Can't believe I'm posting this but I saw in another thread on here someone burning Boxelder and not in shoulder season. I always viewed this as absolute trash wood, worse than Tree of Heaven even. But maybe I'm missing something with this. I have tons of Boxelder available to me but haven't felt that desperate to cut on it yet. So is it worth it?
Boxelder yes, no?
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It's so so, I would rate it about a 6 out of 10. Tree of Heaven is worse than Box Elder to my mind, and somehow it is related to Maple but isn't quite as good for fuelwood. If you can get better do it, if not try it and mix it in with other woods. Sounds like the price is right?!
Yep for some reason in the Acer family. Never figured out why that is. No resemblance at all really. Except maybe its brittle. As long as its ash content is not significant I can deal with it but being in the Maple family probably has a lot.
The Boxelder is free. Was pushed out of the way for a logging road on neighbors property fall of 16'.
Sawset
Minister of Fire
Cut into it to see if it's rotten. It can get soft. It's been down 2 yrs. I cut some up, then came back a year later and it wasn't worth retrieving.
Eureka
Feeling the Heat
I burn a lot of it because it grows like weeds and nobody wants it. I like to leave it in big chunky pieces because it dries out very well for me. Doesn’t burn as fast then.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
I have some in my stacks...I don't mind it...works fine for shoulder season, or mixing into a load with other harder/heavier woods...
Riddlefiddle
Member
Riddlefiddle
Member
Sawset
Minister of Fire
According to wiki - "ghetto palm", "stink tree", and "tree of Hell". I don't think I've ever seen one.
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hickoryhoarder
Minister of Fire
LocustPocust
Burning Hunk
I've burned a lot of it. It splits easy, dries quickly, burns clean and HOT but burns fast. I've stacked a bunch of it in December and was burning it the following October. I stuff 3 or 4 pieces in the stove and put the damper down a bit and it does well. Good for when you're up and around the house on a cold day.
It grows everywhere around here so it's easy getting. I've had people look at me like I was crazy but oh well, free BTUs.
It grows everywhere around here so it's easy getting. I've had people look at me like I was crazy but oh well, free BTUs.
Very prolific weed tree at least in these parts. Grows fast, brittle, very light when it dries. Leaves look similar to Walnut. In Australia I've heard it is planted as an ornamental. Go figure.
Eureka
Feeling the Heat
I wonder if they plant it growing out of run down buildings, junk cars, and cracks in the sidewalk like how it grows naturally here.
Woody5506
Minister of Fire
It's one of those woods that seems like a decent idea until you start burning it, then you can't wait to get through it all so you can get back to burning good stuff.
That's how I felt about it anyway.
That's how I felt about it anyway.
I got some box elder when the electric company did some trimming so it was free. Once it dried it was as light as pine, to me it's a softwood.
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Don't go out of your way for it. I get some mixed with other wood but if that's all there was it better be free and processed too. As a favor I did some tree removal and it all turned out to be box elder and cottonwood (slightly worse than box elder) I was really happy to burn up the last pallet of that crap.
Some other down sides of box elder is the larger trees will likely be hollow and rotted inside, it can be very twisted and not split well, I've had some trunk wood that the grain seemed to go in every direction - it needed to be ripped with the saw and then it never seemed to dry well or burn well. Not the best smelling wood for cutting or splitting. Smaller trees not messed up by the wind split OK.
I say kill them when they are small like the weeds that they are.
Some other down sides of box elder is the larger trees will likely be hollow and rotted inside, it can be very twisted and not split well, I've had some trunk wood that the grain seemed to go in every direction - it needed to be ripped with the saw and then it never seemed to dry well or burn well. Not the best smelling wood for cutting or splitting. Smaller trees not messed up by the wind split OK.
I say kill them when they are small like the weeds that they are.
i have a lot of it in my yard, so that is why i burn it. i had a 3ft diameter one that we took down a few years ago. They tend to get broken in the late spring storms and then they get really bushy. I won't go farther than my yard to get them.
I also am not really particular as far as what I am burning right now, I am trying to cycle through some of my older stacks of unevenly cut wood and uglies so that I can get to the elm, locust, and maple that I have.
There is a lot of ash, but it actually coals up nicer than pine, so I am ok with it.
I also am not really particular as far as what I am burning right now, I am trying to cycle through some of my older stacks of unevenly cut wood and uglies so that I can get to the elm, locust, and maple that I have.
There is a lot of ash, but it actually coals up nicer than pine, so I am ok with it.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
It doesn’t stack very well either. Due to its twisty nature it splits like crap and stacks like crap. I burn it in the barn stove because I have it on my property. The smell isn’t to appealing either.
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