Compressed Sawdust Blocks vs. Real Firewood

[@HometownAcres]

***Amazon Affiliate Link to Blow Torch and Infrared Thermometer www.amazon.com/shop/hometownacres

[@GeoffryWK]

$107 for both. Not bad.

[@WheepingWillow2]

WHAT IS THAT SAWDUST DERIVED FROM. TREATED WOOD IS POISONOUS. THANKS

[@WheepingWillow2]

BTW, WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR BURNER, TWO, HOW MUCH WOULD DO YOU GO THROUGH IN A WINTER?

[@unarealtaragionevole]

I guess my question is do we need to compare the same type of sawdust to the same type of wood? I guess I don't know enough about this, but wouldn't the type of wood being used in to make the sawdust affect the results just as much as the wood being burned? You mention using a better quality would in a future test, but wouldn't you need a better quality sawdust also for a fair comparison?

[@hildebertocarreiro9232]

Try solar heating. Or candle heater convection heater

[@NSResponder]

The great thing about the sawdust bricks is that they're making use of what's normally just waste.

[@kencleg7721]

Absolutely

[@KingRatt]

Pellets also.

[@brianwhite1650]

Still paying the man!

[@crosisofborg5524]

It’s not really waste since sawdust can be used in a composting toilet or added to your compost bin to make fertilizer.

[@lostintransit3359]

Having worked in a lumber mill myself, sawdust is rarely waste. Most lumber mills use the sawdust to fire the kilns for drying lumber.

[@cindym4421]

Hi Adam , just found you today. I’m one of those 70 year olds that has mobility issues and can’t chop or carry wood anymore for my wood burning stove. I haven’t used it for a few years. So for me these bio bricks seem to be a great alternative for me. I thank you for this video. You really explained everything very well. Thanks!

[@HometownAcres]

Thank you Cindy. Glad you found the video informative

[@charger7022]

I have an old neighbor that wants to swap to a pellet stove but obviously there is work and expense in that. I wonder how these bricks in a wood burner compare to a pellet stove and buying wood pellets. Thanks

[@prenticecrerar1441]

14:42 Perhaps you should do a retrial and weigh the wood and the blocks. Also compare moisture content. The blocks I use quote the kWh/h per kg. You don't get that with logs .I'm in Scotland. You could also do a comparison with a kiln dried single species like birch. Have fun. I did enjoy the video. I have burnt Norwegian standard kiln dried birch, compressed blocks and I have my own logs when seasoned. I don't have the time/opportunity to do what you're doing so appreciate the video.

[@KcCorey]

They are

[@EternallyGod]

Should of been closer with your family, you took care of them and now they would of taken care of you.

[@richardbutler5893]

When comparing wood species for heat production, it’s important to remember that a pound of any wood ,regardless of species, creates the same amount of heat measured in btu’s. The moisture content is the big variable because the moisture has to be boiled out of the wood and ends up going up the chimney as water vapor. You will note that the heavier species seem to give off more heat but that is because of their density. Weight is the best way to compare how much heat you will get from a volume of wood as long as the moisture content of the two species are equal.

[@nikoripollk]

That is a relevant point to consider! Additionally, it is important to keep test conditions comparable. You should have removed the embers from the firewood and re-ignite a-new the stove with the same tinder configuration. This way you mitigate the effect of the residual heat from the logs in the data from the compressed bricks. You can refer to the standard test method described in the BS EN 16510-1:2022 to get more details on how to perform a performance evaluation on residential solid fuel burning appliances. Overall, it is a great work that you are doing and it would be great to see more like this. Keep on!

[@ninjasmoke100]

You are correct 1 pound of wood generate 7000 BTU’s It doesn’t matter what kind of wood it is. Bulk, for example is more dense than conifers. Oak weighs twice as much as most comforters so you’re gonna get at least twice the heat out of oak than you will with conifer trees. Obviously, we are talking about dry wood not wet wood.

[@seldoon_nemar]

it would be really interesting to take a moisture probe to a bio brick, get some wood at that moisture content, weight the two, and re-do the test

[@splashpit]

You buy firewood by the ton so weight is the way !

[@MrTurboSAAB1]

What is pound and what is btu? There is kg and kW/h

[@jimb7978]

I'm going on 75 and still go out into the woods and cut firewood and come home and split by hand with a maul. Yes, I enjoy the outdoors and the physical activity. It keeps me going -- I have about 2 to 3 yrs worth of firewood and still go out when I find decent wood. Nice video!!

[@daleval2182]

Good man

[@aldiminico6513]

My brother bought 2 pallets of Bio Bricks and loved them. The company pulled up to the house with a truck and Forklift and drove them right into his garage. No mess and no bugs👍

[@Liangzhuotang]

Oh wow. How far was it from the store and how much it cost you?

[@TigerLeadFont5]

no mess? Clearly he hasnt used them for long, you end up with sawdust bits everywhere after a while.

[@shikarisahib6054]

@@TigerLeadFont5 Not true Open each carton in a woodbox and excess sawust goes nowhere--I have used them and a little care avoids the mess you talk of.

