Black Birch

[coog]

Anybody here burning it? I see it scores just above Black Locust on the btu (http://chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm) comparison charts.I have many that have been girdled by the beavers by my creek.I am more familiar with the Paper Birch up in MN, which is more suited to canoes than firewood.Just one more instance of better hardwoods as you journey South.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Black Birch is fine firewood.

Burns clean. I found it tends to grow tall and straight with very little brush at the top. Splits easily, kinda reminds me of ash to a point the way it cuts and splits.

One added benefit is it has a beautiful sweet aroma, smells just like a bottle of birch beer.

Take Care

 

[coog]

Thanks.I'll buck it up for next year.Sure is a pretty tree; I wouldn't cut them if they were going to make it.

How does your 372 compare to your old 268?

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I never thought Birch was much better than Sycamore for heat. Maybe I was in a different species than Black birch.

Towards the bottom of http://www.unclegordon.com/WoodStove.cfm shows the specific density of Black Birch to be a bit better than Elm But nothing close to BL or Hickory.

It beats having nothing in there. The fact that it was growing straight will help make for good firewood..

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Good fuelwood

I wouldn't agree that it ranks above Black Locust, but Black Birch (also called Sweet or Cherry Birch) is very good fuelwood. It ignites easily and burns with a lively flame and throws very good heat. I use it for kindling sometimes because it ignites easily, and the Wintergreen aroma to it is great.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Thanks.I'll buck it up for next year.Sure is a pretty tree; I wouldn't cut them if they were going to make it.

How does your 372 compare to your old 268?

372XP will never be a 268XP,

I'll probably be banned for making that statement.

It's an alright saw, but it doesn't have the power band or the balance of the 268XP. I find that high rise air filter cover gets in the way.
I guess a lot of it is in what you're used to, but if I could find a real clean 268XP the 372XP would be gone in a heartbeat.

Take Care

 

[Wood Scrounge]

I love the stuff just like everyone else said, ignites easy, smells great. I give it to the city folk I work with that have fire places big bright flames.

 

[coog]

Black Birch is also called River Birch.It always grows near water, hence the beaver issues.According to "Trees,Shrubs and Woody Vines in Kansas" it occurs naturally in only 3 southeastern counties, including Chautauqua (my place) I am curious how these btu charts seem to be in disagreement about the values ascribed to each species.The list I linked to seems to best match my own experience, although I have yet to try the Black Birch. I might look at the woodworking side of AS; maybe it turns well.

 

[coog]

372XP will never be a 268XP,

I'll probably be banned for making that statement.

It's an alright saw, but it doesn't have the power band or the balance of the 268XP. I find that high rise air filter cover gets in the way.
I guess a lot of it is in what you're used to, but if I could find a real clean 268XP the 372XP would be gone in a heartbeat.

Take Care

No Santa Claus! Glad for the honest assessment.I just picked up a 281xp, and aside from an oiling issue I don't get, it is a screamer.

 

[coog]

http://chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm

Better link.

 

[coog]

I never thought Birch was much better than Sycamore for heat. Maybe I was in a different species than Black birch.

Towards the bottom of http://www.unclegordon.com/WoodStove.cfm shows the specific density of Black Birch to be a bit better than Elm But nothing close to BL or Hickory.

It beats having nothing in there. The fact that it was growing straight will help make for good firewood..

Now that I read your link more closely, it proves the point I made earlier.No way is White Birch more dense than Sugar Maple, Beech,Red Oak and Ash.He's either wrong or transposed the species.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

No Santa Claus! Glad for the honest assessment.I just picked up a 281xp, and aside from an oiling issue I don't get, it is a screamer.

Nice score.

281XP was the saw I had for bucking in the landing and felling big stuff.

Totally different power curve than the saws of today. Thing would scream and had tons of low end power to boot. Lower the rakers, bury the bar, and make chips, that saw wouldn't stop.

Take Care

 

[allthegross]

I have a few on my property. One came down in a storm last year and i finally just started burning some of it. seems pretty good but still doesnt top oak for me

 

[coog]

I picked up a 288 piston and cylinder as well, but I think I'll use it as is for now.I'm trying, like everyone else, to be "non-partisan"; this means adding Huskies and Jonsereds to the Stihl fleet.

 

[LumberjkChamp]

Black Birch is good stuff. We have alot of it around here. I grab some when I can -had a bunch last year and more the year before that.

 

[AOD]

I got some on my stack, I took down a lil one for a guy back in March, still have to get the stump out of his yard. It seasoned great on my pile, the smaller stuff I am going to split with a hatchet for kindling, its a great fire starter.

 

[CowboyAndy]

We have some trees on my father in law's property that he calls grey birch, looks similar to young sugar maple. Is it the same as black birch??

 

[fugazi42]

Gray birch (Betula populifolia) is different than black birch (Betula lenta). Gray birch is closer to White/Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) in terms of growth habit and firewood value. Black birch makes the best firewood of all the birches, followed by yellow, then gray and white. According to this site, gray birch burns about the same as Black Walnut or Cherry. http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm

I've cut a lot of Black Birch on our property and I love to burn it. I think it's one of those pioneer species of trees that grows fast and dies quick. The biggest tree on our property is about 24" DBH. Most of the time they don't grow that big before they develop the typical cankers and fall. The understory is populated by Red and White Oak, Sugar Maple, Beech, and Elm. In some areas I'm thinning the Birch to let the other trees get some more light.

Josh

 

[Zodiac45]

Call me crazy but I'll take yellow birch any day over the black. Maybe it's just that the black up here is usually quite small in comparision. We find it along roadsides and in wetter areas. I would say it's maybe as good as white of the same size but for me, a nice yellow birch is some really fine firewood and almost on a par with the maples. You note I said almost, as it's better than the soft maple but not quite as good as rock or sugar maple.

 

[Griffbm3]

Love it

I sell my Red and White Oak, but burn mostly beech and black birch. Although, I too am a big fan of Yellow Birch. If the black birch s really big, it can be great firewood. The biggest thing is to split it right away, if you leave it in rounds for too long it tends to rot out. Great wood though.

Jason