Burning Boxelder

[Caw]

I was bringing in some wood today and found some 3 year old boxelder. Having been burning red oak most of the year so far it's amazing how light it is. It's balsa like. I am confident I could throw a decent 20 yard spiral with a split lol.

I brought some in for a test burn and we've gone from full firebox to almost nothing in about 2 hours on a 45 degree day where the draft is mediocre. Lightness checks out. So, for a quick burst of heat during shoulder season sure I'd burn it if I had it, but I wouldn't recommend investing any of your time scrounging or processing it. The logs are usually tangled messes and brutal to split. Id rather have just about any other hardwood or even pine.

 

[all night moe]

I lay lengths of 8''ish dia of it on the ground. That's to keep my good wood off the ground.
I do not process that garbage for fuel. I'd rather watch it rot.
Silver maple is much better for shoulder seasons and, there's always a steady supply.

 

[Caw]

Yeah it's pretty terrible. I only processed it because I happened to have a log mixed in with my usual oak/maple delivery. Never again!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

It is a maple….Acer negundo.

 

[Caw]

Oh yeah I know. I guess I should have said my usual red oak and red maple to be more specific. Those are my two primary wood sources with the occasional black cherry and ash mixed in.

 

[all night moe]

It is actually in the maple family. It has the "helicopter" seeds. I'm pretty sure it originated from Europe. Some idiot decided it would make a good ornamental tree and imported it. I classify it as a weed. Grows everywhere, and they never are a healthy tree.

 

[all night moe]

It is a maple….Acer negundo.

Arborist?

 

[Caw]

It is actually in the maple family. It has the "helicopter" seeds. I'm pretty sure it originated from Europe. Some idiot decided it would make a good ornamental tree and imported it. I classify it as a weed. Grows everywhere, and they never are a healthy tree.

Yeah and they often grow with twisted and crooked trunks. Norway maples also have big helicopter seeds. Also crappy firewood but better than boxelder.

 

[all night moe]

Yeah and they often grow with twisted and crooked trunks. Norway maples also have big helicopter seeds. Also crappy firewood but better than boxelder.

I actually like the Norway. Dries fast, and buns HOT. Doesn't have a tremendous burn time like oak and others but, it lays some decent coals. It's a good shoulder season burn and I also mix it with better hardwoods as a fire box filler. My indoor furnace measures 24x24xalmost 48'' deep.

 

[Caw]

Given my location I'm very fortunate to have access to an abundance of some of the best firewood out there so I don't like wasting time and space on lesser woods if I can avoid it. Stuff like Norway, poplar, silver maple, boxelder, pine, etc. They are certainly usable for quick drying solutions or shoulder season etc but I can spend equal time on red oak, red or sugar maple, cherry, ash etc and get way better value for my time. First world problem for sure.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Arborist?

No, Pest and Wildlife. Knowing trees helps me with habitat. When walking up to a house with an unknown critter I can generally rule out some animals on the short walk from my truck to the front door, lol.

 

[brenndatomu]

Meh, I dunno...I kinda like having some boxelder in the stacks...it is a bit of a pain splitting and stacking it, as they rarely grow straight (I had one large one that we took down at work, it actually made some nice splits) but I also get paid to take BE trees down at work too, so...
People always say that its gopher wood, but its kinda interesting, some of it is denser than others for sure...I bet BE was close to 1/2 of what I used last winter.

 

[all night moe]

Given my location I'm very fortunate to have access to an abundance of some of the best firewood out there so I don't like wasting time and space on lesser woods if I can avoid it. Stuff like Norway, poplar, silver maple, boxelder, pine, etc. They are certainly usable for quick drying solutions or shoulder season etc but I can spend equal time on red oak, red or sugar maple, cherry, ash etc and get way better value for my time. First world problem for sure.

NY here with the same woods. I just wish I was heating with a woodstove, or two, instead of a big furnace.

Edit/add on: I find black cherry to burn fast and hot too.

 

[brenndatomu]

I just wish I was heating with a woodstove, or two, instead of a big furnace.

Why's that?

 

[all night moe]

Why's that?

The size of the firebox is huge. Consumes a lot of wood. It's an old Thermo Control made by National Stove Works, dated 1978.
Granted, it's been altered to run as a woodstove by the previous HO. It is not wired into the house thermostat. It is our only source of heat, and uses the furnace's blower for the hot air system. Another downside is the ductwork. It's not up to snuff. It's also been altered from the partial remodel. A pair of good woodstoves would suit me better. Like a nice BK Ashford and my Mid Moe would be fine for heat.

In all honesty, I'd prefer an outdoor gasser. So much less work to feed the house heat. 4500sq ft of vintage farmhouse. Timber and balloon framing.

 

[Caw]

Yeah I love black cherry. As a matter of fact I just brought two trailers of it in today! Here's a piece right here. It's such beautiful wood it's almost a shame to burn it. I always save some for the smoker, too.

 

[all night moe]

Definitely beautiful wood. I feel the same way about burning it, and some other species too.

 

[Caw]

I have boxelder and red oak in my rack next to the stove right now. A 2" oak split weighs more than the 6" boxelder 🤣

 

[all night moe]

I have boxelder and red oak in my rack next to the stove right now. A 2" oak split weighs more than the 6" boxelder 🤣

Feeder fuel for the oak.

 

[Kevin Weis]

I dispise Boxelder! I turn it away even if it's free. Belive it or not there is a niche market for it as a furniture wood if it contains some of the red staining.

 

[Caw]

The red staining can look pretty if you seal it right away. It fades quite a bit as it dries. It's very vibrant fresh.

 

[Toasty-Yote]

Box elder is good for kindling and burning down coals. I grab it if it is basically zero effort. I am not hauling it around in my little hatchback nor am I carrying it long distances out of the woods.

 

[MongoMongoson]

I spent several years burning nothing but box elder during a time when the wood stove was my only source of heat. It was readily available, free, and dried fast. The farmer down the road was glad to be rid of it. If I wasn't hauling it from his place, he was dragging big logs down the road with his tractor to leave in my driveway. It is a lot more difficult to be a wood snob when you are in a desperate situation with no furnace and no money to buy oil even if the furnace did run. Now I have about 5 years worth of oak, hickory, red elm, ash, and silver maple CSS. I burn wood because I like it and because I can, not out of necessity. I will still take box elder if it is free, but I won't drive far for it. I like it, and split it as large as is practical. I leave rounds round and break the bark if they are small enough. They dry pretty well that way and burn slower.

 

[Toasty-Yote]

Plus, I enjoy all aspects of wood burning, to include gathering, cutting, splitting and tending the fire. I prioritize other wood but I burn anything that’s dry.

 

[all night moe]

It makes good chipper feed