Honey locust?

[Coog]

Just curious if anyone burns with honey locust.....ya know the tree with big thorns sticking out of the wood. I have a lot of these trees but dealing with the thorns almost makes it not worth it. Of course then you have to keep tires out of the path of travel for the next 2 or 3 years.

I would love to hear from somebody who is able to burn with this stuff and how they do it.

 

[TimJ]

First, nothing comes easy. Wear gloves and if you get stuck a couple of times, grin and bare. It will be well worth it as honey locust is one of the best. I just worked my way through 5 feet of thorns to get to a tree. It was worth it in the end......... got it all bucked with only a few scratches.

 

[Applesister]

I just got done taking pictures of some honeylocust at my sisters house. Theres no way...these trees have genetically engineered a very effective human barrier!!
Plus these trees have attracted poison ivy vines just for the fun of it. They are so covered in thorns it looks like razor wire on top of a prison fence. My sister lives along the old Erie Canal and her property was a mule station. The trees are growing along the edge of the old barn foundation. On all the range maps for honeylocust it does not show the tree native to our area. But they are there standing like armed soldiers. Perhaps the mules ate the tasty seed pods from somewhere else and "planted " the seeds near the canal??
We have considered cutting them but I cut down plum trees that had gone wild and the thorns from wild plum will penetrate the sole of your work boots, tires on a tractor, quad and pickup truck. Honeylocust thorns are supposed to be much worse.

 

[ScotO]

I have over 9 cord of honey and black locust in my stacks......and honey locust is one of the best woods that God ever created for fuel. Amazing stuff. Blue flame and meg-long burn times. Yes, the thorns are something of Biblical proportions. I had some on the trees I took down that were around 7-8" long and were capable of killing a person!!

Like it was mentioned by Tim above, nothing worth having comes easy. Just be prepared to yelp a few times when cutting that stuff. I buried a 2" thorn in my right leg, it was sore for two weeks!!

 

[brian89gp]

Its awesome firewood. If you do cut it treat the stump, they sucker back real bad once cut and fast too, you'll have an entire area of 10' tall thorn covered suckers within a couple years.

 

[midwestcoast]

Never cut Honey Locust that had thorns, just the thornless varieties from yards.
From clearing Hawthorn (thorns not nearly as big) I'd say Heavy leather gloves, heavy work pants & coat, stiff leather boots, best eye protection you've got. Plan your limping & work slow.
A thorn in the leg/foot/arm would hurt. A thorn in the foot with a screaming saw in your hands could be much, much worse.

Lol! I meant plan your limbing! I guess auto-correct doesn't like your chances,

 

[brian89gp]

Do be careful of the thorns, the tips have a nasty habit of breaking off inside you and then getting infected.

 

[Thistle]

One of the best woods for fuel in North America.My tree service contact was dropping a big one Friday in west part of the city,needed it gone ASAP & had a CL ad in afternoon,then another one that evening stating he had loaded his big dump trailer with it.Would deliver for free to anyone in metro area who wanted it.

Sadly no more room here until next Fall,otherwise I'd grabbed it too.I cant get all the fun,nice to let others discover what primo stuff it is...............

 

[Coog]

Do be careful of the thorns, the tips have a nasty habit of breaking off inside you and then getting infected.

¥



This is what I am talking about. I know a guy that had a tip break off in his foot and it got infected. He had numerous rounds of antibiotics and some hospital visits and still experiences chronic issues. That stuff is for real. I know it is great to burn but am afraid of the consequences. I flattened all four tires on my tractor when I built my house.

Some of those thorns, at lest where I live, can get to be 3 and 4 inches long. Got rid of all of them in my yard in fear that my kids would accidentally walk into them and and impale themselves or poke an eye out.

Not to be an alarmist, but those trees scare me a little. To bad, I hear honey locust burns like oak but dries faster.

 

[Thistle]

Same density as White Oak,most Apple & Hickory,10% or so more than Red Oak.