# cottonwood hardwood or softwood



## injun joe (Jan 31, 2009)

ok i was recently searching the internet the other day for wood btu's and i came across this table that had cottonwood classified under the hardwoods. so i was wondering what your guys opinions are on this possibly a typo or something along those lines. well all i can say i have cut some cotton wood that was hard so any info would be great.


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## injun joe (Jan 31, 2009)

ok i was recently searching the internet the other day for wood btu's and i came across this table that had cottonwood classified under the hardwoods. so i was wondering what your guys opinions are on this possibly a typo or something along those lines. well all i can say i have cut some cotton wood that was hard so any info would be great.


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## turnkey4099 (Jan 31, 2009)

Depends: In general, any tree that drops its leaves is considered a hardwood, anything with needles a softwood. Really has nothing to do with the relative hardness of the wood.

Harry K


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## Lignum (Jan 31, 2009)

Classified as a hard wood because it is a deciduous tree, but soft density, making a poor choice as firewood.


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## KsWoodsMan (Jan 31, 2009)

Lignum said:


> Classified as a hard wood because it is a deciduous tree, but soft density, making a poor choice as firewood.



:agree2: 
Though it isnt much for firewood it is a light tough wood used for floors on dozer trailers.


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## maico490 (Jan 31, 2009)

Balsa wood is classified as a hardwood. Nothing to do with hardness other than possibly hardwoods are harder in general than softwoods. Oh the ambiguity of the English language.


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## bore_pig (Jan 31, 2009)

I burn it a bit. It's good to help get a fire going. Burns fast. Leaves a LOT of ash. I also burn it in the early fall or late spring when I don't need much output from the stove.


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## MS460WOODCHUCK (Jan 31, 2009)

turnkey4099 said:


> Depends: In general, any tree that drops its leaves is considered a hardwood, anything with needles a softwood. Really has nothing to do with the relative hardness of the wood.
> 
> Harry K



exactly.


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## StihltheOne (Jan 31, 2009)

I burn tons of it. I would be mighty cold if it were not for the ol cottonwoods!
Believe it or not, it is one of the better woods in our parts.


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## slowp (Jan 31, 2009)

Other than stinky, I classify it as a soft hardwood, kind of like alder. Alder, unlike cottonwood, makes OK firewood.


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## Peacock (Jan 31, 2009)

slowp said:


> Alder, unlike cottonwood, makes OK firewood.



Not when you have anything like what we have around here available.


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## clayman (Jan 31, 2009)

As I understand it the BTU out-put of seasoned wood is generally the same per pound no matter what kind of wood it is.


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## J.W Younger (Jan 31, 2009)

Seems like I heard some where that its being used to make railroad ties?


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## Paul001 (Jan 31, 2009)

turnkey4099 said:


> Depends: In general, any tree that drops its leaves is considered a hardwood, anything with needles a softwood. Really has nothing to do with the relative hardness of the wood.
> 
> Harry K



Depending on State Law. Certian States classify what is and isn't hardwood to be used for fuel.


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## Dan_IN_MN (Jan 31, 2009)

*I will not cut cottonwood for firewood*

I don't know the answer to your question, however, I will not cut cottonwood for firewood!

I haven't burned any but I will take the advice from my Uncle. He says that it takes linger to cut it than burn it.

Dan


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## IchWarriorMkII (Jan 31, 2009)

yup, its a hardwood.


just a really really soft, hardwood.


I don't much prefer to burn it, unless my fire was too hot and I needed to drop it a few 100 degrees, I might throw a log or two in :spam:


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## Saw Bones (Jan 31, 2009)

injun joe said:


> ok i was recently searching the internet the other day for wood btu's and i came across this table that had cottonwood classified under the hardwoods. so i was wondering what your guys opinions are on this possibly a typo or something along those lines. well all i can say i have cut some cotton wood that was hard so any info would be great.



There is a heating forum here that has some info on Wood BTU's Do a search. hope this is of some use.


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## B_Turner (Jan 31, 2009)

Our cotton wood is soft green, but actually it dries much harder than one would think. No btu's, though.

I've been told that some of it is exported for toothpicks, but other than that I don't know of a use for it.


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## Old Goat (Jan 31, 2009)

Lignum said:


> Classified as a hard wood because it is a deciduous tree, but soft density, making a poor choice as firewood.



