Burr Oak, Hedge, Honey Locust and Mulberry Comparison

[midwest_170]

This is probably not useful to some, but thought I would give my take on the wood that I've been burning this year. All of this wood was cut in January 2013 and split and stacked before April 1st. Below I've listed them in the order I would prefer them.

Hedge, burns extremely hot and my stove has no trouble holding coals for my 11 hour burn time. Ash seems to be on the lighter side. Only down fall is sparks bad when reloading stove

Honey Locust, Burns hot and long, doesn't hold coals as good as hedge, but I can just get by with an 11 hour burn time. Ash is also on the lighter side.

Mulberry, burns hot, but burns a little faster than I would like. It is the worst at holding coals, but I like to burn this when I expect my burn times to be less than 8 hours. Seems to leave a lot of ash in the stove.

Burr Oak, burn temperature is the lowest of the 4 species, holds coals better than mulberry, but not as good as hedge or locust. I can get by sometime on an 11 hours burn, but it works best with 8-10 hour burns.

I think the heat content of the Burr Oak would be better if the thick bark was removed. The wood I'm burning now about 10% of the pieces have the bark removed, seems like you can get more solid wood in the stove without that thick bark on it. The locust I'm working with doesn't have thorns or very few if they do so no trouble working with it. I used a hydraulic log splitter and splitting the hedge can take longer because it requires you to run the splitter the full length a lot of the time.

 

[msvold]

Looks like you are right in line with BTU charts (Mbtu/cord) - Hedge 32.9, Honey Locust 26.7, Mulberry 25.8, White Oak ( Bur Oak is in White Oak Family I believe) 25.7. I had read a while ago that Bur Oak often survives fire due to their thick bark. So I try to remove the bark when possible. But if Bur Oak is your 4th choice, that's not bad.
I know you are burning today. I guess it's even colder the more north you go, but as my Wisconsin Wife says "Cripes Pete, it's cold"

 

[olyman]

we have no hedge here,, but locust yes. as I said in another thread,, id burn only that,, if I had enough.............

 

[lindnova]

Sounds about right.

I have lots of bur oak. Best stuff I have. I hate wasting it except for the coldest days like today. Next 3 years I will have a lot of it dry.

 

[svk]

Wish I had more bur oak. If you find them up here they are usually small.

My logger friend said there are patches of Ironwood and rock elm around but I've yet to find them.

 

[coog]

We sure are lucky with our firewood in Kansas. I believe I could burn any of the top four or five species on the BTU chart exclusively. I haven't noticed excessive ash from my Mulberry, but that could be because I only cut it standing dead and bark-free.

 

[benp]

Wish I had more bur oak. If you find them up here they are usually small.

My logger friend said there are patches of Ironwood and rock elm around but I've yet to find them.

I wish we had more of what they're burning.

Sugar maple and white oak has no comparison to that.

 

[midwest_170]

We sure are lucky with our firewood in Kansas. I believe I could burn any of the top four or five species on the BTU chart exclusively. I haven't noticed excessive ash from my Mulberry, but that could be because I only cut it standing dead and bark-free.

It might not be more ash, but below my grate it always seems to fill up faster when I'm burning it. It doesn't seem to be as fine, it's more fluffy and doesn't compact below the grate very well.

I agree on the Kansas firewood. I had a guy ask me to take down a 50" ash tree in his yard. It was an easy drop and the power company had already limbed most of the small stuff off. I didn't do it for the firewood, I ended up doing it as a favor. Lots of easy good burning wood to have here.

 

[coog]

I like the diversity of species here the best. I'm from MN, where I burned Elm almost exclusively during the 70's and 80's when they were all dying. Later, almost all Red Oaks killed by wilt. Soon they'll all be burning Ash. In my stacks I have over a dozen species I've pulled from creek bottoms and hedge rows. I would have killed for this during a -30° spell up there.

 

[svk]

I wish we had more of what they're burning.

Sugar maple and white oak has no comparison to that.

No doubt!

Sounds like you are lucky enough to be in sugar maple range anyhow, I don't even have that!

 

[haveawoody]

Pretty much any of the hickories have lots of heat and burn times, I think you will find a good stack of hickory will be nearly as long.
Rock Elm is another very long burn wood with similar burn times and heat to hedge.
Locusts I place in the same group of wonderful night firewood.
Hornbeam/ironwood I would rate as the longest burning wood of all, not quite the btu of hedge or Rock elm but Wow does hornbeam ever burn for ages.

