# locust .....is it good firewood?



## southpaw (Jun 5, 2009)

Hello. Is locust a good source of fire wood ? 
Last year was my first season of cutting and burning firewood so thanks for any help.
I mainly get oak and maple but there are other wood available here.

Thanks southpaw


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## tomtrees58 (Jun 5, 2009)

your kidding right:monkey: tom trees


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## myzamboni (Jun 5, 2009)

Yes. Get all you can.


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## Rookie1 (Jun 5, 2009)

It would be nice if I had some on my property. I can only dream.


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## southpaw (Jun 5, 2009)

No........I just don't know .


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## pyromaniac guy (Jun 5, 2009)

this should help:

http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm


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## mga (Jun 5, 2009)

i have a general rule about (free) firewood: if it's a tree, it burns, if it burns, it's fire wood.


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## southpaw (Jun 5, 2009)

Checked that link out ..........Thank you,

I have about 3 acres of them that are about 15 years old , I use to let a landscaping contractor dump all his clippings on this section of property back then .........they sure grow like weeds .

I honestly had no idea that they were of any value , at one time we talked of plowing them under because they grew so thick.........glad i asked.


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## tomtrees58 (Jun 5, 2009)

it has more btu then oak tom trees


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## dingeryote (Jun 5, 2009)

Cut it, split it, stack it, burn it!!

Locust is scarce around here on account of everyone heating with wood.

Snag all you can!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## howellhandmade (Jun 5, 2009)

tomtrees58 said:


> it has more btu then oak tom trees



And seasons faster. And splits easier. And lasts longer on the ground. Lasts a long time stacked, doesn't get punky. This past spring I was cleaning up a remote corner of the yard where the previous owner once had a messy firewood pile on the ground. A few pieces of firewood were buried; most were bug eaten and spongy, but there was a hunk of locust that was still solid. It had been buried at least five years, maybe longer, burned just fine. Some people around here don't rate it, think it's too messy or smoky or something, but I think it's great.

Jack


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## wdchuck (Jun 5, 2009)

southpaw said:


> Hello. Is locust a good source of fire wood ?
> Last year was my first season of cutting and burning firewood so thanks for any help.
> I mainly get oak and maple but there are other wood available here.
> 
> Thanks southpaw



I'll be right up to take care of that pesky weed tree for you.


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## outdoorlivin247 (Jun 5, 2009)

Yes it is a weed tree, but it make for excellent firewood...


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## howellhandmade (Jun 6, 2009)

outdoorlivin247 said:


> Yes it is a weed tree, but it make for excellent firewood...



Yeah, wild how fast it grows and it's still so dense. Hard to kill, though, cut one down and suckers just explode from the roots.

Jack


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## tomtrees58 (Jun 6, 2009)

a little about locust after you cut it mill it or any thing it will last200 years or more all the old homes here are on locust post up state fence rails but if you think its junk the guys here will help you hau:jawdrop:l it away tom trees


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## AIM (Jun 6, 2009)

I will walk past two of anything to get to one locust. A woods that I cut in is loaded with it. The only problem is that not much of it is dead. I usually only find a few a year that are dead.


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## wobdee (Jun 6, 2009)

I burned 3 cords of it last year. It takes a little extra air and time to get it going but once it does it burns great and lasts a long time.


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## bore_pig (Jun 6, 2009)

If none are dying, they must not be old enough. I think that locust trees only last about 30 years at best. Many of mine are blowing out at the bottom. I cut em before they fall. My favorite wood!


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## Wood Doctor (Jun 6, 2009)

Locust grows almost twice as fast as oak and has about the same density. After cutting and splitting, it dries faster than oak and is the best fuelwood growing in America today. Ash and locust are the two best fuelwoods of them all. :greenchainsaw:


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## tomtrees58 (Jun 6, 2009)

bore_pig said:


> If none are dying, they must not be old enough. I think that locust trees only last about 30 years at best. Many of mine are blowing out at the bottom. I cut em before they fall. My favorite wood!



:monkey:your kidding right locust trees can be 150+ years old and 50" dba climb 120' tom trees


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## audible fart (Jun 6, 2009)

Gargle cluck honk. Quack quack.


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## southpaw (Jun 6, 2009)

Appreciate all the reply's..........feel like I won a lottery here with these trees and it should be interesting to see how they do in the future.......at approx. 15 years old the biggest I would guess is only 4" diameter at the base and probably 20 ft. tall.

Still have little ones just popping up all over though and guess I'll just let them be and enjoy whatever becomes of all these someday.

I did take a drive around the local area today looking for locust because they are easy to spot right now with the white flowers all over them and there are actually plenty around , most patches though seems to be young like mine but did see quite a few large trees in the town area......I 'm not good at guessing heights and diameters but these trees were quite impressive towering way over the utility lines they ran adjacent to ( I dont believe that my arms would wrap around them though ). Going to be a lucky guy who get's to take these down someday. 

Thanks Southpaw


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## turnkey4099 (Jun 7, 2009)

Farmer where I am clearing dead/dyiing locust showed my his pride. Planted 1892 by great great grandfather was 3 stemmed each of them going aroung 4' dbh. Almost totally dead from the borer but still putting out 'shoots' He had it topped due to hazard (house and power) but "I couldn't stand to remove it, my favorite tree since a kid".

I have never seen a big locust in a grove, lots of big isolated ones, or ones properly spaced growing as a fence line/windbreak. I suspect the groves of 'little' ones are due to thier copseing habit plus type of root. They do not have a taproot just roots spreading out in all directions. Thus competition in the grove keeps them small.

Harry K


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## flashy (Jun 7, 2009)

I'm noticing more more and more locust in my area since I was a kid. Actually didn't know what they were til recently. At first I thought they were some damb invasive junk. Glad to hear that they are good firewood.


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## beagledog (Jun 7, 2009)

We burn a ton of locust here. Dry, dead stuff can be hard on a blade, but its worth it. There's a 30+ incher out back that my family has been sighting rifles into for 50 years and you'd never know it. I have a buddy who had some cut into boards but you have to pre drill all the holes if you want to build something with it...the nails just bend trying to pound them in.


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## PA. Woodsman (Jun 7, 2009)

*Is Locust good for firewood?*

Absolutely! Arguably one of the Top 3 woods for fuelwood; MANY would say it is THE best. You'll see what we mean in about 6 months or so!


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## TreePointer (Jun 7, 2009)

*Is locust good firewood?*


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## Wood Doctor (Jun 7, 2009)

*Is Locust Good Firewood?*



TreePointer said:


>


One of the top ten posts of the year. :greenchainsaw::blob4:


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## climber17 (Jun 11, 2009)

yes its great firewood once seasoned. can create alot of creasote if burned green. around here you can get $5-8 a post for fencing. Want to rid of them try cutting them down the dark of the moon in august. its an old timers trick ive tried it and it seemed to work for me before.


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## mimilkman1 (Jun 11, 2009)

The bark is almost like gas when you throw it in on a hot bed of coals. It's my second favorite next to ash.

Kyle


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