It burns hot and fast. Good wood to start things going and take the chill off the house.



StihltheOne said:


> I burn tons of it. I would be mighty cold if it were not for the ol cottonwoods!
> Believe it or not, it is one of the better woods in our parts.



Hum, This may be the reason that Wyoming is the least populated state, just kidding. Cottonwood is also very prolific in Utah and I have burned my fair share of it.


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## Sethro (Jan 31, 2009)

I don't burn it or cut it. Cottonwood is notorious for dropping limbs when felling and besides it smells like cat piss. Its not a hardwood intermediate at that and is usually shaky. We saw a couple mbf a year and the good lumber goes to casket companys and the rest(most) goes to 3B/cants.


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## LEES WOODC (Jan 31, 2009)

Lignum said:


> Classified as a hard wood because it is a deciduous tree, but soft density, making a poor choice as firewood.



Ligs right with the exception of Larch. Larch looses its needles in the fall. 
Any tree that bears a leaf is a hardwood.
Any tree a needle softwood.


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## Farley9n (Jan 31, 2009)

*This May Seem Like A Dumb Question But.....*

How does it compare to other woods for cutting cookies? I have about 6 acres of woods and too much of it is Cottonwood. I know that it burns ok in an open pit and that once down it dosen't last long. But with a bunch of saws and not that much firewood I'm getting tired of trying to heat with cookies!!!.......Bob


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## ray benson (Jan 31, 2009)

It's one of the softer hardwoods. About as hard as walnut.
http://www.countyfloors.com/species_cottonwood.html


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## willsaw4beer (Jan 31, 2009)

John Dolmar said:


> I don't burn it or cut it. Cottonwood is notorious for dropping limbs when felling and besides it smells like cat piss. Its not a hardwood intermediate at that and is usually shaky. We saw a couple mbf a year and the good lumber goes to casket companys and the rest(most) goes to 3B/cants.



Lol I remember trying to burn it one year, and it smelled so bad the dog must have thought he :censored: by the stove or something, he acted like he did something wrong when it was just the smell from the nasty wood. Poplar, cottonwood, aspen, all worthless wood imo. It's only use is for a bonfire as long as you're not planning on cooking food over it.


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## B_Turner (Jan 31, 2009)

Farley9n said:


> How does it compare to other woods for cutting cookies? I have about 6 acres of woods and too much of it is Cottonwood. I know that it burns ok in an open pit and that once down it dosen't last long. But with a bunch of saws and not that much firewood I'm getting tired of trying to heat with cookies!!!.......Bob



It is great for cutting cookies in the 40inch plus size if the log hasn't been skidded. A bit soft, but a little stringy so it's a good test.

I had a big pair (135ft+) of cottonwoods go down in the back and I cut all the lower sections into cookies while doing side by side comparisons for time between my 3120s and 880. I was sad when I used it up. 

I generally don't want to waste wood of that size.

I've seen turned bowls from cottonwood from other places like Utah, and it looks to be a nicer wood than the junk tree we have here. Here even when the branches fall off in a windstorm they can sprout into another tree. (They often stick endwise into the soft ground when they fall.)


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## SteveH (Jan 31, 2009)

Cottonwood is more or less trash, I think. People around here tend to plant it 'cuz it grows so fast. Bad idea, as it then starts breaking apart in a couple decades and looks like...trash. However, now and then someone asks me to take one down and I bring home the larger pc to burn. It burns fast and leaves more ash than one could imagine, almost seems there's more volume of ash than the wood it used to be. Only reason I burn it at all is it's free though 95% of what I burn is not cottonwood.


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## alderman (Jan 31, 2009)

*Cottonwood*

At the paper mill we mix Cottonwood chips with the Alder chips as they are both short fiber woods. We call the Alder mix hard wood and use a Fir/Hemlock mix for soft wood.


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## mowoodchopper (Jan 31, 2009)

*cottonwood*

If you in some parts of the country where the main wood is cotton wood such as southwest NE , there are more people who burn cotton wood than anything else. Its not trash by a long ways it actually make good fire wood and you can cut it super fast, I would say if you need a load of wood fast its your best bet in this part of the country. If you know what your looking for and know which cottonwood is the good hard stuff , not dead to long and not green, it will burn about 75% as long as ash or elm and put out about 75% as much heat! Out of all the people I cut wood for more than half want cotton wood because I cut it cheaper because I can cut it in about half the time of ash or elm. Also when the creek bottoms are drifted in with snow for 3 months like last yr its about the only wood you can get to, it has heated my house many a cold night.


