Agreed Mag Craft, I just don't have much access to much "premium" firewood. Best I get is Ash, and Maple. I've only burned burned a couple of limbs of locust mixed with other wood. I've never CSS any oak, although I would like to. All I've burned this year is Box Elder, and it's keeping me warm in a really cold fall.
X2 or whatever it takes. I'll be cutting a few box elder this winter for next year. I like it all. Except Willow. It sounds like I'll be needing whatever I can throw in the stove to get the fire up to choochin' level when I get home.
Okay Whitey. You it is a beeatch to split if it's the twisty/gnarly stuff. I was not aware it came in any other variety! Yes, I've burned it a few times and no problem. The last time I cut away a bunch that was growing by my fil's barn. He wanted it gone and I needed wood, so why not?
It is good to see there are some wood snobs on here just like me. I insist on only burning wood that comes from trees.
This is my fourth season burning. And what I have learned so far with the species of wood readily available to me where I live is it’s good to have a mix of different woods with different BTU’s. I have never burned box elder but sometimes when it’s not totally freezing out I don’t want to waste my premium oak by burning it right then and there. I may only want a fire for an hour or two in the morning because I am going to either leave the house for the day or it’s going to warm up enough when the sun is up and the heat from last nights fire is still trapped in an relatively well insulated house. So for those situations I use ponderosa pine or white fir— the low end stuff. I just want a short blast of heat and that’s all. I don’t want to cook myself out of the house all day. And for kindling I don’t use oak! But by using the low end stuff I am saving the good stuff for really cold weather or overnight burns which translates into not only heat but sleep because I don’t have to get up to stoke the fire. So all wood has its place. It all burns. It all heats. I liken firewood to a socket or wrench set. Having just one or two crescent wrenches does not let you do the same job as if you have yourself a good complete wrench and socket set. So I don’t look down on any one wood anymore than I would look down on my 3/8” socket wrench.
With everything I just said in my above post there is one caveat. The reason I don’t like a wood like Russian olive is not because it stinks or doesn’t burn well but because of all the ash the next day (shag bark juniper is like this too) . Goodnight! All that light fluffy ash is like those packaging peanuts that fly everywhere when you open the box and are still picking up two days later. Just opening the stove door makes ash fly all over the room. Lots of extra work emptying out the stove when I can go 3 or 4 times longer burning woods that create far less ash before I have to do a clean out.
That is true there are those species of wood that do create a lot of ash. I have just learned to deal with it.
All my life I thought fresh oak smelled like pickles. Then last year my wife said that it smelled like cat urine. Can't get that out of my mind. Also when it's cold out I'll put a piece of oak in first then pile the other wood on top. This will give you some coals for a relight long after BE and SM are dead cold.
You used the word “snowflakes”. Now I’m offended and my feelings are hurt. Is there a safe space somewhere on this forum? Or should I have my helicopter mom come to my defense? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
