Is willow a good firewood?

[West Highlander]

I've browsed for a while so thought I'd raise a question on which I have conflicting views.

 

I'm an amateur but have been on chainsaw courses and fell and split my own wood. I have 5 woodburners across 2 houses I own so I get through a lot of wood, usually birch, ash and sycamore with some beech, oak and softwoods thrown in. I always store wood for 2 years undercover before using.

 

I've been offered a decent amount of willow free if I'm prepared to fell and remove it. I regard willow as a poor firewood as my view is that it has a high moisture content to start with so it's not easy to get really dry in a cool, wet area like here. Also, whilst I know all wood produces pretty much the same amount of heat by weight when dry, and willow burns hot when dry, willow isn't very dense so the volume I'll need to store, handle and burn for the same results will be much higher.

 

Whilst I'd burn it if I had nothing else, I am disinclined to put in the effort when I have the (also free) alternative of mixed birch, larch and ash. But there seems to be mixed views on here, so I thought I'd ask about what people's views are.

 

Any opinions?

[Ian C]

No its crap.

[Le Sanglier]

You're right, if it was delivered to you I'd take it, if you have to get it, forget it.

[Hodge]

It's grand if its nice and dry, mix it in with other stuff. I burn loads of it.

 

 

Sent from Outerspace.

[s.varty]

If you have access to free birch, forget the willow

[Graham]

A pub I went in was burning willow. Super hot.

[Farmer Tom]

Trouble with Willow is that when it's wet it's full of water, when it's dry it's full of air.

[Marko]

If you have access to free birch, forget the willow

 

 

When the free birch runs out, consider free willow.

[West Highlander]

Thanks for the replies, seems pretty much what I thought.

 

As an aside, reading this site makes me realise how lucky we are. There are tons of wood that get blown down every year in our glen. As we are quite remote and the road is difficult there is very little commercial interest so wood is effectively free. Add in the softwood thinnings felled to waste and you can see why everyone has a wood burner.

 

Only issue in recent years is that the number of deer has shot up so the wood isn't regenerating naturally as well as it once did.

[s.varty]

Thanks for the replies, seems pretty much what I thought.

 

As an aside, reading this site makes me realise how lucky we are. There are tons of wood that get blown down every year in our glen. As we are quite remote and the road is difficult there is very little commercial interest so wood is effectively free. Add in the softwood thinnings felled to waste and you can see why everyone has a wood burner.

 

Only issue in recent years is that the number of deer has shot up so the wood isn't regenerating naturally as well as it once did.

 

Sounds like a beautiful place to live, any pics?