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## mowoodchopper (Jan 31, 2009)

StihltheOne said:


> I burn tons of it. I would be mighty cold if it were not for the ol cottonwoods!
> Believe it or not, it is one of the better woods in our parts.



I am glad someone else burns cottonwood . If you live where thats about all there is it makes good fire wood! And if you know what your looking for and get good cottonwood its makes real good fire wood. I burn a ton of it and cut a ton of it for others and no one has froze yet that i know of. So here's to good old cotton wood! If you cant get ash or elm or locust thats what we have left!


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## Metals406 (Jan 31, 2009)

Cottonwood isn't a red oak, or white oak... But I've come across some pretty hard, dead and dry, cottonwood. It's used a lot for trailer decking too... Supposed to be tough but flexible for that application.


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## Troy G (Jan 31, 2009)

Beggars cannot be chosers. Up here in Saskatchewan, cottonwood is a major staple. It is certainly not a hardwood.


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## Blazin (Jan 31, 2009)

Technically hardwood yes, on the btu scale no. I burn alot of cottonwood and poplar in the fall or spring to get rid of the chill.........


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## Mkarlson (Jan 31, 2009)

With alot of river bottoms and creek bottoms in my area we have lots of huge cottonwoods around. Looking at the sheer size of those trees makes me want to drop one. I would just about consider them the red woods of my area. Not much cept maybe a giant sycamore can compare around these parts. No one I know ever burns them for firewood, I have always been told they wont burn :jawdrop: . But listening to some of you talk I might have to try one out. How do they smell while burning in say, a campfire?


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## HuskerDolmar (Jan 31, 2009)

my uncle said.....christ come up with a better one than that or keep your mouth shut.. Looking at where most of you wood cutting pros:jawdrop: are from I don't know why in the hell you'd cut cottonwood, and I sure as hell doubt you have much experience burning cured cottonwood. As the mowoodchopper said, it is easy to get, burns hot, and doesn't have much ash if it's dry. It also kicks out good heat. I have burned a :censored: load of it and will GLADLY burn more. western Nebraska isn't exactly blessed with an abundance of hardwoods, so I burn what there is the most of and that's cottonwood.


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## Wood Doctor (Jan 31, 2009)

*Nebraska State Tree*

Cottonwood is the Nebraska state tree. Here is a truckload that I delivered in September to a restaurant customer who is burning it now.






Believe me, between the two stoves installed and shown below, cottonwood heats his building, but I do not have anything heating my house that looks like this:




Do you?


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## heimannm (Jan 31, 2009)

Biggest problem with cotton wood (around here anyway) is that the bark collects quite a lot of dirt and is really hard on chains. I don't seek it out and cut and burn it only if it is really easy to get.

Cotton wood stinks, is miserable to split, hold too much water when it's green, and doesn't keep very long once it dries. If it is the only thing available, why not?

I had access to a lot of elm when a local cut down two very large trees last spring and to tell the truth, these were only a small step better than cotton wood. The rounds actually kept and burn pretty well, the split pieces are very dry and burn quite quickly. It also leave a lot of ash, and is prone to form a lot of klinkers.

Mark

Mark


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## Zero Gravity (Jan 31, 2009)

injun joe said:


> ok i was recently searching the internet the other day for wood btu's and i came across this table that had cottonwood classified under the hardwoods. so i was wondering what your guys opinions are on this possibly a typo or something along those lines. well all i can say i have cut some cotton wood that was hard so any info would be great.



I thought that any tree that had its reproductive seed in nut or fruit was considered a hardwood. Trees that have a free seed are the softwoods.
ZG


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## CORNFEDMIDGET (Jan 31, 2009)

John Dolmar said:


> I don't burn it or cut it. Cottonwood is notorious for dropping limbs when felling and besides it *smells like cat piss*. Its not a hardwood intermediate at that and is usually shaky. We saw a couple mbf a year and the good lumber goes to casket companys and the rest(most) goes to 3B/cants.



My thoughts exactly. You put a finger on it, "cat piss".


