Preference in Wood Burning Species?

[Scott76]

What is everyone’s preference in wood burn species?

I am ordering a tri-axle of logs and the guy said he has Beech, Hickory, Oak and Ash, but mostly Oak and Ash. I was brought up burning Oak (really and thing that would burn). But was always told Oak is a better burn for the heat. Now it sounds like people are moving more towards Ash. He said he would bring what ever I want. He said all he burns is Ash.

I love cutting and splitting Beech. The smell brings so many memories back from my childhood of being in the mountains cutting wood and eating wild Tea Berries. Pennsylvania’s wood are wonderful.

Thank for everyone's help.

 

[upandcommer]

seems to me i would just tell him to give me one of each till the trailer was full giggles those are all good burning woods and all have their strong points in a fireplace or stove i use maples (silver or red) for their coaling porperties oak for it's longevity and the others for the aromatics and btu's so it all boils down to personal preference.

 

[rmihalek]

What's the going rate ($) for a tri-axle load out there in PA?

 

[Scott76]

A tri-axle is $550 But he told me last night that is going up now. I forget what he said the new price is. But since I ordered it last week he's selling it to me for the 550 quote. I got quotes from $770 down to $550.

Delivered Cord wood was quoted from $110 to $175 (cut and split).

P/U Cord wood was quoted from $90 to $125 (cut and split).

I plan to post pic of the load when he drops it after this week.

 

[buckwheat]

Oak will probably give you the most heat, but it can also be a bear to get burning if you don't already have a bed of coals. I usually use some poplar to get a fire going and get the stove hot before throwing in any oak.

The other consideration is that oak is a but much for this time of year where night-time temps only go down to the 40's. Our house gets too hot with oak, so I burn cherry, walnut, and poplar this time of year.

I'd take the oak, but maybe hunt around for a cord or two of other hardwood to give you some flexibility.

 

[Bad E]

I would take a mixed load. Oak a good wood but tough to get cooking, beech ..nothing better for a good nights long burn with a hot bed of coals for morning. Ash.. a great starter easy to dry good for daytime hot fire...mixed oak and ash ...hard combo to beat.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Hey Scott76, are you from the Mechanics burg on rt413 or the other Mechanics burgh?



My preferences would lean twords the oak and hickory but I dont think you could go wrong given the choices you have.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Wood species preferences

Hi there-like these other guys said, go for the Hickory and Oak for the long heat producing fires. Beech also throws nice heat and has a beautiful ,lively flame. Ash is an excellent all-purpose wood, from kindling to quarter-splits to main fuelwood pieces. And yes, you are absolutely correct-we who live in Pennsylvania are extremely LUCKY because of all of the different species of wood here!

 

[logbutcher]

Oak Envy

What a choice !
I got a serious case of oak ( hickory, ash ) envy here :censored:
Go north young man, Alaska. Downeast here, or northern Quebec to see what you got to burn: spruce, fir, paper birch. We grub for the oaks, the ash...and hickory ?
And you're whining about the gold-plated hardwoods ? "The right door or the left door" :jawdrop: :jawdrop:
Hey, bring that "triple axle" a 1000 miles east.....now.

 

[Scott76]

RaisedByWolves; I'm in Mechanicsburg, PA. Between Harrisburg and Carlisle (can't miss the car shows!).

Well I called the Logger last night and switched to a mix of Oak, Ash, Hickory, Beech, and Hard Maple. Since I wanted a mix he said he'll deliver it tomorrow. I can't remember if I burnt Hard Maple before! Its wood it has to burn.

 

[turnkey4099]

What a choice !
I got a serious case of oak ( hickory, ash ) envy here :censored:
Go north young man, Alaska. Downeast here, or northern Quebec to see what you got to burn: spruce, fir, paper birch. We grub for the oaks, the ash...and hickory ?
And you're whining about the gold-plated hardwoods ? "The right door or the left door" :jawdrop: :jawdrop:
Hey, bring that "triple axle" a 1000 miles east.....now.

