worst wood species to burn

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Which species is worst, based cumulatively on btu's, ease of processing, aroma, etc.

  • poplar/cottonwood

    Votes: 58 31.0%

  • sycamore/buttonwood

    Votes: 12 6.4%

  • catalpa

    Votes: 9 4.8%

  • pines

    Votes: 34 18.2%

  • other conifers

    Votes: 12 6.4%

  • elm

    Votes: 16 8.6%

  • linden/basswood

    Votes: 9 4.8%

  • willow

    Votes: 56 29.9%

  • butternut

    Votes: 6 3.2%

  • tree of heaven

    Votes: 18 9.6%
  • Total voters
    187
Laird said:
I split by hand and the worst splitting wood for me has been sycamore. Stringy as all get out, But have not knowingly split any elm and I've heard that the worst. Hard to imagine though.
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I pulled some elm out of a local river bottom about 2 months ago for a buddy. All I knew is that it was dead standing wood with no bark and dry. I went to split if for him and OMG!!!!! I spent probably 4 hours splitting about 10 chunks of wood! That crap WILL NOT SPLIT! You would have to pound a wedge all the way through it and still pry it apart!

My buddy loved the way it burned but I told him unless it's river ash, he can split it himself!
 
clutch25 said:
I pulled some elm out of a local river bottom about 2 months ago for a buddy. All I knew is that it was dead standing wood with no bark and dry. I went to split if for him and OMG!!!!! I spent probably 4 hours splitting about 10 chunks of wood! That crap WILL NOT SPLIT! You would have to pound a wedge all the way through it and still pry it apart!

My buddy loved the way it burned but I told him unless it's river ash, he can split it himself!
Click to expand...

The only way I can split Elm without the use of a splitter is get it around -20.
It still fights you every inch of the way but at least at that temp it doesn't swallow up your wedges. I had a 20" long, by 12" wide piece that 2 wedges got stuck in it. One on the top and one on the bottom, so I left it outside for a month in below zero weather, took a 3rd wedge to it and was finally able to split it. Around 4 hours spent trying to split 1 piece. Needless to say after that I bought the 34 ton Swisher. :chainsaw:
 
I voted for pines simply because it doesn't last very long and I don't have any burning experiences with most of the other woods.

I have a splitter and that's the reason that I don't mind sycamore and elm. If I didn't have a splitter they would be on my wood not to get list unless I couldn't get anything else.
 
I split some basswood this year and really didn't mind it that much. I will have to see how it burns. My least favorite wood to burn is catalpa. I just don't like the form, seed pods or wood of the tree. And I have ready access to lots of it. My fil's farm has 1-2 acres of ALL catalpa, that is all dying and he wants me to cut most of it down.
 
I vote any wood that is not your own! If I cut it, spilt it, stack it, I am burning it. Hell, I burn the mice the cat brings in from the wood pile.
 
Is aspen assumed included in one of these
'poll' categories? I know Carl von Linne put aspen in the poplar family. Scandinavian aspen in latin Populus Tremula
Tremula means "wobbling", the leaves wobbles

:confused:
 
Last edited:
AKKAMAAN said:
Is aspen assumed included in one of these
'poll' categories? I know Carl von Linne put aspen in the poplar family. Scandinavian aspen in latin Populus Tremula
Tremula means "wobbling", the leaves wobbles

:confused:
Click to expand...

Doesn't it mean trembling, or more litterally quaking? Either way, in the few books I have, cottonwood, poplar and aspen are all generally classed very similarly.

Still don't get all the naysayers that hate pine.
 
MR4WD said:
Doesn't it mean trembling, or more litterally quaking? Either way, in the few books I have, cottonwood, poplar and aspen are all generally classed very similarly.

Still don't get all the naysayers that hate pine.
Click to expand...

Oki thanks...yea my translation "wobbling" was what I found online....of course trembling is the correct word...thx again Mr4wd:cheers:

Anyone know an online site with all North American tree spieces , pictures and latin names??
 
Pine burns fine as long as it's good and seasoned. It does burn fast and hot. Not the greatest wood but it will keep you warm. Poplar isn't terrible either, similar to pine but a bit longer burning.
 
we're spoiled in Okla... lots of hardwoods easily available.
Oak is everywhere, large pecan trees are common.

getting to where the only wood I'll take is Oak or Pecan.
worst wood around here is willow and elm. not worth fooling with.
 
I'll vote for box elder, although I burn a bunch of it this time of year because not much heat is needed, and it's OVERLY plentiful.

I have 2 horse chestnuts to take down for a friend when the ground dries up, looking at the btu charts, they will be going in the campfire pile - dang near dead last. At least I get a couple of oak limbs in with the deal.
 
I voted "other conifers" because spruce is a bear to split and gives off little btu's. Plus the sap gets all over everything! Brush and campfires are all I use it for.

Basswood is nice for getting the fire going in the morning and I found it didn't split too bad with the splitter. (Of course it was already dropped and cut for me to pick up otherwise I wouldn't go through the trouble!)
 

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