Would you guys even split sycamore?

[superclyde007]

Sycamore is definitely not oak, locust, hickory, hedge or hard maple but it will burn when seasoned. I have burnt alot of it from storm cleanup and from getting it out of the way to get other wood. Can be a little hard to split but I have split worse. I would not work hard to get only a sycamore but if its there cut it and burn it. I like to mix it in with other wood in the owb. My Central Boiler burns it just fine and the mrs. can't tell if it is sycamore or oak that keeps the house warm.:msp_thumbup:

 

[Muffler Bearing]

Worth a read. Sycamore is mentioned often.



http://www.arboristsite.com/commercial-tree-care-climbing/33203.htm

 

[CRThomas]

Sycamore

A fellow brought some for me to slit for him my 30 ton walked right on thru it. We only split a fourth of it. A couple days later he told me I could have the rest. Said it smelled like fish burning. I split the rest and burned it in my kiln it served the purpose. My kiln furnace is out side though. What ever the smell I didn't smell it it made heat and dried good wood

 

[mikereynolds]

Sycamore is a lot like Eucalyptus....splits easier when green...burns well and plentiful in California. I ad it in my "mix" pile and have good luck with it. It's not Oak but not Pine either...Makes a fine firewood IMO

 

[hardpan]

is what it took me 10 years of heating with wood to appreciate. i used to be a firewood snob--only burning black locust and other high-density woods.

NOW, with a few years of learnin', I try to keep a good mix of woods ready for the stove. The less dense woods start/restart so much easier than the heavy stuff. I recently went to the woods SPECIFICALLY for dead Poplar-which is about twice as heavy as cork. BUT it's dandy for getting the fire going hot and fast w/o burning up all my red cedar kindling.

so, i burn it all now. I'll work harder for high btu species, but I'll take _all_ the easy pickin's. slim, yo.

Amen. I'm in my 35th year heating with wood and I've never bought a stick but it all has a varying cost and return. I burn it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

[dahmower]

Here is how I prefer to burn it
It's about 28" diameter and 24" long
My splitter will split it but it don't like it

 

[CRThomas]

Answer

I've got a bunch of sycamore on my property, and ended up cutting one into logs last weekend because it was in the way of me getting to some oak. I know sycamore to be fast-growing and soft. Is it even worth splitting, or would I be loading the stove so often that I would wish I hadn't wasted the time.

Thanks,
Phillip

I don't sell those types of wood but if somebody drop some off I would split it and burn it my self. If it's free you can always burn it if it's bad wood give it to somebody you don't like stink up there house. Later

 

[mizzou]

I find Sycamore to be similar to Hackberry. Wish I had more of either ready for this year.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

I've got a bunch of sycamore on my property, and ended up cutting one into logs last weekend because it was in the way of me getting to some oak. I know sycamore to be fast-growing and soft. Is it even worth splitting, or would I be loading the stove so often that I would wish I hadn't wasted the time.
Thanks,
Phillip

Sycamore is my favorite wood at the moment, because its free. My power co. is cutting a nearby road and there is plenty for free, all types of wood and already cut up. I don't get to play with my chainsaws so much but I do my splitter. Most people grab the small stuff, I do also but these BIG pieces produce so much wood. It will be good to burn in a couple of years stored under cover. It burn good and hot, not like the red oak I have but way better than poplar.

View attachment 218975

 

[branchbuzzer]

Is a Good smell, better than red oak!

Now that stuff smells like what runs out the bottom of a corn silage pile...:hmm3grin2orange:

Gee, I always kinda liked the smell of fermenting red oak. But then again, I don't exactly smell like a perfume parlor myself. It's all what one is used to I suppose...

 

[JeffHK454]

Gee, I always kinda liked the smell of fermenting red oak. But then again, I don't exactly smell like a perfume parlor myself. It's all what one is used to I suppose...

I agree , the smell of Red Oak is equated to "heat" in my brain!

 

[kentuckydiesel]

I went ahead and split some of that sycamore on Friday afternoon. My old Northern Hydraulics splitter knocked right through it (as with most things). The wood is not green, but it was a little wet due to some big rains/small snows that we had recently, so no burning as of yet.

