I have a stupid question,but i have never cut or burned cotten wood,how is it for burning? i know its soft wood,thinking fast hot burn? Anyway i got offered some if i cut it and haul. and yes i am going to,figure any wood thats free and burns is a good thing..thanks
Cotten wood????????
- Thread starter demc570
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old_soul
ArboristSite Operative
Well since you have that new 660 ya might as well go cutting:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:
But really its a waste of time for firewood. Heavy, wet rounds, dries out (and burns) like paper once you get it seasoned. We chip it as big, as we can around here.
And I say that as a guy who hates to see wood go to waste..........
But really its a waste of time for firewood. Heavy, wet rounds, dries out (and burns) like paper once you get it seasoned. We chip it as big, as we can around here.
And I say that as a guy who hates to see wood go to waste..........
thank you very much, that kinda what i figured,but its free,and yes good oppurtunity to to run the 660!!!!!!!!and he said he might let me have some locust.
old_soul
ArboristSite Operative
What really sucks is they get so big, 80-100 foot tall and 4 foot+ across at the bottom
Nothing like moving a 300 pound round to the splitter. For oak, yeah I'll work that hard
But cottonwood no way
Nothing like moving a 300 pound round to the splitter. For oak, yeah I'll work that hard
But cottonwood no way
echoshawn
....Beer is good.....
And tons of ash......
Had a pretty good size one go down 2 years ago( 3 ft + in diameter), Wind blew it over and pulled a root ball. It was in the way and we cut it up and split/stacked in one of the barns. We burn everything and I have to admit, it's probably the worst stuff I've ever burnt. Luckily we don't have too many on our place. Heavy to move around when wet, ours was extremely stringy when splitting so full cycles on the splitter.
Fully dry now and light as a feather. I'm burning it in my shop now and just wants to smolder unless you leave the door open. Most times with ANY other wood I throw in one piece at a time and it'll run you out if you add more as the shop is fully insulated. With it stuffed full it barely keeps it warm, never too hot. Tons of ash as others have said. Box elder, willow, poplar, tree of heaven are all better in my opinion. This is the one species I will not work up again so I guess I'm a wood snob now.
Fully dry now and light as a feather. I'm burning it in my shop now and just wants to smolder unless you leave the door open. Most times with ANY other wood I throw in one piece at a time and it'll run you out if you add more as the shop is fully insulated. With it stuffed full it barely keeps it warm, never too hot. Tons of ash as others have said. Box elder, willow, poplar, tree of heaven are all better in my opinion. This is the one species I will not work up again so I guess I'm a wood snob now.
There are different types of cottonwood - out in the fly-over states people are glad to get cottonwood, willow and the like as there isn't much else out there. I cut one and it burned all right after I got it worked up.
As you say - it's wood, it's free, why not. I wouldn't bother with it if I had the same amount of better stuff available though.
Harry K
As you say - it's wood, it's free, why not. I wouldn't bother with it if I had the same amount of better stuff available though.
Harry K
dingeryote
Blueberry Baron
It's not Oak.
But it burns better than a snowball.
It's actually quite usefull to have in the "Inventory" for the start and end of burning season when you don't need anything but a slight warm up of the house, and for mixing in with the good stuff mid winter when you need a bit less than full heat out of the stove.
It saves the Oak, Locust, and Maple for when it's needed, and split small, gets a stove HOT quick in the mornings.
Dadgum rounds are back breakers though, and a Cord of Cottonwood goes quick so don't count it as more than what it is...BIG kindling.
Stay safe!
Dingeryote
But it burns better than a snowball.
It's actually quite usefull to have in the "Inventory" for the start and end of burning season when you don't need anything but a slight warm up of the house, and for mixing in with the good stuff mid winter when you need a bit less than full heat out of the stove.
It saves the Oak, Locust, and Maple for when it's needed, and split small, gets a stove HOT quick in the mornings.
Dadgum rounds are back breakers though, and a Cord of Cottonwood goes quick so don't count it as more than what it is...BIG kindling.
Stay safe!
Dingeryote
Uncle John
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you are extremely bored and have nothing else to do............
Rsquared
ArboristSite Operative
If you are extremely bored and have nothing else to do............
Or if they are in the way of something you consider better. Had to take two out not long ago to get at a fallen maple tree I really wanted. I figure what cottonwood I don't use as starter or re starter wood for the stove, I can take camping with me. jus sayin
Or if they are in the way of something you consider better. Had to take two out not long ago to get at a fallen maple tree I really wanted. I figure what cottonwood I don't use as starter or re starter wood for the stove, I can take camping with me. jus sayin
Ed*L
ArboristSite Guru
Dropped this one a few months ago, it was dead, needed to go. 36" DBH by about 100' tall, no sense in letting it go to waste.
Ed
Ed
trophyhunter
ArboristSite Guru
Not worth the wear and tear on your truck, saws and splitter to cut and process it. Probably spend more on the gas to get it worked up into firewood than what it's worth to you in heat.
Larry Ashcraft
ArboristSite Operative
We burn 90+% cottonwood because that's what we have. It's definitely better than box elder or willow around here. We have tons of fallen dead cottonwoods thanks to the 2002 drought. They'll keep quite a few years on the ground and if the bark's off, they'll dry in three years or so. I try to cut and split dry logs only.
It splits fine when completely dry. If it's stringy, it's too wet. I think it's denser here because of the arid climate. A 3 foot diameter tree here will be over 100 years old.
If I fill my VC Encore with splits and rounds, it will last about six hours. On really cold nights, I'll put some elm or mulberry on top of it and it will last all night.
It splits fine when completely dry. If it's stringy, it's too wet. I think it's denser here because of the arid climate. A 3 foot diameter tree here will be over 100 years old.
If I fill my VC Encore with splits and rounds, it will last about six hours. On really cold nights, I'll put some elm or mulberry on top of it and it will last all night.
taylor6400
ArboristSite Operative
I cut one once. It stinks...first of all, literally. Rounds are heavy and literally wet...dripping wet when the splitter wedge hits them. terrible splitting stuff...bark comes off and its soaked under the bark. Just gross wood. I split it up and didnt get to it that winter. I just burnt a few pieces to see how it burnt. It definately wasnt worth my time and effort. So, i made a nice BIG winter bonfire out of it this year. It will burn...but for those of us spoiled by the nice hardwoods it isnt worth it.
Yep. I did one 2011 because it was "you can have all that locust" if you take this cottonwood. I felt like kissing the cottonwood! I gave it to my neighbor with a party barn for his chimera - payback forhim being #1 on my wife's emergency call-out list.
I have burnt it before, no reason not to if you have to get rid of it anyhow.
Harry K
oppermancjo
ArboristSite Operative
I have some pretty big ones on the back of the property. There's a huge one near my tree stand... In my experience, it burns fast but also burns hot. I like to toss a few splits in the stove to get it warmed up good every now and again. Doesn't leave good coals worth a hoot either.
For the most part though, it goes into the campfire bundle pile. Camp ground owner likes it to burn quick. The quicker it burns, the quicker they come back for more... Guess I don't mind it burning quick either because that's just more money for me! That pile is also full of Popple and soft Maple. Once split, it dries out pretty quick too.
If you have enough nice, straight trees, it's worth a little bit for trailer decking and pallet makers.
For the most part though, it goes into the campfire bundle pile. Camp ground owner likes it to burn quick. The quicker it burns, the quicker they come back for more... Guess I don't mind it burning quick either because that's just more money for me! That pile is also full of Popple and soft Maple. Once split, it dries out pretty quick too.
If you have enough nice, straight trees, it's worth a little bit for trailer decking and pallet makers.
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