[revrnd]

I like ash too revrnd. Never burned any birch to my knowledge and try not to burn maple. I split all my wood by hand so I try to get stuff with straight grain. Like I said...I like red oak the best but I will burn any hardwood. Locust and Osage orange is awesome too but it is so freaking hard sparks will fly from a chainsaw when you cut it. A chain is pretty much toast after tackling that stuff.

Maple is the most common hardwood in Ontario. Ash is disappearing due to the emerald ash borer. Any particular reason for not wanting to burn maple? The oak we have is quite "wiry" isn't the greatest to deal w/ even using a wood splitter. Birch is "light" & burns quickly. OK for camp fires, but not the most economical to heat w/.

 

[pede58]

Maybe he was referring to soft maple.

 

[-bowfreak-]

Maple is the most common hardwood in Ontario. Ash is disappearing due to the emerald ash borer. Any particular reason for not wanting to burn maple? The oak we have is quite "wiry" isn't the greatest to deal w/ even using a wood splitter. Birch is "light" & burns quickly. OK for camp fires, but not the most economical to heat w/.

Yes. I am not sure of what the difference is but the maple available to us here in KY doesn't burn well in my stove. I am pretty sure most of it is Sugar Maple. The biggest thing is it is hard to split. After looking up the BTU values I may actually cut some and put it up for 2 years as it has similar BTU values as oak. Maybe if it is seasoned well it will burn great?

It is a real learning process with my new stove. It requires wood to be so dry that it is hard to get a handle on what woods it likes.

 

[revrnd]

if it is seasoned well it will burn great?

Yes, sugar maple is hard maple. What we cut & split this year will be burnt during the winter of '15/'16. We've had an airtight stove & now use a wood burning furnace.

 

[revrnd]

Firewood Chart A: Sorted by BTU Content

Common Name	Species Name	Pounds /Cord	MBTU /Cord
Osage Orange (Hedge)	Maclura pomifera	4,845	30.0
Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood)	Ostrya virginiana	4,250	26.4
Persimmon, American	Diospyros virginiana	4,165	25.8
Hickory, Shagbark	Carya ovata	4,080	25.3
Dogwood, Pacific	Cornus nuttallii	3,995	24.8
Holly, American	Ilex Opaca	3,995	24.8
Birch, Black	Betula lenta	3,910	24.2
Oak, White	Quercus alba	3,910	24.2
Madrone, Pacific (Arbutus)	Arbutus menziesii	3,825	23.7
Oak, Post	Quercus stellata	3,825	23.7
Locust, Honey	Gleditsia triacanthos	3,825	23.7
Hickory, Bitternut	Carya cordiformis	3,825	23.7
Beech, Blue (Ironwood)	Carpinus caroliniana	3,825	23.7
Mulberry	Morus rubra	3,740	23.2
Locust, Black	Robinia pseudoacacia	3,740	23.2
Maple, Sugar	Acer saccharum	3,740	23.2
Beech, American	Fagus grandifolia	3,655	22.7
Oak, Oregon (Garry)	Quercus garryana	3,655	22.7
Oak, Bur (Mossycup)	Quercus macrocarpa	3,655	22.7
Oak, Red	Quercus rubra	3,570	22.1
Birch, Yellow	Betula alleghaniensis	3,570	22.1
Ash, White	Fraxinus americana	3,485	21.6
Myrtle, Oregon (Pepperwood)	Umbellularia californica	3,485	21.6
Apple	Malus domestica	3,485	21.6
Ash, Green	Fraxinus pennsylvanica	3,400	21.1
Maple, Black	Acer nigrum	3,400	21.1
Walnut, Black	Juglans *****	3,230	20.0
Maple, Red	Acer rubrum	3,230	20.0
Ash, Oregon	Fraxinus latifolia	3,230	20.0
Birch, White (Paper)	Betula papyrifera	3,230	20.0
Tamarack (Larch)	Larix laricina	3,145	19.5
Birch, Gray	Betula populifolia	3,145	19.5
Hackberry	Celtis occidentalis	3,145	19.5
Juniper, Rocky Mtn	Juniperus scopulorum	3,145	19.5
Cherry, Black	Prunus serotina	3,145	19.5
Coffeetree, Kentucky	Gymnocladus dioicus	3,060	19.0
Sorrel (Sourwood)	Oxydendrum arboreum	3,060	19.0
Elm, Red	Ulmus rubra	3,060	19.0
Eucalyptus (Red Gum)	Eucalyptus camaldulensis	2,975	18.4
Elm, American	Ulmus americana	2,975	18.4
Sycamore, American	Platanus occidentalis	2,890	17.9
Maple, Big Leaf	Acer macrophyllum	2,890	17.9
Elm, White (Russian)	Ulmus laevis	2,890	17.9
Ash, Black	Fraxinus *****	2,890	17.9
Boxelder (Maple Ash)	Acer negundo	2,890	17.9
Pine, Norway (Red)	Pinus resinosa	2,890	17.9
Fir, Douglas	Pseudotsuga menzies II	2,805	17.4
Maple, Silver	Acer saccharinum	2,805	17.4

