# Burning Ponderosa Pine?



## MR4WD (Sep 28, 2008)

As far as standing dead goes, I've got choices between Ponderosa Pine or Lodgepole Pine. Of course the biggest lodgepoles run about 14" and the biggest ponderosa's run about 4'. I think it'd be easier to make a few truckloads out of one tree rather than scrounging for a few lodgepoles.

I just wonder how it burns in comparison? I have about 3 cords of lodgepole, but being that it burns so quick I'll definitely need more. Is Ponderosa worth it?

Thanks,
Chad.


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## chainsawaddict (Sep 28, 2008)

MR4WD said:


> As far as standing dead goes, I've got choices between Ponderosa Pine or Lodgepole Pine. Of course the biggest lodgepoles run about 14" and the biggest ponderosa's run about 4'. I think it'd be easier to make a few truckloads out of one tree rather than scrounging for a few lodgepoles.
> 
> I just wonder how it burns in comparison? I have about 3 cords of lodgepole, but being that it burns so quick I'll definitely need more. Is Ponderosa worth it?
> 
> ...



Ponderosa is about 17 million BTU's per cord. I burn it, it burns quick and hot, I really like it to take the chill off in the evening and in the morning. Starting fires with Oak isnt that fun, Pine is great for that. get some flames rolling and throw some good wood on it!


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## turnkey4099 (Sep 28, 2008)

We heated with pine almost exclusively when I was a kid. No lodgepole though. Ponderosa burns nice but of course yu will burn more than you would with "good" wood.

If you have a choice between a 'big' tree and a bunch of 'small' trees, there is less work in making up the small ones - way less splitting and no moving of heavy rounds.

Harry K


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## MR4WD (Sep 28, 2008)

I usually 1/4 anything big with my chainsaw. You waste a bit of wood and fuel, but you can pick up the wood, rather than driving a half mile at a time to scroung some spindly wood out of the forest.

I would IMAGINE that ponderosa and lodgepole should burn and split roughly the same?


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## leon (Sep 28, 2008)

*softwood firewood*



MR4WD said:


> As far as standing dead goes, I've got choices between Ponderosa Pine or Lodgepole Pine. Of course the biggest lodgepoles run about 14" and the biggest ponderosa's run about 4'. I think it'd be easier to make a few truckloads out of one tree rather than scrounging for a few lodgepoles.
> 
> I just wonder how it burns in comparison? I have about 3 cords of lodgepole, but being that it burns so quick I'll definitely need more. Is Ponderosa worth it?
> 
> ...



There is nothing wrong with burning soft wood, I burned hemlock and did it for years untill I lost my source of slabwood. Soft woods burn hot and very hard with a good draft and create a lot of BTU output.

Making sure the creosote is removed is number one of course- my chimney is exposed so the temp varies and it drops off the flue liner. 

As long as you have the timber cut it safely of course. a ripping chain will speed it up a lot but it will kick back much more easily also.

I have a thought-do you know anyone that has a band or chain saw mill? I ask as it would be very easy to cut the logs into quarters or thick slabs for the fire.

Doing this will make the wood easier to stack too.

leon opcorn:


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## MR4WD (Sep 28, 2008)

thanks for the quick replies; I have a 359, 372 and 385. On the bigger 2 saws I run a full skip chisel. On the little 359 I just run a full comp (all 73lg) 

The 385 will effectively rip any big rounds down to a size I can handle. I was just wondering if Ponderosa's any good? I've got about a cord of hardwood (birch) and there's a lot more big hardwood to be got (cotton and poplar) but experience says it's easier to scrounge for bigger softwood than get either of those hardwoods. They're mostly smelly and punky woods. 

I've got the market cornered on cedar, but I can go through a face cord of that in a cold week, so for my fuel mileage, is Ponderosa any good, or is it like a cedar that seems to dissapear up the chimney without much heat?


