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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.

Right on Nirky, good to hear an update and I'm glad you've found a fuel source that's working for you. Sounds like you've been bitten by the bug man! Now's a great time to start getting ahead on your firewood for next winter, although you are fortunate. Where you live, wood gathered in the summer will be dry and ready to burn that same winter. I'm really happy to hear that you are so satisfied, can't wait to see your mass come to life.

one place to get wood is find a hardwood sawmill. they always have small pieces they cut off to square up larger pieces. the one by me sell a truck load for $25 and they load it.

Thanks Matt.
Wfwarner, that's a good idea, except I don't believe we have any hardwood growing in my region of the Pacific Northwest for a sawmill to mill.
Along those lines though, I was thinking a flooring business which does hardwood floors may be a good resource.
I wonder if anyone on this board has a good source for free scrap wood? In the spring I might try home construction sites.

Both my neighbor and I take advantage of a local manufacturer who has endless bales of kiln dried aspen offcuts from their process. They stack them outside, and they are free for the taking. It's a LOT of wood. One bale will stuff my full size long bed truck full.

Nirky, when driving through your area I've seen pine/round wood processing mills frequently, selling poles and such. There's one just up the road from the St. Regis junction of I-90. Maybe just a mile or two up 135. I would guess that's a little ways from you, but I know I've seen similar in your area. A place like that would have a whole lot of offcuts and scraps, and like WF says, they are usually only too happy to load you up.

There's a company in central Arkansas (Friendship, AR) that makes roof trusses. They have ALOT of 4" long (or so) 2x4 pieces in a dump bed trailer.

We've been getting those for my buddy Glen's RMH, and i'll probably get some when i complete my RMH in my new shop in Malvern, AR. But i'd prefer to burn pallet wood, as the pieces are long and thin, and i can leave it to run for an hour while i weld/ sculpt in the shop, without having to load little pieces every 10 minutes.

When i lived in Ill-Annoys, we'd go to companies that got shipments of steel on big-rig flatbed trailers. They have 3x3 "dunnage boards" 6'-8' long, that are placed between the loads of steel so a forklift can slide the forks in to pick the steel up. The boards are just piled up on a back lot till the huge pile 'accidentally' catches fire (which gets rid of the unwanted wood).

Usually if you ask they'll let you take it for free, especially if you say you're using it for heating wood. It's usually oak, some random pine, sometimes ironwood?