How well do rounds season unsplit?

[moosetrek]

I have the chance to get a couple loads of elm, cottonwood, and some poplar for a reasonable price. It's 12" or so log length and BIG rounds (about 2-3 ft diameter, which is big for out here). The rounds have been cut for about 2 years, and the logs have all been down the same amount of time. Is 2-3 year old seasoned elm, unsplit, burnable this season, or should I plan for next? Just working on figuring out the best use of time and $, as we need another 2-3 cords for this year and I can alternatively go the old standby of beetle-killed pine, the cost to cut and haul per cord isn't much less.

Thanks!

 

[precaud]

If those rounds are 12" long and have been stored off the ground, I bet you could split and burn them. No harm in trying.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I have the chance to get a couple loads of elm, cottonwood, and some poplar for a reasonable price. It's 12" or so log length and BIG rounds (about 2-3 ft diameter, which is big for out here). The rounds have been cut for about 2 years, and the logs have all been down the same amount of time. Is 2-3 year old seasoned elm, unsplit, burnable this season, or should I plan for next? Just working on figuring out the best use of time and $, as we need another 2-3 cords for this year and I can alternatively go the old standby of beetle-killed pine, the cost to cut and haul per cord isn't much less.

Thanks!

A reasonable price for cottonwood and poplar is free.

Wyoming is slightly dryer than a popcorn fart so I'm going to guess that it's probably fairly dry.

 

[savageactor7]

Depends on the size but unsplit rounds don't season nearly as fast as split wood.

The old timers that schooled me into wood processing/burning yelled at me for stacking rounds. They said rounds stacked were less likely to be split promptly cause they were out of the way...plus it was also and unnecessary handling step. Oh how they really hated unnecessary handling.

 

[SolarAndWood]

They said rounds stacked were less likely to be split promptly cause they were out of the way...

Isn't that the truth.

 

[Duetech]

I have had rounds of various wood types hold moisture to the core even after three years when left on the ground.

 

[BigV]

I store my rounds on their sides with the bark on the ground. These seem to be fairly well seasoned after 18 months (depending on wood type) with moisture readings around 22-25%. I have had some rounds that fell over onto their cut ends and they seem to just suck the moisture right out of the ground, they showed moisture readings of 34 – 38% when split after 18 months.

 

[Summertime]

Dry cottonwood is light like balsa wood and burns like paper,poplar isn't much better for a good burn.

 

[BigV]

Dry cottonwood is light like balsa wood and burns like paper,poplar isn't much better for a good burn.

Cottonwood is light after seasoning, but heavy when green. You can actually watch the sap run out when splitting using a hydraulic splitter. I like to use cottonwood early in the fall and late in the spring when you only need a quick burn to take the chill off....

 

[precaud]

Dry cottonwood is light like balsa wood and burns like paper,poplar isn't much better for a good burn.

Yeah, yeah, but that isn't what the guy asked. You guys out east need to keep in mind that many of us out west have NO hardwoods available to burn. None. So opinions of which is better is pointless. You burn what is available.

 

[moosetrek]

Thanks for the info everyone... Just a couple notes. I know that to those of you in the East, where there is plenty of hardwood, the burning of cottonwood, pine, etc. is looked askance. But please remember not everyone has that option. Around here, the choices are basically pine - about 95% of what most burn (ponderosa and lodgepole), cottonwood, and occasionally siberian or chinese elm. Cottonwood is primarily found along riparian areas, which are often on private (and jealously guarded) land. Therefore, a reasonable price is different depending on where you live. I have found a source for something other than our usual pine; and am weighing costs/benefits. To get pine, which is pretty close (220 miles round trip), it costs about 1/2 tank of fuel in the truck ($35-40), plus the permit ($10/cord). I can bring back around 1-2 cords per run in log length. I cal alternatively buy the above mentioned cottonwood, elm, and poplar for $70/cord in log length, 6 miles from the house.

 

[precaud]

Moose, you said the logs were 12" long. Did you really mean 12 ' (feet) ?

 

[LLigetfa]

When they're 12 feet long, they are still called logs, but once bucked to 12 inches, they are simply called rounds. Since moosetrek used both terms, the confusion is understandable.

 

[CowboyAndy]

you would be better off buying gas or oil instead of paying for poplar or cottonwood. as a matter of fact, you would probably get more btu's from burning the actual money you would spend. unless its something like $50 for 4 cords, i would stay away.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I have the chance to get a couple loads of elm, cottonwood, and some poplar for a reasonable price. It's 12" or so log length and BIG rounds (about 2-3 ft diameter, which is big for out here). The rounds have been cut for about 2 years, and the logs have all been down the same amount of time. Is 2-3 year old seasoned elm, unsplit, burnable this season, or should I plan for next? Just working on figuring out the best use of time and $, as we need another 2-3 cords for this year and I can alternatively go the old standby of beetle-killed pine, the cost to cut and haul per cord isn't much less.

