# All Around Best Firewood



## Moss Man (Oct 6, 2008)

In your humble opinion, which species is the best all around firewood?

I vote for Oak.


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## pwl (Oct 6, 2008)

*Best Wood*

In my area of Central NY, the best is probably white oak, if you can get it. What I settle for is maple, ash and cherry.


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## Nailsbeats (Oct 6, 2008)

Hickory and White Oak are great, but my vote is Hard (Sugar) Maple.


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## RAYINTOMBALL (Oct 6, 2008)

Oak and Hickory. l'd like to try some Sugar Maple but not much in these parts.


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## pdqdl (Oct 6, 2008)

They are very hard to find, but my favorite is the *osage loakustberry*. 

Burns real hot, splits easily, coals last forever., A trash tree, people that don't know any better give it away or pay me to cut them down.

:greenchainsaw:


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## pdqdl (Oct 6, 2008)

Ok, a real answer:

Any locust, any mulberry, and osage orange are all hotter burning and last longer than oak. They are also a bit harder to start a fire with, and they are more difficult to process into firewood.


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## RoyR(MI) (Oct 6, 2008)

I vote for free. 


Seriously, hickory is pretty good. Have not really burned that much oak because there is not that much where I cut. This year I have about 80% cherry which is okay and smells good, but doesn't throw the heat or coals that hickory does.


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## AOD (Oct 6, 2008)

Best woods

Hickory
Osage
White Oak

Most abundant (here at least)

Sugar maple
Silver maple
Norway maple
Red Maple
Ash
Cherry

They all burn good, I usually dont waste time with silver maple if something better is available, but it still burns. I don't like burning elm if I can help it though, its just nasty stuff.


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## Wood Scrounge (Oct 6, 2008)

My favorites
Osage = Hot
White Oak = hot and Common (for me)
Black Birch = easy starting


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## Mkarlson (Oct 6, 2008)

My vote would be for cherry. You will be hard pressed to find a hardwood that seasons relatively fast, splits fairly easy, and is as easy on your saw as cherry. Throw in the fact it lights and burns well with a nice aroma and you have the perfect firewood.
But then its just my opinion


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## Moss Man (Oct 6, 2008)

There is a lot of variance by region, some of these species I have never heard of.

The most popular here are:

Red and White Oak
Sugar and White Maple
Cherry
Hornbeam
Beech
Yellow and White Birch
Ash


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## laynes69 (Oct 6, 2008)

Locust, or Osage Orange.


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## b1rdman (Oct 6, 2008)

Mkarlson said:


> My vote would be for cherry. You will be hard pressed to find a hardwood that seasons relatively fast, splits fairly easy, and is as easy on your saw as cherry. Throw in the fact it lights and burns well with a nice aroma and you have the perfect firewood.
> But then its just my opinion



Yeah...that's a good one for sure. 

I want to say red oak because of the availability around here, BTU's , and sweet splitting but it does take some time to season. Plus, it pains me a tad to take the acorns away from the deer herd.

I'm going to go with Ash. Abundant (on my property), splits easy, burns green, middle of the road BTU's, no foul odors. It's the whole package.

This is a really hard question.


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## Spotted Owl (Oct 6, 2008)

In my area, our favorites are

1. Madrone - Fair avalibility - Very excellent burning 

2. Oak - Rare finds are used like Scrooge spends money

3. Doug - Very common good fuel

4. Alder - Very common good fuel


Thats about all we have around these parts, besides vine maple which is used mostly in the smoke house.


Owl


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## Basso (Oct 6, 2008)

Dead standing Locust...it's hard as a rock and gives off heat like a blast furnace !!!!!


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## cjnspecial (Oct 6, 2008)

Red oak....easy to split, abudant and takes less time to season than some of the other hardwoods(hickory, live oak, white oak) around here.


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## AOD (Oct 6, 2008)

laynes69 said:


> Locust, or Osage Orange.



You guys that burn osage, does that stuff ever damage your grates? I wouldn't burn that stuff in a plain steel stove unless it had firebrick. I had a cheap Made in China sand cast grate and Osage burned through half of that thing!


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## stihl sawing (Oct 6, 2008)

cjnspecial said:


> Red oak....easy to split, abudant and takes less time to season than some of the other hardwoods(hickory, live oak, white oak) around here.


Same here.


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## chainsawaddict (Oct 6, 2008)

Ash!
Least sap of all the hardwoods, so it seasons quickly. The tree is mostly trunk, so there isnt a log of limbing. It splits easily, and is pretty common throughout the country. 

KNOT a lot of NOTS


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## NDtreehugger (Oct 6, 2008)

Yup Ash 

Drys fast, burns with good heat and last,


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## AOD (Oct 6, 2008)

Ash is tough to beat, only thing I dont like about it is it doesnt leave good coals like maple or oak does, it kind of burns away into powder. 

Regarding red oak, I have a great big huge red oak log thats been sitting around for 2 summers in the sun, could that be ready to burn pretty soon if I cut it up?


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## stihl sawing (Oct 6, 2008)

AOD said:


> Ash is tough to beat, only thing I dont like about it is it doesnt leave good coals like maple or oak does, it kind of burns away into powder.
> 
> Regarding red oak, I have a great big huge red oak log thats been sitting around for 2 summers in the sun, could that be ready to burn pretty soon if I cut it up?


I just cut one up that had been blowed over for a couple of years. It wasn't in the sun but it was still green.


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## BaldSawRunner (Oct 6, 2008)

chainsawaddict said:


> Ash!
> Least sap of all the hardwoods, so it seasons quickly. The tree is mostly trunk, so there isnt a log of limbing. It splits easily, and is pretty common throughout the country.
> 
> KNOT a lot of NOTS



But knots are what keeps the fire all night, and on holidays


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## AOD (Oct 6, 2008)

stihl sawing said:


> I just cut one up that had been blowed over for a couple of years. It wasn't in the sun but it was still green.



I read in a thread not too long ago that logs that have sat around awhile will season in a month or two when cut and split. Maybe I will buzz a few rounds off this monster and see for myself.


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## chainsawaddict (Oct 6, 2008)

BaldSawRunner said:


> But knots are what keeps the fire all night, and on holidays



Knots are good if you're knot splitting.

Ok, ill quit now...knot..

I crack myself up!


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## sawinredneck (Oct 6, 2008)

Osage Orange (Hedge around here). Most BTU's you can realisticly get. It's like a weed around here, farmers planted it during the dustbowl for fence lines, nothing else would grow.
I get paid for doing fencerow clearing and take all I can get.
I also like Hackberry in the airtight.
Oak is ok, easy to split, seasons well, I like using it in my grill more than the fireplace.
AOD: I wouldn't even think about burning Osage in anything but an airtight with fire brick!! It's eve been outlawed to sell in one county here in KS because it's caused so many fires in the past.
I don't use a grate, start the fire on the brick and stir up the coals when you add more wood.


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## PA Plumber (Oct 6, 2008)

I've seen a few of these threads now and Beech seems to get skipped over.

I'll go with Beech. Easy to split, dries out nicely, and decent heat.

Of course I do like White Oak, Chestnut Oak, and Hickory. 

And ,there ain't noth'n wrong with the Red Oak family.


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## spike60 (Oct 6, 2008)

My favorite is Hickory followed by White Oak. 

I have four different kinds of oak on my property, and they are pretty different firewood wise. White, Red, Pin, and Chestnut, or what some people around here call Rock Oak. The White Oak is way better than the other three. The Red and Pin oaks are about the same, followed not far behind by the Chestnut oak. The Chestnut oak seems to dry quicker than the Red despite the thick bark.

The Hickory I have is two types, Shagbark and Mockernut. Better but not near as numerous as the oaks. Best burn time, and best smell!

Also have plenty of maple, and some Ash. Not a big fan of Ash. Yes it has it's positives, as some guys have stated, but the big negative is short burn time. If you have a lot of Ash, the wood pile goes down mighty quick. 

But............if it's free, it's good wood.


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## KindlingKing (Oct 6, 2008)

Around here it is:

Madrone
Locust (close second to madrone)
White oak (red oak is a close 4th since it splits so much easier)

If it grew around here, I'm sure Osage would be right up there with madrone and locust on my list. I don't have much burn time with the eastern hardwoods (osage, maple, hickory, etc) so can only offer a perspective for the woods available on the LEFT coast. Yes, I'm a political misfit, here in California......


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## 046 (Oct 6, 2008)

best depends upon where one is located... 

for some areas... pine is what's available... 
in Tulsa.. Oak is the best available wood. 

there's other hardwoods available like pecan, hickory, mulberry etc. but for ease of splitting, long burn times and most importantly ...plentiful... Oak is king!



Moss Man said:


> In your humble opinion, which species is the best all around firewood?
> 
> I vote for Oak.


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## dlr123 (Oct 6, 2008)

*good wood*

anytime I get wood its good will have to vote for white oak here in western pa locost is good too Don HO


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## Andyshine77 (Oct 6, 2008)

My top ten list.

1. Osage
2. Locust
3. White Oak
4. Beech
5. Hickory
6. Ash
7. Red Oak
8. Cherry
9. Hackberry
10. Anything free.


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## cityevader (Oct 7, 2008)

Madrone=great burn, extremely low ash 

Oak goes in after the Madrone for overnight/off to work for longer lasting coals.


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## OilHead (Oct 7, 2008)

Almond is right up there with oak but has gotten scarce as you only find it when farmers cut out there old grove.


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## savageactor7 (Oct 7, 2008)

chainsawaddict said:


> Ash!
> Least sap of all the hardwoods, so it seasons quickly. The tree is mostly trunk, so there isnt a log of limbing. It splits easily, and is pretty common throughout the country.
> 
> KNOT a lot of NOTS



dittos to that plus you can make a lot of production in a short amount of time.


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## Echo-man (Oct 7, 2008)

As far as ease of cutting and splitting- ash.

Burning wise- Ironwood (blue beech). Absolutley no fun to cut or split, but man does that stuff burn forever.


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## Ole Farmerbuck (Oct 7, 2008)

Around here we have elm, elm and elm. I guess i like elm. And really, i have no trouble splitting it!


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## chainsawaddict (Oct 7, 2008)

Ole Farmerbuck said:


> Around here we have elm, elm and elm. I guess i like elm. And really, i have no trouble splitting it!



If siberian elm gets plenty of water and has room to grow so that it will grow straight, it actually can be easy to split, but it doesnt take much stress to make it a big project.


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## Wood Scrounge (Oct 7, 2008)

PA Plumber said:


> I've seen a few of these threads now and Beech seems to get skipped over.
> 
> I'll go with Beech. Easy to split, dries out nicely, and decent heat.
> 
> ...



Is beech common out there? it seems somewhat rare here in chest. co. I only know of maybe a couple dozen beech trees in the area.


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## PA Plumber (Oct 7, 2008)

Wood Scrounge said:


> Is beech common out there? it seems somewhat rare here in chest. co. I only know of maybe a couple dozen beech trees in the area.



We have quite a few along the stormwater runoff runs, creeks, and natural drainage ditches.

I can think of 5 that are close to 30" DBH and hundreds that are smaller.

I would cut more of them for firewood, but I know they do have some wildlife value.

Occasionally, I will thin out a few, just to give other trees a chance. Once you get one in a area, they can really throw out the shoots.


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## woodbooga (Oct 7, 2008)

Seems like someone sould start a poll. 

