Standing dead ash straight to the stove?

[panolo]

It's hard but has a consistent straight grain and minimal knots so its easy to cut and split. That's why they make good axe handles and baseball bats!

Unless it's a yard tree! The worst tree out of the twenty or so cords I split this year was a yard ash. Man that thing sucked!

 

[michael j]

I’ve cut and split ungodly amounts of ash in the last five years, and there’s still some standing dead. I just cut a windfall the other day. It was 90% good firewood. About 20% moisture. I’m pretty much in the epicenter of the EAB , just south of the Michigan border

 

[SS396driver]

I had to take down a huge ash this summer hadn't leafed in two years and bark was coming off all over it. But it's still wet haven't metered it but it steams and sizzles in my fire pit

 

[SamT1]

IMO rescently dead standing trees are the best wood. Perfect long burn from something cut today that didn’t leaf out this Spring. But here it’s so hot and dry I can cut green mesquites in August and they will burn today.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Unless it's a yard tree! The worst tree out of the twenty or so cords I split this year was a yard ash. Man that thing sucked!

A few years ago a woman I sold firewood to had some big sections of an Ash tree come down in her yard, so I figured it's Ash I'll split it right there by hand and stack it on the pile. I ended up bringing it home and even the splitter had a tussle or two with it, that was a really twisted grain son of a gun and it was a bear to try to split by hand, it won, I lost!

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Hard???? I'm confused. I've cut and burned tons of Ash.
I'd rather cut ash than any other because it's so easy to cut.
Popular is easier to cut, but not worth putting in the stove.

Popular?

 

[clint53]

Popular?

You don't have Popular trees in AK?

 

[clint53]

Popular?

I just Googled it and I don't believe you have them in Alaska.
They are common in the southern states.
They grow tall and straight. Easy to saw and split. Not good for firewood. Burns really fast.
I took this pic out my window just now of three in my yard. The left one is about 90 feet tall.

 

[muad]

Have been heating my house this way for 10+ years. It's hard to believe that there's still dead standing Ash out there all these years later. Some of it is getting a little punky at the base, but I've never had an issue dropping a dead ash, bucking/splitting it, and thowing it right in the stove. It is honestly my favorite would use for heat.

 

[brenndatomu]

I'm burning some now from a tree that came down it the wind last Sunday...felt pretty dry when cutting it, so I split some 6-8" branches and got 17-19%...straight to the "on deck" rack...this tree was pushing new growth at the bottom like crazy the last few years...knew it was time, but the wind got to it before me...probably for the best, it was a little more rotten/hollow toward the base than I would have expected...it fell the way it was leaning though, no surprises there.
Haven't tested any splits from the trunk yet...probably a bit higher than the limbs I'd guess...

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

You don't have Popular trees in AK?

No, popular isn't a tree species.

 

[panolo]

Poplar. You know what he meant! LOL!

 

[TimberWolf530]

Ya, I have no problem cutting Ash. It cuts like butter with my Stihl MS291 and Stihl 044.
I'd say check your chain to see if it's sharpened correctly and staying sharp.
I noticed the end cracks too.
If I had to guess, I'd say that wood is days, weeks, or months sitting there.
Not that seasoned wood is a bad thing, but water doesn't care if the wood is live or dead, it still penetrates the wood fibers.
I ALWAYS season my firewood for a year to three before burning. Being proud of burning wet wood makes no sense.

I agree. I've never had trouble cutting dead ash either, and that's mostly what I've been heating with since the EAB infestation. Also, the dryer it is, the easier it is to split. As soon as the wedge is about 1 to 2" in, it just pops. Easy and fast to split. Also, the bark comes off easily and cleanly, so it's a clean wood to bring into the house ( clean meaning a lot less stuff falls off on the floor). The only thing I don't like about Ash is that is coals way too much, but other than that, it's one of my favorites to burn because it's dense, and so easy to process.

 

[Mustang71]

I agree. I've never had trouble cutting dead ash either, and that's mostly what I've been heating with since the EAB infestation. Also, the dryer it is, the easier it is to split. As soon as the wedge is about 1 to 2" in, it just pops. Easy and fast to split. Also, the bark comes off easily and cleanly, so it's a clean wood to bring into the house ( clean meaning a lot less stuff falls off on the floor). The only thing I don't like about Ash is that is coals way too much, but other than that, it's one of my favorites to burn because it's dense, and so easy to process.

I have noticed it leaves a lot of coals at the end of the burn cycle. If its a cold day and you have to reload a few times you will be left with a stove packed full of coals. If I can get a good fire going and don't touch it it will provide consistant heat until its pretty well burned down.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Poplar. You know what he meant! LOL!

I thought it may have been a regional thing.

Like where I grew up in Maine, poplar is opple and balm of gilead.

Popple I believe is quaking aspen.
Balm of gillead I think is balsam poplar? (Cottonwood?)

It took me years to figure out Balm of Gilead. At the mill, they say it like Palmagillian.

 

[Marley5]

Been helping my brother with his logging business on the weekends and we won't put a dent in the dead ash here in VA.
I take the tops straight to the boiler.

 

[Marine5068]

I wouldnt say I'm proud to burn wood right off the tree. I have a wood shed full of wood thats aged 2 years ready to heat my house. I was amazed at how dry the wood is after losing its leaves last year and being cut down late summer. With our humidity around here its hard to achieve less than 15 percent moisture in wood.

It was friggin hot last year and that probably cooked it good in standing dead form.
Nice when you can virtually drop a tree, block and burn.

 

[anlrolfe]

Cut 'um all, every one of them. Either use them or put them on the ground to rot!!!
REASON: If we get a draught, long dry or hot snap we could be burning like SoCal.
Fire scares the $#!+ out of me...

 

[Jere39]

I finished up splitting the only Ash I had on my property. It had leaves this past summer, but was seriously infected. My pup is my helper:



You can see the EAB tracks there just under the bark on this piece:



It cut easy, throwing white chips like snow flakes, and split easy too with the x27. I never burned any before, so I'll reserve judgement till I do. I cut 12-16 cord of standing dead Red Oak every year for the last dozen or so, that will be the benchmark

 

[Marley5]

I finished up splitting the only Ash I had on my property. It had leaves this past summer, but was seriously infected. My pup is my helper:

View attachment 872105

You can see the EAB tracks there just under the bark on this piece:

View attachment 872106

It cut easy, throwing white chips like snow flakes, and split easy too with the x27. I never burned any before, so I'll reserve judgement till I do. I cut 12-16 cord of standing dead Red Oak every year for the last dozen or so, that will be the benchmark

It ain't hickory or locust but you won't complain.....smells like ash and leaves some ash.