Great hulking single pieces burn much longer than stacks of wood, so if your looking to extend that 11hr burn time another 50% try burning just 1 barley fits in the stove piece.
Great hulking pieces like more air though or tend to smolder.

Me 1 barley fits in the stove piece of Rock elm each cold night, 8hrs burn time but I also have a small wood stove so very long burn time for it.

 

[jrider]

I like what I'm hearing about the mulberry. Have about 8-10 cords of this in log form that needs to be cut and split for next year.

 

[coog]

Great stuff. Watch for sparks!

 

[midwest_170]

I like what I'm hearing about the mulberry. Have about 8-10 cords of this in log form that needs to be cut and split for next year.

I definitely wouldn't walk past a mulberry to cut an oak.
Smells good too.

 

[Ronaldo]

I have noticed when burning the Burr Oak with bark on that it tends to make more ashes. Removing the bark when possible helps get more good wood in, increases burn times and less ash. Seems to be my experience anyway.
It is great to have access to so many excellent species here in the midwest: Oak of several kinds, Elm, Hickory, Mulberry, Ash and Hackberry.

 

[midwest_170]

I have noticed when burning the Burr Oak with bark on that it tends to make more ashes. Removing the bark when possible helps get more good wood in, increases burn times and less ash. Seems to be my experience anyway.
It is great to have access to so many excellent species here in the midwest: Oak of several kinds, Elm, Hickory, Mulberry, Ash and Hackberry.

How do you think Hackberry stacks up against the species I have listed above? I have access to some nice sized trees that would be easy to get to, just wondering because I've heard mixed reviews on it for firewood.

 

[kyle1!]

It is an OK firewood and on your list above it is placed in the right spot. Go get it!!

 

[coog]

Great firewood, a little less oomph than the others. I mix with all of the above during the cold spells, but it is plenty for most KS Winter days. I think it's a lot like Ash. It rots faster than most, so should be split right away.

 

[OnTheRoad]

This is probably not useful to some, but thought I would give my take on the wood that I've been burning this year. All of this wood was cut in January 2013 and split and stacked before April 1st. Below I've listed them in the order I would prefer them.

Hedge, burns extremely hot and my stove has no trouble holding coals for my 11 hour burn time. Ash seems to be on the lighter side. Only down fall is sparks bad when reloading stove

Honey Locust, Burns hot and long, doesn't hold coals as good as hedge, but I can just get by with an 11 hour burn time. Ash is also on the lighter side.

Mulberry, burns hot, but burns a little faster than I would like. It is the worst at holding coals, but I like to burn this when I expect my burn times to be less than 8 hours. Seems to leave a lot of ash in the stove.

Burr Oak, burn temperature is the lowest of the 4 species, holds coals better than mulberry, but not as good as hedge or locust. I can get by sometime on an 11 hours burn, but it works best with 8-10 hour burns.

I think the heat content of the Burr Oak would be better if the thick bark was removed. The wood I'm burning now about 10% of the pieces have the bark removed, seems like you can get more solid wood in the stove without that thick bark on it. The locust I'm working with doesn't have thorns or very few if they do so no trouble working with it. I used a hydraulic log splitter and splitting the hedge can take longer because it requires you to run the splitter the full length a lot of the time.

I could have written this post. I'm in KC just east of Leavenworth and with the cold snap my little smoke dragon insert is getting a workout. Current lineup is Burr Oak, Honey Locust, and Hedge. All of it was split in late 2013. The Oak comes in well back in last place but it's still great firewood. The Hedge clearly makes the best heat and coal beds and lasts the longest, but I like the Locust better. Locust stacks better and is cleaner than Hedge. Locust is also much easier to split and smells better. My insert is small and it's difficult to get the Hedge loaded due to the crazy bows and bends.

I have some stringy Elm here that's at least as good as the Oak but that's probably because the Oak needs another year. In this weather I'm sure glad to have a couple cords of dry Locust on hand.

 

[coog]

Yeah, we didn't get into ease of harvesting. Hedge is usually a PITA to get at, has thorns, usually a little barbed wire and will test the strongest back. Mulberry usually has many stems which can make it tricky to drop. Bur Oak is the easiest cutting, but needs the most drying time. Hard to beat Locust, unless your dealing with a really thorny one.