With the big differences of the old stoves to the newer EPA units has any one found they have better luck with a different type of wood than before?
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I will add to what I posted before, my go to wood for 30 or so has been Oak but am wondering with the charcteristics of the new stove I wonder if the oak is going to work as well, I wonder if my 6 inch rounds will burn very well even with a good bed of coals. Still no clue how this thing is going to work when it gets cold.
I didn't go from a pre-EPA to EPA stove so I don't know the answer. However I expect one answer may be "Dry wood" - or at least "wood that is MORE dry". Perhaps if one were to stick to species of wood then those that dry out faster may be preferred (i.e. avoid red oak?).
As far as oak, my EPA stove likes two-year better than one-year, and I suspect yours will also.
Biggest thing for me is the ability to burn dry pine, spruce, poplar, etc. in a controlled way, getting an even, extended heat instead of either a raging inferno or a smoldering mess.
Favorite wood is still maple.
Biggest thing for me is the ability to burn dry pine, spruce, poplar, etc. in a controlled way, getting an even, extended heat instead of either a raging inferno or a smoldering mess.
Favorite wood is still maple.
The Oak that I have now was dead when I cut it and it is 3 years old with a moisture content of 17% on a new split, and yes I agree I may get more use out of some woods I did not mess with before.
oldspark said:
You will get more use from your oak as well! Dry wood "seasoned" as we know it is loved by epa stoves.. the longer I have my stove the better it gets .... cause my wood gets better! Lol. Oak is one of the best coaling woods out there ... if you can get better wood great! But wood that is "lesser" in some peoples opinion, ie pine .... burns great in my stove!
I hope and pray my oak is 17%! Man I can only hope for that this year
My neighbor was up today and he told me that it was probably a good thing that I only had two years worth of wood on the stacks because any more would get too dry before I burned it. I just shook my head ruefully. Anything that goes in these stoves anymore is a minimum of three years on the stacks.
I don't get to try many types of wood. Red oak, which I love and if you guys don't it want send it this way freight pre-paid, white oak which is a groan to get dry and some beech and pine. If folks will dry the pine as long as they do the hardwoods they are in for a surprise. Sure it will burn after a year. But it is a real pleasure to burn after two years. Just like the rest of the stuff. And yes, I am talking about that evil Eastern pine.
I don't get to try many types of wood. Red oak, which I love and if you guys don't it want send it this way freight pre-paid, white oak which is a groan to get dry and some beech and pine. If folks will dry the pine as long as they do the hardwoods they are in for a surprise. Sure it will burn after a year. But it is a real pleasure to burn after two years. Just like the rest of the stuff. And yes, I am talking about that evil Eastern pine.
Never had a non-EPA stove but cherry is working out very well for me, at least during the shoulder season. I cut some standing dead cherry that was slightly punky on the outside but solid and dry for the most part. I've been burning this so far and it's working out great. Stove is cruising in the basement at 550 stove top and it's a nice 71 degrees on the 1st floor. Helping me save the maple and oak for when it's really cold.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how well cottonwood will burn in the EPA stove once it is dried. Really cool flames too.
BrotherBart said:
Funny you should mention that - this pine that I'm burning now is at least 18months - not sure how much longer and it has been quite nice to burn so far this shoulder season. Certainly no problems with it - I'm glad I can close down the stove though and slow it down as I imagine that if I couldn't it would burn rather fast. As it is though I get a nice burn out of it with active flames and good heat.
I'm going to start actually looking for it now - but I guess it will be a couple years before I start burning it in earnest... Guess I'll have to stick to burning that oak in the meantime
Biggest thing I've noticed with the EPA stoves is that the so-called "junk" wood that I once turned my nose up at . . . pine, poplar, willow, etc. . . . burns rather well . . . sure it may not give you as long a burn as sugar maple, beech or ash . . . but it still burns well once seasoned and puts out plenty of heat at a respectable burn time.
No new EPA stove, but a different and bigger non-EPA stove got installed last year. I used to burn lots of locust because it grew on my old property and I had a huge furnace to toss it into. I had some tense "locust moments" with that beast, so I started using it more sparingly.
When I moved here, I found that locust was hard to get going well in my small box stove. Then it got going all too well and was hard to control. This year I got about a cord of locust to add to the fire at night, and let me tell you, this stove just loves it. I've been getting nice even heat and incredible burn times from just a few 5-6" splits on top of a nice bed of cherry coals to get it going. I decide it's probably time to go down to check the stove and I don't even make it to the bottom of the basement stairs because I feel that heat and I know that stove ain't ready for a reload without even looking at it.
Now I wish I had another cord of the stuff. I still love my shagbark, but locust is easier to find around here, starts out drier, seasons much faster, and splits like oak with an axe or small maul.
Why would anyone want oak instead of locust?
When I moved here, I found that locust was hard to get going well in my small box stove. Then it got going all too well and was hard to control. This year I got about a cord of locust to add to the fire at night, and let me tell you, this stove just loves it. I've been getting nice even heat and incredible burn times from just a few 5-6" splits on top of a nice bed of cherry coals to get it going. I decide it's probably time to go down to check the stove and I don't even make it to the bottom of the basement stairs because I feel that heat and I know that stove ain't ready for a reload without even looking at it.
Now I wish I had another cord of the stuff. I still love my shagbark, but locust is easier to find around here, starts out drier, seasons much faster, and splits like oak with an axe or small maul.
Why would anyone want oak instead of locust?
I want the Oak because it is what is available, I had a BL tree given to me a couple of years and other than the drying being better I can not tell a whole lot of difference.
when i got my jotul last year,i started collecting pine and other previously less than desirables,now...wow i love dat stuff..but dont tell anybody,people are giving it to me for free..(think i,m dimwitted or something....
rod
rod
oldspark said:
Well, your question pertained to new favorites in newer stoves. Time to compare again, eh?
Good point, I have one good load of it left I am going to try when it gets cold, can not get much of it around here so Oak is king for me, with the lower moisture content I believe BL to be the best wood out there IMHO.Battenkiller said:
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