GAS Prices Dont Matter

ZTMAN

Active member

Equipment
BX2380
Aug 26, 2018
156
80
28
South Central Pa
Good news is the Lightnings are hitting the ground, only $94,000.
Some are. My dealer let me take their Lightning demo to drive over the weekend. Awesome truck.

Sticker on the demo, a standard range Lariat, is $69k. That is a lot $$$ for a truck with a 230 mile range.
I ordered the Pro model which stickered at $45k
 
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RCW

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
Apr 28, 2013
8,282
3,866
113
Chenango County, NY
Understand that not everywhere has cheap natural gas, but it’s still usually cheaper than other products where it’s available. We heated with wood pellets for years because propane was too expensive until converting to NG last year. We have a 6 month heating season and do not have as warm winters as you probably think. I am at 6900 feet elevation.
You know what….next time you bring up your $58/ month contract, I’ll just give you a Gold Star ⭐, and leave it at that.

Seems that’s all you’re after anyway, and will save me a bunch of heartburn and dissertations.

You don’t seem to get that some folks’ lives could be on the line in a poor and rural place like mine.
 
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jyoutz

Well-known member

Equipment
MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator
Jan 14, 2019
2,458
1,565
113
Edgewood, New Mexico
You know what….next time you bring up your $58/ month contract, I’ll just give you a Gold Star ⭐, and leave it at that.

Seems that’s all you’re after anyway, and will save me a bunch of heartburn and dissertations.

You don’t seem to get that some folks’ lives could be on the line in a poor and rural place like mine.
I get it. Lived for 30 years in rural areas with no natural gas service. Cut 6 cords of wood annually for 25 years before converting to pellet stoves. I’ve changed from wood to propane to pellets to natural gas, chasing cheaper options. Can’t afford air conditioning, so it’s ceiling fans all summer. Make do with what you can.
 
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Fordtech86

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3200
Aug 7, 2018
4,705
5,476
113
Pineville,LA
It’s a little different when you are able bodied and of employment age. I feel for retired people who fall into unfortunate circumstances.
I agree, and I’m not immune to it. My paycheck isnt guaranteed.
 
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RCW

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
Apr 28, 2013
8,282
3,866
113
Chenango County, NY
It’s a little different when you are able bodied and of employment age. I feel for retired people who fall into unfortunate circumstances.
The grandparents I spoke of are almost 60. My age.

He’s a hired man on a dairy farm. Works a lot. She’s a contract home health aide. Good people.

No health insurance, no retirement plan. Literally live hand-to-mouth.

Happy, and know nothing different.

Able bodied and of employment age…..they can handle it….
 
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Daren Todd

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
May 18, 2014
8,961
4,327
113
Vilonia, Arkansas
I get it. Lived for 30 years in rural areas with no natural gas service. Cut 6 cords of wood annually for 25 years before converting to pellet stoves. I’ve changed from wood to propane to pellets to natural gas, chasing cheaper options. Can’t afford air conditioning, so it’s ceiling fans all summer. Make do with what you can.
Mini split air conditioners are pretty reasonable. If you can handle running the 220 line yourself, the install is super easy if you get the mounting brackets for the outside unit.

I installed one to heat and cool a sun porch. Cost around $1,000. You can get a unit that will handle multiple zones as well. So you can have one outside unit, and cool your bedroom and another area of the house.

They are super efficient and use quite a bit less electricity then your run of the mill window unit.
 

jyoutz

Well-known member

Equipment
MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator
Jan 14, 2019
2,458
1,565
113
Edgewood, New Mexico
Mini split air conditioners are pretty reasonable. If you can handle running the 220 line yourself, the install is super easy if you get the mounting brackets for the outside unit.

I installed one to heat and cool a sun porch. Cost around $1,000. You can get a unit that will handle multiple zones as well. So you can have one outside unit, and cool your bedroom and another area of the house.

They are super efficient and use quite a bit less electricity then your run of the mill window unit.
I’ll check into it. The cost for adding a conventional AC to my furnace is $5k, so $1k is pretty cheap. Every year in June we reach the mid 90s and swear we will get AC, then the rains start in early July and cool back down to the high 70s-mid 80s and can tolerate this with open windows and fans. But a $1000 mini-split system is enticing.
 

Biker1mike

Well-known member

Equipment
B6200, Kubota 2030 Front Blade, King Cutter 60" finishing deck
Jan 11, 2022
1,164
1,252
113
Gallatin, NY USA
I’ve always wondered if oil burners were efficient and economical to use. I think those are an east coast thing.
New oil burners are extremely efficient and economical to use. That is the good news.
The bad news is that they are not inexpensive. 4700 for an install is on the lower end.
For my upgrade I also had to have the chimney lined with stainless steal as we could not get enough draft due to the cool boiler exhaust.
If you are on a low fixed income it is hard to justify such a cost. I think the average ROI in fuel cost is somewhere around 5 years.
 

Biker1mike

Well-known member

Equipment
B6200, Kubota 2030 Front Blade, King Cutter 60" finishing deck
Jan 11, 2022
1,164
1,252
113
Gallatin, NY USA
....
I know grandparents my age that keep their house at 55 degrees because they can't afford $3 kerosene. Single wide mobile home with outside tank. Easily 15 miles to the nearest NG service connection.
.....
Too much pride to rely on any "government program"...
......
I have tried until I was blue in the face to explain to my in-laws that the government help is not a handout. They paid state taxes for their entire lives as well as my wife and I have. One of the reasons we pay these taxes is for programs that help those in need. It is a helping hand not a hand out.
 
