# Is Sycamore decent firewood?



## Longwood (Apr 2, 2008)

Although I always lived in houses with wood heat I have never burned any Sycamore, usually burned Oak, Pine, Popular, Maple, Cedar, Cherry, Locust, etc.
Is Sycamore decent firewood? 
Please tell me it doesn't smell like piss when it burns....
Thanks


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## BlackCatBone (Apr 2, 2008)

It is by no means the best, but it works. It starts off FULL of water and extremely heavy, and ends up pretty light when seasoned. It seems to season very quickly too. It it tougher than hell to split when wet, and leaves lots of ashes. Mid-low btu's. 

That huge round you've got on the back will make a great splitting stump.


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## spacemule (Apr 2, 2008)

I've burned one sycamore tree. It was well seasoned and extremely light. I liked using it as a fires starter, as it would literally start with a match and burn about the speed paper does, only in block form. I didn't make a point to cut it though, because you go through a lot of wood to make heat.


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## sawinredneck (Apr 2, 2008)

If you are familier with Cottonwood, it's about the same without the bark! Nast as hell to split, heavy when green and goes up in a "POOF" when dry!

DO NOT burn that stuff green!!! IT WILL smell like piss!!!

And yes, that big round, if you set wood on that to split, I doubt you will ever have to replace it!!! I hope you have a splitter, or a good chainsaw to quarter those suckers!! I don't envy you.


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## tomtrees58 (Apr 2, 2008)

mix it tom trees


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## dumbhunter (Apr 2, 2008)

yeah i stay away from sycamore and elm as i have to split it by hand, got better things to do that beat on a block all day.


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## Mr. (Apr 2, 2008)

No, but neither is pine or cedar.

Fred


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## rms61moparman (Apr 2, 2008)

*depends on your burner*

I have used it in a wood stove but didn't care much for it except to bank a good fire (when it's still somewhat green) at night. It will hold fire for a long time. With the OWB I have now sycamore is as good as any because when the forced draft blower kicks on it doesn't care what kind of wood is inside it all burns good.
Mike


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## stihl 440 (Apr 2, 2008)

*sycamore*

I've never burn't it.....but my one buddy did and he said when it is seasoned it smells like vanilla when burnt. Longwood, did you use the new 395 on that tree?:greenchainsaw:


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## foxeye (Apr 2, 2008)

I make it a habit of buiring whatever it is that I cut down on my property, and laong the creek I have a lot of huge syc's. I hate the trees with their fruits and the huge leaves which never seemto blow away or rot, so they are always laying around. I use a hyd splitter so splitting is not an issue,but for osme reason itdoes take longer to dry and season than it does oak. I have even had it grow suckers out of cut 22" long sticks I had stacked up under the wood shed.........

I have heard that there is some folks that are highly alergic to it in the form of sawdust / chips and also the smoke from it. A lot of foks around here with fireplaces like to have a few logs of the stuff just to place inthe fireplace unlite so it looks good with those greenish white logs up against the black sooted firebricks.........merely for decorative purposes.


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## ray benson (Apr 2, 2008)

Check at the bottom of the page for a comparison to other woods.
http://zenstoves.net/Wood.htm


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## Longwood (Apr 2, 2008)

stihl 440 said:


> Longwood, did you use the new 395 on that tree?:greenchainsaw:



I didn't get to use the 395 on this tree( Got a couple big Oaks picked out for it though ). This Sycamore was going to the dump so I said I'll take it, I was curious about Sycamore as firewood anyway. 

I split a little of it and the juice runs out of it when the log splitter puts pressure on it. The only wood I've split thats tougher is Sweet Gum.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my question. This coming fall it looks like I'll have plenty of fire starter wood.


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## windthrown (Apr 2, 2008)

BlackCatBone said:


> It is by no means the best, but it works. It starts off FULL of water and extremely heavy, and ends up pretty light when seasoned. It seems to season very quickly too. It it tougher than hell to split when wet, and leaves lots of ashes. Mid-low btu's.
> 
> That huge round you've got on the back will make a great splitting stump.



What he said! 

I burned a half cord of it this year becasue it was free the year before. I had a sycamore tree in the front yard at my house in CA too, and burned it there in one of those, 'More heat goes up the chimney than into your house' useless fireplaces. Useless wood in a useless fireplace... 

Ashes, anyone?


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## Mr. (Apr 2, 2008)

Longwood said:


> I didn't get to use the 395 on this tree( Got a couple big Oaks picked out for it though ). This Sycamore was going to the dump so I said I'll take it, I was curious about Sycamore as firewood anyway.
> 
> I split a little of it and the juice runs out of it when the log splitter puts pressure on it. The only wood I've split thats tougher is Sweet Gum.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who responded to my question. This coming fall it looks like I'll have plenty of fire starter wood.



We compare it sweetgum all the time. 

Fred


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## gunny100 (Jun 8, 2018)

BlackCatBone said:


> It is by no means the best, but it works. It starts off FULL of water and extremely heavy, and ends up pretty light when seasoned. It seems to season very quickly too. It it tougher than hell to split when wet, and leaves lots of ashes. Mid-low btu's.
> 
> That huge round you've got on the back will make a great splitting stump.


my sycomore split fairly easy
i cut the log to size and than i cut the top of the log a few inches deep with my chain saw and i insert a spliting wedge and a few good wacks with the large slege hammer 
splits in to not to hard to split


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