Calorific value of species of softwoods compared to Ash?

[Stubby]

I always understood Hickory was one of highest hard woods . Thing is it has other uses too .

[WonderBloke]

I have a fairly standard native woodland with a mix of Oak, Ash, Chestnut, Horse Chestnut, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, and Silver Birch.. I find they are all good burners providing I season them well.. In fact my favourite for a nice ash burn is the Silver Birch.. It grows quickly (3 - 5yrs for a good trunk diameter for logging (5 if coppiced) ), burns really well requiring less kindling (I hate chopping kindling lol) puts out good heat.. you just need lots of it...

 

Apple and Cherry are my favourites but my wife won't let me cut them down lol...

[WonderBloke]

Bottom of the woodland is fairly boggy and scrappy not really supporting natives well so I was thinking of planting Blue Gum or Eucalyptus as I hear it is a good burner and doesn't mind boggy conditions.. Anyone got any experience burning Eucalyptus?

[Stubby]

Bottom of the woodland is fairly boggy and scrappy not really supporting natives well so I was thinking of planting Blue Gum or Eucalyptus as I hear it is a good burner and doesn't mind boggy conditions.. Anyone got any experience burning Eucalyptus?

 

I would go for Alder .

[openspaceman]

Anyone got any experience burning Eucalyptus?

 

It’s a good dense firewood that is a pig to split and slow to dry.

 

Species choice is dependant on site and I haven't seen any growing in wet conditions.

[se7enthdevil]

Bottom of the woodland is fairly boggy and scrappy not really supporting natives well so I was thinking of planting Blue Gum or Eucalyptus as I hear it is a good burner and doesn't mind boggy conditions.. Anyone got any experience burning Eucalyptus?

 

any euc is a spectacular firewood and the bluegum i've burned lasted for hours on the fire gave out tons of heat and left almost no ash.

 

as a woodturner with a stove i've burned more species than most be it exotic or native and it's at the top of my wish list for firewood if i can get it.

[MattyF]

I know of a eucy plantation near me , most are dead or dying but have grown to a fair size I would put there deaths to the cold though but if they can grow in a bottomless bog like the land around keilder then they can't mind damp roots too much... from dealing with them in urban environments they do not like the cold , those cold winters we had a few years back killed a lot of garden eucalyptus.

I would stay with alder though , fast growing and appears to like being wet.. only thing that seems to have survived in the wet bits of the plantation I was thinning today.

[neiln]

We all love a good hardwood for its density and hence total heat output per log - less splitting, smaller stacks and less loading compared to softwood. However don't forget softwoods burn hot and fast, the hot fires tend to be cleaner. With the recent press on poor air quality and the contribution of woodburners there is perhaps a case to be made for more softwood as fuel.

[difflock]

I liked burning Birch, but when I switched to burning Lodgepole/Sitka, I found no odds, since I am only carrying the same weigh in for the same burning value, and the heavy metal stove modulates the heat output very effectively.

BUT!

hardwood is so much nicer to handle.

[Alycidon]

These might help

Combustion of Wood - Heat Values

 

 

https://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FR_BEC_Wood_as_Fuel_Technical_Supplement_2010.pdf/$FILE/FR_BEC_Wood_as_Fuel_Technical_Supplement_2010.pdf

 

The FC form as you will see shows the calorific value per ton, BUT softwood at the same moisture level as hardwood is lighter so more is needed to make that ton weight, thats the key.

 

I sell softwood as needing 30 min stove refills as opposed to 40 mins with hardwood but giving slightly more heat. Given softwood costs are lower than hardwood cost per KW is about the same or might be slightly favoured toward softwood.

 

A