Fourteen patches means you're doing something right, since nobody else fixes their own dents anymore.

Bought a 2003 Corolla off a guy in Dayton who swore it was his grandma's, clean underneath, drove it 2 weeks before the trans started slipping. Now I just pop the hood in the driveway, sniff the oil, glance at the coolant, and if the guy starts rushing me I'm already backing out. Ain't worth the back pain crawling around for an hour when half these sellers are hiding something anyway.

Coal is fine for big heats but you're trading money for a sore arm and black snot, that's just the deal. Build a side blast or a simple hood over the fire, most of your smoke problem goes away and you won't be hunched over cranking all day.