One Wood to Rule Them All?

[tfdchief]

That would be a tough call. I like a variety myself. But then I have never had a choice. I take what I can get.
Shagbark Hickory
White Oak
Hedge
Black and Honey Locust
Red Oak
Ash
Mulberry
Cherry
Lots of others I burn all the time - Hackberry, Maple, Sycamore, Walnut, White birch.
Lots of others that don't grow here.

 

[amateur cutter]

1 Locust
2 Oak
3 Ash
4 Hickory

 

[Locust Post]

We had a thread awhile back that went for a long time to list your top favorites in order but the OP ask for 1 above all if you had to choose. My choice would not be hard to figure out given my name on here. I'll let you guess it starts with L and ends "hot"

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Really difficult to pick just one. Of course hickory and oaks have to be toward the top but I still like white ash as one of the best too.

 

[Locust Post]

Really difficult to pick just one. Of course hickory and oaks have to be toward the top but I still like white ash as one of the best too.

Good to see that smilin Dennis back on here.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey thanks Locust. It is good to be back too.

 

[bioman]

HEDGE hear me, end of story best ever, hard to cut=easy to split=quick to season=very little ash=sparks like the 4th of july=last for 50 years laying on the ground. ben there done that.if there was only 1 wood to burn that would be my pic. I say what ever is handy seasoned well and burn it. if you want to get real efficient, grow you some switch grass and make your own logs. Thats my next project.

 

[Stax]

Would love to get my hands on some Hickory. Does anyone know if Hickory is prevalent in S.E. PA?

 

[Thistle]

HEDGE hear me, end of story best ever, hard to cut=easy to split=quick to season=very little ash=sparks like the 4th of july=last for 50 years laying on the ground. ben there done that.if there was only 1 wood to burn that would be my pic. I say what ever is handy seasoned well and burn it. if you want to get real efficient, grow you some switch grass and make your own logs. Thats my next project.

Hardest & heaviest wood in temperate North American forests.Among the most decay resistant also,twice the strength & resilience of Hickory,even greater shock resistance.My paternal grandfather fenced most of his 160 acres of cropland/some timber in NW Missouri in the 1940's with hedge posts,he died in 1972 & the property has changed hands 2 times since then that I know of.Went by the old house & part of the land in May 2010 & could see that most all those posts were still doing their job.Dad told me some years ago that Grandad preferred corner posts 9 in. diameter on small end,9 ft. long,line posts 6in.diameter on small end & 7 ft long.

 

[geoxman]

For me hands down it is Mulberry. Grows quick, burns hot and dries very quickly.

 

[ScotO]

Would love to get my hands on some Hickory. Does anyone know if Hickory is prevalent in S.E. PA?

lots of shagbark hickory in our area.....LOTS OF IT. I got a big job coming up in October, involves around 18 of them!

 

[ScotO]

I'm a bit partial to black locust and honey locust.....ask around. In fact, I'd probably give up most of my woodstack for just a meager pile of it. That's how much I like it! (how about it, locust post?)

 

[mecreature]

Hardest & heaviest wood in temperate North American forests.Among the most decay resistant also,twice the strength & resilience of Hickory,even greater shock resistance.My paternal grandfather fenced most of his 160 acres of cropland/some timber in NW Missouri in the 1940's with hedge posts,he died in 1972 & the property has changed hands 2 times since then that I know of.Went by the old house & part of the land in May 2010 & could see that most all those posts were still doing their job.Dad told me some years ago that Grandad preferred corner posts 9 in. diameter on small end,9 ft. long,line posts 6in.diameter on small end & 7 ft long.

I think he sunk a couple of those corners in my yard.
They were in a spot where I wanted them gone.
It became a battle of will. These things had to be 4ft deep.

 

[Thistle]

I think he sunk a couple of those corners in my yard.
They were in a spot where I wanted them gone.
It became a battle of will. These things had to be 4ft deep.

I've heard that the barbed wire & fence staples (even heavy galvanized) will need replacing at least once before the posts fail. I believe that.

 

[amateur cutter]

lots of shagbark hickory in our area.....LOTS OF IT. I got a big job coming up in October, involves around 18 of them!

Oooo. oooooo. Can I come help?

 

[ikessky]

I would say ironwood, but we can't get any here that grow bigger than 10" on the stump. Therefore, my choice would be white ash. Cuts nice, splits nice, smells nice, dries quick, burns great.

 

[Stax]

lots of shagbark hickory in our area.....LOTS OF IT. I got a big job coming up in October, involves around 18 of them!

Scotty...I will make the trip then. I'm serious.

 

[ScotO]

Oooo. oooooo. Can I come help?

You guys are more than welcome to come and help......uh-oh, I sense a central PA GTG in the works.....

 

[chvymn99]

Top of the list is Hedge - Then Hackberry/Walnut/Slippery Elm are the one that helped offset the hedge this last year. Not much experience since last year was my true first full year of burning.

But now this year I'll have Honey Locust-Mulbery-Ash in the line up, with maybe some Oak in their too. So I'll get to judge a few more. When will it be soon enough? This heat is a killer....

 

[ScotO]

Scotty...I will make the trip then. I'm serious.

You ever make it out this way, I'll gladly give you some to take back with ya.

 

[onion]

Alluding to The Lord of The Rings,

Mallorn.

 

[jwoair23]

I have to say black locust, it splits so incredibly easily, dries super fast (isn't that wet to begin with) and burns very hot and long. I am very fortunate out of my five cords probably 2-3 cords of it is locust, I absolutely love it.

 

[Flatbedford]

Another vote for Black Locust as the one wood available. There's lots of it around me. It seems to grow like a weed. Easy to split, dries fast, is rot resistant, and burns long and hot. I also like the Oaks, White Ash, and Cherry, but if it had to be one, Black Locust.
I have about 3 1/2 cords of BL on hand now.

 

[firefighterjake]

White ash . . . splits like a dream, seasons faster than I can think and is an all-around decent wood to burn at any time of the year . . . plus it's officially endorsed by Backwoods Savage . . . I think 3 out of 4 Backwoods Savages burn white ash.