I have burned only doug fir and cedar for the past 12 years since moving to my farm here in oregon. This was mainly wood that I cut myself in the state forest. 3 years ago I made friends with a tree service. They just kept bringing me white oak logs until I had almost 12 cords cut and split. As most of you know, oak dries really slow and I gave it 3 full summers to dry before finally being able to start burning this winter. Wow am I impressed in how much better oak does for heating my house. I use fewer logs than when burning fir and it burns longer. It is not the easiest wood to get started, but burns long and hot. I have been starting with cedar and once the fire is going I switch to the oak. Now I understand why people like oak so much for firewood.
After 3 summers I can finally burn my oak!
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Another huge benefit of oak is the very minimal amount of ash left behind, I can go 2 weeks without shoveling out the Lopi, unlike even maple when after 4-5 days I need to scoop. Now, if you had red oak with the much easier splitting, you'd be in firewood heaven with those of us that are lucky to burn mainly red.
But the payoff is when you catchup on that 3 yr supply.
Dieselhead
Minister of Fire
If you have the space to keep 3 full years worth on hand the oaks, locusts etc are worth it. If space is of a premium stick to the lower end BTU woods.
I’m burning six year seasoned red oak now, good year for it with old fashioned cold temps returning to my northern Wisconsin adobe again.
I have found that my Red Oak is ready in my woodshed if it gets two summers drying time. So I buck up and split my logs early Spring and straight into the woodshed it goes. The logs I receive are all Winter cut so I suspect the sap content is lower.
EbS-P
Minister of Fire
I’m torn. My dry yellow pine is good. Low ash burns hot. But I to am into some old oak. And….. it’s better my issue is I can’t split it as uniform as the pine. The rounds were shorter that I scrounged and the knots I just tossed into the woods. Another bonus of oak is if my tarp blows off it doesn’t soak up water like pine. One storm and a whole rack of pine is unburnable till next year. Oak is fine.
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