Thanks!

Moose, I understand what you have to work with out there. In your situation, I'd grab it and get it split asap. The 12" rounds, even elm that has been unsplit are probably seasoned enough for burning this winter simply because of your climate. I say, go for it.

 

[wellbuilt home]

I like to run my rounds thru the splitter and 1/2 if not 1/4 them . This doesn't take very long and we can load the trucks and trailers easier . In the long run its faster i think .
A lot of my wood crew is still in diapers and cant get the big rounds in the truck.
Most wood will dry in a year if split in half .

 

[moosetrek]

Thanks for the replies - I fat-fingered the keys, brain was out to lunch. Rounds are about 18-20", not 12 - sorry for the confusion... I'll probably go ahead and get a couple cords; if it works out for this year great, if not then I'll save for next. I'm still unclear about CowboyAndy's comment - as both of those are around the same as pine, which is what we burn anyway?

 

[Bigg_Redd]

you would be better off buying gas or oil instead of paying for poplar or cottonwood. as a matter of fact, you would probably get more btu's from burning the actual money you would spend. unless its something like $50 for 4 cords, i would stay away.

:lol:

 

[Summertime]

Dry cottonwood is light like balsa wood and burns like paper,poplar isn't much better for a good burn.

Yeah, yeah, but that isn't what the guy asked. You guys out east need to keep in mind that many of us out west have NO hardwoods available to burn. None. So opinions of which is better is pointless. You burn what is available.

I don't see how it was pointless saying that DRY COTTONWOOD (seasoned) is very light when the guy was asking how to tell if it was seasoned on the heading of his post?

 

[SolarAndWood]

Dry cottonwood is light like balsa wood and burns like paper,poplar isn't much better for a good burn.

Yeah, yeah, but that isn't what the guy asked. You guys out east need to keep in mind that many of us out west have NO hardwoods available to burn. None. So opinions of which is better is pointless. You burn what is available.

I don't see how it was pointless saying that DRY COTTONWOOD (seasoned) is very light when the guy was asking how to tell if it was seasoned on the heading of his post?

The 2 species you say burn like paper, the one you said isn't much better and pine are what the OP has access to. And not for lack of effort either; he is driving 220 miles for a load of pine. In the northeast, we have what seems like an unlimited local supply of inexpensive/free hardwood and many even look down upon those that burn pine.

 

[efoyt]

The poplar should be ready to burn as long as it was stacked off the ground. I had a stack of rounds that I only seasoned for one year and i'm burning it right now. I split it about two weeks ago. Have you ever burnt elm? You will need a spliter for it. But agen if it has been down for two years and wasin't laying on the ground it should be fine. If the wood is still a little wet mix it in with your drier wood while burning.

 

[lexybird]

I have had rounds of various wood types hold moisture to the core even after three years when left on the ground.

agreed ,i just used my homelite splitter on 20-25 inch diameter cherry rounds my father had sitting(stacked off the ground ) in the sun in his back yard since early spring and once i busted them open i saw they were sopping wet with a strong cherry odor and even a few white larvae inside ,it was like they were just cut that morning ..seems wood doesnt truely begin to season till its split up
keep in mind these cherry logs were about 3 feet in length with graying on ends and covered in checks/cracks appeared to be well seasoned,i was shocked

 

[moosetrek]

Thanks again guys - didn't mean to get anyone fired up (pun intended); and yes, Rex - I'm a Maine and upstate NY native, so we burned elm, oak, ash, etc. for years. I was the splitter all through high school, it was strange that as soon as I leave for college a nice gas splitter shows up in the yard... Stories of broken maul handles still find their way to the dinner table at the holidays. I'll take a shot at some of the elm, but I think I'll need to build a splitter first. 3' diameter elm rounds by hand are not my idea of fun, though maybe I'd be ok with a Fiskars since from the reviews it sounds like it'll jump out of my truck and split the wood for me

Have a great day!

 

[rdust]

though maybe I'd be ok with a Fiskars since from the reviews it sounds like it'll jump out of my truck and split the wood for me

Have a great day!

I've heard/read that you don't even need a Fiskars, you can just whisper it's name and the logs will split themselves!

 

[BandSawyer]

I have found that Elm is a good burning wood but difficult to split. The stuff I had sort of peeled like a banana. Good luck.