Willow for firewood

[flashhole]

How is willow for firewood? Good Fair Poor? How does it compare to oak or maple? One of the neighbors lost a huge willow to a storm yesterday. It will have to be removed and I was curious about its suitability for use in a fireplace.

 

[Arbonaut]

It's good for makin' a switch to get your butt beat. If there's anything good about that.

For firewood it is about like paper. Nothing wrong with it, though.

 

[Ductape]

I've never burned any personally, so take this for what its worth.

I know people who've tried it as firewood, and they say it has alot of moisture. Generally by the time it is dry enough to burn, it's rotting.

That being said, I might give it a try myself. If it turns out to be crappy firewood, lesson learned.

 

[computeruser]

What are you burning it in - OWB, wood stove, fireplace? It is wood and it burns, but I find it dries poorly (going straight from wet to punky) more often than not.

 

[Mac88]

It's pretty low on the BTU scale, a little better than cedar and fir. It'll burn pretty quick if it's dry. IMHO, if it's free, burn it.

 

[brenndatomu]

Ever seen gunpowder burn?...It'll burn a little longer than that :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Mac88]

Ever seen gunpowder burn?...It'll burn a little longer than that :hmm3grin2orange:

You never heated with gunpowder? It's a real blast. ;o)

 

[brenndatomu]

You never heated with gunpowder? It's a real blast. ;o)

Nah, 'round here we use tannerite!:after_boom::hmm3grin2orange: OH, and side benefit......keeps yur chimney cleaned out real good!

 

[Encore]

like the other guys said, it's nowhere near the oak you are used to using.

doesn't stay dry for super long before getting punky. But if you have an OWB it's fine.

 

[Mac88]

Nah, 'round here we use tannerite!:after_boom::hmm3grin2orange: OH, and side benefit......keeps yur chimney cleaned out real good!

That must be the stuff they use on those gun shows to make the cool explosions when they're shooting up an old car. It's probably illegal where I live.

 

[turnkey4099]

there is willow and then there is willow. What we hve out here makes "fair" firewood, does not go "punky" quickly, doesn not "burn like paper", etc. My bet is most of the replies here were from people who have never burned any.

I heated my house with pure Willow for over 30 years, burned the last of it last winter - was in the stack for over 4 years and still as solid as the day I split it, the only detirioration was on chunks directly on the ground and only a thin layer ever there.

It will keep a fire overnight as coals un the underside of a partially burned log.

Compared with Oak it is poor, compared with cedar it is good.

Bottom line like someone else said "It's wood, it burns, it's free" What's not to like?

Harry K

 

[CTYank]

Since the OP says it's for a fireplace, the bad news would be the foul smell for folks downwind (and creosote) if it's not properly dried.
The good news (in a fireplace) would be the LOW heat output, thus reducing chimney flow rate, and corresponding heating of makeup air.
IIRC willow charcoal was preferred for making black powder. Anyone know why?

 

[flashhole]

Thanks for the inputs. If I get any it will be cut and put away for 2 years so it will be nice and dry when it comes time to burn. Interesting comment about the foul smell.

 

[sbhooper]

If it is in my way, I will cut it and burn it, but I would not go out of my way to get it unless it was all that I had. I have a big wood furnace and it all burns!

 

[brenndatomu]

That must be the stuff they use on those gun shows to make the cool explosions when they're shooting up an old car. It's probably illegal where I live.

Yup, that's what they use. We can buy it at our local farm supply store around here, heck, they had it on sale recently! Surprisingly it is legal to have, but is illegal to transport once part A and part B are mixed. Back to the OP though, my brother has used willow in his OWB, it makes heat, just not good overnite wood. I wonder if you made your splits small and stored it in a dry, well ventilated spot if it could be seasoned without going punky?

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Elm Lite

That's what I call willow. All the work and pain to process of Elm, with less than 1/2 the BTUs.

Take Care

 

[savageactor7]

Not a long lasting wood but properly used it can become useful to the full time woodburner.

It's a good shoulder season wood, cold early mornings and expected 10:00 AM or so warming up temps make burning willow nice cause it leaves no hot coals. It's the only wood I stack and keep separate.

We burn it cause it's here...I wouldn't travel for it. Just so happened we burned quite a bit last year during the mild winter.

edit...willow was my grandmothers fav wood for cooking with.

 

[zogger]

Real heavy wet. Splits fine once the rounds are checked. Burns fast, low to medium heat.

Garden Goddess calls it "fluff wood". Not sure the exact species here, weeping willow I guess. I don't go out o my way to get it, but always have some that falls down into the pasture so I cut it up.

 

[turnkey4099]

Thanks for the inputs. If I get any it will be cut and put away for 2 years so it will be nice and dry when it comes time to burn. Interesting comment about the foul smell.

"Foul smell" again depends on hte species. I only had one that smelled and then only if it burned it not fully cured.

Dry time? One summer will do it. Again most of the replies are from people repeating old wives tales.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Yup, that's what they use. We can buy it at our local farm supply store around here, heck, they had it on sale recently! Surprisingly it is legal to have, but is illegal to transport once part A and part B are mixed. Back to the OP though, my brother has used willow in his OWB, it makes heat, just not good overnite wood. I wonder if you made your splits small and stored it in a dry, well ventilated spot if it could be seasoned without going punky?

It seasons just fine in normal sized pieces. Left in the round it will begin to deteriorate but even then it takes over a year before any bad effects begin to show. Old wives tales never die.

Harry K