[@kagnewmp12]

Well I am 70 and I cut my own firewood for over 50 years and most of that time I enjoyed doing it but now I have a Furnace a Wood stove and a Pellet stove. I now purchase my firewood already split and seasoned for at least a year after being split. I pay some local Amish boys to unload and stack at least 2 tons of pellets plus 2 pallets of these fire bricks into my Mud room so I can burn wood or pellets all day and late at night before this Old Man turns in I put 8 to 10 bricks on the hot coals and my house stays comfy warm all night. Thanks for the Video Young Man and enjoy everything in life and don't blink because 70 will creep up on you faster than you can believe.

[@wabwee60]

‘I’d think about using the sawdust bricks, if I was seventy years old’. Hey, ease up on the ageism Adam ! Being 73 years old I greatly enjoy felling, bucking, splitting, stacking, drying and finally burning my own firewood. Nothing like it for a feeling of accomplishment/cheating the system by obtaining ‘free’ fuel/having a gentle, gym membership free, workout. You have a great channel, keep ‘em coming.

[@AudiophileTommy]

Amen !

[@HometownAcres]

Haha thanks wabwee60

[@markknister6272]

😮 careful with us old duffers…😊

[@foreverbrownsfan]

Love the comparisons and number crunching you do. Of course, I’m retired and don’t live in a ‘metrics measured’ world of work. I’m 71 and have about a half day (per day) of physical labor to offer my wife and adult kids.😉

[@brianhillis3701]

Got rid of my wood furnace. I can do everything and enjoy it. My wife cannot hope to even load the furnace. Much less clean, cut wood, split it, stack it and move it. He is making a point not attributing it to everyone. My dad was topping trees in his 80s. At 97 firewood is too difficult for him now.

[@coreyrominger9157]

My grandpa used to collect sawdust from work and local factories and pour it in to large cardboard tubes compress it with a hammer and board. Burns long time and starts easy

[@adamsdad6976]

You are right! Most people would not take the time to compare each type of fuel’s burn time and average temperatures. Maybe not even the manufacturer. What you did was to do the homework and to provide the rationale for people contemplating the purchase of enviro bricks as a heat source. Great job Adam!

[@dundonrl]

Guess you've never heard of the Pellet fuels institute, that absolutely measures moisture, burn quality, clinker etc of various fuels.

[@bettypearson5570]

I definitely appreciate you testing this for us. I am a 66 yo woman and while i still can chop wood my goal is to live independently as long as possible and am looking to things i can implement that will enable me to do so. I will start making these with waste products and while i like the crackle of a wood fire, creating these in advance of need will ensure that even if i dont want to use them today, if i have problems hauling wood tomorrow i will still have the ability to heat my home and reduce waste at the same time.

[@pmiller9203]

Hello Betty, I too am a 66 yo woman. Moving to a rural area in WA in about a year. Good to hear that if I put my mind (and body) to it, it would be possible for me to chop some wood. I think I will be using compressed logs as they are a waste product and burn a lot cleaner. But, I too will miss the crackle of a wood fire!

[@bettypearson5570]

@@pmiller9203 I grew up in Washington and while I miss the way it was and the beauty, I will never return Hope you enjoy your new life there.

[@2cpr4]

I mix in the blocks with firewood throughout the winter. They're nice and burn clean with very little ash. Very easy to get started. Menards in Ohio has these packs for around $3.50 each which I think is a really good value.

[@goodfes]

Same here, mix them together. If I see a good deal for the compressed blocks that I know I like then I grab as many as I can. The prices for packs of them have varied wildly here in the UK over the last couple of years. I tried the waste coffee ground blocks last year. and there is a faint smell of coffee outside the house!

[@TenSpeed2007]

I live in Chicago, Menards is the way to go. The ones they sell always last the longest, light the easiest, and burn the best. They are usually $2.50-$3.00 per bundle. I've tried ones from HD and Lowes and didn't care for their performance or cost for that matter.

[@immacul8perceptions]

Swinging an ax splitting your own wood and enjoying the warmth. Cathartic, relaxing, and satisfying.

[@ÁrvoresEmadeiras]

I relied on bio bricks alone for a winter in Vermont, they work well but it's a nightmare to start the fire without wood, I think it doesn't last as long if you dont have a nice bed of coals from wood. The bricks wont make a bed of coals because they desintegrate.

[@JA-hn3to]

I do also use BIO BRICKS and use dura flame logs as fire starter. The dura flame logs are broken down and use a hand full of what is waxed cardboard and starts the bricks fairly easily.

[@ÁrvoresEmadeiras]

@@JA-hn3to interesting, I moved out of the US, back to southern Brazil, I'll be using wood again, winters here are very mild comparing to Vermont.

[@lucybarrington4634]

I use bio bricks alone in Vermont too. I love them. I do make some kindling from pallets but I also use fatwood. I run the stove almost continuously so restarts aren’t that big a problem. Gotta go feed the stove! 😊

[@JohnBorgfjord]

That’s very true. He did add the bio bricks to a healthy big chunks of coals from the real firewood.

[@bholdr----0]

In my (admittedly limited) experience, when sawdust is pressed, one can add a binder like paraffin lamp oil, or just wax from candle stubs, etc- it's a DIY Duraflame log, and if one has access to sawdust, it's basically free. I've tried it with moderate success. Thanks for the tips. I used a bench vise and a shop made mold to make a few a while ago- I think it worked only due to adding the binder. (The one made with bacon grease smelled great, too 😃)

[@ValTek_Armory]

I like using beeswax when making compressed cardboard blocks. Cheap and smells nice when burning

[@brikkijim]

@@ValTek_Armory while they are all good binders the are not good for clay flue liners. The residue can build up and eventually catch on fire. Straight pressed with a little flour/water mixture is much better for chimney. btw I'm a mason.

