Box Elder

[bucksnbears]

new guy with a question.
great site by the way!!
i have a huge amount of boxelder in my woods and have cut down ALOT of big ones a few years ago.
i never hear mention of burning it. is there a reason why?.

 

[firefighter938]

It is on the low side of BTU's.

 

[Del_]

If you have a huge amount by all means cut it and burn it!

All wood has almost the same btu value per pound when seasoned.

 

[olyman]

new guy with a question.
great site by the way!!
i have a huge amount of boxelder in my woods and have cut down ALOT of big ones a few years ago.
i never hear mention of burning it. is there a reason why?.

burns about like cottonwood,, not many btu's per VOLUMN....

 

[kodiak]

I wouldn't go out of my way for it but when one needs to be taken down on my property I will put the extra work into making it into firewood. I do, however, stack it separately with the other less desirable species and use it primarily in the fall and spring.

 

[bucksnbears]

ok, thanks fellas. don't want it to go to waste if i can be utalized.

 

[066blaster]

We burn a lot of it. It's best to split it. The smoke is kinda stinky.

 

[066blaster]

They grow like weeds by us. And if you don't get rid of the stump you'll have ten trees growing out of it. It's a great renewable resource, lol

 

[svk]

It falls on the high side of softwood and low end of hardwood for BTU output but heat is heat, at least to me. I have burned a lot of aspen in my day and boxelder is significantly more dense so I don't throw it away if I find it. As noted, smoke doesn't smell as good as some other species, especially if burned when not completely dry.

The one thing that is annoying is that many mature boxelder trees will have a bunch of little limbs sprouting out of the trunk and you need to hit them all with the limbing saw when processing. That and if you cut it in boxelder bug season it will have a million little stowaways (literally).

 

[sawjunky23]

I burn quite a bit of it, its good shoulder season wood and splits easy. It is plentiful in our area in line fences and the like. It seasons pretty quick as well.

 

[chuckwood]

Don't leave it on the ground or out in the weather very long, it goes punky and rots rather fast.

 

[lindnova]

I burn a lot of it as I am usually clearing them out from field lines anyway.

Keep it off the ground, split and dries fast. The smoke really stinks if the bark gets mold under it.

 

[AIM]

I cut box to just get it out of my way. Then I leave it where it lays. If you have something better Id walk right past it.
I'm only speaking for myself but it could be cut, split, and stacked in the woods ready for me to just load up and bring home and I'd still walk right past it.

 

[olyman]

Don't leave it on the ground or out in the weather very long, it goes punky and rots rather fast.

REAL fast!!!!

 

[bucksnbears]

got some in the stove right now.
its burning fine but yes, a bit of odor from the smoke.

 

[Del_]

got some in the stove right now.
its burning fine but yes, a bit of odor from the smoke.

I have heated this season with 100% Leyland Cypress.

Box has to be at least as good.

Sell the good wood, heat with the lesser.

If you don't have one already, buy a great wood stove with the profits.

 

[Dalmatian90]

i have a huge amount of boxelder in my woods and have cut down ALOT of big ones a few years ago.

My condolences.

Box Elder has more BTUs than a snowball.

Though it might have to be a small snowball.

I'm pretty sure I generate more BTUs with my muscles splitting it with an ax, stacking it, and bringing it into the house than burning it. At least I did when I was desperate for every last bit of firewood.

Several years later and nothing gives me a bigger smile than now being able to pick it up with a tractor and dump it in the swamp and be done with it.

In my woodlot, I'll girdle them and leave them standing as wildlife trees.

I don't pass up anything else for firewood.

 

[bucksnbears]

well its pumping out the heat now.
its been dead and well off the ground for 4-5 years. not a super dense wood but still solid and not punky

 

[rarefish383]

Wood workers love it for turning and fancy boxes and such. I has streaks of red running through it that make it desirable, Joe.

 

[Shagbark]

I cut it out of my yard and split it for kindling. I also usually put a truck rim over the stump and build an intense fire on top of it. Otherwise you get box exder bushes.
Won't cut it otherwise unless it is to rid my property of it.