Firewood BTU's

[msherer]

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.

 

[Jags]

Depends on the chart in question.
(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm)

I also question the accuracy of the chart you posted as I have never seen hard maple listed with that high of a BTU content.

 

[Paulywalnut]

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!

 

[msherer]

Depends on the chart in question.
(broken link removed to http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm)

I also question the accuracy of the chart you posted as I have never seen hard maple listed with that high of a BTU content.

Quite a big difference between the two charts. Still, Red Maple isn't horribly bad.

 

[Little Digger]

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

 

[Ctwoodtick]

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.

 

[Jay106n]

The chimneysweep chart is the best one I have seen

 

[TedyOH]

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.

 

[Woody Stover]

On the charts I use, I see Sugar (hard) Maple at 24 Mbtu, same as Red Oak. That's in line with my experience burning both.
White Oak seems low on this one: http://worldforestindustries.com/forest-biofuel/firewood/firewood-btu-ratings/
White Ash seems a little better than 22.3... http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d_372.html
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/W/AE_wood_heat_value_BTU.html

 

[LocustPocust]

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.

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.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

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

 

[PA. Woodsman]

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.

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!

 

[Stinkpickle]

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.

 

[Woody Stover]

Not a ton of species but is pretty much in line with my stove results. That said, I find it pretty hard to distinguish between a couple of BTU points, say between Red Elm and White Ash. A 4-point difference is going to be noticeable for sure.https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/heating-value-of-common-wood-species.148121/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/heating-value-of-common-wood-species.148121/

 

[aansorge]

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.

Madrone is actually rated higher...30

 

[Paulywalnut]

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

Sumac which I could have all I want of is also horrible.