 

[Hodad]

Maple is good to burn. Used it last year. It leaves so much ash behind makes it less desirable to me. It will keep you plenty busy cleaning your stove or fireplace out.

 

[mustangwagz]

shagbark! forgot about that! Yinz ever burn that? we got TONS of them here but none dead yet. You want a great fire, burn that stuff when its seasoned. i was getting 12+ hours outta a load of that stuff. burns up to almost no ash also.

 

[jokout]

Regrettably, now that Emerald Ash Bore is in state, Ash is going to be a significant part of my burning menu for the coming future! Last years cut is already burning now and can't believe how fast it cures!

Cheers

 

[mustangwagz]

we must be spoiled around here? none of us even worry about ash, we leave it laying? Same with most other softwood tree's. My neighbor burns pine cuz he's gotta outdoor burner. Well actually he burns everything he can get his saw on!

We do burn the maples, elms, hickorys oaks and locusts, cherry's. Have never layed my saw into osage, can never find it anywhere other than posted property. by the sounds of it, we got mostly all the great hardwoods in Western PA.

 

[oneal]

In this order is my preference for the timber I have :
Shagbark hickory
White oak
Red and black oak
Pig nut hickory
wall nut
ash
hard maple
soft maple

 

[-bowfreak-]

Burning shagbark right now. It is awesome wood. Mine is a little green for my stove but it is great wood.

Also....wagz.....give that ash a try. It is a great wood overall to burn. If its on the ground cut it up and I bet you will like it.

 

[mustangwagz]

Burning shagbark right now. It is awesome wood. Mine is a little green for my stove but it is great wood.

Also....wagz.....give that ash a try. It is a great wood overall to burn. If its on the ground cut it up and I bet you will like it.

Ill give it a whirl if i ever fire up my furnace this year. So far, havent needed the wood furnace yet.. this pellet stove is kicking major butt. im pretty amazed at just how well the dang thing does in all honesty. I was pretty freaking skeptical about it all...but ive since changed my thoughts on em.

 

[TG-OK]

The osage orange around here, referred to as bo-dark (bois d'arc) is terrible for throwing sparks and if it's cured before you cut it up, it is so hard it will make your chain saw spark. It makes awesome fence post corners in damp locations, lasting for at least a couple of generations.

 

[pede58]

We no longer have a wood burner in the shop, insurance made us remove it and being a heavy equipment owner/operator for over 40 years the chart posted seems pretty accurate but it all depends on the moisture content and each species is different, being completely dry is not always best. Osage orange, we call it hedge is the only one moisture has little impact on and will caution anyone who uses it, better have an outside or industrial burner and even then would not load the box with it but blend it instead, it will warp steel.

 

[MikeT]

Seems like we have most of the wood burning world on this thread, so I have a question for any one of you. Yesterday my wife asked me what are the dimensions of a full cord of wood? I haven't got a clue since all of my heat type burning has been either natural gas or propane. Thanks in advance.

Mike

 

[revrnd]

In Ontario a face cord is a pile of wood 16" wide x 4' high x 8' long. 3 face cords make a full/bush cord (4' wide x 4' high x 8' long).

 

[revrnd]

We no longer have a wood burner in the shop, insurance made us remove it and being a heavy equipment owner/operator for over 40 years the chart posted seems pretty accurate but it all depends on the moisture content and each species is different, being completely dry is not always best. Osage orange, we call it hedge is the only one moisture has little impact on and will caution anyone who uses it, better have an outside or industrial burner and even then would not load the box with it but blend it instead, it will warp steel.

I've heard the same about tamarack/larch that it burns very hot. You only burn 1 "stick" w/ another type of wood.

 

[-bowfreak-]

Rev is correct. 4x4x8

 

[mustangwagz]

yup, 4x4x8 here.

If yinz were to buy a cord, what does it cost around your places? it varries from 200-250 depending on whether its seasoned and what type of wood here.

 

[pede58]

"tamarack/larch"

Unless it has another name, not native to my area. Might not be an accurate measurement but around here a cord is figured as a flush loaded P/U and can range from $50-150.