Anxious to measure the hardwood advantage!

[chainsawaddict]

This will be my first season burning a lot of hardwood. My winters have been mostly cottonwood with some elm mixed in. This year I have a little pine, a little cottonwood, and whole 'lotta ash and oak. Im really curious to see how much of a difference it makes. I jumped through a few more hoops to get the hardwood, but if it's really worth it Ill be sure to pass on my objective opinion.

 

[Chuck Diesel]

You'll notice the differance come Jan. Feb.

 

[Richard_]

the nice thing about hard wood is the burn time , Oak is my wood of choice , but this year it will be cherry , fir , oak , maple and some other stuff can't think of

 

[turnkey4099]

I'm having to relearn my stove. Been burning 99 percent Willow for 30 years. This year I have lucked into some Locust (savign it for my later years) but am burning all the small limb stuff. Can't seem to get the stove up to heat but that stuff sure lasts a long time.

Harry K

 

[KsWoodsMan]

This will be my first season burning a lot of hardwood. My winters have been mostly cottonwood with some elm mixed in. This year I have a little pine, a little cottonwood, and whole 'lotta ash and oak. Im really curious to see how much of a difference it makes. I jumped through a few more hoops to get the hardwood, but if it's really worth it Ill be sure to pass on my objective opinion.

Yeah, sounds like a good winter mix to keep warm with.

Sounds too like you will be getting more 'snuggletime' not having to put so much wood in the eater this Winter. It'll be worth it, the worst of your good stuff is better than the previous years woods best stuff.

Consider it a Score ! It will all burn but for the same effort you get more heat from the harder woods like your Ah and Oak than Cottonwood and Elm. Slippery Red Elm isn't quite Oak but if it is dry, all around, I like it better than Ash.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I'm having to relearn my stove. Been burning 99 percent Willow for 30 years. This year I have lucked into some Locust (savign it for my later years) but am burning all the small limb stuff. Can't seem to get the stove up to heat but that stuff sure lasts a long time.

Harry K

Harry , has it been that cold up there ? I know here , when it gets real cold like around 5-10* and below the stove just seems to work harder, making more heat than it does if it is above 40* outside. When it gets colder outdoors the stove draws a better draft from the pressure differences between inside and outside. I can't imagine you to be dissapointed by that BL in the middle of the Winter.

Not that it has been really cold here but cool enough a few nights that I lit a fire. Sort of to get used to it again. It was like riding a bycycle.

 

[turnkey4099]

Harry , has it been that cold up there ? I know here , when it gets real cold like around 5-10* and below the stove just seems to work harder, making more heat than it does if it is above 40* outside. When it gets colder outdoors the stove draws a better draft from the pressure differences between inside and outside. I can't imagine you to be dissapointed by that BL in the middle of the Winter.

Not that it has been really cold here but cool enough a few nights that I lit a fire. Sort of to get used to it again. It was like riding a bycycle.

Been running pretty much 24/7 for a coupel weeks. Not really needed but SWMBO likes it warm!. Last two days it was for sure needed.

Harry k

 

[Scootermsp]

Oak cut in July

I've got 12 cords of HW (approx 90% red oak, 10% Hickory) also have a few cords of pine, maple, etc. I've been running the OWB for 2 weeks, the last 4 days the heat has been on. My question to you folks is: Will the oak which I cut (and split to season a little quicker) in July be better in the OWB in December than seasoned pine? I was behind the curve and had to cut all through June and into first week of August to get it done. Just wondering about your experience with 6-8 month seasoned red oak and hickory.opcorn:

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Here for the heating value I would say yes, definitely yes. But your not in Kansas. I hear about others saying that 2 yeas is best but I have seen it go straight from the woods to the stove and kept the house warm.

Keep the pine ready to get things started. From there the oak should carry itself.

 

[coog]

Green wood typically puts out 50-90% the btu's that dry wood does.Your Oak has 80-90% more btu's/cord than your Pine.At 6 months, you are somewhere between wet and dry, but you will notice a big difference.By all means, you should be mixing the two for the happiest fire.

 

[TJ-Bill]

I'm anxious too. I burner hardwood last year but it was old and rotten (came with the house) This year I have lots of nice and dry MAple and Oak to try.. can't wait.

 

[cityevader]

I got married last year, and my wife grew up in Montana with harsh winters with Pine as the main/only wood, and was the child that was responsible for the fire growing up. She was more than confident in her fire-starting abilities. Nevertheless, I should her which piles were for starting, evening burning, and overnight burns. No problem, she says.

I always get home a couple hours before her, and have a raging fire for her. Last winter she took a few days off work, and I get home to a smoke-filled house and a very upset wife who had tried for over an hour to get a fire going. She had used up all the newspaper trying to get a bunch of Oak lit. Even though it was split fairly small...no dice.

I again showed her the pile specifically used for starting, 5 minutes later had it raging. She hasn't tried since, poor thing.

It's also hard to properly express to her the fine nuances of intake air control for different species and at different points of the burn for top efficiency.

Very hands-on...I love it!

 

[chainsawaddict]

Holy Cow, Fellas!

This is some good stuff!

But, Ill tell you what, this is my first year with a cord of pine, too. So many people cuss pine. I love it! Hot and fast, and you dont even need newspaper to get it going.

Pine+Hardwood=warm house! Great combo.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Holy Cow, Fellas!

This is some good stuff!

But, Ill tell you what, this is my first year with a cord of pine, too. So many people cuss pine. I love it! Hot and fast, and you dont even need newspaper to get it going.

Pine+Hardwood=warm house! Great combo.

It will just get better the farther into winter we go and the dryer it gets.

Would we lead you astray or talk you into something that you might not have done on your own ?
dont answer that ! Of course not ! That's what were here for.