This burn year is the first time in 25 years of burning we ever used any hickory in the wood stove. Man oh man, this stuff competes with white oak and black locust, only different IMHO. It's pig nut hickory and I don't know how it compares to shagbark, but now a new favorite. The downsides: very buggy (piles of frass/"sawdust") with beetles voraciously eating their way through and just like mulberry, if the stove is opened before it completely coals - fireworks! So now we see what so many have said about hickory's good qualities. About 1/4 of the winter's allocation is cherry and maple for shoulder season and mixing in. Burn on, fellow wood hoarders! -G
Hickory is indeed awesome firewood. In the top 3 for me no questions asked. Can be tough on chains and bugs do enjoy it as you’ve discovered.
Agreed hard wood to cut, and some of the splits are less than straight. Oak first, hickory second, and silver birch 3rd for me Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Of the woods I’ve burned. Red and White Oak, Shagbark Hickory, Pignut Hickory, and Rock/Sugar Maple would be my top 5. Maybe Black Locust will be in there once I try it out next year.