[@ncopp4358]

@@brikkijim Good to know. Thanks!

[@leonmaliniak]

From a scientific point of view you cannot really draw a definitive conclusion from these tests because you have not adequately controlled or isolated the variables in play enough, such as the WEIGHT of the two materials. Also you have used an awful lot of wood in either case so it is no mystery that they burn very hot, where 700 degrees is not really necessary to heat a relatively standard sized room, but in neither case did they burn for that long, where 4-5 hours is not that impressive considering the huge amount of material you used. Instead, from a convenience and economic point of view it would be more instructive to see the performance comparisons with LESS wood being stacked to start. Also, to make a more realistic and relevant test for a LONG and/or hot burn, the test could have included UNSPLIT, whole round logs which burn for much longer then split wood. In my older wood burning, non catalytic stove I only put in at most two well sized logs at night on a good bed of coals and it burns more than hot enough for hours and hours to heat a two storey, 1,000 square foot home. Could you do your test again using ROUND UNSPLIT logs ?

[@bholdr----0]

@@leonmaliniak Great post! (Had to read it twice). Cheers.

[@randalltaylor3448]

Adam, your comparison videos have a lot of value for those who cannot do the work. Keep up the good work!

[@guykargl7059]

Fantastic test. I own a sawmill and I am going to start making these sawdust bricks out of my excess sawdust!

[@robertshank8412]

A number of my friends ask me why I bother to do certain things. I do it because I'm naturally curious. I just want the answer. I think what you do is great because you seek answers to what are very simple questions. At the very least, you are setting yourself apart from a lot of other content creators. Keep up the good work.

[@AdamsMom921]

Perfect comment. Adam comes up with his different viewpoint because of growing up with a father that compares everything!!! All decisions are based on looking at your options and then figuring out which one is best. Most of the time it works out. 😊

[@Masterchief68]

Funny, this brings back memories of making fire logs out of rolled newspaper back in the sixties and seventies!

[@randiegadberry5448]

Hey, I’m 77 years old and I still cut my own firewood and run my own sawmill. You’re only as old as you feel and think. Greetings from northern Idaho.

[@portnuefflyer]

After a friend did a video on my home made wood boiler, I was amazed at all the comments about "how much work it must be to cut the wood," people are lazy I guess, a lot of the younger ones anyway, I'm 74.

[@davidmorgan9095]

@@portnuefflyer David Morgan, yeah well I got yall beat, I am 78 and Stihl cut quite a bit of wood....However, I much rather use my 180 instead of my 066....Ha Ha...

[@palco22]

No. 1 You didn't waste any one's time. No. 2 This makes for a good base of information on heating with a wood burning stove both for those who do heat with wood and for those who are thinking of heating with wood. No. 3 Simple easy to understand video. Great work. 👍👍

[@steenfraosterbro3268]

I got a pallet of these bricks 2 year ago. Had them stacked outside under a lean too. long story short we had a heavy rain storm with high wind, and they literally doubled in size and never really dried out again. I'm now back to real wood.

[@KingRatt]

Same wit any particle board, osb, pellets, whatever you must keep it dry.

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

You shoulda painted them ... duh !! 🙄😅 😎👍☘🍺

[@lunderdragon]

If you stored them properly you would've been fine. Try setting a couple on top of your stove while it's on, maybe put a few small pieces of kindling down first and put the bio bricks on top of them, I wouldn't recommend putting them directly on the stove. Not only will it dry out the bricks but it'll reintroduce moisture back into the air (a common issue when using wood burning stoves)

[@kerrimtthefrog1001]

@@peterfitzpatrick7032with some good ol lead paint😋

[@nickc7320]

The advantage of these things are no bugs

[@joestuckmeyer7586]

Full time Woodworker here. I personally burn my sawdust. Mostly because it saves me from having to buy firewood, but it’s also the fun part of cleaning up my workshop. So to each their own. Edit: Also, you don’t need a hydraulic press. If you want to make your own sawdust bricks here is what I do. 1.) I use a rectangular wooden box I made out of wood. (Any Brick Shaped Box will do as long as you have side access to compact it.) 2.) Take your sawdust mixed with water and compact it into the box with a piece of wood and a clamp for better compacted pressure. 3.) Remove it from the box and let it fully dry for about a week 4.) Now you have a Sawdust Brick! There are people who say you need to add other things to the sawdust mixture to make the brick more structured, but personally I don’t see any difference. You’re burning it anyways and why waste more materials if you don’t have to

[@alanj7306]

I’ve seen people use the compressed bricks before and they have liked them. Personally, I’d prefer using real firewood, but each one has their pros and cons. I’m actually surprised how well the bricks did. Adam, great test and a great way to start my Sunday morning 👍

[@HometownAcres]

Thanks Alan

[@TenSpeed2007]

I like the bricks for throwing in before going to bed. You load up your stove, go to bed, and when you wake up, your house is still decently warm. I also like the bricks for campfires, when I'm just looking for a fire, not a bonfire.