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## AOD (Sep 28, 2008)

Some Old Farmer said:


> If it melts, it burns



+1


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## Dok (Sep 29, 2008)

My neighbor swears by lodgepole pine and burns is exclusively. I burn some Ponderosa but mostly oak. To answer, either is fine, cut them both!
Dok


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## superfire (Sep 29, 2008)

*pondo*

pondo burns good and is easy to split. it is a better choice then the lodge pole.
:greenchainsaw:


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## bigbadbob (Sep 29, 2008)

Chad 
FWIW if you are cutting that local beetle killed pine watch your chain for oil.
I cut some up and noticed the wood to be a bit punky and the sawdust plugs up the bar and then no oil to the chain.


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## mga (Sep 29, 2008)

i ain't proud.....i burn pine along with other woods.

i look at it this way: burning pine got a bad name because people wanted to charge more for "hardwood".

last year i must have burned two cords of pine and i can still see the red color of my clay tile flue.


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## Austin1 (Sep 29, 2008)

MR4WD said:


> thanks for the quick replies; I have a 359, 372 and 385. On the bigger 2 saws I run a full skip chisel. On the little 359 I just run a full comp (all 73lg)
> 
> The 385 will effectively rip any big rounds down to a size I can handle. I was just wondering if Ponderosa's any good? I've got about a cord of hardwood (birch) and there's a lot more big hardwood to be got (cotton and poplar) but experience says it's easier to scrounge for bigger softwood than get either of those hardwoods. They're mostly smelly and punky woods.
> 
> I've got the market cornered on cedar, but I can go through a face cord of that in a cold week, so for my fuel mileage, is Ponderosa any good, or is it like a cedar that seems to dissapear up the chimney without much heat?


I will take Pine over Poplar any time the Pine leave less ash and seems to put out more heat. I burn mostly Lodge Poll Pine to be honest I find it as good as Birch I know the Birch in BC is different than here so it might be better?
But I do like cutting Big Poplars they are the Biggest trees around here


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## chainsawaddict (Sep 29, 2008)

Austin1 said:


> I will take Pine over Poplar any time the Pine leave less ash and seems to put out more heat. I burn mostly Lodge Poll Pine to be honest I find it as good as Birch I know the Birch in BC is different than here so it might be better?
> But I do like cutting Big Poplars they are the Biggest trees around here



A lot of people have something against pine. Im not sure why. It is what it is, a quick hot fire that doesnt leave much ash. I like it.


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## StihltheOne (Sep 30, 2008)

We burn almost all pine around here. Except for cottonwood and a few "town trees" oh yeah, I forgot about the Russian olive, thats it. Pine is the wood of choice here, brings $150-200 per cord split/del. I wish we had hardwoods, but the fact is, you learn your stove, your wood, and what it takes to keep everything happy, or you pay the gas man. I would imagine that all of us poking around in AS have very safe practices with our stoves, and could prabably burn asphalt off of the highway and make it work in a pinch.


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## smokechase II (Sep 30, 2008)

*disagree*

*"pondo burns good and is easy to split. it is a better choice then the lodge pole."*

Lodgepole is much better than Pondo as a firewood.
It is more dense.
Neither is a good firewood.


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## turnkey4099 (Sep 30, 2008)

smokechase II said:


> *"pondo burns good and is easy to split. it is a better choice then the lodge pole."*
> 
> Lodgepole is much better than Pondo as a firewood.
> It is more dense.
> Neither is a good firewood.



Good is relative. Pono, lodge, fir, spruce is all "good" firewood when that is what is available. In most of the US (area wise), 'good', i.e., hardwood, is not available.

Harry K


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## redprospector (Sep 30, 2008)

We don't have any lodge pole around here, but lots of p-pine. My favorite is Doug Fir. 
Here is an easy way to determine "good" firewood. If it's cold outside, and a wood burns and keeps you from being cold inside.............it's "good" firewood.

Andy


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## ShoerFast (Oct 1, 2008)

Ponderosia Pine (yellow pine) is a fun wood to fill a truck with, hand splitting is easy, comparatively. 

Lodgepole Pine is more dense and burns a little hotter, last slightly longer. 

Interesting point, some Outfitter Insurance companies will only guaranty or grant insurance claims if wall tents ridgepoles* are made from LP Pine. Nothing else in the Rockies is as strong. (hence the name) 

*Wall tent ridgepoles will collapse under snow loads sometime.


