Instead of purchasing cords for wood this winter, I decided to make use of my 4 acres of partially treed (pine) land and process my own fuel.
At first I cut the wood normally, in long thin strips. But I found that my pine burned so fast, there would be some smokeback, even if I was careful. Especially when the heater got to pulsing, the smoke from the pulses was pushed out so far that some of it was too far from the feed tube
to be sucked back in.
I then had a bunch of wood chunks left over from my wood cutting exploits and noticed these chucks burned very well, not quite as hot as the thin strips, but they burned longer, and as they all fit inside the feed tube there was no pulsing. I also put a brick over part of the inlet so there was no chance of any smokeback. Even though it heats up slower than the thin strips, I like this small chunk method better. I use my Skil saw to cut wood lengths to around 3-4 inches (I have a bunch of small diameter windfall on the property), and axe any chucks that will not comfortably fit inside the feed.
For starting the fire, I use wood pellets, the kind used in the stoves, heat them up with the propane torch for abt 1 min or so until I get a sustained burn, then put the chunks in. Let me tell you, I love this RMH.