get wood and sweating to death. I talked to the dealer in another state again and he told me 4930 plus 500 freight. I know that is a good price but.....

I would primarily be heating my house and occasionally my 30x30 insulated block garage.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I hear ya on the brairs, and sweating part. Just have to figure out what your own labor is worth, OWB's and the amount of wood consumption isn't for everyone. You can always purchase wood, obviously this would make for a much longer pay off of the stove. Prices for wood like everything else is going up.
I actually enjoy every minute I'm in the woods cutting and splitting. It's a nice break away from "normal" work and the wife. For myself I try to work at it throughout the year so I'm never in the mode of "I HAVE TO GET SOME WOOD CUT." I've been successful w/ this approach for the past 4 yrs. An added benefit is that I've been able to enhance the appearance of my 20 acres as well as my neighbor's 40 w/ the clean up of dead wood/trees.
Keep in mind w/ your cost analysis the pricing for PEX pipe, heat exhangers etc...

 

[Butch(OH)]

Thats the thing. I don't know if I want to spend all my summers cutting firewood. Right now it is coming really really easy. I am not one that likes wading around in jaggers to get wood and sweating to death. I talked to the dealer in another state again and he told me 4930 plus 500 freight. I know that is a good price but.....

I would primarily be heating my house and occasionally my 30x30 insulated block garage.

I have steered 10 times the people away from an OWB as I have steered towards one and I am not dissatisfied with mine in any way. I just don't want to see people waste 10 grand. Few, I dare say DARNED few people are ready to process the required 10 plus cords of wood. A better way to understand consumption might be in pick up loads. 10 cords of wood is roughly 20 pick up loads, thrown on, not stacked and rounded up to the top of the rear window, 8' bed. I takes more than casual interest in fire wood to cut 20 pick up loads year after year. Few, again I dare say DARNED few, are ready to be married to their heat system all winter long, meaning the must keep it going all day every day, all winter. I am not passing judgment upon what others do in their spare time but the facts are you must be willing to spend time in the woods and at the wood pile that most would rather spend elsewhere. It takes time and mussel to prepare that much wood unless you have straight logs delivered and process them with a fork lift and a firewood processing machine. If that means summer time because you didnt get that 10 cord done in the winter then that is when you must do it. A wood stove is a far better choice for those with less than total interest in saving money by burning wood IMO.

 

[pipe welder]

Butch hit it dead on the nose. Make darn sure its what you want that's a lot of money to invest in something you're 100% sure of and unless you put antifreeze in the system once it gets below freezing you're locked into burning whether you want to or not, which means you cut wood even if you don't want to. My own preference is to cut this time of year but thats just me I don't like cold and mud.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Of course if you dont want to spend your time cutting wood, you might as well spend it at work earning OT so you can pay for gas, oil, or propane, whatever heats your house. Its not going to go down anytime soon.

Butch is right though, an OWB is like a big boat, they are not for everyone

 

[aandabooks]

I don't have enough of a regular heating bill per month to justify the expense of an OWB but I can tell you that the 5 cords or so that I need per year is quite a few hours doing wood. I can't even imagine being tied to processing a minimum of 10 cords every year. I cut all of my wood in the winter so the bugs and sweat aren't an issue. The cold skin and multiple layers of clothing creates their own issues.

 

[abohac]

Lot of wood

When someone asks about an outdoor wood burner (especially on this site) I just assume they know what they are getting into concerning wood consumption. A BTU is a BTU no matter how or where you get it. I am not married to my wood burner (I have three of them). I do enjoy cutting wood (lots of it) and I knew what I was getting into long before I put one in. My advice to anyone who does not know what the guys who talked about the demands associated with an outdoor wood burner are to think hard about how much wood you are going to need. However, if your wife is like mine, better get a good divorce lawyer when you start throwing wood into your basement (with the always present bugs, dirt and smoke). Have fun!