Burning Pine?

[Mainemechanic]

Hey guys I've been pulling fire wood off my new property, I've only been cutting dead, dilapidated and downfall hardwood, I have a small stand of elms out there that a giant white pine fell on. Ive got most of the elms cut and dragged out, but I've noticed quite a bit of pine out there as well and at this point I don't have a ton of money to buy wood, but what I do have is 2 acres of wooded property, a chainsaw and my lawn skidder. Haha.

So my question, is it worth my time to pull these easier to get to pines rather than some of the hardwoods that are going to be a pita to haul out? Ive only ever burned pine in an open pit at camp cause they are always blowing down. How does it burn and heat? Obviously it's not as good as hard wood but for free must be alright?
Thanks everyone

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[user 122190]

Lots and lots of Pine in N.W. Montana. I prefer Fir, but regularly burn pine as there is so much of it, and when it is easy to get to (i.e. laying across a road, etc.).

If it is properly seasoned, it burns like everything else. And is easier to start burning and burns to complete ashes.

 

[Mainemechanic]

Lots and lots of Pine in N.W. Montana. I prefer Fir, but regularly burn pine as there is so much of it, and when it is easy to get to (i.e. laying across a road, etc.).

If it is properly seasoned, it burns like everything else. And is easier to start burning and burns to complete ashes.

Awesome. I've got lots of dead seasoned pines on my property.

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[svk]

Properly seasoned pine burns fine. Don't believe the old wives tale about pine causing chimney fires.

 

[Mainemechanic]

Properly seasoned pine burns fine. Don't believe the old wives tale about pine causing chimney fires.

Haha can't be any worse than green white birch.

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[chucker]

Haha can't be any worse than green white birch.

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along with grass green aspen/popple, worst stinking burn with out full air to keep it burning HHhoot! dry is another story!! seasoned or dry dead pine is fine!!

 

[Dieseldash]

Ponderosa pine and Doug fir is pretty much all we have to work with out here little bit of aspen too. It'll keep you warm and should dry out quicker than hardwood. Don't know what species pine you've got but ours are equal to Elm for btu's

 

[Mainemechanic]

Ponderosa pine and Doug fir is pretty much all we have to work with out here little bit of aspen too. It'll keep you warm and should dry out quicker than hardwood. Don't know what species pine you've got but ours are equal to Elm for btu's

We have lots of red pine and lots and lots of white pine here in Maine. My property has a small stand of white pines but is mostly hardwoods especially near the back edge.

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[Ted Jenkins]

If you are really worried about a chimney fire use a soot remover with a good hot fire. Thanks

 

[svk]

I'm on a FB page based on another topic but every few weeks the topic of burning pine in one's stove comes up and a few people always start up with that pine causing chimney fire BS until I lay out the facts.

There are a couple self proclaimed experts on the site that jump on folks in nearly every post and one of them tried to argue with me about axes. That one didn't go too far lol.

 

[turnkey4099]

Hey guys I've been pulling fire wood off my new property, I've only been cutting dead, dilapidated and downfall hardwood, I have a small stand of elms out there that a giant white pine fell on. Ive got most of the elms cut and dragged out, but I've noticed quite a bit of pine out there as well and at this point I don't have a ton of money to buy wood, but what I do have is 2 acres of wooded property, a chainsaw and my lawn skidder. Haha.

So my question, is it worth my time to pull these easier to get to pines rather than some of the hardwoods that are going to be a pita to haul out? Ive only ever burned pine in an open pit at camp cause they are always blowing down. How does it burn and heat? Obviously it's not as good as hard wood but for free must be alright?
Thanks everyone

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A couiple facts about wood.

ALL species have approximately the same BTU heating value pound for pound.
ALL wood burns.

The only drawback to pine over hardwood is you have to fill the stove more often.

Granted species will varyi in burning style but a pound of wood will produce heat no matter what the species.

Free wood is the bestus wood.

I am out here in Eastern Wa. There are no "hardwoods" here, we burn pine, fir, spruce etc. I burn lots of Willow as I can get all I want within a few miles of hte house. Anything else has to be bought or make a 100 mile round trip to the source.

 

[LondonNeil]

I agree that pound for pound the energy content varies very little, but will just add that softwoods like pine, with a higher resin content, actually have a slightly higher energy per pound content than hardwoods with their higher cellulose content.

Anyway, pine burns well once properly seasoned, lights easily and burns fast and hot, it seasons pretty fast, it generally splits ok too. The only downsides are the sticky messy resin when green and the shorter burn times in the stove.

