I am kind of an snob as the worst wood I'll sell is red oak followed by white oak and hickory. The problem is a landowner who has given me access to cut ANY OAK that is not marketable timber has a large hackberry in his yard and wants it gone. I told him I would gladly cut it up and dispose of the brush but am not wild about the wood. Anyone with experience burning hackberry. I see in the BTU charts it's not bad. How does it split?
Good stuff and splits with ease except for the usual crotch adn knot pieces. I get 10+ hours per load in my CAT stove and very good heat. Get it split and off the ground or it will go to punk quickly when left on the ground. Split and stacked off the ground it will last as long as any other wood.
Thanks that's good to know. It's on super flat land 100' away from the driveway and nothing to get in the way when dropping it.
Mines still wet so I can't say about the burn, but mine did not split very easy by hand. It's stringy and I think I read its related to elm.
It's worth the effort. Not as many BTU's as oak but, if nothing else, it'll make good shoulder season wood. Not bad to split, dries pretty fast.
We have processed probably 10 plus cords of hackberry over the past five years. It does not split like oak or ash or locust etc, and can be a little stringy (like hickory). I find it splits best like most other species when frozen. But once split and kept off the ground it will season very quickly and do about as well as some of the harder maples. I have found though once it is c/s/s that it can get a little too seasoned if it sits for more than 3 years, even when I have it completely under my shed. So if free, good access, and you have hydraulic splitter, I would certainly take it. IN FACT THAT RULE FOR ME APPLIES TO EVERY SPECIES OF WOOD!
Greg said it well ^^^^ I burn a lot of hackberry in the OWB. I think of it has shoulder season wood and good to mix with the harder stuff in the wood shed. Burns just fine for me. I count on it being half of the wood supply for the OWB. I will be getting another 10 cord of it next year - free around here. Our fence lines are full of it and farmers want it out. Can't pass it up.
I like it, when ever I can get it. Its good for all the seasons. Shoulder season by itself or during the dead of winter stoked with some Hedge. Its related to the Elm family, so it can get kinda of nasty to split. But it dries pretty quickly (if done right it will be ready in about 6 to 8 months, but thats single stack in sun and wind).