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## wdchuck (Jan 31, 2009)

Cottonwood/poplar....it burns nicely in the fireplace...but aint worth spit in the wood furnace.

It's a hardwood...can be a bugger to split...but doesn't offer much up for btus/cord


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## mowoodchopper (Jan 31, 2009)

Mkarlson said:


> With alot of river bottoms and creek bottoms in my area we have lots of huge cottonwoods around. Looking at the sheer size of those trees makes me want to drop one. I would just about consider them the red woods of my area. Not much cept maybe a giant sycamore can compare around these parts. No one I know ever burns them for firewood, I have always been told they wont burn :jawdrop: . But listening to some of you talk I might have to try one out. How do they smell while burning in say, a campfire?



Give it a try I bet it will surprise you. Find you a big dead one that the bark is just falling off.There is nothing like the sound of a nice size, 2-3 feet diameter dead cottonwood hitting the ground, just look out cause its like an explosion, :censored: flys everywhere! And if you have a good splitter you can split it no problem!And as far as the smell for a fire pit its fine, dont let the talk about it stinking worry you. It smells like smoke it aint potpourri !
:greenchainsaw:


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## WRW (Jan 31, 2009)

B_Turner said:


> Our cotton wood is soft green, but actually it dries much harder than one would think. No btu's, though.
> 
> I've been told that some of it is exported for toothpicks, but other than that I don't know of a use for it.



I read, somewhere, that it makes good side boards for dump trucks cause it doesn't break off when the loaders hit it. FWIW.


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## HuskerDolmar (Jan 31, 2009)

I just got done reading a BTU site and it's a bunch of BS. I will guarandamntee ya that cottonwood is better than any of the pine they have listed. Maybe our cottonwood is a little better because we live in a drier area than most of you. I don't EVER cut green cottonwood for burning purposes. I like a big, white, shiny tree. Nice hot fire.


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## brncreeper (Feb 1, 2009)

This old cottonwood stump was hard as a rock.:censored:


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## injun joe (Feb 1, 2009)

ok just wanted to clarify that it was bugging me. yeah around here thats pretty much all we have other that willow(crap) a few mulberry,pinion and tamarack also burn bad yeah my grandparents swear by the stuff and they have burned a lot of different kinds of wood.


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## injun joe (Feb 1, 2009)

lmfoa i was curious when you say it smells i know it has a very strong smell when it is wet like sulphur or phosphorus but i know it only has that when it is wet. i dont know about the easy to cut thing though i think the mulberry is WAY easier to cut through than the cotton we had a mulberry tree that got uprooted and our ms 390 with a 28'' bar went through it easy and when we went to cut on the cotton wood the saw wouldnt cut good at all UNTIL i got the 075 out then it cut good. i have another ? how much heavier is a piece of wet cottonwood compared to other species of wood when wet.


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## Mkarlson (Feb 1, 2009)

mowoodchopper said:


> Give it a try I bet it will surprise you. Find you a big dead one that the bark is just falling off.There is nothing like the sound of a nice size, 2-3 feet diameter dead cottonwood hitting the ground, just look out cause its like an explosion, :censored: flys everywhere! And if you have a good splitter you can split it no problem!And as far as the smell for a fire pit its fine, dont let the talk about it stinking worry you. It smells like smoke it aint potpourri !
> :greenchainsaw:



Thanks for the reply.......I cant think of a standing dead one right off the top right now, but will keep my eyes open. In fact I might just go look around today. Our river (wabash largest/longest in Indiana) floods several times a year and what do you think it brings down with it. You guessed it cottonwoods. Guess its a shame no one uses it for firewood.


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## damifino (Feb 1, 2009)

I burn anything I can get. Obviously I would choose oak over cottonwood but if cottonwood is free and easy then I will gladly cut and burn cottonwood. It does burn faster then other wood so I burn it more on week end or evenings when I am around to add wood more often and use a better burning wood when I go to bed or leave for work. Only negative side is that it is hard to split if you split by hand.


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## mowoodchopper (Feb 1, 2009)

Mkarlson said:


> Thanks for the reply.......I cant think of a standing dead one right off the top right now, but will keep my eyes open. In fact I might just go look around today. Our river (wabash largest/longest in Indiana) floods several times a year and what do you think it brings down with it. You guessed it cottonwoods. Guess its a shame no one uses it for firewood.