 

[JeffHK454]

Pine burns good..a little too good. A load of dry Pine burns like a pile of gas soaked rags..when I've got some I'll mix it in with less volatile stuff.

The negative rep. Pine gets for causing creosote or chimney fires is mostly due to bad burning practices and people trying to slow the burn rate way down by choking the air off.

Burn the best wood you can get , if it's Pine then so be it.

 

[Deleted member 150358]

I had a large standing dead blue spruce next to the house. Dropped across the driveway brushed it out and chunked it up. Burned the brush in the driveway. Ruined 1 chain just couldn't dodge all the knotty.

Worst part was splitting. Sticky and knotty. But it gone which is great. Mixed in the spit pile before it went to the shed. As mentioned above ya can almost light it with a match. Couple pages of paper and a fires guaranteed.

 

[svk]

I had a large standing dead blue spruce next to the house. Dropped across the driveway brushed it out and chunked it up. Burned the brush in the driveway. Ruined 1 chain just couldn't dodge all the knotty.

Worst part was splitting. Sticky and knotty. But it gone which is great. Mixed in the spit pile before it went to the shed. As mentioned above ya can almost light it with a match. Couple pages of paper and a fires guaranteed.

Blue spruce is one knotty SOB to split. Broomstick to baseball bat sized limbs ever half inch lol.

The house I grew up in had a huge blue spruce in the front yard. When I was about 25 the top 8 feet broke off in a wind storm. My mom talked about getting a tree service to take it down. I told her the tree is healthy, leave it. I'm now 38, tree is still there alive and well and the house is 2 years into the new owners.

 

[svk]

I have burned lots of jack pine, and a decent amount of Norway, white pine, and spruce. It all burns great when dry. Norway has the same BTU rating as black ash and is above soft maple and boxelder.

 

[Rick Hammer]

Hey guys I've been pulling fire wood off my new property, I've only been cutting dead, dilapidated and downfall hardwood, I have a small stand of elms out there that a giant white pine fell on. Ive got most of the elms cut and dragged out, but I've noticed quite a bit of pine out there as well and at this point I don't have a ton of money to buy wood, but what I do have is 2 acres of wooded property, a chainsaw and my lawn skidder. Haha.

So my question, is it worth my time to pull these easier to get to pines rather than some of the hardwoods that are going to be a pita to haul out? Ive only ever burned pine in an open pit at camp cause they are always blowing down. How does it burn and heat? Obviously it's not as good as hard wood but for free must be alright?
Thanks everyone

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In western Oregon ,we have a real variety of wood.Most people like the hardwoods like Madrone and oak,or Doug FirI burn a lot of black oak,but you burn what ever you can get,as long as it is dry.I have a ton of old mill ends that are sugar pine and man they make such a great fire starter .Im actually burning some Alder right now,good wood for smokin fish.I can say i have never burnt elm ,but i guess if it is what i had,i would burn it too.

 

[Mainemechanic]

Awesome I'm gunna drop and drag out some stump seasoned pines in the morning, so quick burning stuff sound like just what I need to mix in with the elm that burns for 10 hours haha. Heres my sweet lawn skidder, shes dragged a 18" butt oak log 14' long log out of the fairly knarly trail I have out through my property. Got 42 pounds of ballast in each tire and about 85 pounds of weight rigged on the back. Plus my 210 and usually a saw, maybe 12 more pounds.

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[ChoppyChoppy]

Holee! And I thought skidding with a 6x6 ATV sucked! (sure did compared to the 648 skidder I normally use!)

 

[muddstopper]

I am currently burning a mix of pine, popular and whiteoak. It was all hauled from the same place in the same load. Its two years old. Pine is not my favorite night time wood because it burns up to fast, but it is very good to throw on a log or two during the day to keep a fire going when I dont need a rump roaster. I have found green whitepine will put out a hot fire, it just doesnt burn well. Let the bark slip and store in the dry and it will run you out of the house with the heat. Yellow pine, burns pretty good green, but it will soot up the chimney. Dry, it isnt a problem. Any dry wood is good firewood if its all you got. Standing dead pines, any species, should burn pretty good and put out good heat. If its green, c/s/s and let set for at least a year to avoid cresote problems. Actually that pretty much goes for all types of firewood. Green wood creates steam which cools the chimney and that is what causes cresote build up.
Just to add, any pine stacked or laying on the ground will soak up water and wont burn worth a crap. .