Firewood BTU's

  • 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.
Status
Not open for further replies.
msherer

msherer

Burning Hunk
Hearth Supporter
Dec 9, 2010
109
IL
http://www.thelograck.com/firewood_rating_chart.html

I found this chart and thought it was interesting that hard maple rated the highest. Not sure how accurate this list is but I don't think I've ever burnt any hard maple. I have a couple of Red Maple trees my wife has been asking me to cut down and just didn't think maple period would be very good to burn. I guess I'll reconsider her request.
 
Something is not right with that. What I call hard rock maple is great burning firewood and gives off the great aroma to the surrounding neighbors, but it's not that high on the list. Osage, mulberry, locust, and oak are above hard maple. I just looked again and it has chestnut as poor. I'll take all of that poor firewood!
 
  • Like
Reactions: D8Chumley
Well shucks, if hard maple was that great with btu's I was thinking of all the furniture I have made from it. But since it's not, I'm guessing I won't start chopping up my furniture. :)

However, wood is wood, and it will burn. It's all btu's more or less. The only wood I steer clear of is the Tree Of Heaven as I understand it smells like someone burning tires. Not inside the house, but outside. The neighbors might have issues with that ALTHOUGH !!! ;lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Paulywalnut
Red maple dries quite well if given 6 months or more. I c/s/s a bunch in early to mid spring and all is between 19 and 22% currently in fresh splits. Burning well for so far. With area to store 8 cords as a max, I opt for quick drying stuff ( a year seasoned). I will be cutting some oak this weekend but will find space to stack that as that will be used in the 17-18' season..".and it is hard to refuse free oak.
 
The chimneysweep chart is the best one I have seen
 
  • Like
Reactions: TedyOH and Seanm
Also (before you cut them down) I do not believe red maple is considered a hard maple - black and sugar maple are the only 2 hard maples I know of. That said I burn a lot of silver maple (soft), not high on the BTU chart but it still gets my stove to 625 deg., just don't get a real long burn time.
 
TedyOH said:
Also (before you cut them down) I do not believe red maple is considered a hard maple - black and sugar maple are the only 2 hard maples I know of. That said I burn a lot of silver maple (soft), not high on the BTU chart but it still gets my stove to 625 deg., just don't get a real long burn time.
Click to expand...

We have a lot of what I believe are Norway Maples, called "Split Leaf Maple" by the old timers. The leaves are identical to the Sugar Maples but I don't believe it's considered a hard maple. I've burned some and it's decent wood but it's no Sugar.

I've yet to find any Silver Maple but I do burn a lot of Boxelder during shoulder season and it burns hot but burns fast and the coals don't last long. I don't know why people badmouth it so much I wouldn't rely on it to get me through the winter but it keeps the house plenty warm when it's not very cold outside and there's tons of it around.
 
red maple is what is called a soft maple, along with silver maple. quicker seasoning that sugar and lower btu. I think of soft maple as an ideal wood for folks who have limited storage space and cannot wait the 2-3 years for the high btu, dense hardwoods like oak, hickory, to dry out properly
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soundchasm
msherer said:
http://www.thelograck.com/firewood_rating_chart.html

I found this chart and thought it was interesting that hard maple rated the highest. Not sure how accurate this list is but I don't think I've ever burnt any hard maple. I have a couple of Red Maple trees my wife has been asking me to cut down and just didn't think maple period would be very good to burn. I guess I'll reconsider her request.
Click to expand...

All I needed to notice that told me this chart is a bit "wacky" was they rated Box Elder HIGHER than Apple, and considered Apple "fair" firewood. I'm sure there are more issues but that alone made me stop and look at the one Jags posted!
 
We need a chart that averages all the existing charts. The bigger the sample size, the better. The same species can vary widely from state to state, even between different soil types in the same state, so i take those charts with a grain of salt.
 
msherer said:
http://www.thelograck.com/firewood_rating_chart.html

I found this chart and thought it was interesting that hard maple rated the highest. Not sure how accurate this list is but I don't think I've ever burnt any hard maple. I have a couple of Red Maple trees my wife has been asking me to cut down and just didn't think maple period would be very good to burn. I guess I'll reconsider her request.
Click to expand...


Madrone is actually rated higher...30
 
Little Digger said:
Well shucks, if hard maple was that great with btu's I was thinking of all the furniture I have made from it. But since it's not, I'm guessing I won't start chopping up my furniture. :)

However, wood is wood, and it will burn. It's all btu's more or less. The only wood I steer clear of is the Tree Of Heaven as I understand it smells like someone burning tires. Not inside the house, but outside. The neighbors might have issues with that ALTHOUGH !!! ;lol
Click to expand...
Sumac which I could have all I want of is also horrible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Little Digger
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
Wood ID: red, dense, very slow seasoning
Replies
19
Views
2K
The Wood Shed
Youp
Y
J
Most underrated firewood: my list
Replies
113
Views
14K
The Wood Shed
Wisco Shepherd
Wisco Shepherd
S
Effect of Wood Hardness on Firewood
Replies
7
Views
1K
The Wood Shed
shinyplanter
S
M
Novelist asks: how long to cut 20 cords of wood?
Replies
24
Views
3K
The Wood Shed
MatthewMaryland
M
T
Common Buckthorn
Replies
17
Views
2K
The Wood Shed
Toasty-Yote
T
Top Bottom
Back