Every weekend I check the classified ads in my newspaper and I'm totally amazed at how many used woodstoves are for sale for around $200. These are all people who have no clue about Y2K!!! And this is March 1999!!!! Can you believe that?

I personally found a woodstove fireplace insert for $100 and then asked him what would be the least he would take for it and he said $80. This was a thousand dollar unit in "like new" condition! Go check your newspapers and save big money on a woodstove!!!

Then I found a factory that makes "Trusses" for building roofs on homes. They have a big pile of free firewood every day. Check your yellow pages for these kind of companies to get your free firewood!

-- Freddie the Freeloader (freddie@aol.com), March 14, 1999

Answers

We have two fireplaces that we've used for "atmosphere", not for heat.

I recently purchased two cords of wood in anticipation of using it for heat.

What kind of insert is best for reflecting the heat? One, of course, that doesn't need an elctric blower.

-- sawyer (sawyer@chopwood.com), March 14, 1999.

Freddie; Thanks for the good insights. Dental hygienist told me last month that her husband died and she got rid of the filthy wood stove and gave the firewood away. I sat in stunned silence. Just thought that any y2k comment would be useless. Sad stuf! Beste wensen,

-- Watchful (seethesea@msn.com), March 14, 1999.

FWIW, and realizing the source of this comment (the guy I bought my new woodstove from), told me that lots of woodstoves end up for sale because fixing them (gaskets, etc.) can be as expensive as replacing them. It can also be more of a hassle getting used stoves inspected once installed.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), March 14, 1999.

In my haste to buy a wood/cook stove, I jumped at the first one I saw in the trading paper. How could I resist when the price was $50? When I called, the lady told me it was a new stove, so my husband and I drove the 40 miles very hurriedly before someone else beat us to it. I should have known he might be some kind of dealer when I saw duplicates of other things for sale in his front yard. He mentioned he bought close-out hardware items and "this y2k thing was keeping him really busy." But economics overruled common sense and we bought the stove. It was small and obviously "new" and fit nicely in the van. When we got home and I inspected it a little further, I saw "CHINA" written on one end. I'm thinking about reselling it and getting a more substantial one. FWIT, be careful about what you're buying. Mary

-- Mary (SWEEP6@prodigy.net), March 14, 1999.

Some of us DO NOT RECOMMEND using scrap construction wood for burning as most of it has been treated with various chemicals and y'all don't wanna be inside the house with these guys. (You know, fungicides, mold kilers, etc.)

just my $.02

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (reinzoo@en.com), March 14, 1999.