Well my hardwood is mostly gone and I have been burning softwood...

[burntime]

I feel for you guys! Man its a lot more work to bring in all that lite stuff. I should go thru 4 cords a s a guess and with the lite stuff it will be 5.5 all day long! Glad I have 3 cord of oak split for next year :lol: I should have all 4 shortly

 

[savageactor7]

Just be grateful you have some to burn...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Generally this is the time of year when a lot of people start burning their softwoods. However, the last couple nights and the next few say hardwood is in order! It's cold.

Why does zero degrees always feel colder when the snow is gone or almost gone than it does when the snow is ar$e deep to a tall Indian? It should be the opposite.

 

[Brian VT]

Why does zero degrees always feel colder when the snow is gone or almost gone than it does when the snow is ar$e deep to a tall Indian? It should be the opposite.

So true.

 

[savageactor7]

Yeah ditto's to what Savage said...it was 12 here this morning but it felt colder than it did all winter.

 

[Todd]

Yeah, I'm running out of my Locust so I'm starting to mix in my Boxelder and soft Maple to make sure I have enough of the good stuff left for those colder days of March. It was -7 this morning, but looking forward to the 40's mid week.

 

[burntime]

I maanaged to find some hardwood on the end of the pile. Its like twice the work with softwood and a whole lot more ash! Yes, I guess I am lucky to still have fuel. Next year will have a min of 4 cords hardwood and 3 cords mixed woods. I have run out before, no fun!

 

[Vic99]

When starting in the morning, I try to make 25% of the load softwood. By putting it in the front, it makes for a much easy start. As others have said, since I'm fortunate enough to have access to hardwood, softwoods & birch make for great shoulder season fires.

Doesn't hurt that the severe storms around here have produced lots of downed trees and limbs for the taking. As usual, most leave the pine, but I'm happy to take the larger pieces. Course it is all being covered now that the Lowell, MA area is getting 10-16 inches of snow tonight . . . just when nearly of it melted from the last storms.

 

[North of 60]

I have been burning my Pine and Spruce since day one. Pine is the northern hard wood if Birch is unavailable. :down:

 

[Highbeam]

What is this hardwood you speak of?

Seriously, when you're stuck with softwood then you can start seeing the differences between dense softwood and light softwood.

 

[North of 60]

Thats right Highbeam. Spruce is at least a 2hr shorter burn of useful heat compared to the noble Pine. I feel even Poplar is better than the spruce. Lots of it beetle killed and dead standing though. Ill eye up a nice dead standing pine when I find one just like the others do with their Oak.

 

[Henz]

man I feel sorry for you softwood burners..I mean, I know that if thats whats available then thats what you burn but wowsers. You would be in heaven to burn all hardwood like we do here where I live.

 

[begreen]

Yes it's a pita at times. However ... softwood or snow? I'll take the softwood and scrounge for hardwood. It's out there, but you have to look harder.

 

[fossil]

I know I had a couple of pieces of hardwood, but I must have misplaced them. Guess I'll just have to keep on burning softwood. :down: Rick

 

[gpcollen1]

I am down to Ash - hardly a soft wood but not as nice as mixing Ash/oak/maple as desired. I love having some softwood mixed in for getting the stove cooking quickly. I think it might help reduce the stress on my more-miles-than-it-looks back.

 

[fossil]

Don't Cry for Me

Don't cry for me Mr. Burntime

Because I mostly have access to just Pine

You burn your hardwood

I'll burn my softwood

At least we've got wood

And it's all good wood

Yes we've still got wood

All wood is good wood

 

[Henz]

you must be retired

 

[Dix]

I hear Patti Lupone.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

man I feel sorry for you softwood burners..I mean, I know that if thats whats available then thats what you burn but wowsers. You would be in heaven to burn all hardwood like we do here where I live.

Well, don't feel too sorry. I burn nothing but pine and fir, but from what I've read here all the hardwood burners in this forum seem to go through a lot more wood and have to store it (season it) for a lot longer than I do just to keep there houses warm.
Maybe you should be feeling sorry for those people who have old, drafty homes??? ;-)

 

[Henz]

you have a point there that is for sure! I burn 4 cord of hardwood. If I were to burn softwood I would need 8 at a minimum!

 

[fossil]

you must be retired

Only for about 9 years now. Heck, if I had a job, I wouldn't have time to process and burn all this softwood. %-P Rick

 

[stejus]

I'm down to about enough soft and hard to burn 24/7 for the next two weeks. :grrr: I changed my burning schedule to nights and weekends (basicially if we're home). Hopefully this will give me enough wood through March and lets hope for a warm April.