Kinda want more about this type of wood. I have near me one that is down(large), and many more alive and producing in the fall Hugh leaves. Is it worth burning? I see it (correct me) as a Elm/maple type of tree with-out much bark. I could get many pines/cottonwoods, I pass on those. Except ceder, luv the smell! Again is worth the time?
Some like it as shoulder season wood. Depends on what you have around, what you can easily get, etc. If you pass on pine, I don't know that sycamore is all that much better. Grab some, let it dry, try it out for yourself. Then you know for sure for the future.
Sycamore is worth processing if it needs cleaned up anyway. Probably puts out BTUs like silver maple, tulip poplar, maybe even cherry. It is SUPER wet when green, but will be ready to go in a year. Not a waste of time like aspen or willow for sure.
It can be tough to split and retains a lot of water until you get it split. If you cut it in the summer and let it sit in rounds for a long time it goes bad quick. I wouldn't burn it in the dead of winter unless it was all I had but it works great for burning down coals and early/late season burning when you don't need max btus.
It is pretty low for BTU output, is a more difficult to split tree and lacks any redeeming value like the aroma of cherry. So in general I would say pass if you have access to cherry or soft maple or similar. But since you have never burnt or processed it you should at least get some of that tree so you can have firsthand knowledge.
I can get cherry-wood for free.. right now. Seasoned for next year when I get too the pile. I wanted to know about sycamore do to the trunk in my way. Thx PB looks like this tree is near value too Cottonwood. I won't cut it for heat.. Just move it. I see cottonwood in the rivers as the main/dominant species Next soft maple or river birch. We have sycamores in abundance, Never wanted to tackle one alive.
I got a load last year for free, about a solid cord. Burn't it up in three weeks in October…. Was good to take the chill off the house but it burns up like icecream in a deep fryer. If it's free and easy get it, but as Bogydave said… Get the bigger stuff
Yeah, its hard to split and low BTU but its burns hot and fast after seasoning for a year. It also makes lots of fluffy ash.
Last log load was the first time that I ever cut into it. There was one tree, might have been two logs. Definitely was heavy as could be. I took it in stride as I figured I needed a little shoulder season wood to go with the oak, ash and hickory.
I too ask about this once. I have a friend in the tree business and ask him about. He said, "Well, better than burning snow balls." So I pass on it every time I see it.
lol. That's actually a very good description. I have burned some in the past and put it about in the same group as cottonwood as far as desirability. If it is in my way on my property I will split it and burn it in shoulder season. As pointed out above, heavy, rots easy, can be a real pain to split, and mediocre heat output. Just no really good redeeming qualities. If you need wood, it is easy to get, and have a hydraulic splitter, go for it.