[@Notzen238]

Thanks for doing this. Nice to get this info for those of us who don’t have small back yards where chopping wood or storing a cord of wood just isn’t going to work. Wood fires still have a great look that pellets or bricks can’t match.

[@PurpleCollarLife]

1st of all, Doug looks amazing for 70 years old! :) Our test/analysis/review videos about these Bio bricks have been some of the best performing videos on our channel. There's certainly a place for them. I enjoyed your plot lines on the chart showing the temperature. I was surprised how much cooler a standard wood stove burns than our catalytic combustion stove.

[@Jeff13mer]

As someone who's going into scientific community, I enjoyed your process and the way you tried to account for variables like starting temperature. Keep up the good work!

[@dougtravins9624]

Well, I for one, really enjoyed your test. I'm 78 years old and have always cut split and burned my firewood. I averaged about 4 cords/year, but sometimes had to buy some locally, if my work week and other activities didn't allow for me to get all my own cut. But this past year, I bought one cord in the spring, and bought these fuel blocks to try out. And I have to say, I agree with everything you said. Even though I am lucky to be in pretty good shape, at my age I wanted to start taking it easy, hoping to prolong my health. (Sold my 2 Stihl chainsaws and bought an electric chainsaw for emergencies). Using the fuel blocks, mixed in with the firewood I bought, worked great. I will prolly buy another cord, or two, this May, and order a pallet of the 12 pack fuel blocks, because they burned so well. The bonus for me is that my wife can easily handle the blocks, where some of the firewood pieces were awkward and heavy for her to handle. BTW, I use a propane combi-boiler when it's too warm out to start a fire but chilly inside. YMMV. Thanks

[@roncar1761]

Hi Doug, you got lucky 13yr on me. I am smiling on all of the young (snot noes punks 😊) folks NOT knowing what YMMV means. Goes to prove we where ahead of our time back in the 70's IMO! (IN MY OPINION) 🤣

[@ohsweetmystery]

Taking it easy is not the best way to live longer.

[@0ptimal]

I know family likes to pressure older parents to slow down, but from what i understand its not often a good idea. Activity is what keeps us tip top in old age. I watched my step dad live to 84, while 82 of them were very active, always outside doing stuff, as soon as he succumbed to the pressure to take it easy he started deteriorating. I mean it was quick. One year he was wondering why it is that old people cant get off the ground, and the next he was one of them, and all he did was decrease his physical activity, quite a bit. Just some thoughts, reminded me of my step dad n wished id have known what i know now.

[@formerevolutionist]

This reminds me a lot of when I was a kid. My dad bought a cast iron wood burning stove for our addition. We would spend at least two months collecting, cutting, splitting, and stacking wood. During the winter, it was my job to tend to the fire. I liked it because I liked playing with fire and this was a good outlet for my pyromania.

[@nealtubbs9608]

Great comparison. I cut my own firewood and live burning wood. I recently bought a Solo stove and it burns great with firewood but I picked up a pack of the sawdust bricks to try out because when I go mobile with the Solo it would be much easier to transport the bricks as fuel. I haven’t tried them yet though.

[@morgan79347]

I'm 75 + & not afraid of work. Years ago I built my own splitter (4') out of scrap, used a craftsman electric chain saw to cut to length. Well the oil finally broke down the housing but the motor is still strong.Now days if I buy fire wood I buy it green& wait to dry as dry fire wood is insane. I'm looking at the bio bricks, bio logs (oversized pellet) as my supplemental source of heat. Enjoyed the video with the in-depth analysis.

[@morgan79347]

Sorry going on 76

[@MW-bz1qe]

Adam, Thank you once again for these great videos. I use these Bio Blocks for inside the house only because of the ability to store a ton or more in the basement for years without any mess or bugs. Also I only need to clean out the fireplace insert a few times all season because of almost no ash left behind. I still burn thru about 3 cords out in the workshop of traditionally cut firewood that I process myself . I absolutely still enjoy the whole act of cutting and splitting firewood to keep me active and knowing that i have the ability to supply heat to my workshop as well as the house no matter what is going on in our crazy world ! Your channel has become one of my favorites as I have unsubscribed to another channel who is in your neck of the woods, they seem to focus more on bragging about all of their latest equipment purchases, where you keep it simple for us simple guys who never in a million years will own dozens of brand new shiny pieces of machinery . Of course Neighbor Doug's channel is gaining some traction as well ! Thank you.

[@robdabiere651]

Hmmmm I just unsubscribed from a channel like that too LOL!! Just subscribed to Adams as well! The other guy is off his rocker shame what he's become.

[@shikarisahib6054]

Excellent video. I am 80 this year and can no longer chop and stack.We have our own bio brick factory here in Nova Scotia so I will be burning them in future.

[@briananderson7497]

The one thing missing was you were comparing bundle firewood vs bulk firewood. $5 for a bundle meant for a campfire is a lot more than bulk firewood bought by the cord. Otherwise, pretty much what I expected. Good job.

[@nunya3163]

Yup, when you do the math for cordwood, the bio bricks cost 2 1/2 times as much.

[@brucea550]

@@nunya3163 he said the bundle is 1 cubic foot, but it looks like at least 1.5 cf, and maybe more like 2. If so, that’s $320 a cord, which isn’t that high.