Your right it is a shame to just let it rot. Its not oak or elm or ash but it is wood and I hate to see it just lay there and rot. Besides it just makes a mess and that is the main thing about cottonwood it cant lay there dead for yrs like some wood can. You have to get it just right if it lays on the ground very long its worthless, if you catch it at the right time it will surprise you how hard it can be!
:greenchainsaw:


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## mowoodchopper (Feb 1, 2009)

damifino said:


> I burn anything I can get. Obviously I would choose oak over cottonwood but if cottonwood is free and easy then I will gladly cut and burn cottonwood. It does burn faster then other wood so I burn it more on week end or evenings when I am around to add wood more often and use a better burning wood when I go to bed or leave for work. Only negative side is that it is hard to split if you split by hand.



Nicely stated !! Everything has its place and there is a time and place to use it! You cant always have the best.
:greenchainsaw:


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## ammoo74 (Feb 1, 2009)

Not a lot of cottonwood in my area of Wisconsin, but there is some. It makes nice lumber for interior use where it will not get wet. We used to use it for the upper boards on wood gatyes that would be inside. The were light enough to move but still strong enough to hold livestock. Some people burn it. It should be good in outdoor boilers. The worst firewood around here is box elder, and there is a ton of it. Worst saw pinching stuff you will ever cut. Never grows straight, always hanging over fences, ditches, fields, etc.


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## Sethro (Feb 1, 2009)

ammoo74 said:


> Not a lot of cottonwood in my area of Wisconsin, but there is some. It makes nice lumber for interior use where it will not get wet. We used to use it for the upper boards on wood gatyes that would be inside. The were light enough to move but still strong enough to hold livestock. Some people burn it. It should be good in outdoor boilers. The worst firewood around here is box elder, and there is a ton of it. Worst saw pinching stuff you will ever cut. Never grows straight, always hanging over fences, ditches, fields, etc.



Yep there are some big Cottonwoods along the Wisconsin river and islands amongst the Soft Maples.


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## polexie (Feb 1, 2009)

Question from a European guy, is cottonwood a kind of popular, does anybody have the latin name.

Thanks in advance,

Lex


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## Sethro (Feb 1, 2009)

It is in the Populus family.


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## polexie (Feb 1, 2009)

Thanks John!


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## Lakeside53 (Feb 1, 2009)

HuskerDolmar said:


> I just got done reading a BTU site and it's a bunch of BS. I will guarandamntee ya that cottonwood is better than any of the pine they have listed. Maybe our cottonwood is a little better because we live in a drier area than most of you. I don't EVER cut green cottonwood for burning purposes. I like a big, white, shiny tree. Nice hot fire.



But.... it's BTU per pound of dry wood... Around here a big block of dry cottonwood weighs nothing when dry; the doug fir.. heavy. or.. I can put maybe 40 plb of fir in my firplace and it will last all night, but only 5-10lb of cotton wood. It burns very fast and leaves a ton of ash. Most is left to rot here.

Burning green? that's just wasting heat to dry the wood as it burns..


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## brncreeper (Feb 1, 2009)

Lakeside53 said:


> But.... it's BTU per pound of dry wood... Around here a big block of dry cottonwood weighs nothing when dry; the doug fir.. heavy. or.. I can put maybe 40 plb of fir in my firplace and it will last all night, but only 5-10lb of cotton wood. It burns very fast and leaves a ton of ash. Most is left to rot here.
> 
> Burning green? that's just wasting heat to dry the wood as it burns..



I tried burning some some of the blocks from that large cottonwood stump, pure garbage. I ended up hauling them all away to my parents farm to burn up.


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## HuskerDolmar (Feb 1, 2009)

well if that's all your cottonwood weighs it must be crap. I am beginning to think that some of you guys are finding the worst piece of cottonwood that you can to burn. Maybe we are taking a different species or sub species. Because MY cottonwood has some staying qualities. Like I said it might be because I live in a drier enviroment than you all.:greenchainsaw:


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## HuskerDolmar (Feb 1, 2009)

wdchuck said:


> Cottonwood/poplar....it burns nicely in the fireplace...but aint worth spit in the wood furnace.
> 
> It's a hardwood...can be a bugger to split...but doesn't offer much up for btus/cord



Really! Me thinks your full of ####. I have a Hot Blast wood furnace and burn cottonwood in it 70% of the time. It is the heat we rely on 98% of the time and looking around I can't see that anyone if my family has ever aquired frostbite in our house. As for splitting, if it's dry it splits like a dream. If you are a big enough dumbass to split is when green you deserve the trouble.


