Pellet Stove

[mtman]

 Long story short, our house was bought last year which was in our family for 43 years. We had built an outside wood burner which had 10 tons or so of sand for heat storage and had 200' copper 1/2 pipe carrying the water to base board heaters. Worked so well over 25 years that it spoiled us as far as heating cost.
Now I am renting a trailer for a couple years till I can start building a small place myself and will keep it around 5-700 feet total. Looking at something with a loft for sleeping. Last winter killed us on heating cost being all electric and ran $400 a month for the coldest parts.
My plans were to by a wood stove to put in now, with the idea of moving it to the cabin when ready to move. But alas, the insurance company is telling the owner that they may let us go with a pellet stove. So that changes things a bit as I haven't paid much attention to the pellet stoves. A couple people I know that have them like them, and being older like being free of the wood cutting and chores.
I need some good advise and any input from any of you that use them. Also though of buying a wood stove and getting those steel baskets and just burning the pellets while using it here, would that be worth while or not??

Thanks for any input.

[glenn kangiser]

I think the Toyo or Rinnai oil heaters that will burn off road diesel are the best bet.  Around 98% efficient - cost us only a couple hundred a year at today's prices to heat our other house.  Do not consider a Monitor - unsafe , unreliable and unrepairable.

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=997.0

Previous discussion -- looks like Al's is possibly out of business - not on the net now - he was in bad health.

[MountainDon]

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=4325.msg52425#msg52425

[Pox Eclipse]

Also though of buying a wood stove and getting those steel baskets and just burning the pellets while using it here, would that be worth while or not??

Won't work, pellets require a forced draft to burn efficiently.  Without a combustion fan, they will just smolder at best, and not throw very much heat.

[upa]

 ???Last year when I was too lazy to get up in the middle of the night to get more wood I used pellets in my wood stove without a basket. I just threw in a couple of scoops. They burned very hot and quite quite well without any forced air. Can't say this will work for everyone but I keep a couple bags handy to supplement my wood burns.