I have read a lot of people on here asking what kind of wood to burn and a lot of others saying to stay away from certain species of wood, and have even had people that I have given wood to(ash) complain that they didnt care for it. Maybe its because I get all of my wood for free( minus my time and labor) that I am thankfull for what I get. Most of it is ash with everything else mixed in we take the good with the bad. My point is I read somewhere awhile back that the best wood to burn is what you have available. Im not saying that ash is better than oak but I dont get alot of oak but I have more ash than you can shake a stick at. Im just saying that some of the people on here.....newbies like myself..... need to realize plenty of wood is alot better than a short supply of premium wood.
Snobs
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bsearcey
New Member
From what I've read ash is a very good wood. In some respects better than oak because it season's faster and has a pretty high BTU value. Unfortunately (well maybe not unfortunately) I have mostly oaks around my parts and the only ash in abundance is green ash which isn't as good as white. This is what alot and I mean alot of guys are burning up north where the EAB is decimating the ashes. I'm not sure what you've read to come to the conclusion that ash is seen as an inferior wood. I don't know of anyone on the forums who would turn it down. There are certain species I would avoid if I had a choice. Examples: elm, sweet gum, black gum, and willow. Hopefully I'll never be in a position where that's all I had to choose from. Anyway enjoy the ash.
White ash makes up about 90% of what I burn. I've got about 5 cords of oak that I'm going to leave sit for another year. I'll burn some on the really cold nights, it does last a little longer.
There was a CL ad from some guy who wanted to trade an older computer for a face cord of good hardwood, or 1.5 face cords of ash. If I wanted an old Mac, I would have gladly given him a face cord of soft maple and kept the good ash for myself.
There was a CL ad from some guy who wanted to trade an older computer for a face cord of good hardwood, or 1.5 face cords of ash. If I wanted an old Mac, I would have gladly given him a face cord of soft maple and kept the good ash for myself.
If you have Green Ash and Oak that is the only two kinds of wood you will ever need. Not sure why any one would tell the OP they do not like Ash, I have always like a good piece of Ash. :lol:bsearcey said:
SolarAndWood
Minister of Fire
Wood snobs. Every forum has them, and many people you come across have some kind of opinion about what should or shouldn't be burned. I have some criteria, as well:
1) free
2) free
3) free
Get the point? Yes, there s wood I greatly prefer over others, but have learned over the years that junk wood has a place in my stove and can serve me quite well, when used appropriately. I don't try to get overnight burns from pine, but I do like having it around for quick heat and firestarting. don't worry about what everyone else says. You know (or will learn) what works best and when it works best.
1) free
2) free
3) free
Get the point? Yes, there s wood I greatly prefer over others, but have learned over the years that junk wood has a place in my stove and can serve me quite well, when used appropriately. I don't try to get overnight burns from pine, but I do like having it around for quick heat and firestarting. don't worry about what everyone else says. You know (or will learn) what works best and when it works best.
savageactor7
Minister of Fire
Adios Pantalones
Minister of Fire
I have never heard anyone say to stay away from ash- in fact quite the opposite.
If someone asks about a wood species- then people will give their opinion. If someone has access to unlimited ash- they will avoid elm because elm is hard to split, so why bother when they have an easier to split, higher BTU wood?
Me? I burn whatever I can get.
If someone asks about a wood species- then people will give their opinion. If someone has access to unlimited ash- they will avoid elm because elm is hard to split, so why bother when they have an easier to split, higher BTU wood?
Me? I burn whatever I can get.
3fordasho
Minister of Fire
I don't think I'm a wood snob by any means but available room for wood storage maybe a reason one becomes picky.
I've got close to 20 cords on my .44 acre residential property that is a mix of just about everything that grows around here.
Just recently I secured a woodlot that must be cleared by spring (really wasn't looking for more wood but a contact made a year ago came to fruit). Anyway I've started to give away some of my lesser wood to make room for the fresh cut oak, cherry and ash from this new site. Also the site contains plenty of siberian elm that I will offer to fellow woodburners or a neighbor that likes firepit wood.
I've got close to 20 cords on my .44 acre residential property that is a mix of just about everything that grows around here.
Just recently I secured a woodlot that must be cleared by spring (really wasn't looking for more wood but a contact made a year ago came to fruit). Anyway I've started to give away some of my lesser wood to make room for the fresh cut oak, cherry and ash from this new site. Also the site contains plenty of siberian elm that I will offer to fellow woodburners or a neighbor that likes firepit wood.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Random thoughts . . .
I've been here for a bit and can't recall too many people who thumb their noses at all but the primo wood . . . most of us will burn what we have access to . . . whether it be wood from our woodlots, wood that we scrounge or wood that we buy. Sure, there are some people who may say that they would not go out of their way for ___________ or ___________ (fill in the blanks with whatever is your least desirable wood due to lower BTU content, challenge to split or just plain messy or smelly) . . . but I'm guessing that most of us simply burn whatever we get.
Me . . . I'm an equal opportunity burner . . . it's rare that I turn down any wood. While I may not go out of my way to cut down a poplar or softwood tree (namely because of the lower BTU value and higher value for pulp or lumber), I have and will continue to harvest these less desirable trees when I come across one that is in my way or if I think it would improve the woodlot by taking it down. For every tree there is a season . . . and for these lower BTU trees that season is now . . . and in the Spring.
