Chose a coal forge over a gas one back in 2009, still not sure I made the right call
When I set up my first shop in my uncle's garage in Dubuque, I had $800 to spend and had to pick between a used gas forge or building my own coal forge from a brake drum. I went with coal because the old guys at the local guild swore the heat was more even and the scale flaked off cleaner, but now I spend half my time hunting down good bituminous and my neighbors hate the smoke. The control on gas looks real nice on cold mornings when I'm fighting to get the fire going. Any of you run both and actually stick with coal, or did you switch and never look back?