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lugbolt

Well-known member

Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
4,807
1,575
113
Mid, South, USA
slowed down some here but school's out so it's normal

it'll pick back up about August when the schoolhouse gets going again

Just amazes me. From 0730 until 0900 during school days, the highway in front of the schoolhouse is a parking lot FULL of giant SUV's that sit there drinking gasoline so they can take the brats to school. Then from 1430 til about 1530 every weekday, same thing except the mommas SIT there idling for over an hour. My neighbor does it too. They downsized to a smaller suv but it don't seem to really make much difference, you ain't getting no mpg when you ain't going no miles. We live exactly 3/4 mile from school. Easy walk. Bus runs right by the house. They're too good to ride the bus or to walk. So she spends 2 hours a day sitting there burning gas, along with the rest of the momma's that do the same thing. If there are 500 of them, and they burn avg 2 gallons of gas, 5 days a week, that's 5,000 gallons of gas. Keeping in mind that we live in a town of 5,000, real small (for now). 5000 gal of gas per week, is $25,000 at current prices. It's nuts. The dang bus runs, use it. Or walk. I walked and rode the bus mostly walked when I was young. 3rd grade was in another part of town so I had to ride the bus. First through 7th grade I walked, every day. I want to say it was about 1.1 mi. We lived at the base of a "hill", so it was up the hill, crest it, jump a few fences, meet up with my female friend, then down the hill to the school. Repeat at 1500. Unless the weather was really bad. 6" of snow, my mom wouldn't let me walk, she made me ride the bus. Moved 600 mi away, had to ride the bus til I could drive in my senior year of H.S.

$5/gal? Nope. Don't seem to bother nobody other than they gripe about it, but pay it.

If people was smart, they could reduce demand and the cost would come down some. But nobody seems to be willing to be smart.

I'm sitting at the house with the lights off, which i do daily, don't go nowhere to speak of other'n work, take my lunch daily rather than going out. I did go fishin this morning which I haven't been doing. It's hitting me real hard. Diesel pickup. New car is "ordered" but may not see it until who knows when, maybe sept if I'm lucky. Not happy about that. But I won't buy EV. yet.
 

Daren Todd

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
May 18, 2014
8,961
4,327
113
Vilonia, Arkansas
I’ll check into it. The cost for adding a conventional AC to my furnace is $5k, so $1k is pretty cheap. Every year in June we reach the mid 90s and swear we will get AC, then the rains start in early July and cool back down to the high 70s-mid 80s and can tolerate this with open windows and fans. But a $1000 mini-split system is enticing.
You can get a cheap 110 volt window unit for around $100 if it's just a few weeks out of the year. I know a few people in the north east that went with those for the few weeks the nights were ridiculous. Pop it in there bedroom window for the few weeks it's needed. Then store it in the garage for the remainder of the year.

A whole home AC unit is a necessity in our area. It's been between 96° and 100° since Sunday. And this crap will last till mid to late September.
 
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michigander

Active member

Equipment
B2601
May 29, 2018
547
234
43
Northern Michigan
I’ll check into it. The cost for adding a conventional AC to my furnace is $5k, so $1k is pretty cheap. Every year in June we reach the mid 90s and swear we will get AC, then the rains start in early July and cool back down to the high 70s-mid 80s and can tolerate this with open windows and fans. But a $1000 mini-split system is enticing.
WE had a new forced air furnace put in spring 2019 with central air the bill was $4500.00
I remember the furnace quote was $2800.00 without ac. Northern Michigan had a couple 100* days last week. Today shows a high of 71* , tomorrow back up in the high 90 * 's
 
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skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,094
2,755
113
SW Pa
we don’t care about other countries (except one at the moment) we don’t have to see it

edit to add: /s
Problem is this Adm cares about every country EXCEPT the one it should care about
 
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WFM

Well-known member

Equipment
L3800
Apr 5, 2013
1,177
483
83
Porter Maine
55* here in Maine this morning. Actually thought about firing up the woodstove. Weather showed several inches of snow on Mt Washington last night...lol
All the folks camping. Bundle up and get the campfire going.
Us 'heavier' folks love this weather.
 
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ACDII

Well-known member

Equipment
B2410, L352 Loader, Woods BH70-X backhoe
Oct 21, 2021
660
407
63
Illinois
Last November I installed a small pellet stove in our converted garage that is off the kitchen, previously we used a propane garage heater, but the past couple years, used an electric to take out the nip but not really heat it up, but downside, the house furnaces make up the difference, so either way uses Propane, and electricity.

I bought 2 tons of pellets, roughly $400 or so, and ran through about 2/3rds of it, but our propane use dropped, and so did the electricity, and the house was warmer overall. The pellet stove is automatic, so it maintains a 4 degree spread in temps and on the coldest days ran maybe a few hours at most.

This year I plan to put one to heat the whole house, and that should really cut back on Propane and electricity. We have 2 furnaces in the house because it is a long ranch and the main one cannot force enough air down to the back of it. Hoping that with the whole house being heated by pellets, we can bring the cost of heating down a bit and recover the cost in a year or two. I just need to find a unit that uses a remote thermostat for it to work properly.
 

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,094
2,755
113
SW Pa
A question about the pellet stoves,, can you use the same chimney as for the wood stove?