How's Beechwood for firewood?

[Timberwerks]

I just had this dropped of and I can't find any rating on it. Anyone know how it ranks, good, fair or excellent?

Dale

[Timburr]

Beech ranks just behind ash here, ash being our best firewood. I know our ash is quite different to yours, but I believe European and American beech is similar.... an excellent firewood.

[Corley5]

I like it 8)  Not much different than maple in my opinion

[Grawulf]

Dale,
Won't burn worth beans for the first year after being cut - lots of water, but after that, I can't think of much better other than ash or hickory. Long, hot fires. 8)

[bryan]

Beech is good! wish I had 30 cords right about now...............winters acomin.

[WH_Conley]

I try to get as much of my winter wood as I can from beech and fill out the rest with maple, oak and ash, no particular order. If I can, all beech.

[Timberwerks]

Thanks for the good news guy's

Dale

[Jodi]

I know this may be kind of a silly question, but what are the worst kinds of wood that you could burn?  ??? Now that we know the best ones... 

[Haytrader]

cottonwood

[mike_van]

Any of the Willows -  So wet they sprout branches in the pile -

[Grawulf]

Despite cottonwood and willow being the worst, people with cookstoves value their worth - it's called "biscuitwood" to them. When it's dry, (which again, takes about a year) , they split it up into small pieces and feed the fire when they make biscuits because they need a quick hot fire to brown dem biscuits (catheads) just right. HMMMMMM - I'm getting hungry!  8)

[OLD_ JD]

beechwood is ranking 5 here, first is red elm,ironwood,hickery,hard maple and beech
the worst in my opinion is basswood and willows

[Corley5]

Basswood, but for a quick fire in the late spring or early fall it works good.

[Timberwerks]

I know this may be kind of a silly question, but what are the worst kinds of wood that you could burn?  ??? Now that we know the best ones... 

Good question. I hear mixed thoughts on Box Elder. I have both Box Elder and Basswood in small amounts. I mix in a few pieces of each per cord. 90% of the wood in in cords I sell are Elm, Maple, Ash, Birch. I also have some Locust and Mulberry I through in.

Dale

[Woodcarver]

I would rank box elder as one of the worst, although the bark is really good for starting fires. The smoke has a really unpleasant odor. That said, we do burn a little.  It produces a quick hot fire when all we want to do is take the chill out of the house.

Fortunately our only close neighbors burn some, too, so they don't complain when we do.             

[OLD_ JD]

i sell only hardwood as firewood....like maple,hickery,birch,beech,ash,elm,ironwood,cherry..and a bit of paper birch but not much :
I never use any kind of poplar,butternut,ever green or all kind of otter's stuff ;)
consumer seem to be happy whit that ;D

[leweee]

Egg...zil... lent firewood. I live by the lake....when the tourists ask" which way to the beech" I always point to the woods. :D

[crtreedude]

I used to cut up a lot of beech for firewood in Ithaca New York. I really liked it.

As far as the worse, wouldn't something like pine or something with a lot of resin be really bad? I always heard you weren't supposed to use it because of creosote problems.

I did burn a lot of willow one year when I had to cut one down. Dried well and kept under a tarp is was great for getting the fire going. I sure didn't want to load the box with it though, I would have to be back in a couple of hours and do it again!

[maple flats]

I'll second that! 8) 8)

[leweee]

I did burn a lot of willow one year when I had to cut one down. Dried well and kept under a tarp is was great for getting the fire going. I sure didn't want to load the box with it though, I would have to be back in a couple of hours and do it again!

An old time woodburner in my area calls that GOPHER wood (willow,popular,basswood etc.)

throw one in the stove an GOPHER another ;D

[Timberwerks]

So what do you guy's think of American Elm? The firewood rating guide I have seen rates it as fair but I think it could be in the good range.

Dale

[beenthere]

American elm, gives a hot fire, and sometimes produces a 'clinker' almost like the old coal fired furnaces made, that you had to clean out of the firebox 'too' often.
I like to burn elm, although the rating I think is based on density more than anything.

[Murf]

I mus' be gitten older dan I thought ......  :

I read this thread an the first ting dat popped in my head when I waz tinkin of wat kinda firewood is best wz "da kind sumbody else splits and fetches fer ya."  :D

[beenthere]

I never had such good firewood as 'dat.  ;D   But sure gotta agree it is the best.

[rebocardo]

re:pine

Depends what is available. If you live in NH, VT, ME and burn a hot fire 24x7 in the winter, you use white birch to start it and pile on the pine once it is going and clean your stove chimney every year. A lot of people will burn pine pallets like it is going out of style. The best thing is to get free pine because noone wants it and then just clean your pipes or replace them every year or so.

I questioned a guy (Atlanta GA) I saw taking some pine from the curb and I asked why he would be doing that when you can grab oak and other hard wood from the curb. He said it burns fine when hot, it was easier to start, and is a lot easier to lift into his car then some of the big oak pieces.
 

[Rod]

everyone around her only burn red oak and nothing else.But beech burn good too

[Timberwerks]

I haven't had any luck getting Oak around here. The closest I get is Ash, and so far this year I haven't been able to get that either.

Dale

[Fraxinus]

Beech is very good.  It is the most dense of the hardwoods here in New England.
Top choice for me would be old growth rock maple and yellow birch.  That stuff lasts forever.
Popple, basswood, willow and any softwood...have their uses but not great firewood.

[SwampDonkey]

Around these parts if there is anything but beech, rock maple or yellow birch you'll be told to take your load of firewood and leave. I've seen some people try to mix pin cherry and dead fall fir in the pile, don't leave me that stuff or it will be a free load, for the brush pile. ;D You'd never have any trouble selling beech here, it's easier to burn than rock maple actually. If you burn something like elm and switch over to beech you'll see all the difference in the world with the heat and the length of burn. Elm is alright for a small stove or kitchen stove. For heaven's sake don't throw the beech away. Sure oak would be hotter but beech is preferred up here where the hardwood forests are chiefly rock maple, beech and yellow birch.