Help me score my score!

I saw a neighbor having a tree cut down and talked to the guys doing it. Long story short they delivered it over to me later chopped up for FREE! I tried to give the driver $40 and he only accepted $20.

Here it is:


A few questions:

1. Is this sugar maple? If not, what is it?
2. How long would you recommend seasoning it for?
3. What do you think of this wood?
4. In addition to big chunks I got tons of 6, 9 & 12 inch in diameter pieces. Which sizes will dry and be usable without splitting. Sure would be hard to split the small stuff!

Thanks for any help you can give this rookie!

Joful said:

Small stuff, bungee a bunch together, or bundle them in an old cat tire, and have at em with the maul. I split everything larger than my my wrist.

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Thanks for the idea!

chvymn99 said:

1. Is this sugar maple? If not, what is it? Pretty sure its not sugar, but could be wrong. Inside wood just doesnt' have the look.
2. How long would you recommend seasoning it for? Pretty sure if its not sugar you can use it next year if you get er split and stack pretty quickly.
3. What do you think of this wood? Its burnable and a good start to your soon to be addiction.
4. In addition to big chunks I got tons of 6, 9 & 12 inch in diameter pieces. Which sizes will dry and be usable without splitting. Sure would be hard to split the small stuff! 4-6 inches are the smallest to keep with out splitting, dependant on your wood stove.

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Thanks for the help!

ozzy73 said:

1. I think this is silver maple. Softwood but still good.
2. 1 year min
3. Thats a good score for $20.
4. What chvymn99 said : )

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Thanks!

A couple suggested this is silver maple. Could be. But the leaves look more like sugar maple than silver maple on a Google Image search. That said, I really wouldn't know by the wood.

If it is silver maple, is it OK to burn in my fireplace insert? I thought softwood wasn't good to burn. Or is that just pine? I appreciate the guidance.

Jacktheknife said:

Someone set me straight the other day, all maples are hardwood, some just aren't as hard as others. Also, it's perfectly fine to burn softwoods, even pines, as long as they are properly dried.

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Wow, so many list silver as soft wood. Thanks!

Locust Post said:

I would lean more to sugar than silver because the bark on the bigger rounds does not look like any silver I have cut.

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My thought based solely on

Locust Post said:

Silver is hardwood, just not like sugar.

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Good to know -thanks!

Scotty Overkill said:

That is either black or sugar maple....final answer....
Did you notice any helicopters on the branches or near the jobsite? Sugar and black maple helicopters are small, with a round seed in the pod....

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Here is a better pic of a lead & a helicopter I found on a branch:




Sugar?

TimJ said:

leaves say not silver

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Would you say sugar then?