Ash is my favorite all around wood, with red oak being a close second. The tie breaker is the seasoning. After that, I'd go with beech, sugar maple, red maple. 

I get a kick out of the Tennesee and Arkansas folks who describe the availability of hickory, white oak, and other high btu species. There seems to be an inverse relationship between winter harshness and the availability of high quality hardwoods. Just think of those folks way up north who have nothing but conifers, poplar, and birch!


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## pdqdl (Oct 7, 2008)

I think you're right about that. I suspect that is more related to water availability and heat tolerance in the summer, than to winter survival.


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## Jon Tyler (Oct 7, 2008)

*my favorite...*

Black locust for me is outstanding! find it standing dead and fairly dry, and I'm like a little kid on Christmas morning! BTW... Am I the only person to start his wood stove the last few days?



Jon


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## myzamboni (Oct 7, 2008)

OilHead said:


> Almond is right up there with oak but has gotten scarce as you only find it when farmers cut out there old grove.



+1. It is a nice break from all the pine I burn.


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## Coldfront (Oct 7, 2008)

To say which is best I would have to say depends on how cold your winters are, and what type wood you have in abundance in your area. I have a inside wood furnace, early in the season I like birch and soft maple for quick not so hot fire, then red oak when it gets colder, Ash, then white oak and my hottest burning wood around here nicknamed Ironwood but is really named East Hophornbeam. I save that for when it is -15 to -40 below zero, Eastern Hophornbeam burns hotter than real coal. All around I would go with Ash or Red Oak, splits easy and there is nothing like the smell of fresh split Red Oak.


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## Nailsbeats (Oct 7, 2008)

I'm gonna throw a plug in for dead, barkless standing Elm. In mid winter, if your in a pinch, just go down the fenceline, lay a few out, buck them up, trailer them to the house and in the stove. Of course, grab the woodsplitter for the bigger ones. And BTW, I've never been in a firewood pinch, minimum 10 years out at all times.


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## b0181 (Oct 7, 2008)

apple then the oaks


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## CharlieG (Oct 7, 2008)

Wood that is delivered for free  . I'll burn anything!


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## chainsawaddict (Oct 7, 2008)

b0181 said:


> apple then the oaks



hmm apple... good wood. Personally, I reserve the little bit I come across for smoking and grilling!


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## J.Walker (Oct 7, 2008)

Any wood that I get paid to cut down and remove. Spruce, pine and Blackwalnut they make a oneway trip to the brush dump.


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## chainsawaddict (Oct 7, 2008)

J.Walker said:


> Any wood that I get paid to cut down and remove. Spruce, pine and Blackwalnut they make a oneway trip to the brush dump.



Interesting...I always thought blackwalnut was a hardwood??? Ive never really worked with it.


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## Woodcutteranon (Oct 7, 2008)

Mkarlson said:


> My vote would be for cherry. You will be hard pressed to find a hardwood that seasons relatively fast, splits fairly easy, and is as easy on your saw as cherry. Throw in the fact it lights and burns well with a nice aroma and you have the perfect firewood.
> But then its just my opinion



I agree. Also, limbs are few on these guys. All the time you spend on limbing a maple, the cherry can be cut up and thrown into the truck. It is a little rough on the hands but hey, you cant have everything...otherwise elm would be easy to split.


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## pdqdl (Oct 7, 2008)

Black Walnut is ok. Splits easy, has plenty of heat. It tends to hold water more than some woods, but not as bad as cottonwood & elm.


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## PA. Woodsman (Oct 7, 2008)

*Best "all around" firewood*

Well if I'm getting your meaning correctly you are asking what we think is the best "all around" wood which in my vote would also be Ash; we call it "utility wood" because you can use it for kindling, quarter-splits and fuelwood.


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## dustytools (Oct 7, 2008)

This will be my first year heating with a stove since I was a kid. I have however burnt throughout the winter in my fireplace for the last several years and seem to get the best heat from Locust and Hedge Apple and Oak when I was lucky enough to get some. My stacks are very diverse so far, they include Cherry, Walnut, Locust, Elm, Hickory, Red Oak and Ash. I have until now shied away from the Walnut because it seems to wanna pop clean out of the fireplace.


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## woodguy105 (Oct 7, 2008)

Oak is my favorite. I'm burning some cherry this year for the first time, interested to see how well it burns.


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## Joshlaugh (Oct 7, 2008)

Ash for the same reasons others have already posted. I also like my oaks/hickories. And currently I am splitting by maul 2 elm trees that were standing dead and now being thrown into my stove. They make the red oaks and bitternut hickory seem easy to split!


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## chainsawaddict (Oct 7, 2008)

Joshlaugh said:


> Ash for the same reasons others have already posted. I also like my oaks/hickories. And currently I am splitting by maul 2 elm trees that were standing dead and now being thrown into my stove. They make the red oaks and bitternut hickory seem easy to split!



To be honest, I didnt know elm was so hard to split until everyone told me:censored:


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## johnzski (Oct 7, 2008)

an easier way to hand split elm is to cut the rounds about 8" long(really short). did elm for alot of years that way. Oh yeah I vote for ash as the best---cuts easy, splits even easier, and can almost burn it green


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## Ole Farmerbuck (Oct 7, 2008)

chainsawaddict said:


> To be honest, I didnt know elm was so hard to split until everyone told me:censored:



I didnt either. (and still dont)


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## bowtechmadman (Oct 7, 2008)

Ash for all the reasons already posted...mostly due to the most prevalent I find dead standing.
Never turn down oak...and wish I had some hickory.
Favorite for the fireplace (romance fires) is sassafras.


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## chainsawaddict (Oct 7, 2008)

bowtechmadman said:


> Ash for all the reasons already posted...mostly due to the most prevalent I find dead standing.
> Never turn down oak...and wish I had some hickory.
> Favorite for the fireplace (romance fires) is sassafras.



This may be a good poll. Looks to me like red oak has a slight advantage over ash!

Come on ASH!! we need some more voters! Remember fellas, this is the best "all around firewood."
opcorn:


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## E&R_firewood (Oct 8, 2008)

wish i had the luxury of extensive dense hardwoods . . .
. . . most everyone in this area burns lodgepole pine . . .buns hot, but fast and quaking aspen . . . which is pretty much like burning a large log shaped cotton ball. once and a while you run into a chokecherry big enough to be worthwhile.
while living in oregon i fell in love with madrone . . hard for me to imagine a better firewood.


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## hausfire (Oct 8, 2008)

*Blue Beach*

Blue beach a bit hard to slit but last forever when burned


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## secureland (Oct 8, 2008)

Bitternut Hickory - easy splitting, long burning, doesn't smoulder

Ash - easy splitting, short burning, doesn't smolder

Heinekin - woops, ????


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## MR4WD (Oct 8, 2008)

Amazing. I have 5 cord of lodgepole pine, 2 of paper birch and 2 of douglas fir. I consider it a treat to be able to burn a dense softwood. I'd have to drive for a half day to get an oak or cherry.


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## Wood Doctor (Oct 8, 2008)

chainsawaddict said:


> This may be a good poll. Looks to me like red oak has a slight advantage over ash!
> 
> Come on ASH!! we need some more voters! Remember fellas, this is the best "all around firewood."
> opcorn:


Ash gets my vote over oak, only because WoodBooga and I agree that it requires less time to season. It also seems to light easier and get hot faster, and it does not require smaller logs to keep big ones going in the stove. Splitting ease of ash is somewhere between red and white oak. I'm heading out today to bring in another truckload of ash. Why not? Once split, I can probably burn it in early spring.

Nothing seems to keep me much warmer than a couple of good pieces of ash.


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## bowtechmadman (Oct 8, 2008)

I'm with ya on the Ash


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## bigoak00 (Oct 8, 2008)

Locust and white oak. Red oak for easy splitting.


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## motoroilmccall (Oct 8, 2008)

Birch to start the fire, Locust to keep it going and put on some heat. Oak is nice if its junk stuff, but nice straight stuff has better uses. Sugar Maple is good too, but hard to come by. 

I'm with the other guy though. Free wood is the best stuff. I don't care if its Sycamore, Ash, Cherry, Apple, whatever... If its free, I'll take it!


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## aktaylors (Oct 8, 2008)

Well here in Alaska we on;y have two real choices. Birch or spruce. I like to start with spruce burns hot and fast. Then switch to birch. Birch is tough casue it really has to be split for a good year to dry out. And it will rot quickly if not split. BUt I'd kill for a connex full of oak to burn.


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## Wood Doctor (Oct 8, 2008)

aktaylors said:


> Well here in Alaska we only have two real choices. Birch or spruce. I like to start with spruce burns hot and fast. Then switch to birch. Birch is tough cause it really has to be split for a good year to dry out. And it will rot quickly if not split. But I'd kill for a connex full of oak to burn.


Burn that birch! That is a hardwood, and spuce is not. Birch will dry in 9 months. Yes, it is tough, and that is why it is a good firewood, especially black birch, which is really hard to find.

I am sure that oak is rare in Alaska. Regardless, pin oak might survive there. I'm not sure that anyone has planted a pin oak tree in Alaska. Please advise if wrong. They do grow very well in Minnesota. They should grow in some areas of Alaska. Fairbanks might be one of them. I am sure that they would thrive in Juneau.


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## coog (Oct 8, 2008)

I think we should send the Alaskans some Hedge apples.It seems to grow like a weed wherever it is planted.I bet the moose would like it, too.


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## KsWoodsMan (Oct 8, 2008)

coog said:


> I think we should send the Alaskans some Hedge apples.It seems to grow like a weed wherever it is planted.I bet the moose would like it, too.



LOL I can see a moose's eyes as he is trying to browse on hedge twigs, or gnawing on an 'apple' trying to get that thing to go down. I'd send somebody some , just to see how well they turned out in their area. 

Mullberry for me, splits easily, dries quickly, pleasant smell, has a nice color in the flame and gives good heat. Nothing fancy about it, just good heat.

Nothing wrong with those sweet berries either.


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## coog (Oct 8, 2008)

Remember me? I'm the guy who can't tell Mulberry from Hedge!
I'll repeat what other guys have said; the quality of firewood is superior the farther south one travels in the U.S.This is hardly fair to our northern neighbors who could better use it.


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## J.W Younger (Oct 8, 2008)

046 said:


> best depends upon where one is located...
> 
> for some areas... pine is what's available...
> in Tulsa.. Oak is the best available wood.
> ...



pine knots hedge hickory white oak red oak cherry in that order
hard to overheat the old hardy
anybody ever burn grape vines?


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## KsWoodsMan (Oct 9, 2008)

coog said:


> Remember me? I'm the guy who can't tell Mulberry from Hedge!
> I'll repeat what other guys have said; the quality of firewood is superior the farther south one travels in the U.S.This is hardly fair to our northern neighbors who could better use it.



heh, sometimes I have to look close since they are mixed in the same stack. I never heard if that piece worked out. If nothing else it could have went in the fire. Thats all I was going to do with it. 



J.W Younger said:


> pine knots hedge hickory white oak red oak cherry in that order
> hard to overheat the old hardy
> *anybody ever burn grape vines?*



:hmm3grin2orange: not for heat. 
I have heard it is the preffered source for charcoal in blackpowder.

yeah pine knots are pretty dense and a little pine ot cedar makes a nice aroama just about anytime.


