MATTYB11
ArboristSite Operative
white oak seems to give me the most heat but i also like ash because it splitts easy and seasons fast
Favorite kind of wood...
- Thread starter Wood Junkie
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
clearance
Addicted to ArboristSite
Like Sprig, I like Douglas fir, fun to fall, burns good, what more can you ask for. But I burn anything I get my hands on thats easy to throw on the truck, 'cept for cottonwood or willow, that kind of thing.
I live in an older neighborhood in a small town and almost all the trees are old hardwood. Ash, cherry, locust, hackberry, maple, apple, pear, pin oak(piss oak), red oak, elm, white oak and others. Thats why a log splitter is almost a must if you are going to do any serious burning. I've been blessed being able to get wood free for 5 to 6 years just by clearing other peoples yards of wood they have no use for. Free wood is best, especially with the price of fossil fuels.
My furnace is old and broken down and not running, so this is a great way to help them and get wood.
Favorite is red oak but coming up a close second is locust.
God has been good to me these years and I will continue to burn as long as I'm physically able.
My furnace is old and broken down and not running, so this is a great way to help them and get wood.
Favorite is red oak but coming up a close second is locust.
God has been good to me these years and I will continue to burn as long as I'm physically able.
Black locust is the best to me,not to many bugs puts out real good heat and lasts for years.Only problem is its hard to cut up pieces that can make good posts.So usually the good ones go for posts.
logbutcher
Addicted to ArboristSite
Not to worry--burn away
No worry, you got more time than our ancestors.
Here some Downeast locals harvest and burn wood for heat and cooking year-round . It's a lifestyle made easier today with light and torquey chainsaws, simple ways to move the wood from the stump ( ATV's, tractors), better insulated homes, more forest to work than pre-WWII.
My neighbor shames all of us: he's 83 with a new hip, his wife, 81, a survivor of breast cancer. They cook year-round and heat home and shop with wood harvested from their woodlot. While we whine about aches and pains and having time, they plug away all year cutting firewood and pulp logs ( 4' softwood logs that go to a paper mill ). Four kids, 6 grandkids. He's got all the wood stacked, stored, ready before fall while I'm still piling butts for later splitting and stacking. It's inspiring to see them cutting in the snow; she piles the logs for him to cut, then they load the trailer for the trip home, unload and stack for either spliting or pulp piles.
He was complaining that he had to get rid of his 359 for a 353 following the hip replacement .
"I'm slowing down damnit, saw's getting too heavy."
No worry, you got more time than our ancestors.
Here some Downeast locals harvest and burn wood for heat and cooking year-round . It's a lifestyle made easier today with light and torquey chainsaws, simple ways to move the wood from the stump ( ATV's, tractors), better insulated homes, more forest to work than pre-WWII.
My neighbor shames all of us: he's 83 with a new hip, his wife, 81, a survivor of breast cancer. They cook year-round and heat home and shop with wood harvested from their woodlot. While we whine about aches and pains and having time, they plug away all year cutting firewood and pulp logs ( 4' softwood logs that go to a paper mill ). Four kids, 6 grandkids. He's got all the wood stacked, stored, ready before fall while I'm still piling butts for later splitting and stacking. It's inspiring to see them cutting in the snow; she piles the logs for him to cut, then they load the trailer for the trip home, unload and stack for either spliting or pulp piles.
He was complaining that he had to get rid of his 359 for a 353 following the hip replacement .
"I'm slowing down damnit, saw's getting too heavy." 
spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
Hickory #1, followed buy white oak at #2. Then the other oaks and maples. Ash is fine, but it burns quick. Catalpa is like throwing a pack of firecrackers in the stove.
But I'm like a lot of you guys, if it's free, I'll take it. In fact in 15 years of burning, I've never had to pay for wood. A load here, a load there, and some cutting on my own property.
But I'm like a lot of you guys, if it's free, I'll take it. In fact in 15 years of burning, I've never had to pay for wood. A load here, a load there, and some cutting on my own property.
stonykill
ArboristSite Guru
No worry, you got more time than our ancestors.
Here some Downeast locals harvest and burn wood for heat and cooking year-round . It's a lifestyle made easier today with light and torquey chainsaws, simple ways to move the wood from the stump ( ATV's, tractors), better insulated homes, more forest to work than pre-WWII.
