Wood Is Way Better (Ignorance)

I think the point being made here not about anyone's fanatism. As for myself I don't care what you do for heat. You can stick a shoe string in a can of Crisco and use that if you want to. The point is the reaction one gets from OTHERS who have never thought about using coal, but; show disdain for what you choose to do without any knowledge of the subject at all.

freetown fred wrote:I've already got my tree picked out for that last walk into the woods, then it's off to the crematorium. I wonder if they use wood or coal? ---I mean, is a close minded wood fanatic any different then a coal fanatic????

Ha,ha,ha,ha......beauty Fred. I like Pierre's idea. Just call it anthracite and never mention the "C" word.

And I beleive vicey-versey too. That was my only point. & yes SZ--Pierre's pretty much on top of this stuff.

wsherrick wrote:I think the point being made here not about anyone's fanatism. As for myself I don't care what you do for heat. You can stick a shoe string in a can of Crisco and use that if you want to. The point is the reaction one gets from OTHERS who have never thought about using coal, but; show disdain for what you choose to do without any knowledge of the subject at all.

I love reminding my inlaws after they tell me coal is very deadly and should be outlawed that if thier oil burner exhaust becomes obstructed they now have a nice diesel pick-up smoking in the home. Best part is after I first said this, they proceed to tell me they don't use diesel they use heating oil. WOW. I'm so proud

You guys are all crazy for burning coal. Don't you know it is dusty, smokey, and kills the baby seals?

...says the guy that burns 8-10 tons per year. :bag:

Try living in Minnesota and mentioning coal, lol. Those over maybe age 50 remember burning bit as a child but NOBODY knows, much less has ever heard of anthracite. Some small towns along railways used to have bit but thats been at least 30 years ago since the track left. I do get a lot of questions about burning it though, just out of curiosity, if I mention I burn it. I'm now adding a new coal burner to my state, my Father. I have a Hitzer 55 on order for him. Who says you cant teach an old dog new tricks? He's 75.

If it wasnt for this forum I never would have learned how to burn it myself. Let the others keep cutting and splitting wood.

Outstanding, your father has the good fortune of having a hands on teacher. It don't get no better then that.

Where I live in Ohio (roughly 320 miles from the heart of anthracite country by road) no one has a clue what anthracite is. All I hear is that it will smoke and stink a lot. I've noticed no smoke and no smell. I can't get others to believe the difference between the locally available bit coal and anthracite. One guy I tried to explain it to where I work just shrugged and said "coal is coal". Another chuckled a bit when I said it would be clean burning and said "tell me that again once you have actually started burning it" (which I did).

One guy told me that since I live in an area with well water, that I would be poisoning everyone's wells with my ashes. The farmers around here have probably been doing that for years with all of the junk they put onto their fields, but no one around here thinks about that.

And since wood burning is quite popular, why would coal ashes destroy well water reserves while wood ashes get a free pass? Doesn't the prevailing theory suggest that coal is merely ancient wood and grasses and other plant derived matter that have been compressed underground for 10's to 100's of millions of years?

Here is the conversation so far I think I chose the higher road let me know what you all think...
In responce to the picture my friend posted

Me-wood/coal? you should burn coal.

Him-Jason-I think I'd rather have wood cooking my food than coal...just saying, I think they are designed for wood.

Me-@ scott, Waterford does and did make coal burning models which is why I asked and whats wrong with coal. I heat my house with a 1909 glenwood base heater coal stove, I have burned wood in the past and would never go back. Anyways beautiful stove jamie after all the antique stoves I have restored someday I will have my antique stove shop I want.

Him-Heating with coal is fine Jason....I personally don't want my food or family's food cooked in its heat and residual smoke...like cherry wood smoked as opposed to slow coal roasted chicken.

Me-Burning coal produces no smoke the only bi product of antracite coal burning is sulfur dioxide. Which is one of the reasons I love it so much no creosote. I would"maybe" understand the concern if you cooked on an open coal fire. But most of these old "well made" stoves contrary to popular belief are designed to be air tight. The majority of the cook stove from antiquity were coal fired for a reason. Antique coal stoves are kinda my thing and if this stove is a dual fuel you will get the most potential using antricite coal..anywhoo It's been a fun debate what a beautiful piece of history from a time when craftsmanship mattered...

My well water is fine here.

Convince a man against his will
He will be of the same opinion still.

I don't even have an oil tank in my house. I am committed to coal. No coal..... were cold. Have coal.........were toasty.

warminmn wrote:Try living in Minnesota and mentioning coal, lol. Those over maybe age 50 remember burning bit as a child but NOBODY knows, much less has ever heard of anthracite. Some small towns along railways used to have bit but thats been at least 30 years ago since the track left. I do get a lot of questions about burning it though, just out of curiosity, if I mention I burn it. I'm now adding a new coal burner to my state, my Father. I have a Hitzer 55 on order for him. Who says you cant teach an old dog new tricks? He's 75.

If it wasnt for this forum I never would have learned how to burn it myself. Let the others keep cutting and splitting wood.

That's right Minnisota,

Same here in Maine. We had train tracks that ran into the blueberry barrens and for lumbering. You could walk along those tracks and pick up buckets of bit coal. Up here, that's was "coal" is/was. Anthracite might as well be nuclear fision. All I know is that someone I know pretty well has a woodsplitter for sale.

That was one of my fathers jobs on the way to school in Wilmington,De. Walk the tracks w/ his American Flyer wagon & pick up coal the trains had dropped on his way home.