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## 03USMC51 (Oct 16, 2008)

Mostly Red Oak for me, there's a disease going around the Reds in my area so they're dying off at an alarming rate, doesn't touch Whites though. Although with out a doubt, if I can find it dead, standing or down, I'll snatch up the Ironwood (Eastern Hophornbeam-Ostrya virginiana).

Red Oak = Abundant w/ good BTU
Ironwood = Scarce better BTU but hard on the saw and the back!


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## kissfan113 (Oct 16, 2008)

i've been using chestnut oak and locust for a while, very good stuff, the chestnut oak is easy to split.


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## MS460WOODCHUCK (Oct 17, 2008)

locust then ash:greenchainsaw:


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## 03USMC51 (Oct 17, 2008)

Attached is a BTU by species chart, that should sum it up nicely!
Be advised: MBTU = Million British Thermal Units


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## twofer (Oct 17, 2008)

Without a doubt - Ash.

There's plenty of it around, it cures quickly, and it gives off a fair amount of heat.

A close second would be hard maple.


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## farber56 (Sep 21, 2011)

What about American Sweet Gum? I've got one about 24" dbh that is dying out. Just wondered if it would be worth my time.


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## toyfarm (Sep 21, 2011)

Hedge (osage orange)
Dead Elm


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## coog (Sep 21, 2011)

farber56 said:


> What about American Sweet Gum? I've got one about 24" dbh that is dying out. Just wondered if it would be worth my time.


 
Almost every hardwood in Kansas is more worthy of your time.


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## farber56 (Sep 21, 2011)

coog said:


> Almost every hardwood in Kansas is more worthy of your time.


 
I understand that, but was looking for some of the cutting, splitting, or burning properties of Gum. I have plenty of locust and ash that is waiting on my splitter, I just wanted to know if the Gum was worth leaving the other stuff in log form for now.


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## coog (Sep 21, 2011)

I have heard it is among the most difficult to split. Some genius here in Wichita decided that it would make a good boulevard tree. We often have two feet of gumballs piled at the curb. I've often thought about burning those instead of the tree.


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## farber56 (Sep 21, 2011)

+1 to all those gumballs. I've only thrown them in the fire pit on the patio. They don't light real easy but they will burn after you've got a good coal bed. I've got twins that I pay $0.01 a gumball that they pick up out of the yard. Last week I paid both of them over $3!!


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## coog (Sep 21, 2011)

farber56 said:


> +1 to all those gumballs. I've only thrown them in the fire pit on the patio. They don't light real easy but they will burn after you've got a good coal bed. I've got twins that I pay $0.01 a gumball that they pick up out of the yard. Last week I paid both of them over $3!!


 
Sounds like a good ploy to get some "alone time" with the missus. I used to pay a nickel for each Ladybug my kids would catch.


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## Richard Dupp (Sep 21, 2011)

Locust!


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## 046 (Sep 21, 2011)

don't know about your species of Gum, but took down a 4ft DBH Gum two seasons ago. what a PITA to split! very heavy when wet, dries light. medium burn times. much easier to split when wet. all sorts of knurls when dry. don't even think about it without a large hydraulic splitter. don't think an inertia splitter Super Split would like this type wood. 

wouldn't go out of my way to get any Gum wood. above tree was in my neighbor's yard or I would have passed. it's much better than no wood, but if you've got other nice choices like locust and Ash.... that's what I'd go for. 



farber56 said:


> I understand that, but was looking for some of the cutting, splitting, or burning properties of Gum. I have plenty of locust and ash that is waiting on my splitter, I just wanted to know if the Gum was worth leaving the other stuff in log form for now.


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## cheeves (Sep 21, 2011)

Moss Man said:


> In your humble opinion, which species is the best all around firewood?
> 
> I vote for Oak.


 
Moss Man it's about all I burn. Dead stuff that's standing is my usual firewood. Also love locust for January and February. Burned just about every wood there is. Even lived in the Ranger log cabin winter of '69 on Berthoud Pass. Lived in Belmont County, Ohio in 80's and really got spoiled burning shaggy bark hickory, beech, ash, ect. Even black walnut! Love the hickory too.


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## cheeves (Sep 21, 2011)

coog said:


> I think we should send the Alaskans some Hedge apples.It seems to grow like a weed wherever it is planted.I bet the moose would like it, too.


 
coog I heard the Indians had a way of preparing that hedge apple for a pain remedy. This time of year when I lived in Ohio they were all over the roads. Asked many a local what they were good for. Love the wood. It's the best in my opinion.


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## Hedgerow (Sep 21, 2011)

cheeves said:


> coog I heard the Indians had a way of preparing that hedge apple for a pain remedy. This time of year when I lived in Ohio they were all over the roads. Asked many a local what they were good for. Love the wood. It's the best in my opinion.


 
It's good stuff no doubt... Just wish it would ignite quicker like Ash or Hackberry... Have you ever seen a piece of Hedge go "supernova" in the wood stove? Quite a show... Sure wouldn't want to give someone a piece for their fireplace...
:after_boom:


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## farber56 (Sep 21, 2011)

046 said:


> don't know about your species of Gum, but took down a 4ft DBH Gum two seasons ago. what a PITA to split! very heavy when wet, dries light. medium burn times. much easier to split when wet. all sorts of knurls when dry. don't even think about it without a large hydraulic splitter. don't think an inertia splitter Super Split would like this type wood.
> 
> wouldn't go out of my way to get any Gum wood. above tree was in my neighbor's yard or I would have passed. it's much better than no wood, but if you've got other nice choices like locust and Ash.... that's what I'd go for.


 
Thanks for the info. The tree has to come down either way...it's dying out and got pretty mangled in a wind storm this summer. I think I'll cut it down and haul it out back split two or three rounds and burn them in the fire pit some weekend to see if I like it enough to finish the rest of the tree or not. If not it gets towed to the burn pile.


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## zogger (Sep 21, 2011)

*red oak and ash*

I burn everything that crosses my saw, from a little pine and willow on up, but red oak and ash are my favs. Both throw plenty of heat for this climate, just split to size and load the stove accordingly for the heat value you want. Both cut wicked clean, you can get a ton of cuts, tankful after tankful, without dulling the chain. And splitting..I think you'd be hard pressed to process it quicker with a hydraulic when you can whack as fast as you can swing a fiskars and get a nice clean split every time.


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## zogger (Sep 21, 2011)

*Do you garden?*



coog said:


> I have heard it is among the most difficult to split. Some genius here in Wichita decided that it would make a good boulevard tree. We often have two feet of gumballs piled at the curb. I've often thought about burning those instead of the tree.



If you run a mulch pile, stir in as many of those gum balls as you can. They help keep the pile aerated and they all rot out, you'll get fantastic compost. Turn a liability into an asset!


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## zogger (Sep 21, 2011)

*Sweet gum*



farber56 said:


> I understand that, but was looking for some of the cutting, splitting, or burning properties of Gum. I have plenty of locust and ash that is waiting on my splitter, I just wanted to know if the Gum was worth leaving the other stuff in log form for now.



Cuts fine, splits just this side of impossible, burns medium like soft maple. I burn a lot of it, because it sprouts and grows like crazy and I have to keep clearing it, and hardly ever split it, just let it hang out in chunks that will fit into the stove. Small pieces to season, one year, larger chunks you have noodled to size or thick diameter cut stubby, two years. It does burn though, burns fine, you could use it for fall and spring wood and save your better stuff for full winter. 

If it is..go grab oak or ash or sweetgum though, don't. If you got it for free or easy pickings and all the pieces you can cut small enough to fit without splitting (which on a mature tree is cords of branch wood small enough), it's perfectly fine, especially if you can use medium maple quality wood. That's been my experience with it. I cut a hugemongous one down a few years ago.I think the second biggest tree I ever dropped....even with a hydraulic it was two bears and a half to split them huge rounds....but..that was most of my wood that year and it worked OK. My stacks are almost always around 1/3rd sweetgum, just because I have to cut tons of saplings. I grab ten decent sticks or so from each little one, right onto the pile as is. You can knock out a lot that way, or bucking up a big one that has been felled, take all but the trunk. What to do with the trunk..err....use it for erosion control! Build bunkers for the kids! 

I don't mill but it sure is some twisty wood, might be pretty for that, just don't know.


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## wooddog 066 (Sep 21, 2011)

*Hot btu's*

My vote goes to locust for the best and hottest the oak!!!!


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## coog (Sep 21, 2011)

cheeves said:


> coog I heard the Indians had a way of preparing that hedge apple for a pain remedy. This time of year when I lived in Ohio they were all over the roads. Asked many a local what they were good for. Love the wood. It's the best in my opinion.


 
The best if you take a lot of care when loading your stove. Kind of like heating with fireworks.


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## redheadwoodshed (Sep 21, 2011)

zogger said:


> Cuts fine, splits just this side of impossible, burns medium like soft maple. I burn a lot of it, because it sprouts and grows like crazy and I have to keep clearing it, and hardly ever split it, just let it hang out in chunks that will fit into the stove. Small pieces to season, one year, larger chunks you have noodled to size or thick diameter cut stubby, two years. It does burn though, burns fine, you could use it for fall and spring wood and save your better stuff for full winter.
> 
> If it is..go grab oak or ash or sweetgum though, don't. If you got it for free or easy pickings and all the pieces you can cut small enough to fit without splitting (which on a mature tree is cords of branch wood small enough), it's perfectly fine, especially if you can use medium maple quality wood. That's been my experience with it. I cut a hugemongous one down a few years ago.I think the second biggest tree I ever dropped....even with a hydraulic it was two bears and a half to split them huge rounds....but..that was most of my wood that year and it worked OK. My stacks are almost always around 1/3rd sweetgum, just because I have to cut tons of saplings. I grab ten decent sticks or so from each little one, right onto the pile as is. You can knock out a lot that way, or bucking up a big one that has been felled, take all but the trunk. What to do with the trunk..err....use it for erosion control! Build bunkers for the kids!
> 
> I don't mill but it sure is some twisty wood, might be pretty for that, just don't know.


 If you have a tie mill nearby they will buy the log from you. Used tires makes pretty good firewood and they are everywhere.A little on the sooty side, but on a cold day....
Hickory is pretty good, too.


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## Misfit138 (Sep 21, 2011)

My favorites:
1. Mulberry- burns hot and long. Best coals I've ever gotten. 
2. Red Oak- almost as good. Bigger rounds, so processing is harder work for me.
3. Red Pine- dries quick, plentiful around here, and relatively good burning wood as far as the softwoods go.


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## zogger (Sep 21, 2011)

*RxR ties?*



redheadwoodshed said:


> If you have a tie mill nearby they will buy the log from you. Used tires makes pretty good firewood and they are everywhere.A little on the sooty side, but on a cold day....
> Hickory is pretty good, too.



I had no idea, I'll have to check that out. We got tons of these things in the large to mambo huge size here.


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## texastele (Sep 22, 2011)

I like mulberry when I can get it. It seems to heat real well. Most everybody down here burns mesquite and oak; both do well. Pecan burns long.


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## Hedgerow (Sep 22, 2011)

texastele said:


> I like mulberry when I can get it. It seems to heat real well. Most everybody down here burns mesquite and oak; both do well. Pecan burns long.


