Why are the public anti-softwood?

[Big J]

Generally speaking, the public when requesting firewood for stoves and fires only want hardwood logs. I've started burning Larch (free and bone dry) and Spruce (bone dry and offcuts from work) on my stove at home and couldn't be happier with it. The larch in particular burns with a ferocious heat and the Spruce is ideal for slightly chilly evenings as it burns cleanly, but with a more gentle heat.

 

The question is I suppose, why is it that the public are so insistent on hardwood and has anyone had much success in marketing softwoods?

 

Jonathan

[detritus21]

Because people have been brainwashed by suppliers and the internet into thinking hardwood is best where in reality anything dry is good. How much dry conifer did I burn last year the answer is a lot and it kept my heating ticking over nicely.

[Ian H]

From what I know it seems to be most peoples perception that softwood spits more. Also historically hardwoods were seen as the "kings" of firewood, oak in particular due to it's burn time and heat given off.

[josharb87]

in sweden people only want soft wood, oak is wasted here, gets chucked away, apparantly burns too hot . . . its minus 20 in winter and oak burns too hot!!!

[Rob D]

Strange how in Sweden they think oak is no good and here people think softwood no good!

 

 

I sell softwood fine (mixed in with hardwood). When people question whether softwood is ok just say 'in Scandinavia they only burn softwood and look how cold it gets there'...

 

 

And Josh's comment above backs this up nicely!

 

Just give customers a bit of a discount on the mixed wood (£10-00 off a cube) and they'll buy it.

 

I had no complaints last year re spitting or anything similar.

 

 

Or wait until you have run out of everything else and when people ring up say 'no hardwood left but I have some bone dry larch, douglas, monterey cyress etc.'

[MattyF]

It gets me laughing when they have just paid a fortune for a sweedish desighned log burning stove, but insist on beech or ash !

[Arbgirl]

I have always understood that softwood causes tarring up of chimneys unless very well seasoned - maybe this is a myth - although my sweep says I would need the chimney swept more often if I burnt softwood? I have an unlined cob chimney - not sure if that makes any difference?

 

I only use softwood as kindling

 

If it isnt true about the resins fouling up the chimney faster then I may burn more softwood!

[s.varty]

Because people have been brainwashed by suppliers and the internet into thinking hardwood is best where in reality anything dry is good. How much dry conifer did I burn last year the answer is a lot and it kept my heating ticking over nicely.

 

Last year i ran out of hardwood logs at christmas, Had tons of dry conifer ready to be burnt on the brushwood fire. Said to my customers that i will give them a free bag of conifer logs, if they are ok then i would sell them a load. Everyone said they were great and gave the house a nice fresh smell. Guess where the conifer wood goes now.

[defenderjack]

after running out last year of mixed loads i had loads of dry macrocarpa ! people loved it and said it was some of the best stuff they have burnt !

it burns hot ,easy to light easy to split ,ok it burns a little fast but thats just means they have to buy more ! i think if your honest with most people then there fine

[Mike Hill]

I think that people are generally right in wanting Hardwood.It burns longer and at a higher tempreture.

 

Here in Norway Birch is the most sought after Firewood.We hardly ever take that off jobs.Oak,Ash,Yew,Syc people won't touch.

 

We used to ring up all our logs and let people come and take what they wanted.Thing was that folks would fling wood around the yard attempting to burrow into the piles in search of Birch.Weirdos.