Red oak or ash preference

I’ve never looked At any two BTU charts that were the same. I understand that it takes a lot of room up seasoning oak, but oak and ash aren’t in the same league when oak is dry.


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Slightly off topic- I've always suspected that older trees are not just wider, but also harder or more dense. In other words a really old stick of ash could have more weight (and more btus) than a younger oak of the same size. Is there any truth to that? Splitting an occasional 50 year old tree vs. 25 year old trees has lead me to believe this.

 

Here is a BTU chart that shows minimal BTU difference between red oak, white oak and white ash. Over the years I have burned dry pine that put wet red oak to shame, one-year old ash that torched one year old red oak and three-year old white oak that was like a nuclear weapon. The common nominator seems to be seasoning.......

 

I’ll take ash all day long over red oak, white oak I’d have to think harder. Ash is my favorite, too bad we don’t have many left around here. In my stove I see very little difference between the two.

 

All around firewood, I think Ash is the best. I love Red & White Oak for the heat but not seasoning time. Ash is getting pretty sparse around here anymore. Oak & Maple are about my best bet now, & a bit of Cherry.

 

While it's true that most btu charts can't agree, it's usually on the top end btu woods where it differs greatly. Most charts show ash about 22 mbtu per cord, and most charts also show oak at 24 mbtu per cord. It appears that it doesn't matter what kind of ash, or oak as there are all about the same of their respective genus.

 

Exactly. Also when the limbs start to get weaker, they present a hazard and can fall at any time, especially when felling the tree.

This rain alone is probably why my neighbor will have a tree service cut his 2 big ash that are having over his and his crazy opposite side neighbors driveways. If a branch falls on her driveway, she'll flip out. If anything would hit her car, oh she'd go off. That's why tree service is doing the felling. I'll just take all the wood away and bring some splits back for his campfires.

 

Am I an azzhole if the thought of having a limb fall on a crazy neighbors driveway / car would be incentive to not take down a tree unless she sent a letter advising that it's a concern?

 

A morning poem for you boys and girls to settle "which wood"----

The Firewood Poem
Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year,
Chestnut's only good they say,
If for logs 'tis laid away.
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold

Birch and fir logs burn too fast
Blaze up bright and do not last,
it is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elm wood burns like churchyard mould,
E'en the very flames are cold
But ash green or ash brown
Is fit for a queen with golden crown

Poplar gives a bitter smoke,
Fills your eyes and makes you choke,
Apple wood will scent your room
Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom
Oaken logs, if dry and old
keep away the winter's cold
But ash wet or ash dry
a king shall warm his slippers by.

 

Well, got into to some larger red oak splits and they do seem to last better than a bunch of small splits. But I agree with a previous poster, oak does not leave as much ash or as many coals which can make a difference in the coaling stage.

 

That particular chart shows Red and White Oak to be 24 but I've seen several other charts that have White Oak at 25.7. That's been my experience...White Oak burns noticeably longer.
I've never burned any Ash except White, but that chart shows Green and Black Ash much lower. I've seen similar on other charts...

 

Maine Amerindian basket makers use Brown Ash for their splits and weaving...incredible artists.
I've never been able to tell the difference between the Ashes. They tell me that Brown Ash ( maybe like Green or Black ) only grows with "wet feet".
White Ash we find on the more drained and bony woodlands here at least.
Woody nailed it about White Oak BTU and the lower BTU of other than White Ash.
Did I say that I tree hug White Ash firewood ?

 

I burn mostly ash because of the EAB. My small piece of land, 6 acres, is all dead ash, the oak and hickory was logged 50 years ago.

However I've been burning red oak for the colder part of the season. It came from a huge tree service drop off 5 years ago.

I've found I had to relearn the burning process for my catalyst stove with oak. The oak requires far more air than the ash to start and burn properly.

With my cat stove I can get 12 hour burns with either red oak or ash. Oak does burn with less ash. I can burn twice the amount of oak over ash before having to clean out the stove. I don't notice the difference in heat as most of of the heat comes from the cat not from the fire.

 

Ash is abundant around here and so that’s mainly what I burn. Oak is great and I have some seasoning in the stacks for several years down the road but Ash wins due to amount, accessibility and seasoning time.

 

If I had my choice I would get more ash to sell but it just doesn't seem to be around here like red and white oak are. I would rather have ash.