 
I'm thinking Mulberry is about the most underrated firewood out there... I've been burning it for years and some charts have it's BTU's rated identical to White Oak... I think it boils down to the fact that it's "UGLY"... Never straight, goofy bark... Short and twisted... Awkward to split at times... And yellow...
:big_smile:


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## J.W Younger (Sep 22, 2011)

Dogwood is some pretty dense stuff, problem is, most of what I have here on the farm is multiple stems that can be a real pain in the crotch gettin on the ground


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## redheadwoodshed (Sep 22, 2011)

zogger said:


> I had no idea, I'll have to check that out. We got tons of these things in the large to mambo huge size here.


 
Yes, RR ties.They need to be 10'long and at least 12" at the small end to make a 9' 6"x9" tie cut.Tie mills usally have a lot of culled hickory and oak,too, from nails and fence wire to one that the heart split on when they bucked it.A good source for good wood.


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## zogger (Sep 22, 2011)

redheadwoodshed said:


> Yes, RR ties.They need to be 10'long and at least 12" at the small end to make a 9' 6"x9" tie cut.Tie mills usally have a lot of culled hickory and oak,too, from nails and fence wire to one that the heart split on when they bucked it.A good source for good wood.



I am for sure gonna look into that now. If I can sell a few logs on the side, plus haul back some firewood..sounds like a plan to me.


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## fields_mj (Sep 22, 2011)

Hickory, Black Locust, White Oak, Red Oak, Ash in that order, but I'd be able to make do with any one of them. Ash by itself doesn't do real good for me when it gets really cold, but mix in some white oak, hickory, or locust, and the furnace burns long and hot even on the coldest of days. For that matter, I'm glad to take beech and hard maple as well. No experience with hedge, but I'm sure I would like it. I tend to prefer the really hot stuff anyway.


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## Hedgerow (Sep 22, 2011)

fields_mj said:


> Hickory, Black Locust, White Oak, Red Oak, Ash in that order, but I'd be able to make do with any one of them. Ash by itself doesn't do real good for me when it gets really cold, but mix in some white oak, hickory, or locust, and the furnace burns long and hot even on the coldest of days. For that matter, I'm glad to take beech and hard maple as well. No experience with hedge, but I'm sure I would like it. I tend to prefer the really hot stuff anyway.


 
Hickory is such a precious commodity around my place, I don't dare burn it in the stove... That stuff goes in the smoker pile...
:boss:


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## haveawoody (Sep 22, 2011)

I'm lucky to live in an area that rock elm grows, or used to with all the spreading dutch elm.
Nothing burns like barkless rock elm,even black locust, apple, and oak pale compared to it.

Set the splitter to turbo mode (nasty to split) and the woodpile to minimal with rock elm since it burns very hot and very long.

Few people know that rock elm can be found in all of southern ontario, great firewood and well worth the painful time splitting and cutting it.

You will know when you have found a dead one when the chainsaw seems to be cutting painfully slow.


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## Wood Doctor (Sep 22, 2011)

*Ash*

Ash, all things considered, is the best firewood that you can cut. That's MHO.


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## J.W Younger (Sep 22, 2011)

Pinoak, good stuff.


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## Wood Doctor (Sep 22, 2011)

J.W Younger said:


> Pinoak, good stuff.


But, oak takes forever to dry. Ash dries in less than a year. Ash also seems to take less effort to burn.


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## redheadwoodshed (Sep 22, 2011)

Wood Doctor said:


> Ash, all things considered, is the best firewood that you can cut. That's MHO.


 
I agree, easy to cut and split.Seasons fast,too.The only thing is, you tell somebody around here you have firewood for sale,they want oak, and red oak to be specific.I get ash,pecan ,hickory and white oak, and pin oak but none of them sell as well as red oak.


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## haveawoody (Sep 22, 2011)

Ash Doctor,

Guess we are lucky in ontario.
Ash seems to be every second tree i cut so it's a standard firewood here.

It's good wood but not much of a night wood.
Pretty much any fruit tree is a good night wood, apple, pear, crab apple.
I would say hickory as a very nice night wood but most people end up keeping it as smoke wood.
Locust at night is very decent, but rock elm if you ever get some nice!
Even american elm dead on the tree with bark dropping is very nice night wood.

Hunt for a real dead elm tree and give it a try at night, always nice to throw kindling on in the morning and have it start by itself


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## SPDRMNKY (Sep 22, 2011)

pdqdl said:


> They are very hard to find, but my favorite is the *osage loakustberry*.
> 
> Burns real hot, splits easily, coals last forever., A trash tree, people that don't know any better give it away or pay me to cut them down.
> 
> :greenchainsaw:


 
snag me a cutting off one of those...I'll start em' in the 40 acres next to all my dikfir :msp_confused:

locust tops my list!


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## haveawoody (Sep 22, 2011)

redheadwoodshed,

Dito for me on the red oak.
I have boat loads of white oak and it's just a bit better than red, but people ask for red.
Go figure eh.


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## haveawoody (Sep 22, 2011)

SPDRMNKY,

Locust is great wood but i always hate the wrestling match splitting it.
Split and tear.

Good alternate to the gym though


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## wooddog 066 (Sep 22, 2011)

*Locust*



haveawoody said:


> SPDRMNKY,
> 
> Locust is great wood but i always hate the wrestling match splitting it.
> Split and tear.
> ...


 
You arent kidding there just bucked a 34"diameter one in a farmers field lastnight its a GOODTHING we had a skidloader to load em and the saw was working too 32"bar but its my 660 she can handle it


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## fields_mj (Sep 23, 2011)

Hedgerow said:


> Hickory is such a precious commodity around my place, I don't dare burn it in the stove... That stuff goes in the smoker pile...
> :boss:


 
My only smoker is the one I got for Christmas last year that's one of those 7 in 1 cookers. It's basically a fancy turkey fryer that has been converted to a gas grill with a few convienant mods to allow for smoking. I love the thing! It's my first smoker, and now I smoke just about everything! From burgers to pork chops to chicken. However, I don't bother trying to save my firewood to use it in the smoker. I just pick up a bag of the hickory chips at the grocery store for $3~$4. One bag lasted me all summer, just started my second last week.


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## Hedgerow (Sep 23, 2011)

fields_mj said:


> My only smoker is the one I got for Christmas last year that's one of those 7 in 1 cookers. It's basically a fancy turkey fryer that has been converted to a gas grill with a few convienant mods to allow for smoking. I love the thing! It's my first smoker, and now I smoke just about everything! From burgers to pork chops to chicken. However, I don't bother trying to save my firewood to use it in the smoker. I just pick up a bag of the hickory chips at the grocery store for $3~$4. One bag lasted me all summer, just started my second last week.


 
Yep... Those things are chip mizers... I got a big New Braunfel's smoker with the offset fire box... Likes wood... Likes it a lot, depending on what's being smoked... I used Hedge once... Just to see what it would taste like... 
:msp_thumbdn:


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## eric_271 (Sep 23, 2011)

AOD said:


> You guys that burn osage, does that stuff ever damage your grates? I wouldn't burn that stuff in a plain steel stove unless it had firebrick. I had a cheap Made in China sand cast grate and Osage burned through half of that thing!


 
I've burnt Osage exclusively for over 18 years with the same stove. I don't need a grate and the wood sits right on the fire brick.

Other than the fact it burns hot if you want to burn hot the best part of it is the density and long periods in between having to add wood and if you sleep really late which i rarely do i know there will be plenty of coals left to start the mornings fire.


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## eric_271 (Sep 23, 2011)

Hedgerow said:


> Yep... Those things are chip mizers... I got a big New Braunfel's smoker with the offset fire box... Likes wood... Likes it a lot, depending on what's being smoked... I used Hedge once... Just to see what it would taste like...
> :msp_thumbdn:


 
Hedge is great for flavor but the key thing to remember is it takes a lot lot less than hickory or other woods to get a flavor. Too much and it over powers the meat.


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## Hedgerow (Sep 23, 2011)

eric_271 said:


> Hedge is great for flavor but the key thing to remember is it takes a lot lot less than hickory or other woods to get a flavor. Too much and it over powers the meat.


 
Sure does... Can make for a lot of burnt ends too if it gets too much air...


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## eric_271 (Sep 23, 2011)

Hedgerow said:


> Sure does... Can make for a lot of burnt ends too if it gets too much air...


 
The guys in Texas I work with love osage for cooking and beg me to bring them some when ever i come home for a weekend. Try it again but just throw in a couple 2 or 3 small chunks for burgers or steak. Oh yeah and keep a water bottle handy for flame control. Lol


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## Oldtimer (Sep 23, 2011)

Apple wood is the best IMO. If you have a fireplace or glass front stove the colors and heat can not be matched.


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## v8titan (Sep 23, 2011)

Oldtimer said:


> Apple wood is the best IMO. If you have a fireplace or glass front stove the colors and heat can not be matched.


 
A friend of mine has a standing dead apple tree for me harvest. I'm haven't had any experience with apple yet....looking forward to burning some....we don't see it too often in my area.


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## CTYank (Sep 23, 2011)

v8titan said:


> A friend of mine has a standing dead apple tree for me harvest. I'm haven't had any experience with apple yet....looking forward to burning some....we don't see it too often in my area.


 
I've found that standing dead apple is about the most difficult wood to split, in the NE US. Maybe ebony, bubinga or mpingo are worse?

Gotta work up some intensity before swinging a maul at that apple wood.


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## v8titan (Sep 23, 2011)

CTYank said:


> I've found that standing dead apple is about the most difficult wood to split, in the NE US. Maybe ebony, bubinga or mpingo are worse?
> 
> Gotta work up some intensity before swinging a maul at that apple wood.


 
I guess I got my work cut out for me......


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## J.W Younger (Sep 23, 2011)

Hedgerow said:


> Yep... Those things are chip mizers... I got a big New Braunfel's smoker with the offset fire box... Likes wood... Likes it a lot, depending on what's being smoked... I used Hedge once... Just to see what it would taste like...
> :msp_thumbdn:


I'll try and remember and bring you some hickory.


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## Hedgerow (Sep 23, 2011)

J.W Younger said:


> I'll try and remember and bring you some hickory.


 
Thank you J W... You get extra pulled pork for that...


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## Wood Doctor (Sep 24, 2011)

*Walnut, Anyone?*

I forgot about walnut. I've had good luck with it. Sawmills sometimes have rejected walnut logs that can't be processed. Splits rather easily and can be split green, burns without sparks, smells good, rather high heat content (about like ash), dries rather fast when split.

Any comments on walnut? opcorn:


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## AIM (Sep 24, 2011)

Never cared much for walnut.


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## Wood Doctor (Sep 24, 2011)

AIM said:


> Never cared much for walnut.


Why? :msp_confused:


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## J.W Younger (Sep 24, 2011)

Wood Doctor said:


> Why? :msp_confused:


 I've not burned much air dried walnut. We heated with it when I was growing up but it was kiln dried scraps from a woodworking factory. Burned fast but hot. Think its close in btu's to ash and cherry depending on which chart you're lookin at.


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## haveawoody (Sep 25, 2011)

CTYank,

Yeah dead apple is no picnic to split.
Easier than elm though.

I watched an old timer splitting rock elm with a maul and the entire time i felt like going home and getting my splitter for him.
He split two 2' rounds in 30 minutes and lots of fibre chopping even when split.
Was pretty sure he was going to die on the spot and when i looked at his round pile i figured a few years of that for him for 1 season of wood LOL.


As for Walnut, it's decent firewood.
I find it to be very average heat/coals easy to split though.
A chunk of ash and walnut put in the fire at the same time and ash is still going after walnut is gone so it's not quite as good as ash, close though.


