Anyone here using an outdoor wood furnace?

http://www.nextlevelsolutionz.com/

Interesting product.
How long would it take to recoup the cost - lets say, if you bought the $4300 model?
(with and w/o having to buy wood/fuel)

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

Watch / Check local codes.

Read something recently, couple installed one, several years ago, and may have to shut it down as it no longer meets "new" zoning.

People complain about the smoke, and smell.

So has to be ? away from windows, chimney has to be ? high .....

Some areas are getting real picky about them, but the people that had them loved them.

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KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.

My uncle has one in ME, he bought some kit and expanded it. He does have an unlimited (for all intents and purposes) supply of free hardwood trees so that really helps recoup the costs. If the zoning here would permit one I'd probably go that route.

Our truck driver has an indoor wood furnace (I haven't seen it) that he supplies heat and hot water to in a duplex.

The nice thing with the outdoor one is the dirt, dust, bugs and mess are away from the house. The downside is that you have to venture out to stoke it. Depending on where you live and what kind of storms you get could influence that decision.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Its not for everyone. But I think in my case at the ranch where I have just about an unlimited supply of free wood and no zoning regs it would be great.

I don't think they are as efficient as a smaller wood stove but loading it every 12-24 hrs appeals to me.
Plus, most of these will take a 36" unsplit log so, less work with the chainsaw, splitter. And, the mess is outdoors. Indoor wood heat is dirty.

In my case I would use it in a hydronic radiant floor system. Backup will be a heatpump when its too nasty out/too lazy to stoke up the fire.

The domestic hot water loop would be nice also.

I would definitely do it in your case. As far as the burning process goes they are actually rather efficient but the heat loss occurs over the length of the plumbing from the furnace to the house. Unlimited, free wood more than makes up for that inefficiency!

Less labor to make the wood ready for burning is a definite plus, too!

Just out of curiosity, do you know what a split cord of wood goes for in your area? Up here it ranges from $170 (for the cash-only, fly-by-night guys) to $210 from the tree companies. I can get it for $145 (or free for a half day's worth of splitting) which is why I'm putting a wood-stove insert, with electric circulating fan, in my fireplace. My house really isn't set up right for a true wood stove, but I hope to rectify that with an addition in a couple of years.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

My parents have had one similar for the last 10-15 years or so. They've really enjoyed it. It was much cheaper than electricity and baseboard heaters were back then (3000 ft2 house). My borther and I have spent no inconsiderable amount of time chopping, hauling and stacking wood. The only problem is that now my parents are getting on in years and its become difficult to stoke the furnace a couple of times a day. I think they'll eventually move to mini-splits throughout the house.

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-livin' in the terminally flippant zone

Not sure what a cord cost here but I'll ask around.

I have a cord stacked now plus two cut that I need to move and stack. Plus several large branches down that need to be cut. Just picking up will keep me in firewood. I ususally end up giving some away.

I've even had thoughts of a small steam engine running a generator. Although, I don't think I want to be stoking THAT much.

The only drawback to those things is if you have neighbors down wind, so you are a perfect candidate. A lot of people like them because you can burn greener wood and not really worry about chimney fires... I would look at every unit on the market before you go with one particular brand, but the most important feature might be a local dealer or a good parts/ service dept. you can trust to help you out when you need it.

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-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showpost.php?p=831799&postcount=13
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showpost.php?p=831807&postcount=14

Here's a video of a "Garn" furnace. Clean burning, cool exhaust so it must extract all the heat from the burn.

They claim a 2 1/2 hr burn froma small bundle of wood heats a 5100sq ft house for twenty four hours.

Amazing.

http://www.dectra.net/garn/Movie.htm

That's pretty cool. Looks like it's using some of the same principles found in the high efficiency gas furnaces in use now. Just installed one of those here and I'm anxiously awaiting the gas bill for the last month. The house has been nice and warm though...

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-livin' in the terminally flippant zone