first stack

Look for pine, maple, or another soft wood and it will be dry by this winter. You can also rig up a DIY solar kiln to get that wood nice and dry. here is a link to a Virginia Tech Site about doing just that. I have one rigged up with little more than a 10x20 black plastic tarp. http://sbio.vt.edu/about/extension/vtsolar_kiln/

I'm letting the maple I have air dry and I have about a cord or so of oak tented up, hoping that I will be able to burn that this winter.

another type to look for is tulip poplar as common as it is in the southeast. there's a lot of it, and it's straight/easy to split.
i'm not strong at identifying wood, but what kind do you have there? some of it looks like red oak to me.

that Dexterday is a heck of a guy, ain't he? First class, all the way....

looks like a nice mix of locust in your stack there, I'd be taking some of Augie's and wes's ideas....get some softer, faster drying shoulder season wood. Silver maple, red maple, tulip poplar, pine, and cedar....all good stuff, and when split small to medium (4x4" to 5x5") will dry out quickly, most likely in time for this winter.

lots of good information online. and lots of good field books out there that can help you. Also, I think there is a tree ID app for your smartphone.....

Thanks for the kind words

As for the wood.. Look for the species stated above. Dead standing is always a help.

If interested in pellets? A pellet furnace can be nice. I am a little biased and yes you have to buy pellets. But I also spend a lot of money on saws, splitters and the like. I use between 2-3 ton of pellets a year and about 2-3 cord of wood a year and keep 3,000 sq about 74*-76* all year Withna pellet furnace, that means the ENTIRE house is that warm. Not just the living room and bedrooms are 66*.

So I spend between $350-$475 a year on pellets? I spent 2 times more than that on my Ms460 mag. To each there own I guess. The wood helped me reduce my pellet consumption by about 1.5-2 ton a year.

I love wood and pellets for different reasons. Either way, it beats the $3,600 a year I was spending on LP. So even if I spend some money on equipment? I still make out in the end.

Cheers my friend. Was a pleasure to deal with you.

Devin, the first thing I'd do would be to get those splits smaller and also stack only one single row on the pallets. Most of your stacking is great because it is not really tight which lets air move through and that is the biggest key to drying wood. Good luck.

Good idea with the pallet & 90° brace.

Sun & wind for drying wood, more of each, the better. Wind (good air circulation) most important .

Looks like a good start. You might want to sort the wood a little as you stack, especially if you want to burn some of it this coming winter. The upper part of your pile looks a lot drier than what is under. Separate what will be good from what won't be and your fire will be a lot warmer. Some extra space under the pallets will help the bottom layers dry much quicker. If you have access to a lot of pallets double them up. Anyway, just keep stacking it up and three years from now it won't matter.

Nice lookin saw in that truck!

LOOKIN Good! Keep it up!!

That Dexter is one of the nicest, most honest straight-shooting guys I have ever known! I got my Stihl 036 from him!
I am also a NOOB but I have learned a lot on here, I stack my wood with as much air circulation as I can get through it!

Good looking stacks there Donnie. Love the cross pieces securing the cord.

Devin86 said:

<<SNIP...

Sorry for the rambling just excited to finally break into wood burning.

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Worst case scenario, if you feel like hoofing over here I have hickory and BL 2 years CSS you can have to keep that baby warm.

Looking good... Keep it up...

Pretty much just re-hashing what's been said here:
Get a moisture meter to help until you get the feel for dry wood. Single-row that stack, separating out the lighter stuff that resonates when banged together, and re-splitting the bigger ones. As BwS (Dennis) says, wind is your friend....stack loose. If that BL had the bark off when you cut it, a lot of it might be pretty dry. Cherry will dry pretty quick if not split too big.
Soft Maple and Poplar are the quickest-drying stuff out there. Even if cut fresh, it should be burnable this winter....sooner you can split and stack, the better. You might contact a local tree service and see if they will drop a load off free, or you can pick it up if you're quick, when they are nearby. Have them cut to 16" if you don't know what stove you're getting yet.
I would go ahead and get the stove, avoiding the extra step of the pellet stove. Lots of knowledgeable folks here to help with that decision.

bluedogz said:

Worst case scenario, if you feel like hoofing over here I have hickory and BL 2 years CSS you can have to keep that baby warm.

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Awesome offer, bluedogz! Way to help a brutha out!
Devin86, what you could do this winter is, sort through the wood as you bring it in to burn. Toss the stuff that seems heavy to the side and trade it to Blue for some stuff that's ready to go. But I'm tellin' ya, if you get a bunch of soft Maple split and stacked soon, you'll be good to go. You'll have enough dry stuff to start on, and the Maple will have a couple extra months. You may have to monitor your chimney liner for build-up more often (once a month starting out) and take appropriate action. Once you have dry wood, a check halfway through the season should be plenty.

I just got a good deal on pellet stove today. A 2005 Quadrafire Castile pellet stove, with Hearth Pad, and venting. All for $360. I paid $300 for the stove and the guy delivered it for $60. Its the Castile that was in the For Sale section here. The guy drove almost 3 hrs (2hr 45 min) one way from Pa to Ohio. Super nice guy that just wanted it gone.

Now is the time to buy. Plus Pellet stoves have thermostats (most do) and will keep the house a more constant temp.

Keep an eye on CL. There are great deals out there.