-Phillip

 

[CRThomas]

Answer

I went ahead and split some of that sycamore on Friday afternoon. My old Northern Hydraulics splitter knocked right through it (as with most things). The wood is not green, but it was a little wet due to some big rains/small snows that we had recently, so no burning as of yet.

-Phillip

Ky like I said that fellow said he couldn't burn in his fireplace because it smelled like fish or something. I've burnt the rest of it drying some wood to sell and I didn't smell any odor. It burnt good but my kiln stove is out side. I would give it a try. Free is not free there is a cost some place later Ky.

 

[knockbill]

i picked up a truck load of it a couple years ago, it was already cut in 3-4' lengths,,, i split by hand axes and mauls, so it was pretty hard to split,,, i gave most of it to a buddy with a splitter, and he used it,,,, i would pass on sycamore, if there was a better choice,,, after all, i live in oakmont!!!!!!!

 

[jcass]

I have sycamore in the stove right now, I got about two cord of it 8 days ago from another local landscape company cleaning up there yard . They have about 4 more cord I intend on getting as soon as this ice melts. I split it with my splitter no problem It has been sitting for a couple years . Some already cut into rounds and some into 4-6ft lengths That I cut up Its plenty seasoned . Right now I am mixing what I have seasoned mostly maple/gum , poplar , oak , and now sycamore. But I have been busy gathering this year. So much so that I have had to rest my elbows for the last couple days and my hands hurt to much to even sharpen my saws..RA flair up..Right now I got around 30-40 cord that still needs to be split maybe more . I separate all my wood as i split it , this is my 3rd yr burning and I'm trying to develop some sort of system and learn different wood at the same time. I got piles of cherry , oak , poplar , locust , and maple/sweet gum..I am allergic to maple any and all kinds ironic enough I just found out last year , so i take allegra once a day and it seems to do the trick . Ill burn anything but pine . Ive heard allot of people say they wont burn this or that like sweet gum but like my pop would say . You know what kind of people don't burn gum? who? cold people..My sycamore is wet from a small ice storm we just had but i bring it in and set it on a fire place rack on top of my wood stove and it drys up nice and I throw in a piece or two every time I load the stove..

 

[Dale]

Now that stuff smells like what runs out the bottom of a corn silage pile...:hmm3grin2orange:

Agree... wet Red Oak, smells like..... well...... it smells bad.

 

[jcass]

Agree... wet Red Oak, smells like..... well...... it smells bad.

I got about 4 cord split next to the garage and everytime anyone walks by they say whats that smell..

 

[showrguy]

i've been heating my "new" house for 11 yrs. now with an OWB, i have some tree guys and homeowners looking to get rid of/dump off there junk wood now and then....
the sycamore gets the same response as pressure treated-------i don't want it !!!
maybe sycamore is different where some of you guys live, but a few years ago we hauled a couple of triaxle loads of wood to my place, all mixed species...
the sycamore is heavy as concrete when wet, my splitter would'nt touch it, swore i'd rather buy wood than fight with another piece of sycamore....
i'm in central Pa. close to harrisburg........your milage may vary..

 

[MarylandGuy]

Local tree service dropped off some huge rounds of Sycamore last year. I split it right away with a gas splitter and ended up with about 2 cord.. The inside was incredibly wet and juicy. And stunk pretty bad.

I stacked the splits and let them sit in the sun for about six months. It burned very nicely and there was no smell outside. As someone mentioned, more of a medium wood. Not as fast burning as Poplar and not as many BTU's as oak.

I would be very happy to burn it every year if I got it free. But as others have mentioned, I will burn anything.

 

[TeeMan]

Local tree service dropped off some huge rounds of Sycamore last year. I split it right away with a gas splitter and ended up with about 2 cord.. The inside was incredibly wet and juicy. And stunk pretty bad.

I stacked the splits and let them sit in the sun for about six months. It burned very nicely and there was no smell outside. As someone mentioned, more of a medium wood. Not as fast burning as Poplar and not as many BTU's as oak.

I would be very happy to burn it every year if I got it free. But as others have mentioned, I will burn anything.

I've got a neigbor that just got two Sycamore trees dropped and sectioned off. A buddy and I are going to split the rounds with a 27-ton splitter because it's free and close! Is it better to split green?