Climbing on the ash bandwagon

[AIM]

I never really jumped on the ash bandwagon before because I never really got to burn a lot of ash until this year. Before there was so much dead standing elm that there was no need. Plus the land that I cut on was a bit behind as far as ash dying. Well most of the decent elm I've gotten cleaned up so this season it's been pretty much all ash.
Well I have to say that I am impressed. It's not locust or white oak but it's pretty damned good. I'm close to saying that I like it better than elm.
I don't have a choice this year but to burn right after cutting but it still burns great. Lots of heat, coals up OK (not great but OK), very little smoke, and very little ash.
The woods that I cut in is LOADED with ash trees so I should be good for quite some time.

I am now pretty much on the Ash bandwagon.

 

[Chris-PA]

Welcome to the dark side! Ash is just so easy to burn, especially when dry but it is forgiving if not quite fully seasoned.

 

[Bushmans]

Ash can be very impressionable. Cuts easy, splits great, forgiving on the MC and throws some decent BTUs. I would guess that you will come to love ash more than elm quite quickly. Looking at the BTU chart the highest elm BTU is 19.0 MBTU/cord and that is red elm. White elm comes in at 17.9. Ash on the other hand comes in at 21.6 MBTU/cord. Assuming your cutting white ash of course. I have lots of ash and it has been my mainstay this winter. Congrats on your new heat source!

 

[SS396driver]

I have about 4 cord cut split and stacked with roughly 6 or more still on the property that are standing dead. I will get them next summer can't get the Kubota in there its all mud even with 4 wheel drive I wont chance it. I like burning it even though some was past its prime its free . I will be able to let the oak/maple/locust dry for a couple of years at this rate, have a butload from the October snow storm . Went from crap I don't have enough to where am I going to put it.

On the cold nights all 10 or so of them this winter I throw in some black locust

 

[Rickochet]

Oh yeah..... I love the Ash!!!!:msp_biggrin:

 

[ShaneLogs]

Welcome AIM, Just make sure you let your Ash dry out completely so there isn't much cresoate in it.

 

[stihly dan]

ash rocks. Why the heck does everyone like elm? With relatively low btu's, and an ahs ache to split. Blah.

 

[Whiteash]

ash rocks. Why the heck does everyone like elm? With relatively low btu's, and an ahs ache to split. Blah.

I have both on my property black ash white ash and elm. I try to avoid the elm unless its dead and becoming a widow maker. no issues at all using it to save me from buying propane but I agree ill go with the ash any day over elm. I wish I still had the picture of the elm log that the grain went all the way around twice in a 20 inch log. Ended up having to cut it off my splitter with the chain saw.

 

[Stihl Wielder]

I personally love burning ash. I probably have around 6 cord of it C/S/S out back, it's a great daytime wood, or put it in with a piece or two of locust for some good long heat! Nothin' wrong with a good piece of ash! :msp_thumbup:

 

[Whiteash]

a piece or two of locust for some good long heat! :

I can honestly say that I have no experience burning locust. I take it that is also a really good hardwood

 

[Whiteash]

I can honestly say that I have no experience burning locust. I take it that is also a really good hardwood

Just looked it up. Wow yeah I wonder how readily available it is in central mn. I get 8-10 hours burn time on ash, locust may even get me more.

 

[Stihl Wielder]

Just looked it up. Wow yeah I wonder how readily available it is in central mn. I get 8-10 hours burn time on ash, locust may even get me more.

I have around 9 cords of black and honey locust in my stack, and it is the best wood I have ever burned in regards to BTU's/cord. I can put a split or two of maple or ash on a bed of coals, and three or four splits of locust on top of them at 11pm, and wake up to a 75 degree house at 6:00 am the next morning and it doesn't need reloaded until around 11:00 am, when my wife heads out the door for work. That's on a night when it's in the teens, and I am heating 2800 square feet EXCLUSIVELY with wood. Locust, white oak, red oak, sugar maple, beech, and ash (in that order) are the best ones as far as I am concerned. I have some lilac, and I would put that right up there between the locust and white oak, but it's not often you get a lilac bush with a 12" trunk (I cut four of them that big last year!):cool2:

 

[4seasons]

I can honestly say that I have no experience burning locust. I take it that is also a really good hardwood

When I burn maple, ash, elm it is in the 40's outside and I load the stove every 8-10 hours.
When I burn red oak, white oak and beech it is in the 30's outside and I load 10-12 hours.
When I burn hickory and locust it is in the 20's outside and I load the stove every 12 hours.
This winter I didn't see any 20's so I burned some locust when I needed a long burn. Had several burn times go well over 24 hours.
Yeah, it is that good. :msp_thumbsup:

P.S. I don't have a thing against ash. I love splitting the stuff, but I am 2-4 years ahead on my firewood so the quick seasoning really doesn't matter much to me.

 

[stihly dan]

When I burn maple, ash, elm it is in the 40's outside and I load the stove every 8-10 hours.
When I burn red oak, white oak and beech it is in the 30's outside and I load 10-12 hours.
When I burn hickory and locust it is in the 20's outside and I load the stove every 12 hours.
This winter I didn't see any 20's so I burned some locust when I needed a long burn. Had several burn times go well over 24 hours.
Yeah, it is that good. :msp_thumbsup:

P.S. I don't have a thing against ash. I love splitting the stuff, but I am 2-4 years ahead on my firewood so the quick seasoning really doesn't matter much to me.

What kind of ash are you burning? White ash has a C hair less btu's than red oak.

 

[4seasons]

What kind of ash are you burning? White ash has a C hair less btu's than red oak.

Honestly don't know. I don't get much ash, mainly a few limbs from the trees in my yard. The full trees that I have burned looked just like the ones in my yard. I remember them being very light (for green wood,) super easy to split. I have more white oak than anything in my pile and I know that the ash doesn't last near as long as it. Not sure how much more heat I can get out of pure red oak as it always gets mixed in with the white oak.
Really I thought all ashes were about the same as firewood. I know we have green and white but not sure if there are any other or even how to tell them apart.