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## woodbooga (Feb 1, 2009)

Until recently, I never had the luxury of being too picky in terms of species. I've burnt my share of lightweight low btu hardwoods. I can keep my home at the same temp with cottonwood as oak or sugar maple, just need to fill the firebox and empty the ash pan more frequently.

That said, one of my favorite pieces of firewood lore is that parents used to give marriage gifts of poplar firewwod to newlyweds as a way of promoting grandchildren, the idea being that burning poplar would induce the young couple to seek alternate ways of keeping warm.


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## willsaw4beer (Feb 1, 2009)

HuskerDolmar said:


> well if that's all your cottonwood weighs it must be crap. I am beginning to think that some of you guys are finding the worst piece of cottonwood that you can to burn. Maybe we are taking a different species or sub species. Because MY cottonwood has some staying qualities. Like I said it might be because I live in a drier enviroment than you all.:greenchainsaw:



Maybe it's just because I'm in the hardwood capitol, but cottonwood/ poplar is worthless to me. Try burning a stovefull of cottonwood and then try burning a stove full of ash, hard maple, oak, birch, beech, cherry, hornbeam, hedge, etc... I suppose if it was the only wood you could get then I could see burning it but I wouldn't put it in the stove even if somebody dropped some off at the house and paid me a dump fee. You're better off burning pallets imo.


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## HuskerDolmar (Feb 2, 2009)

We have plenty of other trees also. Not just cottonwood. We have hackberry, a couple of ash trees, american elm, siberian elm, osage orange, and russian olives (sorry Russians) just to name a few. I like burning hackberry the best, but to me it is more feasible to cut as much wood as possible in the shortest amount of time. I can cut more BTU's of firewood by cutting cottonwood than by driving all over the country looking for harder hard woods


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## Metals406 (Feb 2, 2009)

HuskerDolmar said:


> We have plenty of other trees also. Not just cottonwood. We have hackberry, a couple of ash trees, american elm, siberian elm, osage orange, and russian olives (sorry Russians) just to name a few. I like burning hackberry the best, but to me it is more feasible to cut as much wood as possible in the shortest amount of time. I can cut more BTU's of firewood by cutting cottonwood than by driving all over the country looking for harder hard woods



Russian Olive has a beautiful grain!.. Stinky when you cut and sand it though.


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## StihltheOne (Feb 2, 2009)

HuskerDolmar said:


> We have plenty of other trees also. Not just cottonwood. We have hackberry, a couple of ash trees, american elm, siberian elm, osage orange, and russian olives (sorry Russians) just to name a few. I like burning hackberry the best, but to me it is more feasible to cut as much wood as possible in the shortest amount of time. I can cut more BTU's of firewood by cutting cottonwood than by driving all over the country looking for harder hard woods



I have really gotton to like the ol stinky/prickly russian olive. It is absolutley thick around here and most everyone will let me cut as much as I want. I would be very curious to know how it compares to the "real" hardwoods, but around here it is about as good as it gets! Our other choice is cottonwood or a 100 mile round trip for pine. I have looked all over to find the BTU of russian olive, but I can not find it. It is actually classified as a noxious weed in Wy.


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## Metals406 (Feb 2, 2009)

StihltheOne said:


> I have really gotton to like the ol stinky/prickly russian olive. It is absolutley thick around here and most everyone will let me cut as much as I want. I would be very curious to know how it compares to the "real" hardwoods, but around here it is about as good as it gets! Our other choice is cottonwood or a 100 mile round trip for pine. I have looked all over to find the BTU of russian olive, but I can not find it. It is actually classified as a noxious weed in Wy.



I imagine the reason you guys have it down in Wyoming, is the same reason we have it in Eastern Montana... Shelter belts. My folks own a place on the east side, and that's where I got my small amount of it for little woodworking projects. I only wish it grew larger in diameter.

It's my understanding, that after the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl... The government implemented standards to keep it from ever happening again--measures which included contour cultivation and shelter belts. Russian Olive was known to not need a lot of care, and was chosen for the job. 