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## Whitespider (Sep 25, 2011)

The original question was, “_All around best firewood?_”
Well, to me, an all-around would have to meet certain criteria, in this order;

Readily assessable in my area.
Abundant local supply.
Burns with at least a moderately-high heat output.
Long enough burn time for overnight.
Coals up, continuing to heat after the initial burn.
Relatively easy to split (i.e. can be split with a maul if need be).
Single summer seasoning time under most any conditions.
Relatively low ash residue.
So, which wood meets all these criteria? Well… none, we’ll have to compromise.
Ash has received a lot of votes, but it wouldn’t be high on my list because it doesn’t meet criteria 4 and 5, and number 4 is important enough to rule ash out. The “_super_” hardwoods (such as hedge) don’t come close to meeting criteria numbers 1 and 2, so they’re out the list.

Red Oak comes close; lots of it around, burns long and hot with excellent coaling, splits nicely, but unless you have room to stack it in single rows, in full sunshine there just ain’t any way possible it will season in one summer. Also, unless you leave it long enough (couple years) the bark clings tight, and the bark will leave a lot of ash in the stove. Still, I think Red Oak would have to be the “_all around best firewood_” where I’m at. We also have a lot of Bur Oak ‘round here, but that stuff is gnarly as-all-get-out, with crooked branches, numerous knots and crotches, and can be just a difficult to split as green-cut elm.

But there is a close second ‘round here, if “dead” is figured in. Standing-dead, bark-less Red (or Rock) Elm is assessable, plentiful, burns hot and long (not quite as hot or long as oak), coals up nicely, for the most part is pre-seasoned and leaves low-moderate ash. But splitting is an issue; dead and *very dry* Red Elm will split with a maul if you are practiced in the technique, but if any moisture is still in the wood… good luck!


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## J.W Younger (Sep 25, 2011)

I heat with a hardy OWB and have for over 20 yrs. This fall I'm retireing and will have the time to 
experiment with burn times. In the past I've had to load with what will give a 12 hr burn for the temps, with a good selection of seasoned wood on hand maybe I can learn something now thats useful.


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## dmlefevre (Sep 25, 2011)

Whatever is close by - red oak, beech, black birch, and white oak. White oak would be the favorite.


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## mingo (Sep 25, 2011)

Hickory, white oak, hard maple, in that order. I liked locust without the bark tried some with the bark on it and it didn't give off much heat just seemed to smolder.


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## haveawoody (Sep 25, 2011)

Whitespider,

Good point and good idea to make it something that is good in all respects.

I think Norway maple might be an all around winner, easy to split, good heat, shortish cure times, decent as overnight wood, leaves little ash, can be found pretty much everywhere.

I think it's about a 8 or 9 out of 10 on every aspect.
Not the greatest coaling wood but easily better than ash.
Norway maple i think is 25.9 mbtu/cord just a little shy of sugar maple for heat.

A good tip for rock elm, when it's dead on the tree split it stack it and give it a year seasoning.
Then burn it and nothing burns like it.
I pick it as the finest woodstove wood over anything else but if burnt before that year of seasoning it's just good.
Much like any of the dence fruit woods really need a year even after they are dead wood.
Guess they are just very slow to give up the deep core moisture.
Seems silly to have to season it a year after its dead but it makes a huge difference on rock elm and fruit woods.


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## haveawoody (Sep 25, 2011)

Mingo,

Now that says to me one of two things.
Your locust isnt quite dry enough or your woodstove isnt hot enough.

Locust with or without bark takes a bit to get going but once going it should burn very well.
Try a chunk of silver or manitoba maple right under your locust.
The heat from those fast burning maples should make the locust burn well.
If not then your locust is not cured long enough or is getting damp to much while curing. JMO


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## haveawoody (Sep 25, 2011)

J.W Younger,

I'm sure you will learn something but that knowledge might bump something else out of your memory.
How many times can a wife kill you for forgetting the aniversary or birthday? LOL


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## Wood Doctor (Sep 25, 2011)

*Walnut Gloat*



haveawoody said:


> CTYank,
> 
> ... As for Walnut, it's decent firewood.
> I find it to be very average heat/coals easy to split though.
> A chunk of ash and walnut put in the fire at the same time and ash is still going after walnut is gone so it's not quite as good as ash, close though...


Well, that's good enough for me. A local sawmill just handed me 60 walnut logs, 10" to 14" dia. and 15' to 20' long apiece. Some are already dead dry with the bark off. I think I'll process it. Gloat, gloat, gloat...


----------



## mingo (Sep 25, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> Mingo,
> 
> Now that says to me one of two things.
> Your locust isnt quite dry enough or your woodstove isnt hot enough.
> ...


 
The locust was given to me by a guy I did some work for. He had it piled in a shed and I had it stacked outside on pallets with a tarp over it. I think the bark sucked up moisture. I've burned locust with no bark and had no trouble with it. So you may be right about it not being dry enough. Thanks for your input.


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## Hedgerow (Sep 25, 2011)

Honey locust has a high btu score... But it's far from my favorites... But then the oaks ain't my favorite either... They are slow starters... Elm and Hackberry get the heat rockin quick!!!


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## haveawoody (Sep 25, 2011)

Wood Doctor,

I would think it was pretty good if someone dropped me of 60 logs.
No fear of you being cold in the winter. LOL


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## haveawoody (Sep 25, 2011)

Mingo,

I figured it might be something weird since you are burning other real dence woods without much problem.
I bet at some point the entire stack of locust got soaked and like you say it got dry enough to burn but the bark didn't.

If you have some of it left i bet this year it's much better.


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## haveawoody (Sep 25, 2011)

Hedgerow,

I can tell when someone has well cured elm.
Opinion on elm changes as it gets drier, think to many people rush elm and have results you would get with other wood aged only 4 or 6 months.

I think that is why the elm opinion is so wild from one person to the next. 

I have never burned Hackberry, not here in ontario canada (it might be but never seen it),i suspect it's much like hawthorne.
Hawthorne is a wonderful wood like apple and oak put together.
Takes some collecting though since like apple and pear most of the trees you get are more like shrubs than trees.


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## haveawoody (Sep 25, 2011)

Wood Doctor, 

I got a good score on Friday morning for wood real close to home.

2 fallen trees needed removal so i went out expecting a couple old dead ash or elm trees would need a cleanup.
When i got to the site i discovered 120' x4' and 110' x3' sugar maples on the ground.
Odd trees because most of both trees were similar in width from top to bottom.
I chained all day Friday to get it to manageable sizes, loaded my big 4 wheel cargo trailer 4 times on Saturday and Sunday all day and ended up with 7 full cords of the heaviest hardest sugar maple i have ever cut.
Dulled to the point of not cutting 2 new chains cutting them up on a s361 and s390 and the third chain was almost to dull to cut when i just finished (didn't hit the dirt once).
Almost everything had to noodled to move (impossible to get a splitter anywhere close). 

Growth so slow on the trees it was difficult to see defined rings, so i guess both were very old trees fighting for light and more like rock than wood.
Can't wait to burn them in my personal wood stove next year and beyond 
If it burns anything like it cuts it should keep most of the province warm LOL

Nice to get paid for removal also after a find like that 
Nice to have a hot tub after moving it all.


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## wampum (Sep 25, 2011)

I have been burning for over 38 years on my own and since i was a toddler with Dad. Hands down my choice is Black locust. I love the stuff,I save it for the really cold days. I like to keep it a year 
or two and the bark usually comes right off. No bark cleaner house. An other advantage it will keep for years if needed,no rotting here. I love to find dead standing locust.its clean and 
already dry. The only problem I have with locust is forcing my self o give up fence posts. But I have even burned fence posts that were 50 years old.Just be thoughtful about the wire and staples.


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## Wood Doctor (Sep 25, 2011)

*It Depends...*



haveawoody said:


> Wood Doctor,
> 
> I would think it was pretty good if someone dropped me off 60 logs.
> No fear of you being cold in the winter. LOL


Heheheheheh... That assumes that (1) I can keep the chainsaws sharp, (2) the log splitter does not croak, (3) the thieves and pranksters don't get there frst, (4) my back holds together, and (5) the bar nearby has enough brew after I work 8 solid hours on the pile of gold. 

Take any of those items away, and the logs have little value to anyone (except maybe the thieves).


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## haveawoody (Sep 26, 2011)

Wood Doctor,

LOL probably a good thing i don't live handy to you then. 
I bet you will have a couple 8hr chainathons and wilt when you see the splitting pile of rounds. 

I had a wilt moment when i unloaded my last load of sugar maple late sunday night and looked back at the mountain that needs splitting. LOL

My wife came out about that moment and asked if the king's chamber was suppose to go at the bottom of the pyramid.


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## JimmyT (Sep 26, 2011)

Got to go with Red Oak all those pioneers and settlers couldn't have been wrong.


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## haveawoody (Sep 26, 2011)

wampum,

Locust is really nice wood but i have to tell you when i see a big pile of rounds and the splitter i get ready for a tearathon.
2 year wood me thinks is the real way to burn locust.


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## haveawoody (Sep 26, 2011)

JimmyT,

So many people ask for red oak but i think white oak is easier to split and better btu.
White oak sure could be a winner in the list of needs because it can easily be split with a maul and has good or great other qualities.


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## Hedgerow (Sep 26, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> wampum,
> 
> Locust is really nice wood but i have to tell you when i see a big pile of rounds and the splitter i get ready for a tearathon.
> 2 year wood me thinks is the real way to burn locust.


 
True... But locust gives up it's moisture quicker than oak... Just sayin...opcorn:


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## J.W Younger (Sep 26, 2011)

Hedgerow said:


> True... But locust gives up it's moisture quicker than oak... Just sayin...opcorn:


And, red oak splits easier than white.
In my neck of the woods anyway.Btu wise I rank white oak right up there with hickory tho. And...I gots lots of all 3 and stuff.


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## MacLaren (Sep 26, 2011)

I always loved splittin that red oak with a go devil. Nice stuff for sure.


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## Hedgerow (Sep 26, 2011)

J.W Younger said:


> And, red oak splits easier than white.
> In my neck of the woods anyway.Btu wise I rank white oak right up there with hickory tho. And...I gots lots of all 3 and stuff.


 
You got beautiful trees where you're at... I got btu's, but everything sucks to split... You'll see come October... We gonna give sunfish's super split a workout...


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## JimmyT (Sep 26, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> JimmyT,
> 
> So many people ask for red oak but i think white oak is easier to split and better btu.
> White oak sure could be a winner in the list of needs because it can easily be split with a maul and has good or great other qualities.


 
haveawoody, you are correct white oak is rated at 24.2 million btu's per cord and red oak is 22.1 million btu's per cord. Here's the kicker the insects love to bore into the white oak and make that fine wood powder out of it. I had some white oak last winter and I thought the powder post beetles were going to eat it up before I had a chance to burn it. Evidently the insects don't like the tannins in the red oak. I've stored red oak for 4 and 5 years without insect damage. Here's the Chimney Sweep's Firewood BTU Comparison Chart---Sweep's Library - Firewood BTU Comparison Charts


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## Hedgerow (Sep 26, 2011)

JimmyT said:


> haveawoody, you are correct white oak is rated at 24.2 million btu's per cord and red oak is 22.1 million btu's per cord. Here's the kicker the insects love to bore into the white oak and make that fine wood powder out of it. I had some white oak last winter and I thought the powder post beetles were going to eat it up before I had a chance to burn it. Evidently the insects don't like the tannins in the red oak. I've stored red oak for 4 and 5 years without insect damage. Here's the Chimney Sweep's Firewood BTU Comparison Chart---Sweep's Library - Firewood BTU Comparison Charts


 
Bam!!! Jimmy T just interjected a serious variable to the firewood equation!!! Bugs!!! Another awesome firewood the insects love is hickory!!! Those miserable locust borers even like the outer layer of Hedge... They DON'T, however, like Mulberry... Hmmm... Another plus for the "other" yellow wood...:msp_sneaky:


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## haveawoody (Sep 27, 2011)

J.W Younger,

I think in southern ontario we might have both as different species, i believe it's northern red that is no picnic to split with a maul, and not sure of the name for the white oak but splits pretty easy something like ash or maybe just a bit easier.
Our white oak is almost a whiskey barrel brownish color. 

