What is the best type of wood you have used for your stove?

[slasherscot]

Beech is the best...but i burn anything from leylandi to beech...anything seasoned and dry

[Stubby]

I like Sycamore as it is the least labor intensive hard wood out there . Burns almost as good as Ash and Beech , seasons really quick and splits easy peasy  lemon squeasy  .

[AHPP]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

Mind out the glue does not set the chimney alight ! ?

I'm sure it burns.

[openspaceman]

44 minutes ago, AHPP said:

I'm sure it burns.

Yes it burns but it's the species of chemicals it burns to that is the concern. I think the glue  is urea formaldehyde resin

[Stumpy Grinder]

I got some huge mature Blackthorn rings last year. They burn like bloody gas! Loads of heat and a blue flame!

Laurel is quite good once dried. Just started burning some Robinia which seems pretty good too.

Softwoods seem to be overlooked in UK though? Let's not forget that our Scandanavian friends rely on it mainly and it's pretty nippy over there in winter! Dried pines are great to burn and most of us undoubtedly use them as kindling to start the fire anyway.

SG

[neiln]

I agree that syc is very consistently easy splitting and dries well, but it doesn't compare to the denser woods when actually on the stove.  I burn a lot of it though, its alright.

 

not sure its the least labour intensive though,  that prize goes to robinia pseudo acacia/black locust which in my experience splits easier and burns like oak, silver birch is also a consistent easy splitter for me.  Oddly, despite all I've read, for me Ash has been a consistent PITA to split....I've no given up though, it does bun nicely.

Edited November 14, 2018 by neiln

[Stumpy Grinder]

Birch is great wood, but can't be coppiced. But what will replace ash when its all dead and gone? Having done some very large, but very young Eucalyptus stumps recently, that has to be a contender for a rapid growing sustainable supply?

SG

[AHPP]

1 hour ago, openspaceman said:

Yes it burns but it's the species of chemicals it burns to that is the concern. I think the glue  is urea formaldehyde resin

Looked that up. Sounds toxic but I'm not breathing the fumes so what's the problem?

[openspaceman]

10 hours ago, AHPP said:

Looked that up. Sounds toxic but I'm not breathing the fumes so what's the problem?

I don't think it's unlawful to burn any thing domestically outside of a clean air area as long as the smoke isn't dark.

 

Of course to emit a pollutant into the atmosphere because it benefits yourself is the tragedy of the commons. 

 

My guess is it is possible to burn ply or mdf cleanly but unlikely in a domestic stove. If you can smell that characteristic odour of resin burning then it is not clean.

 

Having said that, I have burned small offcuts in mine but I wonder if the higher temperatures may damage the stove.

[woodrascal]

11 hours ago, AHPP said:

Looked that up. Sounds toxic but I'm not breathing the fumes so what's the problem?

Have you got any neighbours...?