As another person mentioned, there are many reasons some folks may turn down wood -- it may be that they're splitting by hand and find the stringy elm to be too much of a challenge . . . or maybe they have limited storage space and want to focus their time and effort on harvesting better BTU wood -- in most cases I am guessing that these folks have access to a ready supply of wood so they can "afford" to be a little more choosey . . . if a person doesn't have a ready, steady access to wood they may not be as choosey . . . which is fine.
Truth is . . . you can stay warm in your home regardless of what you burn in your stove . . . providing that it seasons . . . some wood burns a little faster, some wood burns a little hotter . . . but it all burns (well except for petrified wood -- I would turn down that wood if offered) and it all keeps you warm at night.
Ash . . . I can never recall anyone saying anything bad about ash . . . heck ash is one of the best-loved woods here. Sure, it may not be right up there with the primo woods like oak, hickory or locust, but it splits like a dream, seasons pretty quickly, is usually quite straight and has a decent burn. In fact, ash is one of my favorite woods to process and burn . . . and I really dread the possibility that some day the emerald ash borer will destroy all the ash growing on the family land.
I've been here for a bit and can't recall too many people who thumb their noses at all but the primo wood . . . most of us will burn what we have access to . . . whether it be wood from our woodlots, wood that we scrounge or wood that we buy. Sure, there are some people who may say that they would not go out of their way for ___________ or ___________ (fill in the blanks with whatever is your least desirable wood due to lower BTU content, challenge to split or just plain messy or smelly) . . . but I'm guessing that most of us simply burn whatever we get.
Me . . . I'm an equal opportunity burner . . . it's rare that I turn down any wood. While I may not go out of my way to cut down a poplar or softwood tree (namely because of the lower BTU value and higher value for pulp or lumber), I have and will continue to harvest these less desirable trees when I come across one that is in my way or if I think it would improve the woodlot by taking it down. For every tree there is a season . . . and for these lower BTU trees that season is now . . . and in the Spring.
As another person mentioned, there are many reasons some folks may turn down wood -- it may be that they're splitting by hand and find the stringy elm to be too much of a challenge . . . or maybe they have limited storage space and want to focus their time and effort on harvesting better BTU wood -- in most cases I am guessing that these folks have access to a ready supply of wood so they can "afford" to be a little more choosey . . . if a person doesn't have a ready, steady access to wood they may not be as choosey . . . which is fine.
Truth is . . . you can stay warm in your home regardless of what you burn in your stove . . . providing that it seasons . . . some wood burns a little faster, some wood burns a little hotter . . . but it all burns (well except for petrified wood -- I would turn down that wood if offered) and it all keeps you warm at night.
Ash . . . I can never recall anyone saying anything bad about ash . . . heck ash is one of the best-loved woods here. Sure, it may not be right up there with the primo woods like oak, hickory or locust, but it splits like a dream, seasons pretty quickly, is usually quite straight and has a decent burn. In fact, ash is one of my favorite woods to process and burn . . . and I really dread the possibility that some day the emerald ash borer will destroy all the ash growing on the family land.
We gave someone some wood last year as a return favor on some other work and it was plenty to cover the trade equally and he said that he really didn't care for the ash. It just irritates me when people can't or won't scrounge their wood or pay for the premium stuff complain about good seasoned firewood no matter what kind it is when they could have sat and stared at an empty woodstove.......Just complaining I guess.....glad I have all my wood ready to go
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
cityhick said:
I would say this guy was just plain dumb then . . . ash is a great wood . . . now if you were trying to unload some poplar on him.
bsearcey
New Member
firefighterjake said:cityhick said:
I would say this guy was just plain dumb then . . . ash is a great wood . . . now if you were trying to unload some poplar on him.
I guess I misinterpreted the OP. I thought that cityhick was implying that some guys on the forum were anti-ash and giving newbies the wrong impression. I gottcha now. I agree with FFJ. The guy was just dumb. People like that would buy unseasoned oak over seasoned ash because they don't know that they would get more heat out of the seasoned ash plus alot less creosote.
Adios Pantalones
Minister of Fire
Sisu said:
Why don't you just go straight to balsa wood trimmings? You wouldn't catch me going near that crap.
Love,
AP on his lignum vitae plantation.
Adios Pantalones
Minister of Fire
Adios Pantalones said:
Hmmmm interesting! I might win....that is until the Zulus caught up and killed me.
As far as the OP, I would not turn down ash. I prefer my wood free. But I also temper that with "amount of work involved", "quantity" and "btus per weight". Meaning I would not trouble myself with a basswood that fell down someone's ravine.
Adios Pantalones
Minister of Fire
I heard that the legend that they would kill you for owning it was made up by exporters to drive up the mystique and value of the wood- which is outrageous anyways.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
Flatbedford
Minister of Fire
Being a hand splitting scrounger, I have to be a bit of a wood snob. While the wood may be free, for me, time is a most precious commodity. It takes just as long, or even longer to cut, load, split, and stack junk wood as it would for my preferred, and easy splitting, Oak, Locust, Ash, or Cherry. I burn about 4 cords per year. I can buy 4 cords of green split mixed hardwood from a tree guy I know for $600, so I won't put time and energy into any "lesser" wood. I love processing wood, but I have to get the most BTU per man/hour I can.
Tony H
Minister of Fire
Just to clarify anyone with "inferior" wood near the Northern Illinois area can drop it off at my house and I will burn it for you .
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