Got to love what gets grouped into one general name for trees.


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## haveawoody (Sep 27, 2011)

Hedgerow,

I think the wood is a bit faster to cure than oak, but i think the bark is very much like fruit tree bark that likes to keep a layer of moisture under it.

I love when i find barkless locust dead wood, it seems to burn a step beyond it's cured counterpart.
Bet that is the same for most wood though.


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## gpsman007 (Sep 27, 2011)

*lOCUST*

Is the all around winner

Burns Hotter
Burns up completely and leaves very little ash


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## fields_mj (Sep 27, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> wampum,
> 
> Locust is really nice wood but i have to tell you when i see a big pile of rounds and the splitter i get ready for a tearathon.
> 2 year wood me thinks is the real way to burn locust.


 
That's why I just noodle them. If they don't pop apart after 2 or 3 well placed hits with the X27, then ol' Bertha gets some play time


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## Misfit138 (Sep 27, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> Wood Doctor,
> 
> I got a good score on Friday morning for wood real close to home.
> 
> ...


 
Great story. Had to quote it.


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## J.W Younger (Sep 27, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> J.W Younger,
> 
> I think in southern ontario we might have both as different species, i believe it's northern red that is no picnic to split with a maul, and not sure of the name for the white oak but splits pretty easy something like ash or maybe just a bit easier.
> Our white oak is almost a whiskey barrel brownish color.
> ...


 
Yep, got to be close to 500 species of oak and they all fall into either the white or red group. Now you gimme sum actual straight grained pin or red oak and nothin splits much eaiser.Throw in sum black jack(red) or twisted grain post oak (white)and you got yer work cut out for u.
When it comes to white oak the scaley bark stuff used for making whiskey barrels is my favorite firewood. Ain't too bad to split either. Takes a while to season good tho.


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## Wood Doctor (Sep 27, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> Wood Doctor,
> 
> LOL probably a good thing i don't live handy to you then.
> I bet you will have a couple 8hr chainathons and wilt when you see the splitting pile of rounds.
> ...


Splitting a big pile of rounds is huge. I found out an interesting poperty. Get this:

*Using a chainsaw with a sharp loop and no other fancy equipment, I can buck cut by myself in one hour what it takes two hours to split and stack. *

The other day I spent four hours bucking rather large large logs at a reasonable pace using my Stihl MS 361. The next day it was impossible to split and stack all of the processed firewood in one day. You may have to keep that in mind.

Any other similar experiences out there? Forum, please advise and discuss.


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## anymanusa (Sep 28, 2011)

well I have sweet gum to start the fire with, Honey Locust, Beech, Red Oak, White Oak, and Black Locust to maintain it with. Last year the Honey Locust burned very well. I'm anxious to see how well it burns this year, after one more year of seasoning. All the other wood I listed was harvested this year, so some of it might not be ready to burn this season.


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## haveawoody (Sep 28, 2011)

Wood Doctor,

Ditto for me.
1 day of chain saw work=2 of splitting and stacking for ash, walnut, silver maple etc.
I'm always cutting real heavy very hard woods sugar maple, rock elm, hickory etc, so for me it's more like 1 chain day=3 S&S. 

Investing in a splitter with a 4 way cutter, a catcher so every split doesn't fall to the ground and a towable cart to dump wood into and take it out with no bending i think are great back savers.

Still takes me about 1 for 3 but without them 1 for 5 LOL


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## fields_mj (Sep 28, 2011)

Wood Doctor said:


> *Using a chainsaw with a sharp loop and no other fancy equipment, I can buck cut by myself in one hour what it takes two hours to split and stack. *


 
Before I comment, I will say that I prefer to use my 064 and noodle the rounds rather than use my little diddier splitter. I noodle them about 3/4 of the way, then stand them up and hit them once with the X27, maul, or what ever I have handy. Stuff that splits easy anyway gets split with the X27, and I don't split anything that will easily fit through my 10"x10" door on the wood furnace. 

Now, having said that, I don't know where you found that piece of information at, but the only way it can be true is if you're only going to buck rounds that are small enough that they don't need split at all. Depending on the make up of the area you're cutting in, this could be really easy, or dang near impossible. For my dad it's easy because there are lots of dead hickories on the property that are only 10~12" max at the base. For me, it has been flat out impossible until this year. Previously I only cut the blow downs out of a mature "forest", and they were normally well over 24" at the base. Now they've logged over 1100 "mature" trees off the property so I have a LOT of tops that I can work on. Maybe it would be a good idea if I just focused on the stuff that doesn't need split so that I can make the most of my limited tiem this winter.

For me, I have found that it takes me about 4 hours to go cut a full truck load of wood, and another 30 min to get it home and unloaded into a pile. Generally, I have to drag most of my wood out with a chain in order to get it to where I can cut it. I don't have to drag it far, maybe 20~40 yards, but that's enough to get it up out of the ravine onto some level ground where I can work more safely, AND where I can back the truck right up to it to load it  While I'm in the woods, if I can get it into the truck, then I don't usually split it. The exception to that would be if I'm working on a large trunk in which case I just go a head and noodle everything into 6"~8" x 24" pieces. The wood gets stacked into my truck bed (full 8' bed) and I stack it as high as I can without the risk of anything fall off on the way out. I can't quite get a full cord on. I need to add some side rails. Once I'm home, I try to seperate the load when I take it out of the truck so that anything that will need split goes on one side of the pile, and anything that doesn't goes on the other side, and any odd ball funky stuff gets tossed into it's own pile. The "needs split" pile is normally smaller than the (ready to burn" pile, but like I said, I don't split anything that I can get into my old wood burner There's enough smaller stuff for my wife to fire the stove once a day for a 4 or 5 hour burn. From there, I've found that I can noodle/spit the rest of the load into burnable pieces and have it stacked in around 2~2.5 hours. Generally speaking each of my stacks is 2 truck loads so I will unload 2 truck loads into the same pile (2 mornings worth of work) and then on a Saturday morning, or one evening during the week I can go out and noodle/split and stack it. So I'd say that for me it's 2 days sawing, one day splitting/stacking. That's just how it works out for me though. I've seen a lot of wood piles with nothing thicker than 5" in it and I wonder how they find all the time to do all that splitting. I also wonder what kind of burn times they are getting. 

Mark


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## haveawoody (Sep 29, 2011)

fields_mj,

For me i only chain and noodle to make things light enough to lift onto the splitter so my time generally is spent loading, unloading and driving a full cart to the stack to pile. 

I'm ok with a 200lb round lift so rounds under 2' are just cart moved at location onto the trailer then cart moved off the trailer to the splitter.
If i have a big job i end up with a big pile of rounds near the splitter after a few trailer loads.
If it's a smaller job stuff comes off the trailer right to the splitter.

No maul for me unless it's something relatively easy to split and just a small amount of rounds.
If it's less work to maul than fire up the splitter it gets mauled.

Lots of small wood moves for me i think eats up time so when i chain i have a pretty good idea for each hour i chain it's 3 or 4 S&S.


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## fields_mj (Sep 29, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> fields_mj,
> 
> For me i only chain and noodle to make things light enough to lift onto the splitter so my time generally is spent loading, unloading and driving a full cart to the stack to pile.
> 
> ...


 
That makes sense. I can see why you do what you do. Sounds like you are doing tree removals, and I can certainly see where that would be the case for that. I'm just cutting firewood out in the woods. Since I have to drag the wood a little ways anyway in order to be on safe cutting ground, I generally drag them out far enough that I can load them straight into the truck. I'm like you in that I'll put some pretty good size rounds in the truck. I won't go quite to 24" though. Lifting one of those that's 24" long onto the tail gate of a 3/4 ton pickup gets old pretty quick. It's okay if I only have one or two, and i can load them in the beginning, but after loading the other 4,000 pound of unseasoned wood into the truck, I just don't have enough left in me to pick those big ol things up any more. Besides, I already blew both nuts out once and I can think of some MUCH better ways to get 2 weeks off work. I'll go up to about 16" or so. Any bigger than that and they get noodled before they get loaded. I figure I'm going to have to do it anyway, so why waste my back/groin trying to get it into the truck in one piece  I also unload right by where I stack and I split at the same spot, so I don't end up moving stuff around a whole lot. It get's unloaded, and split right where it's at, then goes onto the stack one split at a time. My little diddier is small enough that I can get it into where ever it needs to go, but since I'm only going to split a dozen or two rounds, it generally isn't worth the time or effort to get teh tarp off of it, get it in position, and get it started. It's just easier to throw Bertha on the ATV along with the X27 and/or a maul, and go noodle them. 

Now if I had to remove entire large trees and leave the place presentable when I was finished, it would be a whole different story. A lot more time would be spent splitting, and I would be much more prone to get the splitter out


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## haveawoody (Sep 29, 2011)

fields_mj,

I do tree removal and a job can be as small as a tiny tree to many real big ones.
Moving the wood ASAP and getting paid is priority 1, splitting takes a second for sure.


I watched something interesting today next door at a site i was working.

I watched a man cutting long hardwood logs into 3"- 4" rounds.
My curiosity got to me after about an hour so i wandered over to ask what the heck he was doing.
He told me he was cutting firewood, you can imagine my reply was firewood with 3" rounds ?.

Then he rolled one of them on the flat ground, picked up a maul and 3 easy hits later he had 4 pizza shaped pieces.
I questioned him about stacking the pizza pieces, and he said easy to put triangles together to make a stack and they dry faster and burn better. 

Might be an interesting way to maul the tough hard woods as long as you like pizza pieces.


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## anymanusa (Sep 30, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> fields_mj,
> 
> I do tree removal and a job can be as small as a tiny tree to many real big ones.
> Moving the wood ASAP and getting paid is priority 1, splitting takes a second for sure.
> ...


 You waste a lot more of the wood to saw kerf when you do that, a lot more.


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## haveawoody (Sep 30, 2011)

anymanusa,

That was my exact thought when i watched (what a time and wood waster).
But if you think about it on a 12" length of round a normal cut of hardwood he is making only two extra cuts.
The wood would require a noodle cut to be able to split anyway so that noodle cut would equal about 1 1/2 of those two cuts anyway.
As the rounds get beyond 2' in diamater i bet it's less wood waste since double noodles and more come into play to split in the traditional way. 

For the difficult to split woods a small wood waste Vs the ability to split anything with a maul easily isn't a bad trade off, and as the rounds get beyond 2' it's probably more efficient than traditional cutting.

I bet he can load a seriously full truckload of 4" rounds and isn't spending hours sharpening chain from noodle cuts.
The idea won't work for me because I'm not sure people are ready to buy wood pizza for the wood stove.


