What's Your Favorite Firewood and Why?

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Pennsyltucky Chris

Pennsyltucky Chris

Minister of Fire
Feb 9, 2014
549
Nockamixon, Pa
Beech is my favorite, due to it's relatively high BTUs, the way it burns, and the fact that it doesn't leave a mess around my stove. I'm also a big fan of Red Oak for much the same reasons. I like to slow-burn beech throughout the afternoon and evening, then pack my wood burner up with Red before I hit the hay.

What are your preferences and burning methods?
 
Senesced oak branches used to make a fire while camping. Nothing like waking up to the smell of burning oak, coffee, bacon. That was when I was a child now I enjoy it just as much to be the one to prepare it all.
 
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I really like mulberry and BL mixed with any kind of oak. Oak by itself is the best.
 
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Pennsyltucky Chris said:
Hey, neighbor!

I've got a good bit of White Oak seasoning, maybe 6 cords. It's probably going to be sitting until 15-16. I may sell a few cords to cover some of my equipment costs. I got all 6 for $100 on CL. !!!
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Great buy. I'm southeast PA. What is that in your avatar? Looks like a half bear half dog.
 
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Osage. Yeller rocketfuel.

Nice lookin' hellhound!
 
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Paulywalnut said:
Wow. Is he on the other side of your front door?
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No. He is......

8f0124d418700b81db200cb321b19107.png


;)
 
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Eucalyptus....no brainier..burns hot, long and easy to split
 
White oak, easy to process and burn long with very little ash.
 
I like whatever junk my forrester uncle tells me to cut!

If he's having me cut it.. it means it's the lowest value, or in need of thinning to make something that's MORE valuable as veneer or something else.

I've got just under 70 acres. My first cutting yielded me enough money to pay back HALF of what I paid for the land. I got a great deal. I plan to cut for money again in another 5 years or so. Until then.. I'll keep burning the soft maple, poplar, hemlock blown downs... whatever junk is low value and needs to go!

JP
 
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JP11 said:
I like whatever junk my forrester uncle tells me to cut!

If he's having me cut it.. it means it's the lowest value, or in need of thinning to make something that's MORE valuable as veneer or something else.

I've got just under 70 acres. My first cutting yielded me enough money to pay back HALF of what I paid for the land. I got a great deal. I plan to cut for money again in another 5 years or so. Until then.. I'll keep burning the soft maple, poplar, hemlock blown downs... whatever junk is low value and needs to go!

JP
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70 acres in Maine? Sounds like you're living the dream, brother. Excellent way to make the land work for you. I hope to do the same thing with some serious acreage in the future.
 
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Whatever is free and easy to scrounge. So far the White Oak I liked the best.
 
Pennsyltucky Chris said:
70 acres in Maine? Sounds like you're living the dream, brother. Excellent way to make the land work for you. I hope to do the same thing with some serious acreage in the future.
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Can't complain. I bought the land right, there wasn't a lot of build-able space.. but I just wanted privacy.
 
Oak, either red or white, red's easier to split but white burns a little better. In fact I'm thinking of going to an all oak system since its so prevalent around here. I'd have to buy a truckload to add to my current 6 cords of oak to make sure I have enough to be seasoned every year. Im waiting for these guys to advertise they're spring sale for a truckload of 4 cords.
 
Black locust is my favorite I've burned; so hot!

I also like oak, but (and I know this is sacrilege to many) I probably prefer sugar maple due to the shorter drying time.
 
All the above are great, but just to be different, I vote for Ironwood (Hop Hornbeam). Easy to split, drys fast, bark is great kindlin', BTU's right up there with BL, and it has a real nice nutty aroma. I'm lucky to have quite a bit of it in my wood lot!
 
Black birch. I love the smell when cutting it, it burns hot (BTU rating up there with hickory), is usually easy to split and there's a whole lot of it on my wood lot in smaller tree sizes so I don't feel guilty about burning potential lumber.
 
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cottonwood, its plentyfull, and people are wood snobs around here and only want birch and spruce, so i get it free and easy! i dont pick the wood, i let the wood pick me.. ;)
 
In my area, Douglas Fir is my favorite. There is a lot of dead standing lodgepole pine and douglas fir so we can cut what we need for free with no seasoning time required. The fir trees are a lot bigger and take more effort to process, but the BTUs are much better.
 
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