cbr929rr
ArboristSite Member
An area i have to clear has several locust trees and some people say it is pure garbage and will never burn. Should I pass on these trees?
Is locust the worst wood to burn?
- Thread starter cbr929rr
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RaisedByWolves
Addicted to ArboristSite
Locust is like oak, it needs to season well.
Other than that it burns great, but as RB mentioned, start your fire with something else.
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Other than that it burns great, but as RB mentioned, start your fire with something else.
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MATTYB11
ArboristSite Operative
yea, its terrible. I'll be right over to get rid of it for you 
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aandabooks
Addicted to ArboristSite
Awesome wood. Burns very hot and leaves good coals. Try to cut it while its live. If it lays dead, the longer it is down the closer it gets to cutting like concrete. I cut some down limbs over the weekend and went through a chain and a half on less than a tank of gas. A good 8 ft. truck load though.
Don't burn it! It is dangerous! If you ship it to me, I will get rid of it for you.
Harry K
Lignum
Addicted to ArboristSite
Alright, I'm going to rain on everybody's parade here, I'm not all that impressed by the stuff. I guess by me writing this this puts me as a wood snob but...
If it was free, all I wanted, I would burn the stuff forever, but seeing how I scrounge all my stuff, it will go in the 'sell' pile. The stuff leaves way too much ash for my liking, as I do not like scooping out ash every other day. The Red Oak, Mullberry, Ash, and any Maple will suit me, if anybody wants, I'll sell them my Locust, at a cool $175.00 a cord, all day long.
If it was free, all I wanted, I would burn the stuff forever, but seeing how I scrounge all my stuff, it will go in the 'sell' pile. The stuff leaves way too much ash for my liking, as I do not like scooping out ash every other day. The Red Oak, Mullberry, Ash, and any Maple will suit me, if anybody wants, I'll sell them my Locust, at a cool $175.00 a cord, all day long.
Zodiac45
Paleostoveologist & Sawwhisperer
+1 LOL.......No kiddin! I went back too a venier operation from 2 yrs ago that left allot of nice big pieces of maple and yellow birch. Sheesh some of that maple was defo ROCK maple!
tomtrees58
Addicted to ArboristSite
ore you nuts it has more BTU then oak some men need to go to school tom trees
habanero
ArboristSite Guru
When I was in Kansas, locust was almost all I burnt for 2 years in my boiler. It burnt wonderfully and I guess I didn't notice it having too many ashes-but then scooping ashes has never really bothered me. Like others mentioned above, it burns best when well-seasoned. The first year most of the logs had only seasoned one year and it burnt okay, but not nearly as well as the stuff I burnt the second year.
The only bad part of the locust I was gathering was it was honey locust. I still have some scars from particularly nasty thorn punctures.
The only bad part of the locust I was gathering was it was honey locust. I still have some scars from particularly nasty thorn punctures.
John Paul Sanborn
Above average climber
Ooo, that wild stuff can be scary, thorns on thorns!
Try raising your rakers to .020 on the harder woods, it helps a lot.
Black locust has a specific gravity greater then any oak but live oak, when down to 20% moisture it will burn better. Maybe the reason you had so much ash was that it was going up the flue due to too high a moisture content?
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buckwheat
ArboristSite Guru
In my book, locust is the gold standard for firewood. 'burns hot, coals well, and is easy to start back up in the morning. I have found that it creates less ash than the red oak I burn, but the ashes are "fluffier", so I have to open the stove door very slowly to keep them from coming back out.
I just finished up burning half a cord of locust that a friend had (cut too long for his stove). Even the wife noticed how the fires were burning longer when she was home during the day.
I've got my eye on a land clearing job going on right now where they're piling up several cords of logs along the curb. I'm hoping they intend to give it away once I have a chance to talk to them.
I just finished up burning half a cord of locust that a friend had (cut too long for his stove). Even the wife noticed how the fires were burning longer when she was home during the day.
I've got my eye on a land clearing job going on right now where they're piling up several cords of logs along the curb. I'm hoping they intend to give it away once I have a chance to talk to them.
Locust... creates too much ash ???? I think you are thinking of some other type of wood, or your wood is not seasoned properly. Locust burns hot and coals up cherry red. Tough to find anything that is better burning. Might be a bit sparky though if you're in an open burn.
Burvol
Bullbuck
Yes, Locust is the stuff...
They are mistaken or trying to put one over on you. It is one of the best woods you could get to burn.
Lignum
Addicted to ArboristSite
Nope, it is Black Locust, cut it myself, and 2 years seasoned. I'm just lazy when it comes to dumping out the ash. And I agree with everybody that it does burn for quite a while, longest out of the wood I have. If I can make some money off the stuff, I'll sell it, and let somebody else burn the Black Gold, and I will have a fat wallet for a while, that is until my old lady wants some new curtains...
Husky137
Addicted to ArboristSite
Stop hanging out with stupid people. You will learn that there are people in this world that are completely incapable of burning wood properly.
PM me when you get into a mess of Locust, I'll help you cut and split for my portion!
Nope, it is Black Locust, cut it myself, and 2 years seasoned. I'm just lazy when it comes to dumping out the ash. And I agree with everybody that it does burn for quite a while, longest out of the wood I have. If I can make some money off the stuff, I'll sell it, and let somebody else burn the Black Gold, and I will have a fat wallet for a while, that is until my old lady wants some new curtains...
Lignum
Addicted to ArboristSite
Sounds fine to me, aren't too many people willing to cut and split, they just want the wood. Who wants help split and stack? Not I said the cat, er, wife...
BlueRidgeMark
Addicted to ArboristSite
Well, normally I would agree with that advice, but in this case, I think he should continue to hang out with them until he has ALL their locust!
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