Sycamore advise please!

[WeldrDave]

Hello all, need some help please! I have never burned it before, but down here in my shore town, they are trimming the sycamore trees, "and lots of them" I can get my hands on many cords for the best price, "FREE", "Thoughts please" before I jump and have a crap load of wood thats no good, I appreciate it all!

Dave....

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Hello all, need some help please! I have never burned it before, but down here in my shore town, they are trimming the sycamore trees, "and lots of them" I can get my hands on many cords of Sycamore, for the best price, "FREE" "Thoughts please" before I jump and have a crap load of wood thats no good, I appreciate it all!

Dave....

It ain't great. Its a bear to split and according to the chart I have it has about 18.2 mil. BTU's per cord. It could keep you in shoulder season and mixer wood of a long time. If its close and you have the equipment and the "want to" to process it, go for it. Just don't drive past a pile of maple, oak or locust to get it.

 

[corey21]

I had some of it for this winter it burns good not the burn times like oak. I just processed some for next winter i will tell you it is tough to split...

 

[Augie]

If it is free grab a cord or four as backup, and If you go to a friends house for a party, and they have an open fireplace, dropping off quarter to half a face cord as a gift is a nice gesture. I got rid of Willow this winter, almost a cord. (shhhhh dont tell my friends with open fireplaces that Im doing this to get rid of the crap wood that the tree service gives me, I have to take the good with the bad to keep getting the good)

 

[shoot-straight]

i am actually burning sycamore right now. first time ive used it. its just like sweet gum. PITA to split, low BTU. doesnt leave a bunch of ash though. so thats kinda nice. i will pass on it from now on.

 

[JBinKC]

Since you split by hand I would limit the score to the rounds you can fit in the stove unsplit. The wood is similar to elm in terms seasoning and burn times.

 

[TimJ]

I actually processed a half tree for next fall. It was standing dead for a good while and the top half broke. It was dry and if split bigger, it split with total ease. If split smaller it would break off because of the fact it had no grain.

 

[WeldrDave]

Since you split by hand I would limit the score to the rounds you can fit in the stove unsplit. The wood is similar to elm in terms seasoning and burn times.

Thanks, and thanks to all above. I'll be burning it in my stoves, and "great" idea about the rounds! There about three of four of the large dump truck loads to pick through, I can take what I want... , Yea, I split by hand so I'll leave the big stuff alone. Their trimming so the trucks can get down the streets without hitting the trees. many big limbs and more to come....

 

[muncybob]

My first year burning it, mixed it in with other woods. Would not go out of my way for it but if it's easy pick up & free then why not.
I am amazed at how light it is once dried. Similar in weight to the dried pine I have.

 

[ohlongarm]

Hello all, need some help please! I have never burned it before, but down here in my shore town, they are trimming the sycamore trees, "and lots of them" I can get my hands on many cords for the best price, "FREE", "Thoughts please" before I jump and have a crap load of wood thats no good, I appreciate it all!

Dave....

I burned a 1/4 cord in shoulder did the job a shoulder season wood should,I personally didn't find it hard to split.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We have several folks on here that have burned sycamore. It does not burn that bad and I would not say it is only shoulder season wood. Just be aware of the splitting characteristics of the wood and keep that in mind when getting it.

If I had to scrounge for wood and did not have to go far to get that wood, I'd no doubt load up with it. If you get enough, you could always rent a splitter for a day or perhaps borrow one from a friend. It is a shame to see wood go to waste.

 

[BobUrban]

Wow - in regards to making it simple I would ask if they could unload a truck at your house?? Stack the big rounds and pec away at them. Just a thought as they may appreciate unloading it close by.

 

[Mr A]

I grabbed a bunch of 4-5 inch branches. i thought it was eucalyptus, similar bark. Doesn't burn very hot.

 

[StihlHead]

I had a large sycamore in CA that needed constant pruning, and I burned a lot of it. Not the best firewood, low heat value and really hard to split and chip. I usually pass on it these days. But free and easy to get to? If I was low on wood, yes. Otherwise, no.

 

[WeldrDave]

Wow - in regards to making it simple I would ask if they could unload a truck at your house?? Stack the big rounds and pec away at them. Just a thought as they may appreciate unloading it close by.

I did ask that, "no dice" but it's a government thing, lets just say they drop it where they're suppose to and then its on, the wood vultures already on it ! I was one of the first to know about it!
Down here in Southern NJ, Not to many forests and wood to choose from, and the people that do burn have "alien radar and antenna's up" when wood comes available. Just got a pickup load and I'm sure there will be much more to be had.
I do appreciate the info very much, never touched a sycamore before, around here there "dress up" trees for the city and community. Gonna fill up the truck a few times tomorrow, and with all the advise, gonna use it for shoulder wood.
Thanks all so much!.

 

[Woody Stover]

It was standing dead for a good while and the top half broke. It was dry and if split bigger, it split with total ease

I think it is one type that splits a bit easier if you let it dry out some first...

 

[Paulywalnut]

Its still a hardwood capable of putting out some BTU's.
I've mixed it with other stuff maybe 2 or 3 years seasoned.
It was fine, something like silver maple, If its easy to get
go for it.

 

[Wood Duck]

I have unlimited space for storage (OK, not really unlimited, but I could store more than a lifetime of firewood) and so I would take all the free sycamore I could get. It should be a decent middle-of-the-pack type of wood. Free wood doesn't come along all the time, get it while you can.

 

[WeldrDave]

I have unlimited space for storage (OK, not really unlimited, but I could store more than a lifetime of firewood) and so I would take all the free sycamore I could get. It should be a decent middle-of-the-pack type of wood. Free wood doesn't come along all the time, get it while you can.

I'm my case down here, free wood is nearly unheard of. I'm gonna get what I can, load the old Dodge a few times, I'm gonna go with the stuff I don't have to split. The Buzzards were already hovering over head last night when I got my first load, They have to wait to get permission, "Today at 8am" lucky, I already got mine, "inside friend"......

 

[WeldrDave]

Load two, starting to rain. Lots of stuff this size and smaller.

 

[TimJ]

Good stuff Dave.........get it all that size and you can eliminate the middle part and just stack it

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Looks good Dave. Lots of that doesn't need splitting either. Sweet!