My neighbor shames all of us: he's 83 with a new hip, his wife, 81, a survivor of breast cancer. They cook year-round and heat home and shop with wood harvested from their woodlot. While we whine about aches and pains and having time, they plug away all year cutting firewood and pulp logs ( 4' softwood logs that go to a paper mill ). Four kids, 6 grandkids. He's got all the wood stacked, stored, ready before fall while I'm still piling butts for later splitting and stacking. It's inspiring to see them cutting in the snow; she piles the logs for him to cut, then they load the trailer for the trip home, unload and stack for either spliting or pulp piles.
He was complaining that he had to get rid of his 359 for a 353 following the hip replacement .
ahh the simple life. If I could only talk my wife into a wood cook stove. I'll keep at her, it'll happen. Thats a great story :greenchainsaw:
Rowan
ArboristSite Operative
I like White/Red Oak, Hard (Sugar) Maple. But for those long nights there's nothing like Ironwood (Hop Hornbeam) for long lasting hot fire's. It's not good for the saw, but its great burning.
Of course you have to own property to be able to burn it because most loggers won't touch it and others won't give it up.
My family has some land which has got the biggest ironwood I've ever seen (not planning on cutting these, lots of smaller/straigher ones dieing to pick on).
I'll try to post a pic (never done it before)
Of course you have to own property to be able to burn it because most loggers won't touch it and others won't give it up.
My family has some land which has got the biggest ironwood I've ever seen (not planning on cutting these, lots of smaller/straigher ones dieing to pick on).
I'll try to post a pic (never done it before)
i was waiting to here apple hot, blue flame, never pops, smells awsome. i also like ash for many reasons. i only burn for pleasure. pa is home to many great hard woods!!!
Sethro
Heathen
Buckskin elm
gtstang462002
ArboristSite Operative
Whatever is free and makes heat...
badcars2
ArboristSite Operative
just me
Boo Hoo
all i ahve ib the farn kabd we have leased and for me to cut is walnut and red oak.
have to say the walnut is pretty for dads wood working projects but a stove full of red oak will run you out of the house when the stove gets happy. i love it
Later
Boo Hoo
all i ahve ib the farn kabd we have leased and for me to cut is walnut and red oak.
have to say the walnut is pretty for dads wood working projects but a stove full of red oak will run you out of the house when the stove gets happy. i love it
Later
sredlin
ArboristSite Operative
I love it when you talk baby talk
Lignum
Addicted to ArboristSite
Black Locust by far. Got to let it set a while, but with patience, nothing better.
wally 12
ArboristSite Lurker
does anyone know how well Mulberry and silver Maple burn for firewood?
Lignum
Addicted to ArboristSite
Mulberry and Maple are an outstanding firewood. Mulberry pops a bit, but burns extremely well. You just have to let it set a while to dry out. I let mine set a minimum of 2 years before fooling with it. Maple is a good all purpose wood.
Silver Maple has been our main heating wood for the last few years. I have had a free supply from a source of dead or near dead standing trees. It splits well, dries fast in our desert climate, burns just fine and leaves little ash. It is not as high in BTU's as black locust, but I have been happy with it.
My favorite wood to burn is ceder Juniper for one reason only, it smells great. It is hard on saw chains, dirty to handle, lots of side branches, but smells great in the stove. I love going outside just to get a whiff of that smoke. Cedar Juniper is the main source of fence posts in the mountain west and old fence posts are prime firewood due to the fact that the bark is gone, no bark, no mess. The bark makes good fire tinder.
Black locust is the best in this area. High BTU, splits clean, burns all night and produces little ash.
wally 12
ArboristSite Lurker
Thanks for the info, As you can tell I'm new to this stuff I've been burning wood in my home for 3 years just trying to figure this out.
I have axcess to silver maple, mulberry, elm and have been burning a lot of cherry that is great but the cherry is gone I have started to burn the elm
and it leaves a lot of ash is this normal for elm?
and can you tell me what type of wood to just stay away from?
Thank's Todd
ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
The main cause for ash when burning elm (Chinese) is the bark. If you can let it age for two or more years and remove the bark you will have better luck. Without the bark it is not bad. It is considered a trash tree in this area and the wood is plentiful and free.
Russian olive is the worst wood that I have ever burned. Others like it but the variety I have had the misfortune of burning was hard to split and had a smell that was very offensive.
Quaking aspen is responsible for ruining many old stoves. It burns hot, fast and can over heat a stove in short order. It is good for starting the fire and I have burned may fair share of it, but it was hard to regulate the stove. The only time I have ever had a fear of over heating a stove was with aspen. Many feel the same way about cottonwood and poplar. Not much BTU in poplar. The local old timers refer to poplar as one step above paper. These three make good wood if you are trying to build a hot fire to heat up a thermal mass type fireplace or stove.
Similar threads
