big trees are a lot more work.

[LondonNeil]

Bigger wood makes more firewood fast.... If you've got the bigger tools! All our tools and processes have a sweet spot. For me, splitting by axe or maul and with no way to move stuff other than what I can lift, I like 12" to 28" ish diameter, 18-24" probably the sweet spot. That's fine for me.

 

[sirbuildalot]

I think 12-24" wood is ideal size for quick firewood production, while not being too huge to handle.

With that said, I'd prefer wood 24"+ over tiny pecker poles 6" minus anyday. Takes an awful lot of limb wood to get a cord. Bust open some huge rounds and those blocks make nice square pieces that season great with no bark.

 

[bfrazier]

What is the best common firewood out there? Being from PA I've often wondered what the folks that aren't surrounded by hardwoods burn the most of or consider the best available to them.

Could fill our own thread (and probably should!) with the answer, but I'd have to say Pacific Madrone, where one can get it.

Evidently these people don't use firewood for heat.

Big slabs really are this color, but most of the color turns to brown when dried.

It's a pretty wood. Was used to make charcoal in the early days.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

It only takes one photo.
I'm hooking up the trailer and moving to Oregon as we speak...
Leaving all the winter stuff behind.

 

[Cowboy254]

You can learn a lot by staying out of the way and watching. But you cant learn it all till you go hands on and f word some stuff up and then figure out why.

I agree with this but since the last time I did anything resembling woodworking was about 30 years ago at school, I'm stihl at the first stage. But I'm interested.

There's that Aussie humor you guys are famous for. Too funny! Good luck on building that table. I mean help... I mean watching and holding you're mate's beer (and drinking it) while he builds your table!

He has a great set up and he already has the lumber cut and milled from his own trees. Panel beater by trade but really a jack-of-all-trades and a great bloke (patient with gumbies with no skills for construction. Destruction is all I'm currently good for).

 

[Husky Man]

What is the best common firewood out there? Being from PA I've often wondered what the folks that aren't surrounded by hardwoods burn the most of or consider the best available to them.

We don't see much Madrone like bfrazier in my area, for firewood Douglas Fir is King, Hemlock and Tamarack are Great, we see a LITTLE Maple, and even less OAK, most of that is scrounged yard trees. On the Eastern side of the Cascades, Ponderosa and Lodgepole Pines are Very Common, Lodgepole is practically a WEED, and grows damn near as fast. I haven't burned any Ponderosa, but I have gotten some Lodgepole from my Grandparent's, now Mom's property, over near LaPine, Oregon, it really isn't worth the trip to go get it just for the sake of firewood, but I will take the trailer and saws, when going for a Family occasion. The Lodgepole does burn well, smells Nice in a Campfire, and seasons quickly.


Doug

 

[Husky Man]

It only takes one photo.
I'm hooking up the trailer and moving to Oregon as we speak...
Leaving all the winter stuff behind.

We don't get quite the Winters you do, but especially in bfrazier's area the snow was really rough on the trees this year, his area set record single day snowfalls


Doug

 

[James Miller]

Around here everyone burns oak. brought this load of mulberry home today. Most people look past it cause theres so much oak available. I'll take it over oak any day. Pine would get pushed into the woods to rot around here.

 

[Husky Man]

Around here everyone burns oak. View attachment 726629 brought this load of mulberry home today. Most people look past it cause theres so much oak available. I'll take it over oak any day. Pine would get pushed into the woods to rot around here.

What is this "Oak" of which you Speak????

I see more Unicorns sitting on my wood sheds, than Oak in them

I am Jealous of you guys with plentiful Hardwoods around you, Yep D Fir is my Primary wood, and it heats our home almost exclusively, we rarely turn the furnace on, Natural Gas(Other than SELF Produced, which is Plentiful) isn't available in my area, and Forced Air Electric(what the REALTOR considers our homes PRIMARY heat source) is a Real Budget Buster

More Hardwoods would sure be Nice, but we have what we have, and make the best of it.

I will admit though, I sure like processing D Fir and Conifers in general more, Typically Nice straight Trunks, middle of forest trees that are limbless the lower 50-70%, buzz off the limbs that are there, and forget them, roll the rounds to the splitter, and it goes pretty Dayum fast.

