BTUs - how should I look at this?

[joefrompa]

Hi all,

I'm getting a few cords of bucked pine from a neighbor, which I'm c/s/s to use for next winter. It's free wood, he's dropping it off at my house bucked, and it's wood that'll be ready to use by next season.

However, looking at BTU charts I feel like I might be robbing myself - but I don't know if I should feel this way.

I burned about 1 - 1.5 cords of pine this winter - poorly seasoned, but I liked it alot overall. I liked how it started up so easily (when dry) and how a good dry piece or two would give off so much heat, so quickly, that my stove would jump from 350-400 back to 600 in a matter of minutes.

I understand it burns quickly and doesn't coal up, so I'm robbing myself of the lasting heat of some of the hardwoods.

But it seems to me that pine's reliable BURST of heat is it's strength, and I simply have to be willing to haul more into the house and reload more often, but other than that I'm not paying much price...

Is that the right way to look at it?

 

[zzr7ky]

Do it! It's great for starting off, warming stove, chimney, and shows nice flames right away. You can always add hardwood. Also great for taking the chill off with a shorter burn in spring and Fall.

Enjoy!

 

[lukem]

I don't see how free wood is robbing yourself...it's FREE! Just don't use it for an overnight load in January...think of it as paying yourself...now you don't have to "waste" all the good heat from your primo wood in the shoulder season.

 

[gzecc]

Imo it depends how hard it is to process. I've said before that if I had to process the pine around my house I wouldn't burn wood.
I do use some knot free pieces. They are nice to add (one piece) to a hard wood start up. It takes off nicely.

 

[Wood Duck]

I'd look at it as free wood, and you can't beat free wood. Yeah, maybe it'll burn a little faster than hardwood, but as long as you know what to expect you'll do alright. I wish my neighbor would give me a couple of cords of free pine - where is the downside?

 

[shawneyboy]

I agree with Duck. Free wood = free BTUs = a happy burner !!

 

[KarlP]

Its more work to heat with pine, but having it dropped in your yard already bucked cuts back on the work required.

If you are at your ideal weight and sleep 8-9 hours a night, I'd say you should burn oak. If you're a typical American that is 20something lbs overweight and doesn't get enough sleep anyway, you might as well make more trips from the wood pile to the stove. ;-)

 

[firefighterjake]

Hi all,

I'm getting a few cords of bucked pine from a neighbor, which I'm c/s/s to use for next winter. It's free wood, he's dropping it off at my house bucked, and it's wood that'll be ready to use by next season.

However, looking at BTU charts I feel like I might be robbing myself - but I don't know if I should feel this way.

I burned about 1 - 1.5 cords of pine this winter - poorly seasoned, but I liked it alot overall. I liked how it started up so easily (when dry) and how a good dry piece or two would give off so much heat, so quickly, that my stove would jump from 350-400 back to 600 in a matter of minutes.

I understand it burns quickly and doesn't coal up, so I'm robbing myself of the lasting heat of some of the hardwoods.

But it seems to me that pine's reliable BURST of heat is it's strength, and I simply have to be willing to haul more into the house and reload more often, but other than that I'm not paying much price...

Is that the right way to look at it?

I've put the important parts in bold . . . but just in case you missed my not-so-subtle hints or the feelings of other members.

It's free. It's bucked up already. It's free. There are several cords. It's free. It's being dropped right off at your house. It's free. It seasons quickly. It's free. It ignites easily. It's free. It provided heat for your home. . . . . and oh yeah, it's free.

Get it. Thank the neighbor. Split it. Stack it. Enjoy the heat in the Fall . . . yeah, you may not have the lasting power of hardwood and may end up hauling more inside and some neighbors may be convinced that you are touched in the head and will surely burn down your house . . . but the power of the pine does not lie . . . then again . . .you knew this already didn't you!

 

[shawneyboy]

I've put the important parts in bold . . . but just in case you missed my not-so-subtle hints or the feelings of other members.

It's free. It's bucked up already. It's free. There are several cords. It's free. It's being dropped right off at your house. It's free. It seasons quickly. It's free. It ignites easily. It's free. It provided heat for your home. . . . . and oh yeah, it's free.

Get it. Thank the neighbor. Split it. Stack it. Enjoy the heat in the Fall . . . yeah, you may not have the lasting power of hardwood and may end up hauling more inside and some neighbors may be convinced that you are touched in the head and will surely burn down your house . . . but the power of the pine does not lie . . . then again . . .you knew this already didn't you!

I just wanted to put the other important parts in bold.....

Shawn

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I think many times people really do not understand the btu thing. Some will say that one type of wood really burns hot; others burn good; others coal good, etc., etc. When it is all boiled down, I simply look at the btu thing not so much how much heat the stove will give (I can reach 600+ degree stove top with almost any decent firewood), but how long it will give that heat. Also, some wood will start burning much quicker and easier than others which means you get heat quickly but usually with those you don't get that heat for so long.

On cold winter nights most know it is best to have some of the hardest of hardwoods. It is not that they burn hotter, but they will burn longer and those also are usually the best types for giving a good bed of coals.

I'm sure most have noticed that in an outdoor fire you can get big flames that give off lots of heat, but for the best, that happens once you get a bed of coals. Of course that is when it is best to do the roasting too!

 

[woodchip]

My two cents worth is fairly simple.

Pine burns well if you want a quick short fire. And a quick short fire is probably ideal for shoulder seasons.
You can then save the best hardwood for when you want overnight burns or when you want to go out and leave the fire burning.