Lots of respect for red elm.

[ohlongarm]

Cut a huge fallen red elm that was laying across the river at my house, probably air dried at least 4to5 years. About two cords,well I've been burning it and am impressed and surprised, long burn times ,plenty of heat, burns to a baby power consistency. I plan on burning it all till gone this winter.

 

[blades]

Elm gets a bad rap mostly from the Siberian type ( some times called piss elm ) that it is more difficult to split than some others But I never found it be any worse than Hickory which can be just as stringy and twisted. Very little of the real good elms left due to Dutch Elm disease. Mostly hybrids of one type or another that are somewhat resistant to it. American Elm was the cats meow of the Elm world.

 

[moresnow]

Cut a huge fallen red elm that was laying across the river at my house, probably air dried at least 4to5 years. About two cords,well I've been burning it and am impressed and surprised, long burn times ,plenty of heat, burns to a baby power consistency. I plan on burning it all till gone this winter.

Agreed. Great stuff.

 

[andym]

My favorite thing about red elm is that it is rot resistant. I've cut many that were on the ground with no bark left, and they were solid. Least favorite: splitting them!
I've seldom cut any that were under 22%. It seems to dry slowly.

 

[Woody5506]

I have a row of probably 80 Siberian Elms along my lot. Absolute garbage tree. For firewood it's ok, nothing I'd ever go out of my way for. I do look forward to being done burning this year's stock of it.

red elm though I'm not sure I've ever really seen around here. I wouldn't have any doubts it's better than Siberian.

 

[Woody Stover]

red elm though I'm not sure I've ever really seen around here. I wouldn't have any doubts it's better than Siberian.

The Audubon Guide for Slippery Elm (Red) shows it in western NY so you might come across it.
Like andym said, I find them lying around with no bark but they are still solid. Very thin sapwood, nice pinkish hue to them. Dutch Elm usually kills 'em before they get too big, but I cut one dead-stander that was 19".
American Elm is around 19.5 Mbtu on the charts I see, red is about 21.6. I'd rate Red between Black Cherry and White Ash, from my experience. I grab it when I can..I just like the stuff.

 

[Gearhead660]

Cut a huge fallen red elm that was laying across the river at my house, probably air dried at least 4to5 years. About two cords,well I've been burning it and am impressed and surprised, long burn times ,plenty of heat, burns to a baby power consistency. I plan on burning it all till gone this winter.

Burning some Elm currently also. Get home 10 hrs after loading stove in the morning and still have a nice sized bed of coals. Not sure which flavor of Elm it is. Majority of what I got was barkless laying on the ground.

 

[Woody Stover]

Majority of what I got was barkless laying on the ground.

Did it have a pink hue? Probably Red Elm in that case. It's definitely in your area (my old stompin' grounds.)

 

[Gearhead660]

Did it have a pink hue? Probably Red Elm in that case. It's definitely in your area (my old stompin' grounds.)

I think some of it might have had a pink hue.

 

[NaturalCauses]

I have a few pieces of red elm left from last year I'm burning through. Puts off really nice heat and the coals last forever. The only thing I've noticed with it as it seems to leave a lot of clinkers in the ash after a load.

 

[Woody Stover]

it seems to leave a lot of clinkers in the ash after a load.

Hmmm, I've gotten a few clinkers from time to time but I'm usually mixing two or three different types of wood in a load..I hadn't made the connection.

 

[kennyp2339]

Hmmm, I've gotten a few clinkers from time to time but I'm usually mixing two or three different types of wood in a load..I hadn't made the connection.

Your clinkers were actually beer cans you left in the stove while loading Good to see you around buddy, figured you'd poke in here when I saw the weather map this week.

 

[ohlongarm]

This red elm i sp

My favorite thing about red elm is that it is rot resistant. I've cut many that were on the ground with no bark left, and they were solid. Least favorite: splitting them!
I've seldom cut any that were under 22%. It seems to dry slowly.

This red elm split real easy no problems whatsoever ,I used my 34 ton Brave.

 

[andym]

This red elm i sp

This red elm split real easy no problems whatsoever ,I used my 34 ton Brave.

The most difficult one I've had was a monster that was about 26-30 inches at the base. The biggest pieces I had to split with the chainsaw. There an 8ft by 24 inch log still back in the woods. It was so full of knots, you couldn't pay me to split it.
I like the ones that are about 12 inches across, no bark left, and a half inch crack running into the center. Those will sometimes split by hand.

 

[heavy hammer]

I have had some tough elm over the years that don't care to be split then like you have said some is fairly easy to get through. I have always been a fan of elm. Most don't seem to care for it for the bad rep it get for being tough to work with. It burns hot and clean. I had one my father dropped on his property about 8 years ago the worst stuff I have ever split. But in the end I split it all and it burned great I just had a rough day getting it all split sometimes it happens.

 

[johneh]

Elm the number one reason I bought a hydro
My fence lines were full of American elm all dead
cut split and used ever stick. The next generation
is dying off now. So still cutting some 40 years now
been using the fence line wood