I look at some of the pics of trees with limbs going every which way, and the limbs are a large percentage of the wood, and think, NUTTS, There is a time intensive tree to process compared to what I'm used to, you're getting better wood, but working a LOT harder for it, now if we could just get a Oak/D Fir Hybrid with Oak Quality wood in D Fir type tree, and yeah if only I could win the LOTTERY


Doug

 

[bfrazier]

I am Jealous of you guys with plentiful Hardwoods around you. More Hardwoods would sure be Nice, but we have what we have, and make the best of it. I will admit though, I sure like processing D Fir and Conifers in general more. I look at some of the pics of trees with limbs going every which way, and the limbs are a large percentage of the wood, and think, NUTTS!
Doug

And with that observation, Mr. Doug Husky Man brings us full circle on this thread! And I think he's exactly nailed it.

Yes, we like bigger wood out West because it's mostly straight trunk with hardly any limbs, and very little of it is 70 pounds per cubic foot wet. If I was noodling Eucalyptus like Cowboy in Australia or if I had to wrestle 50" oak rounds (and all the limbs) like you guys back East, I'd cry like a baby!

And yes, we had a record snow which tore the hell out of our woods here locally. I have dozens down, broken, topped, or uprooted - 4 days to cut my way off my hill. We were without power for 10 days - so it's nice to have the wood heat when the SHTF - we were cooking on the woodstove too. (And most people would never guess that Oregon has 5 geographic climate areas - we do - so while I speak for my side of the woods, everything Doug says is equally true for his area.)

Best to everybody - what a fun thread.
Bob

Anybody need firewood?????? ;-)

 

[Husky Man]

And with that observation, Mr. Doug Husky Man brings us full circle on this thread! And I think he's exactly nailed it.

Yes, we like bigger wood out West because it's mostly straight trunk with hardly any limbs, and very little of it is 70 pounds per cubic foot wet. If I was noodling Eucalyptus like Cowboy in Australia or if I had to wrestle 50" oak rounds (and all the limbs) like you guys back East, I'd cry like a baby!

And yes, we had a record snow which tore the hell out of our woods here locally. I have dozens down, broken, topped, or uprooted - 4 days to cut my way off my hill. We were without power for 10 days - so it's nice to have the wood heat when the SHTF - we were cooking on the woodstove too. (And most people would never guess that Oregon has 5 geographic climate areas - we do - so while I speak for my side of the woods, everything Doug says is equally true for his area.)

Best to everybody - what a fun thread.
Bob

Anybody need firewood?????? ;-)

Dayum Bob, them Pecker Poles ain't much more than Kindling, a lot of that Blowdown/Knockdown in your area is smaller than I prefer, but man there is so MUCH of it, and so much of it so ACCESSIBLE, that I wish it was close enough to justify the trip.

I guess it also depends on how someone defines LARGE WOOD, I like the 24-32" stuff myself, but when guys are talking about 44"+, I'm thinking Alaskan Mill=Tables, not Firewood

Those 50" rounds someone mentioned, that is getting bigger than I would probably mess with, at least early in the season, come back for that if I Need it, it would be a safe bet, that not many others would be interested in that for firewood, it's not likely going any where, unless I help it leave.


Doug

 

[Husky Man]

Okay, I need to clarify my point of view, I Prefer 28-34" wood WHEN, I am processing wood the way we NORMALLY process, park the trailer as close to the wood as possible, set up the splitter near the trailer, then I buck and roll rounds to the Wife, who actually ENJOYS running the splitter, I buck roll rounds and load splits while she runs the splitter, that system works well for us.

Today was different, I enjoyed getting the saws out, and making some saw dust, BUT some trees came down in the road near our house, and lifting 18" Green D Fir rounds into the back of the pick up, and stacking them inside a canopy SUCKS, I definitely prefer my open top trailer with a ramp gate for hauling wood, but the location just didn't allow for the trailer without being a traffic hazard.

For the guys hauling unsplit rounds in a Pick Up, I understand why you like the smaller wood.

Not the most enjoyable wood cutting experience I have had, but it Stihl felt Good to get some run time on the saws, and will be BTU's for next winter, might get some more tomorrow.


Doug