[@davidkramer6585]

At a convenience store in my area they sell a piddly bag of firewood for $7.99, about enough to roast a bag of marshmallows.

[@benjaminbrewer2154]

​@@brucea550depends on area, locally you might get 200 for a cord on the high side 150 on the low side. Haul it toward the cities and you can get a better price.

[@gailmrutland6508]

*I have been working with wood stoves for well over 50 years in Vermont. Many of the stoves I had were pre compliant, grossly inefficient and wood choice was the difference of a good night sleep or a mid night interruption. I like working with Red Oak because of its superior coaling attributes but for highest output Shagbark Hickory and Swamp Maple have the most BTU's although you need lots of muscle and good technique to split them. Fast forward to today the stoves are way more efficient and a good chain saw and hydraulic splitter make a world of difference (still bust wood to keep in shape though). GREAT VIDEO THANKS!*

[@richarddabkowski2896]

I think the best, or at least an interesting way to compare, would be by weight. Most woods give off the same BTUs per pound, perhaps give the cord wood an extra 10% weight as the water content will be higher than the bricks

[@rehanb637]

Also testing sawdust made from the same timber being burned would be interesting. I generate a lot of sawdust cutting timber and if it burns just as good I might start pressing it into bricks.

[@conradcordova6061]

The test needs to be conducted by weight of firewood vs. weight of sawdust brick and they need to be the same species of trees. The other thing is this test only tested the peak heat and duration of burn. To be fair you would need a laboratory controlled environment where you could measure the total BTU’s of heat output which most of us don’t have. The test is good but not a fair comparison. For example I suspect five pounds of cut/split oak would yield the same BTU’s as five pounds of compressed oak sawdust. There is only so much energy something can give off. Cost per pound may go to split firewood for the cheaper option but am not sure.

[@572Btriode]

@@conradcordova6061 Wouldn't price per kW/hr be more meaningful ?

[@woodman4581]

That's what I was thinking. Weight seems like the obvious place to start. Sure, there are some other variables that might determine how they burn, but without a very controlled testing environment, the difference would be hard to quantify. I bet that pack of bricks weighs pretty close to the bundled firewood that is twice the size. No empty space. I also wonder what the difference is between a pallet of bricks vs a truckload of cordwood. Both price and weight.

[@TheTsunamijuan]

between the amount of sawdust I make, from my woodworking projects for myself and others. Making My own biobricks is actually a great option. After Such a cold winter too, I am done with having an unheated shop. So I am currently in the process of fixing the leaks and insulting my shop. Than Likely putting a wood stove in it. Being able to burn the waste in a useful manner should be a real time saver too. Thanks for the time you put into this, and sharing your results with us. I appreciate it!

[@diffened]

If you want to keep working in your shop, I would recommend against insulting it. You don't want to get your shop pissed off at you.

[@TheTsunamijuan]

@@diffened Touche' :)

[@OneEyeCustoms]

Tim!!!!! Loved it #Binford I guess that makes me Wilson now?

[@HometownAcres]

Yeah but you only need a 3ft tall fence to need to stand on your top toes 🤣

[@OneEyeCustoms]

@@HometownAcres lol

[@privateuploads-geo2625]

I’m 70+ and still cut, haul, split, And stack my firewood too… very satisfying; love being outdoors; love not having a heating bill or being dependent on a utility company; i sharpen my own chains and i love having my house 75 degrees in winter. No comparison to any other heat.

[@Underpantsniper]

I think a better comparison would have been by weight instead of volume.

[@michaeljohnston8218]

Appreciate the time spent on the study. Was looking at using the compressed bricks in solo stove. Thanks again!

Those bricks are really nice, I used similar ones for over a decade when I was heating with wood. regarding Ash content, burn rate and energy content there is quite some variation between different brands and products, so your mileage may vary by a lot. You meintioned having a woodshop - depending on how much you run it you might have enough sawdust to make your own bricks, same goes for all the sawdust you create when cutting up your firewood. it adds up uver time, There are many designs available that can be built at very reasonable prices.

[@tonydgo24]

We appreciate the comparison. It's always nice to see the real data behind certain things we use on a daily basis. My father-in-law uses a wood-burning stove and does carpentry. He uses the byproduct of carpentry to make those bricks for his stove. Excellent use of resources.

[@Catskillwood]

