Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
Redburn said:
Take the sassafras! It is worth it all just to have that wonderful sweet odor around. The sweetest smelling wood this sided of Heaven!
Is Cottonwood really that bad?
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Take the sassafras! It is worth it all just to have that wonderful sweet odor around. The sweetest smelling wood this sided of Heaven!
When I grew up in rural Nebraska, it was either buffalo chips or cottonwood. Surprisingly, cottonwood was good for heating, but buffalo chips were good for cooking.
Wood Duck
Minister of Fire
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
We've never noticed a problem with cottonwood rotting as long as it is stored right.
Not had much success with storing those buffalo chips though.
Not had much success with storing those buffalo chips though.
Mcbride
New Member
I love it when people get picky about free wood.
I get free wood, and am always thankful for it, and really do not care what is in the load.
I say thanks, and am just glad to have it.
It all burns in the heater.
I get free wood, and am always thankful for it, and really do not care what is in the load.
I say thanks, and am just glad to have it.
It all burns in the heater.
I just have to laugh, out here the cottonwood is about as good as it gets, with the exception of russian olive. Matter of fact we have been whittling on a giant, about 8' dbh off and on for a while, I have nearly 9 cords out of it so far, guys, this is one tree and still counting cords!One thing about it, if you are not properly equiped to burn cottonwood, it is not good, not itst bitsy girly sized stoves, big Blaze kings and boilers work well! Another thing about it though....... I ran my 660 and 090 today, what did you run? Big wood = BIG saw!!
I used to pass on poplar. In fact I helped a friend buck up a fallen poplar on his driveway, and hauled it away for him and threw it into my "ditch" (a natural depression in my woods that we are filling in with clean waste). I didn't burn it, because I bought maple tree length logs and processed it myself, and it was a much better hardwood to burn.
With my new Econoburn, I'm burning less wood, and making a lot more heat, and can finally afford to save money (it was hard to type that phrase and not get bogged down thinking about what I'd said...). Softwood (poplar, fir, pine and spruce) is free for me, as it is plentiful on my 6 acres and my sister's neighbouring 6 acres. So this year, I'm burning about 1/4 of my supply as softwood, and saving over $400 in the process.
Yes, it burns faster and it takes more of it. Yes, it leaves little to no coals. But I either mix it with the hardwood, burn it in the daytime, or let it burn out and just start a new fire as needed. I'm getting used to starting new fires: in my last boiler, which was just a big water jacketed stove, there were always enough coals to build a new fire, but not enough heat to make momma happy. Now I've got a supply of cedar kindling and start a fire about once a day, and catch enough coals the other times to keep the gasser lit. And can it ever make heat!
So I've changed my mind. I used to throw it out, now I'm mixing it in!
(PS - Son #2 is pulling the poplar chunks I threw into the ditch years ago, and using them for his fire pit.)
With my new Econoburn, I'm burning less wood, and making a lot more heat, and can finally afford to save money (it was hard to type that phrase and not get bogged down thinking about what I'd said...). Softwood (poplar, fir, pine and spruce) is free for me, as it is plentiful on my 6 acres and my sister's neighbouring 6 acres. So this year, I'm burning about 1/4 of my supply as softwood, and saving over $400 in the process.
Yes, it burns faster and it takes more of it. Yes, it leaves little to no coals. But I either mix it with the hardwood, burn it in the daytime, or let it burn out and just start a new fire as needed. I'm getting used to starting new fires: in my last boiler, which was just a big water jacketed stove, there were always enough coals to build a new fire, but not enough heat to make momma happy. Now I've got a supply of cedar kindling and start a fire about once a day, and catch enough coals the other times to keep the gasser lit. And can it ever make heat!
So I've changed my mind. I used to throw it out, now I'm mixing it in!
(PS - Son #2 is pulling the poplar chunks I threw into the ditch years ago, and using them for his fire pit.)
PO's cut (and the length works for my stove) and stacked a couple of cords of poplar on the property some years ago. There was also some standing/leaning dead stuff here that someone kindly came and cut up for me. (Don't have a saw yet.) I'm very grateful for it. It's heated my house so far this winter. Planning on getting a logging truck load of birch in this spring, but I'll still keep some of this on hand to start a fire up fast and get the birch burning.
I can understand people with a plentitude of hardwood making other choices, but when you don't have that choice, you start appreciating what you do have. After you hang with the ugly girl (because that's all you can get), you realize she's got a warm heart, and she starts getting prettier every day.
I can understand people with a plentitude of hardwood making other choices, but when you don't have that choice, you start appreciating what you do have. After you hang with the ugly girl (because that's all you can get), you realize she's got a warm heart, and she starts getting prettier every day.
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