I'm just curious. What is that one kind of tree that makes you cringe at the thought of having to burn it? 
Mine is willow.
Mine is willow.What is the one kind of wood that you wouldn't take if somebody payed you?
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bigbarf48
Minister of Fire
Pretty much nothing. I'm a junkie 
But my least favorite is sweetgum, just because its terrible to split
But my least favorite is sweetgum, just because its terrible to split
mol1jb
Feeling the Heat
Ailanthus or Tree Of Hell. Back in March 2000 I had 2 very large & 1 medium sized removed from the property here in town.Didn't want to deal with the 2 biggest ones towering over my house & neighbor's & near all the power lines.Paid a local climber guy to piece them down to 30' or so,drop all the brush/limbs in the yard/driveway.I then dropped the stems & cleaned everything up when he was done.Much cheaper than a total removal job.
Very brittle branches/smaller limbs,several times yearly would lose a lot when storms rolled through.Didnt really need the wood (if I remember it was around 6-7 full size p/u loads once all cut/split). And didn't want to take them to parents acreage 1 hr west & dump everything there,mainly cause risk of those damn seeds being mixed in with the stray shavings etc.Plus having to pay to dump it at county landfill wasn't an option either....I was still chopping out/mowing over stump/root sprouts & seed sprouts 3 years later before they finally stopped.
Nasty stinking stuff,very heavy when green.Sure it was fairly soft,split easily & dried fast.But it left more ashes than any other wood I've ever burned.
Never again will I cut that stuff or bring it home.
Very brittle branches/smaller limbs,several times yearly would lose a lot when storms rolled through.Didnt really need the wood (if I remember it was around 6-7 full size p/u loads once all cut/split). And didn't want to take them to parents acreage 1 hr west & dump everything there,mainly cause risk of those damn seeds being mixed in with the stray shavings etc.Plus having to pay to dump it at county landfill wasn't an option either....I was still chopping out/mowing over stump/root sprouts & seed sprouts 3 years later before they finally stopped.
Nasty stinking stuff,very heavy when green.Sure it was fairly soft,split easily & dried fast.But it left more ashes than any other wood I've ever burned.
Never again will I cut that stuff or bring it home.
mol1jb
Feeling the Heat
Thistle, funny you mention that. I remove undesirable trees like that from the campground I work at. I have never dealt with a worse tree.
And the foliage/flowers/small twigs really stink in the summer also.I made sure that all the shavings/chips from the saws were raked up & dumped in the garbage cans,didnt want any more seeds sprouting elsewhere.Normally I save a little of the chips for mulch (except black walnut) around the yard.Not this stuff though.
Bret Chase
Minister of Fire
f'n popple.... I realize it's actually an aspen... it's the fricking tree that looks like a white birch on top, and has "white oak"ish bark on the bottom.... pretty much no heat out of it.. and an astounding amount of ash... I'd rather burn white pine.
How much are you paying me to take this wood? I could take your cash and dump the wood in vacant lot across the street from me.
bigbarf48
Minister of Fire
How much are you paying me to take this wood? I could take your cash and dump the wood in vacant lot across the street from me.
I like the way this man thinks
ArsenalDon
Minister of Fire
None . . . I burn it all . . . just some species get used as kindling . . . others get used in the shoulder seasons . . . others get used in the dead of winter . . . and some wood gets relegated to use as camp fire wood or burn pit wood in the summer. Haven't really met any wood I didn't want to burn.
lindnova
Feeling the Heat
How much are you paying me to take this wood? I could take your cash and dump the wood in vacant lot across the street from me.
My thoughts exactly. Willow is the worst in my area. If it wouldn't burn for a campfire I would pitch it in the grove to rot and take the money.
I have a wood/chip dump that gets turned into mulch when it gets full. Half or better of what comes in is any species cut into rounds. I don't turn away anything as what isn't premo stuff gets burned in the OWB. If it wasn't for having an OWB I'd turn away all softer woods less dense than silver maple. There's just too much good wood to be had out there.
Paulywalnut
Minister of Fire
Studdlygoof
Member
Just curious on why the negative replies on willow. Just got a truck load I'm getting ready to split. Is there something I should be aware of?
If it's like the stuff around here you need a mask, fins and snorkel for splitting. Not much heat when dry.
I've never burned it, but I've read that willow produces a terrible smell when burning. It's great if you don't like your neighbors, though.
Paulywalnut
Minister of Fire
You have a splitter I hope. It is very stringy and tough to split. When dry ( I hear) It's light and stinks. and smokes. Somebody is burning it though with all the negatives.
Studdlygoof
Member
Split 90% of it tonight by hand. The limbs weren't too bad but I have two wedges buried in a trunk round 
I can see the apprehension towards it now
I can see the apprehension towards it now
Yep.... A whole lot of effort for a whole lot of nothing.... SorrySplit 90% of it tonight by hand. The limbs weren't too bad but I have two wedges buried in a trunk round
Isaac Carlson
Minister of Fire
I have melted a fireplace with a popple fire. It was lined with 1/4" steel and the back side melted. You can still see the waves in it.
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