> President Roosevelt ordered that the Civilian Conservation Corps plant a huge belt of more than 200 million trees from Canada to Abilene, Texas to break the wind, hold water in the soil, and hold the soil itself in place. The administration also began to educate farmers on soil conservation and anti-erosion techniques, including crop rotation, strip farming, contour plowing, terracing and other beneficial farming practices.


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## StihltheOne (Feb 2, 2009)

Metals406 said:


> I imagine the reason you guys have it down in Wyoming, is the same reason we have it in Eastern Montana... Shelter belts. My folks own a place on the east side, and that's where I got my small amount of it for little woodworking projects. I only wish it grew larger in diameter.
> 
> It's my understanding, that after the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl... The government implemented standards to keep it from ever happening again--measures which included contour cultivation and shelter belts. Russian Olive was known to not need a lot of care, and was chosen for the job.



We have some really large ones around here, 40 foot or so, maybe more, and some like the one next to my shop are 20" dbh on each arm with 4-5 arms, pretty darn big tree. Plenty of it to go around!! I think that you could plant these on concrete and they would grow!


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## HuskerDolmar (Feb 2, 2009)

I have been contracted by Nebraska game and parks to cut olives at a local lake. I never really thought about burning them until lately and they are unreal. I am cutting some monsters, but there is no way to get em out.


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## woodbooga (Feb 2, 2009)

Metals406 said:


> I imagine the reason you guys have it down in Wyoming, is the same reason we have it in Eastern Montana... Shelter belts. My folks own a place on the east side, and that's where I got my small amount of it for little woodworking projects. I only wish it grew larger in diameter.
> 
> It's my understanding, that after the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl... The government implemented standards to keep it from ever happening again--measures which included contour cultivation and shelter belts. Russian Olive was known to not need a lot of care, and was chosen for the job.



Two things.

First, in all my life, I think your post was the first time I ever encountered the words "down in Wyoming" together. Back east, refering to my auntie's cattle ranch, it was always "Out in Wyoming." For many, it might be "Up in Wy." 

Second, your historical info makes sense to me. A while back the local cooperative extension was pushing Russian olive pretty hard. Never knew why, but its Great Depression pedigree makes sense.

Personally, I hate the stuff. Our neighbor has a hedgerow of it and the birds have been quite good at helping spread them onto our property. 

PS - I burnt some cottonwood this morning and it did a lovely job of getting my cookstove up to temp and laid the foundation for the ash and oak fire going on now.


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## Metals406 (Feb 2, 2009)

HuskerDolmar said:


> I have been contracted by Nebraska game and parks to cut olives at a local lake. I never really thought about burning them until lately and they are unreal. I am cutting some monsters, but there is no way to get em out.



That stinks... I'd get a hold of a local guy with a crane, and offer him half to yard them out. You do all the hard work, and hook them, and cut and haul it... That way it's a fair trade for crane guy.




StihltheOne said:


> We have some really large ones around here, 40 foot or so, maybe more, and some like the one next to my shop are 20" dbh on each arm with 4-5 arms, pretty darn big tree. Plenty of it to go around!! I think that you could plant these on concrete and they would grow!



Man... The ones I got my paws on were maybe 4" or 5"? It has a beautiful grain, and would make a great wood for hardwood projects!



woodbooga said:


> Two things.
> 
> First, in all my life, I think your post was the first time I ever encountered the words "down in Wyoming" together. Back east, refering to my auntie's cattle ranch, it was always "Out in Wyoming." For many, it might be "Up in Wy."
> 
> ...



LOL, yup... WY is 'down' for me. Hahaha

And another note on cottonwood... Last year, I had some cut up to burn in the woodstove--wood heat is our only source in the winter. My wife complained that it was ashy, and didn't heat as good... One day, I had to show her where I was getting a white hot coal bed, and it melted the cast grate in the stove!:jawdrop: You can't argue with that kind of heat.


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## woodbooga (Feb 2, 2009)

Metals406 said:


> LOL, yup... WY is 'down' for me. Hahaha.




...and for us, Boston is "down there." Or rather, "doan they-ah." (Us NH folks outsourced all of our post-vocalic "R's" out west. I think they all wound up in Minnesota.)


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## Metals406 (Feb 2, 2009)

woodbooga said:


> ...and for us, Boston is "down there." Or rather, "doan they-ah." (Us NH folks outsourced all of our post-vocalic "R's" out west. I think they all wound up in Minnesota.)



