What I like about cutting Willow

[turnkey4099]

Once you have it down, there is LOTS of wood - this one would go over 2 cord if it were good all the way to the butt. I already know the butt is bad.

What I DON'T like about it is all the work. It took me 4 1/2 hours to get the brush cleaned up back that far.

I did have lots of help bucking though:

There must have been over a hundred feasting on that sap. Every cut surface had several and some blocks over a dozen at work. I learned many years ago that those yellow jackets (these look like mud daubers) love willow sap and the don't bother you at all. I have smashed some right in the middle of a bunch with no reaction. Even got a bit careless today, didn't look and had my thumb right on one while loading - no reaction. I was noodling those blocks cutting right down through the bunch, most just left but a few stayed. Rather intimidating though when crawling up into the truck bed to stack with a swarm of them flying around in there. I have only be stung once doing that and that was 20 miles later back in town, made a stop with a load, crawled in the cab, leaned back and trapped one behind me in the seat.

Left with 3/4 load after another 2 hours of work bucking/loading leaving this for the next trip.

A bit over 20" where I quit - butt is around 36".

I need to retrieve my 'instant, portable bridge' (1/2 of my 12' extension ladder and a 1x12 board). there is a deep narrow ditch about halfway down that tree. The bridge is under all that brush on the left somewhere and I hope it isn't damaged. When I fell the tree, it was supposed to go straight down. Instead if rolled toward the bridge. Gonna be fun chopping my way too it and I hope I don' t have to cut the log off of it. Where I stopped cutting it is already showing detioration. I wouldn't mind at all leaving that log there - I don't really care for working stuff that big anymore.

Harry K

 

[zogger]

Willow is some dang heavy stuff fresh cut. I take some here, but not too much, only branches or trees that fall into the pasture. Nothing huge though, but a long time ago I helped this old farmer deal with some whoppers.

 

[split4fun2]

when burning willow I consider it gopher wood. Put a piece on the fire go for another piece.

 

[Festus]

I just got about 4 cord of willow from a friend who was clearing a roadside for a nearby township. There is a little white ash, hickory, and box elder mixed in, but it's mostly willow. I wasn't thrilled about it at first, but it was free and easy to get. He had them cut down, limbed out, and in piles. I just had to park next to them, cut them in pieces we could handle, and throw them on the trailer. He just called me about another clearing job he will be doing that is mostly hickory, oak, and white ash. If I start turning down the lesser woods, he won't call me about the good stuff. Beggars can't be choosers. Besides, the family can use the willow in the fire pit instead of burning up my good stuff, and the willow will be fine to burn in the fall and the early spring.

 

[turnkey4099]

when burning willow I consider it gopher wood. Put a piece on the fire go for another piece.

It isn't that bad. I have to load about 2x as often as I do Locust. Since it is available for free only a few miles from the house, makes up easy, etc. it beats any other type of wood available here in E Washington. Only other choice is a 100 mile roundtrip into the mountains, or buy loads of logs. I heated the house for over 30 years with straight willow.

Harry K

 

[Highbeam]

Lot of rumors and old wive's tales out there about particular species of wood for burning. I have also burned many cords of willow and cottonwood, plus the usual PNW species and in a modern stove, the only real difference is ash production. More ash in willow than in doug fir. Reduced burn time sure but only slightly.

 

[3fordasho]

I'm cutting at a site now that has mostly cottonwood and some willow- normally I wouldn't bother but it's so easy to get to and close...plus the owner is cleaning up all the brush himself. The top half of the first willow was dead and dry - could swear it's as light as balsa wood. I hope it'll work for my firepit customers because that's where it's going.

 

[jwade]

when burning willow I consider it gopher wood. Put a piece on the fire go for another piece.

welcome to the forum split 4 fun . lotta stuff to pick up here

 

[turnkey4099]

I'm cutting at a site now that has mostly cottonwood and some willow- normally I wouldn't bother but it's so easy to get to and close...plus the owner is cleaning up all the brush himself. The top half of the first willow was dead and dry - could swear it's as light as balsa wood. I hope it'll work for my firepit customers because that's where it's going.