I’ve made similar comparisons, and have a few things to add, good and bad. My primary interest was as a backstop in bad weather and for overnight burning. I find the bricks better for burning low and slow. If I damp down to a level that logs might not burn completely the bricks just burn all night rather than going out. BUT you have to have a great bed of hardwood coals to do that. The hardwood equivalent means a full stove that burns too hot and fast at first to have the wood needed to burn for 8 hours. I find them better for overnight. Some disadvantages in addition to cost: - storage. They have to be dry, dry, dry. No leaving them out with a tarp once the pallet wrapper is removed. My basement garage is limited space. I keep 2 pallets in there and that is a lot of space. - Dust. If you open a sealed bag of 3 there is a lot of sawdust. Worse than wood junk and more fine. - Transport. A pallet is a ton and equivalent to a cord of wood - about. If you have the ability to move 2,000 lbs from where you buy it and into where you store it that’s great. If not, you do a lot of block stacking with the occasional leak of sawdust. See above. I used a flatbed that could handle 4,000 lbs for two pallets but my tractor could only handle about 800 lbs with forks and the extra pallet to move them. So I had to remove the wrapping, stack about 1/3 of the bricks on another pallet, move them in the basement with a pallet jack. The next 2 loads had to be stacked on the pallet on the tractor and then stacked again at the storage location. Using them is easier as I haul one up for overnight burns. - Grated stoves. They can fall apart as the burn down in a grated bottom stove at the end. I have two stoves in the house. My big one is a fancy Vermont Castings with a great. Big. I am reluctant to burn it in there because under the grate is sheet metal for ash removal. The manufacturer also explicitly says not to burn them in there. - They are not very attractive to watch burn. Hard to beat a roaring fire behind glass or even a damped down one with those ephemeral, ghost-like, burns of the trapped gasses that look like trapped northern lights. Other pluses: - They last forever if DRY. I have some 4 years old. - They stack very tight bur you really need a pallet jack to move them around as they are pretty dense compared to conventional firewood. - No vermin. Mice, bugs, snakes,even an occasional porcupine or ermine will live or hang out in or near my woodpile. None seem interested in these bricks in the basement. I still like them for low and slow but now I go through about a half pallet a year. Best on the shoulders of the seasons when an overnight fire is called for but not super cold. That has been my experience over 4 winters trying them in various stoves. Great overnight in a flat bottom stove without grates.

[@jeanvaljohn3921]

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Very helpfull

[@markwinsor446]

I've toyed with the idea of makng my own compressed wood bricks. Make a slurry with shredded newspaper, maybe get a used french fry basket, make a form around it with concrete, make a press I could step on, pop em' out, put em' on a rack built on the woodstove to dry them. THAT would be a cool experment. Loved your video!!

[@Sapoman2211]

So, a while ago I encountered some logs that seemed to be a compressed combination of coal dust and shredded grain stalks or corn stalks or something. These logs were quite exceptional. However, I don't know that you could burn them in a stove like this - we burned them in a very, very old traditional wood stove.

[@KarlHeckman]

thank you for this. I use a wood burning tent stove in hunting camp and am always interested in getting a longer burn. Natural wood supply is tricky, wood is often wet and a pain to gather and reduce to usable size. If I bring my own precut to size now I need another pickup just to haul enough wood. These sawdust bricks will solve three problems for me at a minor cost for the 10 days a year I'll use them. Thanks again.

[@armyofshea7941]

Adam, excellent content! Maybe at some point in the future you could start making your own sawdust bricks to compliment your wood stacks. It’s always fun to learn something new, you wouldn’t be paying the man, and given your knowledge of heat production you’ll probably find some sweet spot of mixing three two. Keep it up!

[@kurtdowney1489]

Great video thanks for making the time to do it. I made my own press and use sawdust, shredded paper, lint from the drier and dry tree leaves.

[@brucebello2049]

Hello Adam, I do appreciate your analytical videos, this is not what I expected, do you know if the blocks contain any accelerants?

[@Hawkskull]

Most bioblocks have a small amount of paraffin wax to glue the sawdust together, which is technically an accellerant, but also kinda not.

[@klaseronen7535]

Thank you for your interesting video. I personally would have seen the test done in such a way that the firewood and the biobricks would have been burnt separately and when the stove was cold in the beginning of both of the test sessions. 👍🏻

[@brianvernaglia9449]

Would you normally put that much wood (or bricks) in at once? I'd love to see this test run on consecutive days and see how long the fire lasts keeping you warm while slowly adding bricks or wood. But otherwise, interesting to see how those bricks burn!

[@chadlimestall9201]

I like your test better. This test seems like it was done with a bad idea in mind.

[@dcsensui]

I live in Hawaii and I thought this was interesting. Thanks for all the time and effort.

[@OneEyeCustoms]

Hahahahaha, 70 years old. 🖕

[@HometownAcres]

Lol just making sure you’re watching the whole thing 🤣

[@blakeroni]

These Easter eggs are great!

[@robertmartin3367]

I am 80 and can still cut, split and burn firewood. You have a long ways to go.

[@buttonmonkey6845]

Thought it was a bit harsh, he doesn’t look a day over 68 to me😂😂. Looking forward Doug’s “reply” on his channel.😀👋🇬🇧

[@coopsfirst933]

Enjoyed your video. Thanks for bringing us along.

[@MrMe-lf2ov]

This was informative. You should also note that there are many many camp sites that no longer allow campers to bring wood in with them due to tree diseases etc.

[@danelleroundabouts2559]

THANK YOU! I looked at the bio bricks yrs ago but for the same reasons I stuck with fire wood. Now that we are older it's getting harder and harder to do all the work. So looking for an alternatives it's back to the bio bricks. Since we mainly burn fir I am sure the bio bricks would work better for us. I am so glad you did this test saved me tons of time looking into all of this. THANKS AGAIN and blessings to you and yours.

[@imnottageek9876]

this answered alot of questions that I had about these compressed bricks. thank you. these would be perfect for my purposes; just to have when I can't otherwise get firewood, or feel a bit lazy.