LOL, my wifes grandmother is from Boston. Listening to her talk still makes me laugh!

*Pawk the caw in da pawk, and wouch the sqwarrels while I eat a samich. 
*

Hahaha.


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## woodbooga (Feb 2, 2009)

Metals406 said:


> LOL, my wifes grandmother is from Boston. Listening to her talk still makes me laugh!
> 
> *Pawk the caw in da pawk, and wouch the sqwarrels while I eat a samich.
> *
> ...



Yeah, they talk real funny down there. The NH accent is much more refined and dignified.


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## turnkey4099 (Feb 2, 2009)

Re: shelter belts. Used to be known as "Roosevelt forests". Been a loooonnng time since I saw that anywhere. Even have some of them out here in the Palouse but here it is mostly Locust and other types. I have a few I am keeping an eye on to see how the locust borer does in them 

Harry K


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## StihltheOne (Feb 2, 2009)

Ok as far as "up or down" in Wyoming, here is the deal... You are really talking about direction, north is up, down is south, if you are to the east or west, then the correct term would be "over", out here it has nothing to do with altitude. We even have a river that runs north for hundreds of miles, check that out!! We say it is heading up to montana, but actually montana is lower going straight north, lesson the river is running up hill....hummmm
So there you are ,clear as mud right?


I have also melted the cast part of my stove burning cottonwood. It will make heat!! I wish that I had a stove that is capable of handling the ash load better, I am really thinking about a blaze king classic with the ash pan. I have the old style in my shop and it does very well as I just use a shovel to clean it out.
I looked around for btu content on russian olive some more and came up empty. It has to be darn high though.


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## Zero Gravity (Feb 2, 2009)

The Russian Olive is really strong in Michigan. It will take over your property in short order. I get poison Ivy from the scratches. I cut 5 acre's last year. Should have paid the $1500.00 to have a Hydro Axe come in.
ZG


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## greengoblin (Feb 3, 2009)

willsaw4beer said:


> Maybe it's just because I'm in the hardwood capitol, but cottonwood/ poplar is worthless to me. Try burning a stovefull of cottonwood and then try burning a stove full of ash, hard maple, oak, birch, beech, cherry, hornbeam, hedge, etc... I suppose if it was the only wood you could get then I could see burning it but I wouldn't put it in the stove even if somebody dropped some off at the house and paid me a dump fee. You're better off burning pallets imo.




Many pallets are made of cottonwood....around here anyway


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## woodbooga (Feb 4, 2009)

StihltheOne said:


> Ok as far as "up or down" in Wyoming, here is the deal... You are really talking about direction, north is up, down is south, if you are to the east or west, then the correct term would be "over", out here it has nothing to do with altitude. We even have a river that runs north for hundreds of miles, check that out!! We say it is heading up to montana, but actually montana is lower going straight north, lesson the river is running up hill....hummmm
> So there you are ,clear as mud right?



That's nothing. The Mass. folks have you beat. There's a stretch of road where I-95 and Rte 128 are combined where you're heading south on 95 and North on 128. By your logic, north and south would cancel each other out and you'd be traveling "over." From this, I'd conclude that this route would be a straight shot to Wyoming. 

PS - we have our own north-running river here in NH. The Contoocook River runs NE from the Monadnock region to Penacook where it empties into the Merrimack.


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## WRW (Feb 4, 2009)

woodbooga said:


> PS - we have our own north-running river here in NH. The Contoocook River runs NE from the Monadnock region to Penacook where it empties into the Merrimack.



Yeah, the Shenandoah runs north, as do the North Fork and South Fork.


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## woodbooga (Feb 4, 2009)

WRW said:


> Yeah, the Shenandoah runs north, as do the North Fork and South Fork.



People who believe that rivers can't run north are in denial. Speaking of whic, da Nile is another north-running river.


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## turnkey4099 (Feb 5, 2009)

woodbooga said:


> People who believe that rivers can't run north are in denial. Speaking of whic, da Nile is another north-running river.



As does the Snake River in Idaho.

Trivia oddity. Transit the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific and you go East! At least you end up farther east than you started.

Harry K


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## Mkarlson (Feb 5, 2009)

Bah rivers only run one way.....DOWN


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