I don't bother with the already dead stuff. It is already pretty well deteriorated.
"as light as balsa" pretty well describes it. Willow cut green and allowed to dry is a whole nother critter - it doesn't dry down to that "balsa" level.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Lot of rumors and old wive's tales out there about particular species of wood for burning. I have also burned many cords of willow and cottonwood, plus the usual PNW species and in a modern stove, the only real difference is ash production. More ash in willow than in doug fir. Reduced burn time sure but only slightly.

Yep and in most cases the people passing the old wives tale on have never used, nor known anyone who did, the species in question.

Harry K

 

[JeffHK454]

The best part about cutting Willow is knowing I won't have to load it..because I know that crap ain't coming home with me!

 

[turnkey4099]

The best part about cutting Willow is knowing I won't have to load it..because I know that crap ain't coming home with me!

Bet you would if you lived out here!!

Harry K

 

[JeffHK454]

[QUOTi"turnkey4099, post: 4914625, member: 2122"]Bet you would if you lived out here!!

Harry K[/QUOTE]
Yep, I'm sure you're right . Like I've heard people say.." it's better than burning snowballs"!

 

[turnkey4099]

Slow progress today and a disappointment.

2 hours and I had it brushed out to this: Still a wad of brush back there on the right but it won't take long to cut that..

Cut that bad end off the log to discover the log was good past that. I was hoping it would be bad and I could leave it.

Retrieved the bridge undamaged which was a surprise. That stub was a good sized branch right on the bridge under considerable compression force. I was expecting at least a bend rail.

1 more hour and I had it cut back to the edge of the ditch. 8 rounds noodled in half and ready to load in the morning - probably will have to quarter them though, might do that with wedge/sledge - faster than noodling.

Last cut is right on the near edge of the ditch. I'll have to chain an put it under tension then cut a three round section. Hope I can pull that over the ditch. I do NOT want it in the ditch. That would plut it up and cause major problems. Unfortunately I haven't come up with a 'what if' plan to get it out of there if it happens.

About 20' of log left but it should go bad somewhere down there.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Finished it today...rather I quit on it. Cut a 2 round section from the log, pulled it over the ditch and then discovered that the ditch turned and almost paralleled the log for about 5ft. No way to cut sections off without them going in the ditch.

Only got about 1 cord from this tree - not much for all the work that went into it.

Harry K

 

[Wood Doctor]

Harry, I decided to revive this thread, primarily because I had about four loads of willow rounds almost handed to me. All I had to do was cut them to length, load, haul, etc. I doubt I would have dropped the trees.

These trees were different--some sort of hybrid--and they seemed tall. The bark was thinner than willow and looked more like basswood, but the leaf was skinny and stranded like willow leaves. I was just wondering if anyone here ever heard of a hybrid willow tree and what they usually cross it with. Looks like it will split OK.

 

[turnkey4099]

when burning willow I consider it gopher wood. Put a piece on the fire go for another piece.

Or load on a good size chunk and put another one on 30-40 minutes later.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Harry, I decided to revive this thread, primarily because I had about four loads of willow rounds almost handed to me. All I had to do was cut them to length, load, haul, etc. I doubt I would have dropped the trees.

These trees were different--some sort of hybrid--and they seemed tall. The bark was thinner than willow and looked more like basswood, but the leaf was skinny and stranded like willow leaves. I was just wondering if anyone here ever heard of a hybrid willow tree and what they usually cross it with. Looks like it will split OK.

I do know there are various species of Willow. Haven't heard of a hybrid.

Went out today to fall another big one. Project is to clear-cut a row of big old willow along a stream. Farmer wants them out of there. Was a bit leery of the tree but warmed up the saw (ms441 with 32" bar). Shut down to eyball cuts, pick up saw and fire it up. My pants fell down! Old, old belt and the buckle end just broke off. Back to the house for the rest of the day...maybe tomorrow.

Harry K

 

[GVS]

It isn't that bad. I have to load about 2x as often as I do Locust. Since it is available for free only a few miles from the house, makes up easy, etc. it beats any other type of wood available here in E Washington. Only other choice is a 100 mile roundtrip into the mountains, or buy loads of logs. I heated the house for over 30 years with straight willow.

Harry K

I'm not a wood snob.I,like you ,burn whats available to me.

 

[turnkey4099]

I'm not a wood snob.I,like you ,burn whats available to me.

And the wood snobs would be landing on Willow, spruce and anything else resembling wood in a flash were they to move out in this type of country. There is more wood burned of the "trash" variety in the world than there is of the good hardwood stuff.

Harry K