Favourite Firewood

[Stere]

I reckon a coppiced hardwood like sycamore or ash beech at about 30yrs old is the ideal perfect firewood nice straight logs to process.

 

Not that much of it about though?

 

 

Hazel is good but abit small and takes ages to grow huge as once overstood  its growth rate  decreases alot.

 

Would be Ideal along side other woods though  as kindling though -  with a  branch logger etc say on a 15ys cycle....

[Eric42]

If you have the time, Hawthorn from hedges that have never been flailed and have almost no thorns.

 

One of the most satisfying things in life is to see a hedgerow regenerated by coppicing/laying a few years ago, then go home and watch flames from seasoned logs cut from that same hedge.

[roys]

Rhododendron, because the more I burn means that there is less growing. Plus it makes a nice fire wood, burns well and I usually don’t need to split it as the pieces I process for the wood stack are roughly in the 3 to 4 inch diameter range.

[openspaceman]

13 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

Oak takes forever to season and burns more like coal I find.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Steven P said:

 

Takes a long time to dry, can be quite smoky, and the smoke can be acrid - if there were other woods available I'd prefer them

 

 

It is true that oak resists water migration, which presumably is why it was used for barrels.

 

However I picked some Q robur pieces off an arb job three weeks ago, felled that day. I  cut and split it small and put it in my log stack, took  piece out yesterday and tested it with a meter and it was 15% on the outer faces and 30% in the middle so drying reasonably fast and will be fit to burn by October.

 

I agree it is not an exciting wood to burn compared with softwoods, birch or ash for instance but then I always mix my woods.

Edited July 30, 2023 by openspaceman
spelling, i before e except...

[sime42]

Sycamore or Ash. For reasons already mentioned.

[Mick Dempsey]

5 hours ago, Stubby said:

Dead standing Elm .

Bastard to split by hand. Normally of course it can go straight in round.

[Steve Bullman]

Dead standing yew 

[Mick Dempsey]

17 hours ago, 5thelement said:

Robinia and Hornbeam for me. Readily available from jobs, splits easy, dries quickly and burns slowly.

Robinia always seem to leave a ribbon holding the two split pieces together, meaning you have to wrangle it apart, so it’s off the list for me.

Plus it smells of piss.

Edited July 30, 2023 by Mick Dempsey

[Mick Dempsey]

Just now, Steve Bullman said:

Dead standing yew 

Actually invites Witches into the house, so again, no from me. 

[Mick Dempsey]

I like oak, well seasoned, splits nicely, long strong burn.