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How's Beechwood for firewood?

Started by Timberwerks, August 06, 2005, 08:13:20 PM

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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.
Sense is not common

Corley5

I like it 8)  Not much different than maple in my opinion
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

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.
Bill

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

Haytrader

mike_van

Any of the Willows -  So wet they sprout branches in the pile -
I was the smartest 16 year old I ever knew.

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
canadien forest ranger

Corley5

Basswood, but for a quick fire in the late spring or early fall it works good.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

Timberwerks

Quote from: Jodi on August 07, 2005, 02:42:41 AM
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.  :)           
Just an old dog learning new tricks.......Woodcarver

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
canadien forest ranger

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
just another beaver with a chainsaw &  it's never so bad that it couldn't get worse.

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!

So, how did I end up here anyway?

maple flats

logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

leweee

Quote from: crtreedude on August 07, 2005, 07:02:44 PM


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
just another beaver with a chainsaw &  it's never so bad that it couldn't get worse.

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.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

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
If you're going to break a law..... make sure it's Murphy's Law.

beenthere

I never had such good firewood as 'dat.  ;D   But sure gotta agree it is the best. :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

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.
 

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