Husky137
Addicted to ArboristSite
That's a good point.:greenchainsaw:
Is locust the worst wood to burn?
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Jimfound
ArboristSite Operative
Sounds like someone has their eye on your wood....err...you know what I mean.
I was unimpressed with locust when I burned it sooner than it was ready. My mistake. 2 years seasoned it catches fast, burns hot, and while it does crackle a lot, it doesn't spit too bad. Very dense even 2 years seasoned. I have to say it doesn't coal as well the elm I have plenty of - but I know there are mixed reports on elm.
Locust is tough to beat for quality of burning. A good ole boy up my way tells a story of him and a neighbor who had the chance to clear some acreage for firewood. The neighbor rushed in a laid claim to all the oak while the ole boy sat patiently back and took what was left...all the locust. He laughs pretty hard when he tells that story. Good cutting to you!
It's great wood for heat but I never cared for the aroma. Definitely cut it green.
extraspecialman
ArboristSite Operative
true yellow locust which grows in the mountains makes a better fence post than a white locust that grows in a field or a thicket.The best locust post come from the north side of a mountain.It also burns hotter and longer because the wood grain is tighter from slower growth.Good locust is getting very scarce.At least around here anyhow.But even a field locust makes fine firewood if ya got a log splitter.
czar800
ArboristSite Guru
Well said.
cmetalbend
ArboristSite Operative
Givin alittle advice
If you let season at least one year, you can go out when it's frozen, cut it and the majority of the thorns will fall off from the vibration or once cut you can roll the wood on the ground and that too will rid you of most thorns. Black locust I believe(could be wrong) was brought over by the British as a second choice to Hedge for building fence. Burn's hot as hedge, only bigger thorns.
If you let season at least one year, you can go out when it's frozen, cut it and the majority of the thorns will fall off from the vibration or once cut you can roll the wood on the ground and that too will rid you of most thorns. Black locust I believe(could be wrong) was brought over by the British as a second choice to Hedge for building fence. Burn's hot as hedge, only bigger thorns.
habanero
ArboristSite Guru
The locust I cut had two different types of thorns (probably two different types of trees) and your advice would work for the one type. Those seemed to have bundles of thorns that were more or less attached to the bark. So as soon as the bark loosened up, the thorns would fall off as well.
The other type, however, had thorns that seemed to be rooted much more strongly in the wood itself. Those never came off no matter how long the log layed there. They seemed to grow not in bundles, but rather individually all over the log. Those were the really nasty ones.
The best way I found to deal with the thorns was to just have my axe really good and sharp and shave the trunk down before bucking it up. Slow process, but effective.
Locust worst wood to burn?
The only way that Black Locust would be the WORST wood to burn is if you only had that and Hickory....even THAT you can argue about!!:greenchainsaw:
The only way that Black Locust would be the WORST wood to burn is if you only had that and Hickory....even THAT you can argue about!!:greenchainsaw:
Bowtie
Gearhead
Locust is awesome. I prefer it over Oak, because nobody around here wants to let go of oak.
berryman70
ArboristSite Guru
I think dry locust is some of the best wood there is to burn, but it is a little harder to handle & dulls chains faster then most wood. When I used to sell firewood I had some customers that didn't want it because they said it burned too hot, I think they just didn't know how to control their stove.
Sprig
Addicted to ArboristSite
The only thing I can think of that would make locust really ugly is not having an axe and a good set of gloves.(for da thorns), a dull chain won't help either. For all the responses I've ever seen on AS it is an awesome wood to burn. There are ancient fence lines that are locust, some are over 100yrs old, the stuff is tough like crazy. For those that burn it, it is hot but very dense so care should be taken on stove settings, I imagine it to burning coal or osage orange, so ergo the care thing.
My opinion but not by experience.
Serge
My opinion but not by experience.
Serge
Lignum
Addicted to ArboristSite
The only thing I can think of that would make locust really ugly is not having an axe and a good set of gloves.(for da thorns), a dull chain won't help either. For all the responses I've ever seen on AS it is an awesome wood to burn. There are ancient fence lines that are locust, some are over 100yrs old, the stuff is tough like crazy. For those that burn it, it is hot but very dense so care should be taken on stove settings, I imagine it to burning coal or osage orange, so ergo the care thing.
My opinion but not by experience.
Serge
Split em small and take it easy, you can always add the pieces to get warm, big when you throw on 2 big ol' logs, watch out, overfiring could occur if you are not careful.
treemandan
Tree Freak
Very nice wood. I just gave a load to the kid down the street who in return gave me 5- 50 lbs bags of magnesium chloride the bastard stole from his job.
After telling me he quit and the company employees illegals I said" thanks".
I also fixed his lawnmower- jumped the seat switch.
After telling me he quit and the company employees illegals I said" thanks".
I also fixed his lawnmower- jumped the seat switch.
cmetalbend
ArboristSite Operative
Is this the comedy forum ?
Why yes, it sure is. Just flew in today to help with the Tornado clean up. Went to the husky dealer to buy a saw. Came back with two cause he didn't have change for a Five. Thank you, Thank you, I 'll be here all night. LOL
me thinks id think less of him as a neighbor after one of those encounters, even though ole boy got the better wood!!
buckwheat
ArboristSite Guru
I just scored about a cord of locust from a lot clearing that I saw while out riding my bicycle - plan to pick it up with the truck tonight. Then word got around and a couple of neighbors called to talk about cutting up some storm damaged trees that came down recently. Given the neighborhood, I'm betting I'm going to find - you guessed it - more locust! Life is good.
Typically black locust has small thorns (1/4") on the branches. It's an excellent firewood.
HONEY locust has the monster 3" tire puncturing thorns. AFAIK, it's good firewood but I've also heard that it pops a lot. I think black locust is better firewood than honey locust though.
I have plenty of the honey locust here and anyone is wecome to come get them as long as you make sure you don't leave any thorns for the tractors or horses
Seriously, if anyone has suggestions on how to avoid the thorn risk to tractors and horses, I'd love to hear it.
Ken
HONEY locust has the monster 3" tire puncturing thorns. AFAIK, it's good firewood but I've also heard that it pops a lot. I think black locust is better firewood than honey locust though.
I have plenty of the honey locust here and anyone is wecome to come get them as long as you make sure you don't leave any thorns for the tractors or horses
Seriously, if anyone has suggestions on how to avoid the thorn risk to tractors and horses, I'd love to hear it.Ken
Farmer Mike
ArboristSite Lurker
I am in a constant battle with the "big thorned" Honey Locust. They usually claim a couple of tires a year with an ocasional cattle puncture. Some are heavilly thorned while many growing close togeather are okay. We have burned it quite a bit, but haven't experienced the "popping" others write about. The burn is good, but we have been spoiled buy hedge.
Much of what cut could make saw logs, but there is not a lot local interest.
I am trying to get hooked up with a bandmill, but that isn't going to happen right away. For the time being I'll have to stockpile logs and firewood.
The goal is to beat back this invasive tree and supplement our farm income.
We have the trees, saws, tractors/loaders, truck, and trailers. All we need now is a market!
If we hadn't turned into "hedge snobbs", I would burn locust exclusivly!
Much of what cut could make saw logs, but there is not a lot local interest.
I am trying to get hooked up with a bandmill, but that isn't going to happen right away. For the time being I'll have to stockpile logs and firewood.
The goal is to beat back this invasive tree and supplement our farm income.
We have the trees, saws, tractors/loaders, truck, and trailers. All we need now is a market!
If we hadn't turned into "hedge snobbs", I would burn locust exclusivly!
Last edited:
cmetalbend
ArboristSite Operative
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