Amen to that!. Here in E Washington state hardwoods are hard to come by. The premier wood is considered to be Tamarach and Red Fir. My philosophy on what to burn is :

Max BTU per dollar cost.

As I cut my own, I have a choice of a 100 mile round trip to get Tam/Fir or cut trash trees (mostly Willow) within a few miles of the house. Guess which way I go. With the cost of gas, my Willow looks even better. So I burn about 1 1/2 cord or more Willow to 1 cord Tamarack (if I had it), the willow still wins the btu cost hands down.

Harry K

 

[RockinB]

Amen to that!. Here in E Washington state hardwoods are hard to come by. The premier wood is considered to be Tamarach and Red Fir. My philosophy on what to burn is :

Max BTU per dollar cost.

As I cut my own, I have a choice of a 100 mile round trip to get Tam/Fir or cut trash trees (mostly Willow) within a few miles of the house. Guess which way I go. With the cost of gas, my Willow looks even better. So I burn about 1 1/2 cord or more Willow to 1 cord Tamarack (if I had it), the willow still wins the btu cost hands down.

Harry K

Man, I remember burning buckskin Tamarack back in the seventies. Splits like cedar, burns like oak!

Great stuff!!!

 

[Scott76]

I really never thought about it. There is hardly any hardwoods up north. Man that does have to suck.

I was told never to burn pines. How can you burn pines/cedar? How often do you clean your chimneys? The buildup has to be bad.

I get some slab wood from the Amish and there is a couple of pieces of pine in there. I figured 1 or 2 pieces wiln't hurt it.

 

[sawn_penn]

My philosophy on what to burn is :

Max BTU per dollar cost.

Around here max BTU/$ is radiata pine. It still sucks as firewood. There's more to it than $$$.

 

[laynes69]

All of my wood is free, comes off the property. All I have to say is if its here it is burnt, if its a dead punky wood, I will mix it and burn it in the daytime, and save the locust, cherry, etc for night. When its free you cant be picky.
I burn whatever wood I can. I dont burn pine, but hear you can if it is seasoned, dunno.

 

[DDM]

That is a good question can seasoned yellow pine be burned without fear?

 

[sawinredneck]

Sold a lot of Pine, never had any complaints, have burned it to with no ill effects! I soley burn hedge, you MUST clean you're chimmeny regurlay to prevent creosote build up. Hedge creosote makes a really really bad chimmeny fire, seen it once, trust me!!!!!!!!
Andy

 

[turnkey4099]

Pine is only somewhat more prone to creosote than other woods. Most of the "don't burn pine" warnings are from people who have never done it, never known anyone who has done it, and have never done much reading on the subject. We burned almost nothing but pine back in the 40s as did everyone around us. No-one ever burned down their house with it that I know of and chimney cleaning, if done at all, was by dangling a sack full of chain down it and rattling it. Of course back then there were no air-tight stoves and even shut down you had a fairly clean burn.

I can only recall one burned out house (actually just the foundation with chimney still standing) in all the miles around. That was an old one before anyone I knew had heard of the people who lived there at the time of the fire.

It doesn't matter what wood you burn, clean your chimney at least once per season. I do mine at the beginning of the season.

Harry K

 

[ranchjn]

i basically refused to split anything except oak and madrone. however you gotta split some dougy fir or redwood in order to get your fire started. madrone is my favorite for burning, followed by tan oak.

 

[farmboy9]

We had a storm thrown 60' ash tree first winter we moved to an old house. I read a jingle somewhere, old english thing, about the burning properties of the different woods (v.interesting...I will try and find it again and post it) and it said "Ash wet, ash dry, a king can warm his fingers by". And that is what I found. A gem to light (I lit a dry 18"x6"x6" piece with a match, to see if.), good burn, medium coals, little or nothing left, not hard to split. Although it is such a pretty wood, I am only sorry I didn't get a c/s mill and turn the bigger bits into boards.