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## Steve NW WI (Sep 30, 2011)

Wood Doctor said:


> Splitting a big pile of rounds is huge. I found out an interesting poperty. Get this:
> 
> *Using a chainsaw with a sharp loop and no other fancy equipment, I can buck cut by myself in one hour what it takes two hours to split and stack. *
> 
> ...


 
Couldn't agree more with ya Doc, I've found the same rough numbers to be true for a long time. I try to sucker friends into helping split when I can. Having more help at the splitter end speeds the process up by more than a simple factor of 2, just by being able to keep that ram going back and forth all the time.

I'm not a noodler, I only use it if I'm somewhere without my tractor and loader.

Back on topic for a minute: I like sugar maple probably the best out of what's available around here. Near the heat output of red oak, with faster seasoning times. But, variety is the spice of life. I burn up to 10 different species here over the course of a winter, from box elder and poplar to ironwood. They all keep the house warm.


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## haveawoody (Oct 11, 2011)

Steve NW WI,

Sugar maple is a personal fave of mine to burn in my wood stove, i think it's as good or a little better than oak.
Not the easiest thing to split with a maul though.


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## Somesawguy (Oct 11, 2011)

While I burn whatever I can get, I like Oak the best so far. It does take awhile to dry, but it burns well, and last much longer. It produces great long lasting coals and little ash. 

So far, I have Ash, Oak, Maple, Cherry, and even some Lilac that the neighbor wanted gone.


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## Hedgerow (Oct 11, 2011)

haveawoody said:


> Steve NW WI,
> 
> Sugar maple is a personal fave of mine to burn in my wood stove, i think it's as good or a little better than oak.
> Not the easiest thing to split with a maul though.


 
Mine too... I got 2/3 cord of sugar Maple squirreled away in the back of the machine shed that's been split and stacked for over 2 years now...:msp_sneaky:
The bugs don't seem to bother it... It's my private stash... everything else will be sold by December...


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## haveawoody (Oct 11, 2011)

Somesawguy,

Same for me i seem to burn pretty much everything.
How was your lilac to burn? i passed on picking up a bunch of it earlier this year because it was all small stuff, lots of it but all 1"-2".


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## haveawoody (Oct 11, 2011)

Hedgerow,

LOL now that sounds like me, private stocks of all sorts of long aged wood.
Sometimes i get that (what the heck was this wood pile syndrome) LOL


Your 2 year old Sugar is going to be mighty good this winter.
I find most of the real heavy wood likes that second year to cure, then it's heat city.

My personal staches are usualy Rock Elm(Ontario version Not Red Elm), Apple,Pear,Hickory,Sugar Maple, Black Locust, White and Red Oak.
In that order of stash away first  
And a decent supply of Silver maple to get them to start burning.
Silver Maple is great because it burns nice and clean and easily, splits easy and cures in 90 days or less.


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## jra1100 (Dec 17, 2014)

I was just wandering around the site and found this thread. I live in north central Iowa, and we have a lot of trees to choose from. My favorite is Red Elm, we have gobs of dead Elm here, mostly white, but a fair amount of Red. I like what I call pecker poles. They are old dead trees not over a foot at the base, 18 inches at the most. They are barkless and most of the limbs have fallen off. Just drop them and cut and throw on the truck. Very little splitting and they are ready for the Longwood furnace. Also burn a lot of oak that went down with what is known locally as the big wind, that was back in 87. Huge storm with straight line winds came through and took you thousands of trees, including lots of Oak on some property that my cousin owns. These things are dry as cardboard and devoid of bark and small limbs. A 18 inch long by 10 inch log will burn all night. Would love to get my hands on some Osage, but the same cousin has a large stand of Black Locust on another property and I can cut there, so I will try it out and see if it lives up to it's reputation. JR


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## Cerran (Dec 17, 2014)

I burn some hardwood here and there (oak, maple, apple, locust) but after getting used to Doug fir and western larch I actually prefer it. Generally I can process a cord of Doug fir or Larch in about half the time I can process a cord of hardwood. Granted I don't have some of the hardwood giants of back east but there is something to be said for tall straight trees that take minimal time to cut down and process and it's 3/4 the btu value or more of oak.


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## svk (Dec 17, 2014)

I'd love to have the really good stuff to burn. Besides a rare patch of rock elm or ironwood that grows up here, we just don't have the high end hardwoods. 

So with that being said, my favorites would be the occasional bur oak that grows large enough to split followed by red or pin oak, yellow birch, red maple and white birch. As others have mentioned, red oak is nice as it splits really easily while putting out lots of heat.


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## lindnova (Dec 17, 2014)

If one it would be bur oak. I have a lot of it, it dries in 2 years, lights easy and burns long and hot.

JRA1100 - I agree on the dead elms. I have the same thing. Lots of them will be 18" on the base, 50 ft long with no branches. Easy good quality wood and the 3 yr dead ones split pretty good.


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## Dirtboy (Dec 17, 2014)

I mostly get maple, ash, red cherry or elm out of the back, and the occasional red oak-all of which are great. But my favorite would probably be beech.


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## fields_mj (Dec 17, 2014)

I've always liked Hickory. I don't care how it smells or how it splits. I care how it burns, so the more knots the better. I want as much payback as possible for my effort, and Hickory has alwasy done a good job of that. Having said that, I was able to cut several loads of black locust a few years ago, and it has become my favorite by far. Burns like hickory, but that stuff lasted forever in the wood pile. I kept some of it back for the cold weather just incase I ran out of hickory. I burned the last of it up last year. It lasted 5 years in the wood pile and never did start to rot. 

I've never burned hedge, but I suspect it would have similar properties. My only problem with hedge is that I've never seen it get very big. I've cut hickory and locust that's 20" or more at the base. 

I also burn a lot of white oak because it's available. It does well, and I like it, but it doesn't burn as long or as hot as the hickory or hedge. I'll cut some ash and cherry once in a while, but I mostly split it for kindling. Same for hard maple. About the lowest I care to go on the BTU scale is red oak, but I've always been able to be picky..


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## mn woodcutter (Dec 17, 2014)

In my pile I like hard maple, red elm, bur oak, and ash in that order.


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## park_guy (Dec 17, 2014)

We snag any dead standing red elm we can find...the best size is the unsplit log that just fits inside the stove door. Lasts most of the night if you put it in before going to bed!


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## El Quachito (Dec 18, 2014)

My favorite all around wood is Old Growth Douglas fir. Others may burn hotter or leave more coals but OG fir is my favorite, with an emphasis on all around.


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## CTYank (Dec 18, 2014)

Down here in the CT panhandle, pick of the litter, no questions, is shagbark hickory. That's followed closely by apple, sugar maple, black locust, beech, white ash, and on. They all have their particular strengths, but hickory has no deficiencies IMO. Been working on some for next heating season. 

Oops, forgot red oak, sorry. Slot that in around 5th or 6th. Still excellent, once dry after 3 yrs.


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## longbowch (Dec 19, 2014)

I vote black locust. Straight, not many limbs, splits easy, and burns hot!


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## olyman (Dec 19, 2014)

ill fight the thorns of locust around here.. thats like burning anthracite coal,, or better.............


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## Dascro (Dec 19, 2014)

Lots of Cherry around here so that is what I burn most. And I like it. We also have hickory which is what I've been burning this year. Not as easy to split and dry as Cherry, but man does it throw the heat!!!


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## benp (Dec 19, 2014)

Hedgerow said:


> Mine too... I got 2/3 cord of sugar Maple squirreled away in the back of the machine shed that's been split and stacked for over 2 years now...:msp_sneaky:
> The bugs don't seem to bother it... It's my private stash... everything else will be sold by December...


LOL - 

I understand your reply is old Hedge, but are you kidding me? 

You have umpteen amounts of hedge apple that I would kill for and you are worried about secret squirreling away sugar maple?

I have discussed ad nauseum with the neighbor the ramifications of me swinging through your neck of the woods with a gooseneck on my way home from my parents trip to Kentucky. 

Yeah it's not pretty if I got caught. Even with the dog driving....and he's a good driver. 

I drool everytime you show those barns filled of the mustard colored wonderment. 

The best that I have available to me is red/white oak and sugar maple. And that is sparse.


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## Hedgerow (Dec 19, 2014)

benp said:


> LOL -
> 
> I understand your reply is old Hedge, but are you kidding me?
> 
> ...


There are a couple trees I just don't have here.. 
Sugar maple and Hickory...
I would trade Hedge for those every chance I get... 
A. I like to BBQ..
B. They don't fill my stove up with klinkers...
It's a "I like what I don't have" thing...
I'll be cutting "yellow wood" tomorrow if ya wanna swing by and pick some up...
Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!


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## Hedgerow (Dec 19, 2014)

CTYank said:


> Down here in the CT panhandle, pick of the litter, no questions, is shagbark hickory. That's followed closely by apple, sugar maple, black locust, beech, white ash, and on. They all have their particular strengths, but hickory has no deficiencies IMO. Been working on some for next heating season.
> 
> Oops, forgot red oak, sorry. Slot that in around 5th or 6th. Still excellent, once dry after 3 yrs.


Love Hickory...
One drawback here..
Damn locust borers love the stuff..
Them sonsubitches will reduce a stack of Hickory to powder in 5 years..
Gotta use it year #2 or 3..
Or spray em'...


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## benp (Dec 19, 2014)

Hedgerow said:


> There are a couple trees I just don't have here..
> Sugar maple and Hickory...
> I would trade Hedge for those every chance I get...
> A. I like to BBQ..
> ...



Sugar Maple is klinker king. 

You're killing me smalls. 

I kinda understand the BBQ deal but you have the best of what there is is. There is no argument. You win. 

"I have 10 cords of red oak"

"I have 7 of Hedge Apple." 

Now the kicker here is if said arguer actually comprehends what Hedge Apple is. 

The conversation should end in the red oak guy going...."Oh"

I would get crucified if caught bring non native species non kiln dried wood here. Dog isn't even going to talk his way out of that one.


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## coog (Dec 19, 2014)

My wife can always tell when it's a Hedge or Mulberry day, as I come home yellow. These days are mixed with Black Walnut days, which turn my sweatshirt black. My Hedge stash is now about 8-10 years, as we have moved into a well insulated house and it is total overkill for Kansas. I still cut like I live in MN; too much wood is like too much money in the bank.


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## Hedgerow (Dec 19, 2014)

benp said:


> Sugar Maple is klinker king.
> 
> You're killing me smalls.
> 
> ...


Would it help to know I deliver 15 cord a year to 1 fellow just south of me?
He swears hedge is the only thing that holds coals in his leaky ass OWB...
He burns year round..


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## Hedgerow (Dec 19, 2014)

coog said:


> My wife can always tell when it's a Hedge or Mulberry day, as I come home yellow. These days are mixed with Black Walnut days, which turn my sweatshirt black. My Hedge stash is now about 8-10 years, as we have moved into a well insulated house and it is total overkill for Kansas. I still cut like I live in MN; too much wood is like too much money in the bank.


Have you ever eaten mulberries??
They look like a black berry, but don't taste like em!!!


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## benp (Dec 19, 2014)

Hedgerow said:


> Would it help to know I deliver 15 cord a year to 1 fellow just south of me?
> He swears hedge is the only thing that holds coals in his leaky ass OWB...
> He burns year round..




What's your delivery radius? Lodging, liquor, and food is provided upon safe, uneventful arrival.

