How much??

[chucker]

5.5 cords with the biggest majority of it being butt cuts forks and gnarly crotches' that I could not would not pass on to the paying customers.. so mostly free wood heat. cool temps showing again for another good week yet?

 

[greenskeeper]

4 cords, 100% wood heat, 1500 sq ft house, SEPA

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

I'm guessin' the difference in perception (like many things) is driven by regional differences. The ash I find here is gnarly, knotted, twisted and stringy...

There must be differences. The white ash in PA is generally pretty straight grained, except for the knots where branches intersect the trunk. I can split an 18-24" trunk round with my 4.5# splitting axe with 1-2 swings normally. Bigger stuff doesn't take much more effort. I would rate it similar to white oak, a little harder to split than black locust, and definitely easier than hard maple.

 

[OhioGregg]

I'm guessin' the difference in perception (like many things) is driven by regional differences. The ash I find here is gnarly, knotted, twisted and stringy... it don't split a whole lot better than much of the elm (but, on average, I will say the elm is worse). White Ash is the most common, but we also have Black and Green Ash. For the most part I toss ash on the same stacks with other "medium, mid-range" types such as American Elm, Hackberry, Birch, Cherry, and Walnut. If burned by itself, the ash I find 'round here doesn't last all that long (not as long as American Elm), and the coal bed doesn't last very long at all (no where near as long as American Elm). I can load with American Elm at night and still have a pretty decent coal bed in the morning... but if I load with ash the firebox will be stone-cold-dead in morning. That's why I mix all those mentioned with American Elm... American Elm is, by far, the best of that bunch, which improves the burning characteristics of the "stack" by mixing it in (usually something 'round 60-70% American Elm).

I've tried using ash in the fire pit for cooking... it was a friggin' joke. I usually load the pit and burn it down to a good coal bed for cookin'... the coals from ash "go cool" way too fast for anything but hotdogs or thin steak. If I tried to cook some sort'a potato before tossin' the meat on the coal bed was near gone. And forget about cookin' something like a chicken... unless you like it raw‼

I'm just not impressed with ash... it don't split all that easily, it don't burn all that long, the coal bed ain't all that hot, and it don't season any faster than many of the other "medium, mid-range" types. I know a lot of guy here like it... I see a lot of "raving reviews" here... personally, I don't "get it". Really, 'bout the only thing I see as a "real" positive, is that it's plentiful where the bug has moved in (but the bug ain't here... yet).
*

Before the EAB bug hit this area hard, maybe 6-7 years ago, I didn't really cut a lot of Ash. Just what was available in my woodlots here. Was always a variety of Oaks, white & reds. Sugar Maple, Hickorys, mostly Shagbark, some Beech & Ash.

Since the "bug" hit and was killing off the Ash trees, I pretty much concentrated on them. Get em while they were still good and havn't rotted. Would still cut an occasional Oak, but I bet 90% of what I cut was Ash in the last 6-7 years. So much so I started cutting and selling Ash firewood to several friends & neighbors. Besides what I used and my sisters boyfriend uses, he cuts here too. I would sell around 10 cords to those folks. I had it stacked in the barn, they picked it up, at their leisure. Only charged em $100 a cord. It helped pay for my fuel etc. beer and other essentials..

I can tell you they all loved that Ash!! I do not agree that Ash is super easy splitting though. Some is and some ain't. Just like other trees. Depends on where it grew I think. Tall straight poles in the woods mostly splits easy. But them gnarlier ones that grew close to the edge of the woods could have all kinds of twists and turns in them. Crookeder than a dogs hind leg like they say. Center pith of the tree would start in the middle, go completely to one side, then back to the other. Some of them are no fun..

About the only trees I don't cut for home heating purpose is Silver Maple & Basswood. I know some folks can tolerate Silver Maple, just not me. LOL I have a friend that says it burns better than snowballs in Jan! Maybe so, but I would have to sit next to the furnace and keep feeding it hand over fist. I know I for one will miss the Ash trees, (already do) just small ones left now to cut up mostly. They probably will make a comeback, just not in my lifetime.

Gregg,

 

[Erik B]

My best guess on the amount of wood burned this heating season is about 4-4.5 cords. The opposite of heating degrees days is cooling degrees days and like Whitespider said, but opposite, it is the difference between average temps over 65 degrees.

 

[Jon E]

About 9 cords since September, heating 4300 SF and domestic hot water for five people. Currently burning whatever I can get my hands on, including standing dead and pallet wood, 'cause I'm out of "normal" firewood.

 

[NH Hunter]

Currently at 5 cord, mix of birch, ash, maple and oak. Expect to go through another 3/4 to full cord before mud season's in full swing.

 

[mainewoods]

I guess we must have very straight grained white ash up here, cause it's just about the easiest splittin' wood there is, IMO. Red oak just about falls apart when you look at it, and sugar maple splits darn near as easy as the others do. Of course there is always the odd tree, but they are usually the really big ones. Funny how other parts of the country are so different.

 

[blacklocst]

About 3 plus cords, burned a 1/3 cord Hop Hornbeam this winter and it is my new favorite firewood, burns hot, burns long, coals nicely but not too much, and has a nice flame.

 

[bayard]

6.5-7 cords from oct. 80% locust .hickory,maple,ash,red oak.will stop in early may.

 

[Ironworker]

Six cord mixed hardwoods and still going.

 

[Higgs]

About 3 1/2 cords of ash and red maple. New windows helped a lot.

 

[stihly dan]

Close to 5 cord, another month and a half to go probably end up using 6. Wind is whipping like a mother out there now dropping down to 12*. Have to be care full getting out of the truck so the door doesn't blow off.

 

[johnnylabguy]

I'm at around 5 cords for the winter. Probably a little over actually. Count me in on the good ash group! Mine is straight and easy to split. Seasons easy and throw a big honker split on a tiny bed of coals and the fire is roaring in no time. It doesn't last as long as the oak sure but it lasts a lot longer than softer easy splitting easy seasoning wood.

I have cut some green ash that is nowhere close to white ash for heat.

 

[svk]

I guess we must have very straight grained white ash up here, cause it's just about the easiest splittin' wood there is, IMO. Red oak just about falls apart when you look at it, and sugar maple splits darn near as easy as the others do. Of course there is always the odd tree, but they are usually the really big ones. Funny how other parts of the country are so different.

I think spider is cutting some gnarly field edge trees. All of the black and white ash I've dealt with split like a dream. White takes a little more effort than black but not much. Easiest splitting wood out there except for maybe basswood or cedar. On par with red oak.

 

[Woody912]

Maybe 2 cords, did not bring any wood home this winter due to lack of room. Probably have enough for the next 6-7 years. I'm a hoarder

 

[unclemoustache]

Burned 4 1/2. Have about 3 ready for next year.

 

[WVwoodsman]

I burned about 10 - 12 cords in my owb and I'm still burning. I heat my 2800 sq. ft. house and domestic hot water. My wood shed is almost empty and so it's time to start cutting again.

 

[snide]

3 cords hedge, 100% wood heat, 1500 square feet

 

[pennsywoodburnr]

Hmmm...that's tough to put a number on actual cords. I stack in rows about waist high and split length always varies within those rows. If I had to guess, I'd say around 7, maybe 7 and a half. Some of it was junk wood that went up quick in the fireplace though. I had about a half cord of some poplar and I swear it was like throwing paper on the fire. Once I got into the oak the consumption slowed way down.