What is the fascination with black locust. I get the BTUs but I HATE it. I have so much available to me and I won’t touch it
I voted for the only one on the list that I had the opportunity to get. Elm. I like ash but not sure what variety I have around here, I always thought it was green ash
I cut a couple last winter that were 32” @ the base, I know they get larger. As with most trees it depends on the conditions. There are a few around that are pushing 60’-70’ height.
Although I like it I didn't vote for red oak due to the seasoning time. Ash and locust are my favorites with black cherry and white oak. These are per the list. HICKORY is KING!!
If you drive a Toyota Corolla every day, then one day you get a chance to drive Nissan Sentra it peaks your interest. Its new...its exciting. New things are fun. Be it relationships, vehicles, houses, jobs, etc. then the newness wears off and its like any other vehicle, or job. I feel Black Locust is the same. Its certainly a bedazzler with its heat output, coaling abilities, rot resistance, and seasoning time compared to Oak. Keep in mind Black Locust was only recently "discovered" by a lot of members, particularly in the NE. ie:still "new" Its really not any better. Its all relative. At the end of the day they both heat your house and do it well. If a guy that only had Black Locust suddenly found a few Red Oak trees, it'd be the same thing. All Red Oak threads. Red Oak is widely known and accepted as a top firewood. Black Locust is more of a lesser known "specialty" wood, or "novelty" wood as Chud put it. Black Locust is the young Mike Tyson from 1985, bursting on the scene making noise. Red Oak is Mohammed Ali, people know Tyson's great, but Ali is legendary.
I went for red oak over white just because white can be such a pain to get dry...worse than red. Plus I think red is more common around the country.
I voted for beech also for all of the above reasons. And you can add to the list it always leaves hot coals!
Sorry, but bark free slippery (red) elm standing dead and bark free is great firewood and I have burned lots. Dries in one year. Splitting, well some (80%) are easier than white ash and some are 100% noodle (20%). Rock elm is 100% noodle but standing dead dries in one year and burns better than ANY wood (it contains a LOT of heat but dries in one year). I will agree, green elm is a lost cause. I never bring home green elm.
Looks like Red Oak, White Oak, White Ash, Black Locust, and Sugar Maple round out the top five as of now.
The reason why you ask? It’s because Osage is the pine of the hardwoods. “Don’t put that in your stove or you will burn your house down “. I hear that just as often if not more than the pine reference to burning your house down. Folks are scared to burn it. Lol.