[@user-MRG1130]

I’ve had a gas fireplace, since I purchased my new house(well it’s at least new to me)😂, 6yrs ago. I grew up with a wood fireplace, and still today, the smell of a wood fireplace triggers memories of my childhood. Funny how certain smells, songs, etc.. are able to do that to you. I’d love to swap my gas, but don’t get me wrong, what I have now works great, it’s pretty much maintains free, and always keeps the first floor at a consistent temperature. But nothing compares to the real thing. Even the fake stuff I added to make it look like firewood burning, doesn’t even come close. Appreciate the upload, very interesting, I actually was leaning to it being the opposite with that setup.

[@kimgradisher468]

Wow, I'm so behind. Didn't even know "sawdust bricks" were available lol. We have an outside wood boiler so I cut/split/stack everything myself. I'll be 68 in October and don't see me stopping anytime soon. Thanks for the video!

[@jamesgarman8601]

I was wondering the exact same question, so when I came across your video, I thought let’s watch it and see the answer. Thanks!!!

[@reggienone966]

Years ago i worked at a mill that had a Presto-Log contract. It was very interesting watching those things being made but I always wondered if there was much difference between them and "real" firewood. Thanks for doing this.

[@robinrapport8728]

If I had a shop with a lot of waste sawdust, I would try making my own bio bricks. It would be simple to make a Ram press to form them.

[@staz9619]

This somehow popped up on my feed. Im live in an apartment from nyc and found this video fascinating. Great work!

[@DaveKopack]

HAVE USED THE BLOCKS IN A PINCH

[@jaybeam9553]

I have been using the blicks for years. You are right they are easy to handle and use. I wont go back to old fashioned wood

[@lateepiphany]

Thanks for taking the time to produce this video I really got a lot from it. For those of us who don’t have hardwood for fire wood (west coast .pine spruce

[@lateepiphany]

The bricks definitely have more value.

[@adventurefuel5172]

There is a company in Michigan called Speedy blaze that makes a similar brick from waste sawdust here. I keep some of them in my trailer for when I’m overlanding. I never have to struggle to find clean dry wood at a campsite, and I’m safe from carrying pests and invasive insects to other states by importing firewood, plus the square shape packs and travels well. I still use wood at home, but It’s a great solution for camping.

[@diffened]

I mix both products. After burning strictly local firewood for 40 years, I decided to try the compressed sawdust bricks. I now use both. The bricks start easier, and burn very predictably. When I put in a big overnight log, I 'll throw in a couple bricks to help insure it doesn't go out instead of burning all night. Firewood is local and either can be cut and split by the user or bought from a local seller. Negatives for bricks are the amount of plastic used to cover them so they stay dry, and also that they are trucked a great distance. Firewood supports local economy, the bricks support someone who..........well who knows?

[@robwhite2282]

Very interesting test! Thank u!

[@millzeee8244]

I appreciate this video. I don't have access to lots of firewood at the moment and this makes me feel better about the options that I have.

[@keysersoze7213]

Amazing data & information. Had no idea there was a such thing as a "clean burning fire". Thx for the education and supporting tips! Michigan.

[@Kitty_kisses97]

Me, a Californian who's never lived in a space with a fireplace: Informative! I will absolutely keep this in mind.

[@DudeRanchDIY]

Interesting top down fire method, I like the less smoke aspect. The dig at Doug made me laugh

[@mythoughts1................1]

This is REALLY a great video to watch, not only entertaining but extremely helpful too.

[@danbelden7354]

Thanks Adam I appreciate all your videos and appreciate your work you put into the topics.

[@TheXRacing]

Hey! I had never watched your videos, nor do I usually watch this kind of content but it got suggested to me and I decided to watch it. I would just like to compliment you on a very fair and comprehensive review of a product that may make sense for some people. I would also like to congratulate you on actually being honest and saying that this product may actually be better in some cases than what you sell and use yourself. I decided to subscribe to your channel and like the video. I hope I find more interesting videos like this one from you.

[@HometownAcres]

Thank you very much

[@brandonheaton6197]

This dude had good science teachers

[@damonr2233]

Good vid! Couple things to point out though. 1: the test should be done with a clean cold stove with the same amount and type of kindling, I say this because the ash bed created by doing wood burn first is going to add an insulation value. 2: I have found in my stove burning logs side ways rather than long ways gives me a much longer burn time (maybe a side test there?) 3: I’ve burned the tractor supply bricks and was not impressed at all, the bio brand ones however are fantastic, and the bio brick xl are even better.

[@eugenetswong]

Hi. KZbin recommended this video, and it was worth it! I think that your data gathering and analysis is definitely worth it. I always like to know what tradeoffs I am dealing with.

[@raymondbunkofske4702]

For a fairer comparison from a heating point of view you would need to start both fires from the same coal bed and compare equal *weight* of material. The coal bed for the sawdust bricks definitely appeared bigger which may account for their longer heating time. I’m with you on using wood though, I have more junk trees on my property than I could ever cut down and burn and it is satisfying to sit by the fire being warmed by wood you’ve cut.

[@williameident588]

Excellent video , very helpful , I mix the bio bricks with oak to helps keep a hot burn since firewood is not always as dry as it should be, thanks

[@mikeschatz9153]

I appreciate you taking the time to do a video on something like this. I was wondering.

