Popular... its a great wood

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
My plan is to slab up this tree for a table, counter tops and benches and burn the rest. It may not burn hot but it’s only costing me some sweat.
D5B195E3-053A-40F1-AFEC-648CD9B51CA3.jpeg
E4B43C5B-59B8-44A5-99EE-95C62531887F.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • DEAA50B4-E608-4E41-9E23-23291B2B1E02.jpeg
    DEAA50B4-E608-4E41-9E23-23291B2B1E02.jpeg
    316.5 KB · Views: 330
I've burned poplar and cottonwood the last couple years. I'm in the PacNW where the winters don't get too cold, and have mostly reserved it for the shoulder seasons. It's very common and constantly available around me. The stuff is so heavy when green, but dries quickly and is light as a feather when seasoned. It also leaves a lot of ash in the box, so I've got to do clean outs more often. I'll keep burning it.
 
The way I see it, lower BTU wood just means more work for the same amount of heat. More time, more gas, more hauling.
If I had a choice I'd always take the better stuff, but when scrounging I never know how long between scrounges so I often take low BTU wood.

You can always load less of the good stuff to get the same heat but the math says Oak vs Poplar is a no brainer.
 
It is trash wood. I have access to hickory, oak, black walnut. I have some real big wood piles but even then, there is only so much room. Why waste my work, and space, on this inferior wood?
 
  • Like
Reactions: johneh
It is trash wood. I have access to hickory, oak, black walnut. I have some real big wood piles but even then, there is only so much room. Why waste my work, and space, on this inferior wood?

Its a great shoulder season wood.. not sure you read the first post..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jan Pijpelink
I agree it works in the shoulder season but its still more work/time/gas than good wood which also works in the shoulder season.

It all comes down to what's available and what is your time worth.
 
No me gusta.

Ich habe nicht Gern.

Nyet!

Iye!!!
 
I agree it works in the shoulder season but its still more work/time/gas than good wood which also works in the shoulder season.

It all comes down to what's available and what is your time worth.

Im not stocked up on it. Out of my 14 cord css only one cord is poplar, the rest ois oak and cherry. The oak was just to hot and overheated the house the day before.. the poplare was nice, because i could enjoy my fire and have it longer with out opening the windows. As i said prior. Its not a wood i would want in january and February, but it was great in may. I will be burning again this October ..
 
One case Poplar stung me was when I had a grapple load delivered and it ended up being mostly Cottonwood. The contract just said "hardwoods" which Poplar technically is, but I felt shafted when half the load was a 4' diameter Cottonwood tree.

I learned my lesson to ask more questions before getting a delivery and better yet have not had a delivery in over 12 years since I now rely on scrounging.
 
"No me gusta.

Ich habe nicht Gern.

Nyet!

Iye"

This means that, around the world, wood burners from Mexico, to Germany, and from Russia to Japan all dislike poplar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: johneh