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## clearance (Oct 1, 2008)

redprospector said:


> We don't have any lodge pole around here, but lots of p-pine. My favorite is Doug Fir.
> Here is an easy way to determine "good" firewood. If it's cold outside, and a wood burns and keeps you from being cold inside.............it's "good" firewood.
> 
> Andy



There you go, simple and true. Good one.


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## ShoerFast (Oct 1, 2008)

redprospector said:


> We don't have any lodge pole around here, but lots of p-pine. My favorite is *Doug Fir*.
> Here is an easy way to determine "good" firewood. If it's cold outside, and a wood burns and keeps you from being cold inside.............it's "good" firewood.
> 
> Andy



Hard to beat Douglas Fir for heat if your burning soft wood, I would put it near the same heat as some Elms it seems.


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## Austin1 (Oct 1, 2008)

chainsawaddict said:


> A lot of people have something against pine. Im not sure why. It is what it is, a quick hot fire that doesnt leave much ash. I like it.


+1 I like pine but then the other choices are limited Fir is better but nothing really close to me, Plus it smells so good when splitting it. My shop and home are heated with pine.


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## Austin1 (Oct 1, 2008)

ShoerFast said:


> Ponderosia Pine (yellow pine) is a fun wood to fill a truck with, hand splitting is easy, comparatively.
> 
> Lodgepole Pine is more dense and burns a little hotter, last slightly longer.
> 
> ...


Plus it is nice and straight with few limbs. Year ago I worked for a outfitter as a guide for Sheep, Are camp was wall tents with the traditional air tight stove made from thin metal.We had some Australians and they were thinking they were going to freeze to death the first night lol They ended up sleeping on top of their sleeping bags as it was too warm.


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## ShoerFast (Oct 1, 2008)

Austin1 said:


> Plus it is nice and straight with few limbs. Year ago I worked for a outfitter as a guide for Sheep, Are camp was wall tents with the traditional air tight stove made from thin metal.We had some Australians and they were thinking they were going to freeze to death the first night lol They ended up sleeping on top of their sleeping bags as it was too warm.



Could life get better? 

Just another point about LP Pine. Cut to length and no need to split, seems to have a more even burn with rounds burning in from the bark in. 

As opposed to the need to burn Yellow Pine as split, it has a slight tendency to flare up if you don't have a lot of air control.


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## Austin1 (Oct 1, 2008)

ShoerFast said:


> Could life get better?
> 
> Just another point about LP Pine. Cut to length and no need to split, seems to have a more even burn with rounds burning in from the bark in.
> 
> As opposed to the need to burn Yellow Pine as split, it has a slight tendency to flare up if you don't have a lot of air control.


I am sitting in the house but can smell the horses and taste that Sheep or Elk tenderloin now!


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## ShoerFast (Oct 1, 2008)

Austin1 said:


> I am sitting in the house but can smell the horses and taste that Sheep or Elk tenderloin now!



 

I can use that word and fit it into a sentence that fits the thread!

Taking elk tenderloin , or deer moose or sheep what have you. 

Cutting them to 1 1/2" - 2" stakes, peppering them, season with garlic, crushed red-pepper or what have you. 

Placing them up right on a block of Lodgepole or Yellow Pine, or what have you. 

With another block of firewood, smack down on the tenderloin stake, one good smack should flatten it out to about twice its diameter. 

With a good hot fry-pan over a fire of (???) '_what have you_' smoking hot butter seasoned with '_what have you_' . If the butter is so hot, they flip them selves when first tossed in, it's about right! Sizzle the flattened loin-stakes just so on each side. 

Blackened on the outside, red/pink on the inside, and dose life get better?


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## synness4 (Oct 1, 2008)

I live in montana no high fulutin' hardwood here fur, lodgepole, and ponderosa I like fur the best but in south west mt our forests are being desemated by pinebetles so lodgepole is my choice if ponderosa doesnt dry rite its punky :greenchainsaw: :greenchainsaw:


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