[@clintcowles7563]

Thank you. Neat outcome too. This is the first year I didn't use a wood stove. Not really by choice as I just purchased this place late last year and didn't necessarily have time to set up....natural gas was what I had to use....almost 300 dollars a month!!! I remember when they sold us in this stuff. Said it was cheap!! Just like diesel. Corspe-arations really have dogged us!!

[@josephhorton85]

Awesome job! That was pretty thurough and appreciated. I cut, split and haul my wood as well as order a pallet of North Idaho Energy Logs (pressed mixed wood byproduct). One has to compare pressed logs to the wood available to them and that is why I always have the higher quality pressed log by N.Idaho in my shed. I need to get the same variety fuel types that you have in my wet location in the Northwest for this test to influence my decision making. When I am limited in space or good dry wood, I use pine and cedar to get her going and then the 8.5 lbs N.Idaho Energy Log goes in and I don't have to check back for awhile. At night I use these solely (8.5 lbs energy logs) and I have something still burning come morning. If I need to cool the fire down without dampering down, I use ash and that stuff will take some BTU's off the total burn. I am impressed with what the compressed logs can do, but it also matters who gets the fire started, boy there are some knuckleheads out there. Great video.

[@joshuawiedenbeck6944]

The main benefit of both materials is that they both use a traditional wood stove. So, there's no problem switching back and forth between the two based on what works that day.

[@gregrichards1601]

I totally agree with you and understand exactly where you're coming from. Great video. Very informative. Thanks for sharing! I have been your age but now am getting up there. I've been contemplating a wood stove. This is solid information which I appreciate very much.

[@ForestToFarm]

Great video. I am like you in that I do things just to test or see results. Its what I do lol. One concern I would have and you may address this in the future is how safe are the ashes from the sawdust bricks? I would be using my ash in the garden but only if it were clean. Thanks for your time and efforts. Terry

[@michaelsparks6084]

This answers some questions I had on wood stoves and their applications. Thanks

[@michaeljones7735]

At 75 years old, with a bad hip, I found those bricks to be a great Boone. My firewood rasslin’ days are pretty much done. The bricks do indeed burn either/both hotter and longer than the mixed but mostly oak firewood available here, and definitely produce much less ash. If you pay close attention to the TSC stocks you can catch deals that greatly reduce the cost. End of season clearance sale is a great time to stock up for next season.

[@richardmartin4608]

Thanks for taking the time to do this test. Very informative.

[@stinson87]

this is awesome! I was actually wondering how these would do for camping, I usually bring my own firewood when near my house, but don't take firewood when going more than about 50-60 miles away to theoretically reduce transportation of bugs and contaminates. Storing more bricks that are dry, rather than dealing with possibly wet wood from the camp store for 8,10,12 or even $15 per bundle is well worth it. Ill have to try some of these next trip! Thanks! (my house is solar heat-pump so no need for firewood there)

[@pghinga8127]

You would like and dislike the bricks depending If factors like transport, storage time that the fire needs to stay lut and outdoor wind and temperature. They would give You High temp but in a windy environment would not last long. Wood ion the other hand is more suitable for maintaining the fire in almost any weather including during rain or snow.

[@stinson87]

@@pghinga8127 Yes, I picked up 4 packs of them, usually use them to get a hot core fire going when I have to deal with wet wood. It has worked great on the last two camp trips. my local store had a pallet that was water damaged so had to stop at another store on the way to camping for the batch to test.

[@Ankiul1]

thank you for the info I was on the fence about making firebrick from my sawdust pile but now I will

[@FlanaganHomestead]

Nice video. I love experiments and real statistics. I believe the bricks had as much material as the bundle. Bundles have lots of gaps and air. The bricks were dimensional and filled every bit of the announced space.

[@EJL2004]

Trying out two pallets of these bricks this winter and a cord of douglas fir on standby. We get mostly douglas fir and sometimes Arbutus (which burns super hot) up here. Thanks for the video.

[@odbo_One]

My dad was making sawdust bricks since the 70's. I might revisit this.

[@maigematthews5620]

Thank you so much for looking into this for us. Did you already do a video on the best most cost-effective way to warm your offgrid home?

[@craigbuth1914]

Just one more fact to take into consideration, bio bricks are much easier to store and take up less room. I agree with your points about hardwood but bio bricks are very convenient. Thanks for the great video and test.

[@111day1]

Great video. Here, in this part of New Hampshire, our primary hardwoods are red oak, white ash and sugar maple. Unfortunately, we’re losing our ash trees to the Emerald Ash Borer.

[@galerae947]

I have a mini stove. I tried split hardwood in my stove and it heated my small space reasonably well. I also tried one Bio brick and it heated the same space too much. I have 10 acres of oak and manzanita, so will continue to use wood, but will keep a few packs of Bio blocks for those really cold temps. Btw: It is the end of Jan here in northern Calif, and all the stores have sold out their winter supply of Bio Blocks. Have to plan on putting in more before next cold season.

[@jaybeaton9301]

I just ordered a pallet of bricks for my own non documented testing. I have plenty of logs ranging from Grand Fir to Arbutus but many of my friends are raving about the compressed logs so why not give them a try. Plus, the last time I axe split 2 full cords I buggered up my clavicle and it still hasn’t healed 2 years later. The old gray mare ain’t what she used to be!