What is your BIG 3 in firewood?

[ReggieT]

I've had the opportunity to burn a ton of different firewood, some excellent-some not so great!
Over the years I've developed a fondness for 3 species: Osage Orange, White Ash, Shagbark Hickory.

If you had only 3 woods to burn until you left planet earth...WHAT WOULD BE YOUR "BIG THREE?"

Also is there any wood you LOVED, but can no longer access or any wood you just flat out...HATED?? LOL

Look forward to the feedback,
Reggie
PS...Included is a pic of some huge hedge & ash bottoms I've reduced to firewood...loved every BTU!

 

[haveawoody]

Love List
#1 Buckthorn 35 mbtu
#2 Rock Elm 32 mbtu
#3 Apple/Pear/Plum 29 mbtu

Osage at 32.5 mbtu would be #3 but have only ever burnt a small amount of it, like Black locust a tough wood to get burning in anything less than a very hot fire.

Hate list.
#1 Buckthorn (the nasty thorn master with small wood returns).
#2 Box elder (makes me itchy, burns bad, smells bad)
#3 Chinese Elm (irritates skin, lungs and anything the sap gets on)

 

[c5rulz]

Red oak, White oak, Hickory.... We've got great hardwoods here.

 

[Cheesecutter]

Based on access my 3 heavy hitters are: 1) Red Oak 2) Sugar Maple 3) Shag-bark Hickory. My not so much list: 1) willow 2) box elder 3) cedar. Just as much work for so-so wood. I still cut a few, mainly for the trunk, and leave the rest.

 

[ReggieT]

Based on access my 3 heavy hitters are: 1) Red Oak 2) Sugar Maple 3) Shag-bark Hickory. My not so much list: 1) willow 2) box elder 3) cedar. Just as much work for so-so wood. I still cut a few, mainly for the trunk, and leave the rest.

Hey Cheesecutter, I've got access to a stand of cedar...I know they smell good burning, but how does that cedar do as firewood?

 

[mainewoods]

Red oak - beech - maple. White ash could easily be in the top 3.

 

[Gavman]

I love Douglas Fir, best wood going around here IMO...Cedar is great for kindling and quick hot fires and I pick up mystery wood from the craigslist, roadside and the city tree crews, so that is third..
I have access to about 18 huge big leaf maple trees on the property next to mine and have taken 4 dead standing ones home so far, don't think I will bother with the rest though as they burn too quick, don't make coals.... Glad I tried the dead standing before I commited to the rest though, too much work for the benefits....

 

[pennsywoodburnr]

Love- Red Maple, White oak, Black locust (when I can get my hands on it)
Hate? I don't really hate so much as "dislike". But I don't have unlimited access to whatever species I want, so it's a take-what-I-can-get mentality.

 

[Squintacular]

Red Oak makes me smile from when I cut it, all they way until it is time to burn it!

 

[stumpy75]

Ash, oak, hickory. I'd be really happy with a woodshed full of those!

 

[Herd8497]

Ash, oak, hickory. I'd be really happy with a woodshed full of those!

I burn the same 3, but I have 3 cord of honey locust that will be ready next year. I am excited about that

 

[DavidBrown1212]

Shagbark, Mockernut, White Oak. Too much of a good thing tonight. Had to open a window.

 

[rms61moparman]

Ash is my absolute favorite, then the list gets quite tangled.
I find different woods and different stages to have different uses.
Dry pine or cedar is quite handy to have on hand to resuscitate a fire that is about gone.
Sassafras is great when really dry to get a hot fire quick.
The oaks, hedge, the hickories are good for holding a fire for a long time. I also like Sycamore when still a little green to hold a fire. It seems to hold coals though not the hottest coals, for a LONG time.
I like hackberry very well as a general purpose wood but it seems to have a short shelf life.
Also depends on what you are burning it in.
In a stove inside a house, the fruitwoods and locust are much more prone to popping a burning ember out which I never cared for. In an OWB they move up my list considerably.


Mike

 

[zogger]

I actually like some of the trees around here that aren't real big, but burn great. Wild cherry, dogwood, winged elm and honorable mention, the mystery wood that grows in clumps by the creek.

For trees that get mambo big around here, that I see and cut, I would like ash, any kinda oak, and I like tulip poplar because it is the best shoulder season and morning get the fire back going wood. Teeny side branches and huge perfect beautiful rounds once it is cut up.

Shagbark burns well but too much of a PITA processing it, kills chains around here fast. Just too dang dirty under the bark and you are always taking a chance of the bugs making a mess of it. I take it when it is there and needs taking, but mostly I just leave them be to make hickory nuts for the critters.

 

[AIM]

Elm, Ash, Locust. worst 3 are Box Elder, box elder, and box elder.

 

[tomtrees58]

locust its the best

 

[Cheesecutter]

Hey Cheesecutter, I've got access to a stand of cedar...I know they smell good burning, but how does that cedar do as firewood?

I occasionally take on paying tree removal jobs. With cedar, I only take the trunk. If it's more then 10 miles from home, I leave that too. It throws sparks like crazy. I use cedar mainly for kindling or hot fast fires. It makes excellent shoulder season wood. It burns hot and fast.

 

[bbxlr8]

Ash, oak, hickory. I'd be really happy with a woodshed full of those!

Same - my order is Ash, Hickory then Oak only due to the time factor.
All in abundance here in PA.

 

[Marshy]

Ash, cherry and hard maple. Seems like that's the most available for me last few years. My pile this year was 50% ash 30% cherry and 20% hard maple. Ash will continue to be a large partion of my fuel thanks to the beetles trying to killing them...love splitting it also. If I could chose anything I'd like to have some Black Locust and White Oak.

 

[Big L]

Red Oak
White Oak
Beechwood

in that order, because of availability.
sure wish we had more White Oak, a bit tougher to split but sure burns hot as a motha
Ash was great ... unfortunately its all gone now but a few standing dead in tough spots to harvest ... and falling quickly.