Theoretically, it's a darn near straight shot north. But time wise is not kind.


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## Hedgerow (Dec 19, 2014)

benp said:


> What's your delivery radius? Lodging, liquor, and food is provided upon safe, uneventful arrival.
> 
> Theoretically, it's a darn near straight shot north. But time wise is not kind.


2.5 cords per load... 
Always wondered what it would be like to drive the 6500 north of the cities...
We up to Grantsburg every year any way..
Ha!!


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## coog (Dec 19, 2014)

Hedgerow said:


> Have you ever eaten mulberries??
> They look like a black berry, but don't taste like em!!!


I have, by the bucketful. I really don't know the difference between the red and white varieties, but what I've eaten are great. I only cut them standing dead. Great firewood.


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## coog (Dec 19, 2014)

benp said:


> What's your delivery radius? Lodging, liquor, and food is provided upon safe, uneventful arrival.
> 
> Theoretically, it's a darn near straight shot north. But time wise is not kind.


I still have a home in MN, in the St Croix valley. I don't see any reason Hedge wouldn't thrive there. Maybe I'll bring a load of hedge apples for you.


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## Hedgerow (Dec 19, 2014)

coog said:


> I still have a home in MN, in the St Croix valley. I don't see any reason Hedge wouldn't thrive there. Maybe I'll bring a load of hedge apples for you.


Hedge likes to move sap in February...
May not work so well in MN...


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## coog (Dec 19, 2014)

Ah, good point. Nothing much moving up there at that time.


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## olyman (Dec 20, 2014)

Hedgerow said:


> Hedge likes to move sap in February...
> May not work so well in MN...


yup!! when you drive north, up I35, you can nearly draw a line, where they stop growing...


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## Farmertim (Dec 20, 2014)

I am always surprised when I read threads like this that there isn't more votes for sugar maple. Best all around tree and wood around here in my opinion. Aside from maple we like ash and cherry, but burn anything that's seasoned that comes from cleanup around the farm and in the woods. I don't seem to have any trouble having coals in the morning when I burn ash. All wood is good wood to me when it is seasoned. For us it comes right off our property here, so we don't turn our noses up at anything.


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## coog (Dec 20, 2014)

olyman said:


> yup!! when you drive north, up I35, you can nearly draw a line, where they stop growing...


Still, they may adapt. We have trees growing in Wichita that are well North of their native habitats. Hedge would certainly make -40° a whole lot more bearable
Farmertim: I also love Sugar Maple. Can't get it here, but can in MN. Always burns with a little sadness, as it means a little less sap for the pot.


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## ChuckMI (Dec 20, 2014)

chainsawaddict said:


> To be honest, I didnt know elm was so hard to split until everyone told me:censored:


Siberian Elm, which is the most common elm because it is resistant to Dutch Elm Disease, isn't hard to split. American Elm, rarely seen in large sizes because it was killed by Dutch Elm Disease, can be torn apart but doesn't really split. I haven't done enough Rock Elm or Slippery Elm to know about those.


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## troylee (Dec 20, 2014)

I didn't see anyone mention Walnut. I burn some Ash, but mainly Walnut. Got over 200 ft of it down on the ground at the timber, and it will be the bulk of the wood I sell next year.


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## Chris-PA (Dec 20, 2014)

My favorite firewood from an all-around point of view (splitting, seasoning, stacking as well as burning) is white ash. I certainly like others too, but ash wins for me. I guess I'll need to pick another pretty soon though.


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## olyman (Dec 20, 2014)

troylee said:


> I didn't see anyone mention Walnut. I burn some Ash, but mainly Walnut. Got over 200 ft of it down on the ground at the timber, and it will be the bulk of the wood I sell next year.


 aint no way...for each lb of walnut you burn,, you get two pounds of ash....................refuse to take it anymore


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## coog (Dec 20, 2014)

olyman said:


> aint no way...for each lb of walnut you burn,, you get two pounds of ash....................refuse to take it anymore


Burning some right now. Standing dead stuff, no bark, little ash. I think you need to get the bark off and dry it a couple years. I like it a lot.


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## troylee (Dec 20, 2014)

Sure is pretty in the fireplace though.


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## Wood Doctor (Dec 20, 2014)

troylee said:


> I didn't see anyone mention Walnut. I burn some Ash, but mainly Walnut. Got over 200 ft of it down on the ground at the timber, and it will be the bulk of the wood I sell next year.


I mentioned walnut, but you failed to scroll back far enough. Mulberry burns hotter but throws sparks. Oak takes forever to dry. Ash is still #1 most of the time, but now and then you run into ash that has a spiral grain and very difficult to split. Ash dries fast, but knots are usually everywhere. Hard maple may be the best that there is, but it's rare around here and tough to split green. Locust and walnut may be the best of all. Either can be split green and have a good heat content. But, walnut makes good furniture.

Let's put it this way. If I had a thousand acres that I could devote to fuel wood, I'd plant locust trees, the thornless variety. The tree grows fast and is disease free. In 25 years I wager that I would produce more BTUs per acre than any other species that could be used for firewood.


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## troylee (Dec 20, 2014)

I stand corrected, I just skimmed over 10 pages


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## Chris-PA (Dec 20, 2014)

troylee said:


> I didn't see anyone mention Walnut. I burn some Ash, but mainly Walnut. Got over 200 ft of it down on the ground at the timber, and it will be the bulk of the wood I sell next year.


I love the way walnut smells when it burns. I tend to cut it up short for the little stove upstairs. I have a lot of walnut trees, but they are strong and don't come down much. Unlike the oaks which have weak roots and the ashes that are dying from ash yellows, both of which fall all the time.


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## troylee (Dec 20, 2014)

I get anything that falls on my buddies 40 acres of timber, and it is a lot of walnut


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## Perry pioneer (Dec 21, 2014)

Maple ,oak,cherry,eucalyptus, orange,walnut these are all great,but don't ever try pepper tree it'll kick you out of your house!


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## Wood Doctor (Dec 21, 2014)

Perry pioneer said:


> Maple ,oak,cherry,eucalyptus, orange,walnut these are all great,but don't ever try pepper tree it'll kick you out of your house!


Maple made it to the top of your list? Hard maple I suppose. And, it's hard to find it because it grows slowly. The annular rings are usually tight and very close together. I suspect that you have no locust trees now growing in Michigan? Seems hard to believe.


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## Hedgerow (Dec 21, 2014)

Wood Doctor said:


> Maple made it to the top of your list? Hard maple I suppose. And, it's hard to find it because it grows slowly. The annular rings are usually tight and very close together. I suspect that you have no locust trees now growing in Michigan? Seems hard to believe.


There are black locust trees in MI, but darn few in the UP..
We used them for corner posts like we use hedge trees here.


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## Perry pioneer (Dec 21, 2014)

Woodfavorites post: 5103768 said:


> Maple made it to the top of your list? Hard maple I suppose. And, it's hard to find it because it grows slowly. The annular rings are usually tight and very close together. I suspect that you have no locust trees now growing in Michigan? Seems hard to believe.


No order of favorits these are all good except peperits like burning pepper spray orange wood grows real slow too burns real hot they cut them all down in cal. For houses in the 60s,70s and 80s cal. Used to be the orange capital of the world. I'd like to try locust.


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## DFK (Dec 22, 2014)

I cut very few living trees for firewood.

Most of what we burn is Red Oak.
We have more that 100 acres of woods to cut out of.
Red Oaks can always be found dead. Most of the time still standing.
Red Oak Splits well, and, once dry, burns well.
White Oak is my #2 fire wood. A bit more difficult to split, than Red Oak, but not bad.

I will pass on large, knotty, twisted Hickory. It is just too much work to split.
Smaller, Dead Hickory is different. It is better firewood that Oak.
We cut very little Gum or Elm. Those that we do cut do not need to be split
in order to be used.

We are blessed. Burning about three cords a year....
There is more firewood here than we could burn in 10 lifetimes.
And all of it is two miles or less from our home.

David


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## Wood Doctor (Dec 22, 2014)

DFK said:


> I cut very few living trees for firewood.
> 
> Most of what we burn is Red Oak.
> We have more that 100 acres of woods to cut out of.
> ...


I may have to move to Alabama. But, the winters there are very warm compared to here. So, I harvest oak elm, ash, locust, mulberry, hackberry, and gasp! -- eastern cottonwood.

When I really need a quick, hot fire, I burn eastern cottonwood. Then I mix in whatever burns slowly. The combination of cottonwood with anything else will produce a fire that burns hotter than anything else.


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## Deleted member 83629 (Dec 23, 2014)

free.


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## Hedgerow (Dec 23, 2014)

jakewells said:


> free.


And dry...
And in my barn...


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## Deleted member 83629 (Dec 23, 2014)

on my porch not you're barn get it right man haha.


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## Hedgerow (Dec 23, 2014)

OK.. I'll be over with the truck to get some shortly..



Hope you got a big porch.


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## benp (Dec 23, 2014)

Hedgerow said:


> OK.. I'll be over with the truck to get some shortly..
> View attachment 388882
> 
> 
> Hope you got a big porch.



I am pretty certain if that load right there showed up in my yard, I would be laying on top of that pile of Hedge Apple doing this imitation to the best of my ability.


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## Hedgerow (Dec 23, 2014)




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## taskswap (Dec 23, 2014)

I like oak, red or white. Or maple. I really like black cherry, too, although it splits kinda weird. Oh, and elm. Definitely elm, as long as you have a splitter because it's so stringy. And sycamore. I like that. Or pine, for the shoulder season or just starting a new fire. I like ash, too. Oh, and birch and locust, when I can get them.

If it splits, stacks, and lights, I burn it. If it's free, I burn every twig. If it's got beetles, I burn them, too.


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## Wood Doctor (Dec 23, 2014)

taskswap said:


> I like oak, red or white. Or maple. I really like black cherry, too, although it splits kinda weird. Oh, and elm. Definitely elm, as long as you have a splitter because it's so stringy. And sycamore. I like that. Or pine, for the shoulder season or just starting a new fire. I like ash, too. Oh, and birch and locust, when I can get them.
> 
> If it splits, stacks, and lights, I burn it. If it's free, I burn every twig. If it's got beetles, I burn them, too.


Another "stringy elm complaint." Solution is simple. Cut into rounds and then wait until the bark falls off and the ends start to check up. Takes about 6 months Whenever I do this, most elm splits easier for me than most white ash. Another big elm shot:




Hmmm... might have been eastern cottonwood. It's been so long that I can't remember. Guess I'm losing it, What says the forum?


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## benp (Dec 23, 2014)

Wood Doctor said:


> Another "stringy elm complaint." Solution is simple. Cut into rounds and then wait until the bark falls off and the ends start to check up. Takes about 6 months Whenever I do this, most elm splits easier for me than most white ash. Another big elm shot:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



No clue. But I thoroughly applaud your use of noodling. That's how you do it.


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## Wood Doctor (Dec 23, 2014)

benp said:


> No clue. But I thoroughly applaud your use of noodling. That's how you do it.


It's either noodlng the big boys in half, quarters, of sixths or they never make it on board the tailgate. I usually work alone and build stairs to flip the heavy chunks up. My back appreciates that.


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## benp (Dec 23, 2014)

Wood Doctor said:


> It's either noodlng the big boys in half, quarters, of sixths or they never make it on board the tailgate. I usually work alone and build stairs to flip the heavy chunks up. My back appreciates that.




Good man.


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