Rank your firewood...

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Originally Posted by dutchhunter

We have been cutting a ton of dead standing ash trees the last few years. We normally cut what needs cutting. Oak us not great to burn in a stove or furnace. Same with willow. All the test is okay.we do cut a lot of iron wood.

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Why is oak not great?
Anyone that I know that had a chance to burn dry oak, loved it. Lots of heat, clean, big red coals in the morning and always been easy to split by hand (straight grain). The only issue, it takes an extra year to dry...

I cut 3 blue spruce over the past year... just sitting in a couple of piles un-split. Not sure if I should bother using it in my stove.

Should I mix some in with the rest?

And I agree with above post... oak is one of the tops.. never heard someone complain about it

I find oak hard on the chainsaw because of the grit carried up though the pores but it is a very good firewood.
I also don't overlook balsam fir for its quick heat when pine gets hard to find.

my number one is ironwood ( hop hornbeam) and standing dead elm second with a nice dry maple a close third

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Originally Posted by sawbill

I find oak hard on the chainsaw because of the grit carried up though the pores but it is a very good firewood.
I also don't overlook balsam fir for its quick heat when pine gets hard to find.

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I've been having better luck cutting with a semi-chisel chain. Seems to tolerate the dirty/gritty wood a bit longer before I need to stop and sharpen.

It's a different sharpening angle than full chisel too - which I keep forgetting and then wonder why it takes forever to re-profile the point:moose:

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Originally Posted by Splaker

Hey guys, what's your top 5? Just cut some ironwood... holy smokes that stuff is rock solid... looking forward to burning it in a year or two

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You dont have to wait that long to burn Ironwood, it contains little sap and can be burnt sooner than other wood.

This year I have mostly red oak, some maple, and some ash. I usually burn a couple face cords of manitoba maple early in the fall, and late in the spring just to take the chill out of the house. I love red oak, I would take as many cords of it as I can get. Takes an extra season to dry right, but once dry, its great stuff!

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Originally Posted by 3Wheelerdude

You dont have to wait that long to burn Ironwood, it contains little sap and can be burnt sooner than other wood.

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Thats good too know... few months ok?

Any wood will burn but you often get 20% or more heat if it is dried first. Last week we cut two truck loads of poplar and basswood logs for the mill as we are burning mostly beech and maple. Burn about 10 bush cords/ year to heat two houses. Switching to outdoor wood furnace in my old age....

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Originally Posted by patvetzal

Any wood will burn but you often get 20% or more heat if it is dried first. Last week we cut two truck loads of poplar and basswood logs for the mill as we are burning mostly beech and maple. Burn about 10 bush cords/ year to heat two houses. Switching to outdoor wood furnace in my old age....

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Wow that's a lot of work!