I wasn't talking as a whole shop heater, but it's more of a small area thing that radiates dry heat (Franklin stove). It loses effectiveness the further you are away from it. They are just really nice for a quick warmup and drying out the outer layers than always (for me at least) ended up wet. A waste oil burner works too, but they are dirty.
Wood is easy to get around me so I can't relate there. The power company just gives away it's old poles (need the non-treated cedar type). Electric would be stupidly expensive. It's too bad that solar isn't to the point of affordable self cleaning/melting panels.