# I guess ash does burn green...



## KJamesJR (Jan 8, 2019)

Went with a different wood supplier for this next cord of “seasoned” wood. Much better than the last guy. Of course, I had to pay a premium for the “seasoned winter blend”.

About 90% is ash he says. Looks like he wasn’t lying. He says it’s been in log form for about a year but should burn good cause it’s ash. Took a little longer to get it going from a cold start but again, he wasn’t lying. Tested a piece before I threw it in. Was about 21% but is burning hot and making nice chunky coals. This was a fresh off the truck frozen armful.

So yeah, ash will burn good mostly green. For some reason it smells minty too.

On a side note; this will be the absolute last time I buy firewood by the cord. It’s robbery.


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## Ctwoodtick (Jan 9, 2019)

Smells minty? Sure it’s not black birch?


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## STIHLY DAN (Jan 9, 2019)

Ash doesn't smell minty.


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## Woody5506 (Jan 10, 2019)

Yeah, it will burn green....but have you ever burned it seasoned?


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## PA. Woodsman (Jan 10, 2019)

Whatever it is 21% moisture content isn't bad at all, especially buying it this time of year. Most of the places I see around me that sell wood I can just tell by looking at it that it's nowhere near being ready to burn, some are just cutting it off log lengths now and splitting it and selling it and most likely saying "well we just cut it up but it's been down in log length for a few months".   
I'm so glad and thankful that I cut my own and stack it way ahead of time, no worries that way.....


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## zvholk (Jan 10, 2019)

If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the going rate for a cord of ash?


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## bholler (Jan 10, 2019)

PA. Woodsman said:


> Whatever it is 21% moisture content isn't bad at all, especially buying it this time of year. Most of the places I see around me that sell wood I can just tell by looking at it that it's nowhere near being ready to burn, some are just cutting it off log lengths now and splitting it and selling it and most likely saying "well we just cut it up but it's been down in log length for a few months".
> I'm so glad and thankful that I cut my own and stack it way ahead of time, no worries that way.....


If it really is 21%yes not bad but if it was frozen or not fresh face it isn't accurate.


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## bholler (Jan 10, 2019)

zvholk said:


> If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the going rate for a cord of ash?


That will vary greatly by area here a cord of hardwood is 180 to 200 split.


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## woodey (Jan 10, 2019)

bholler said:


> That will vary greatly by area here a cord of hardwood is 180 to 200 split.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Close to the same here.


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## KJamesJR (Jan 10, 2019)

zvholk said:


> If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the going rate for a cord of ash?



It was $395 from the processor I bought it from . It all seems to be around the 21% range. He cut it to the length I wanted and delivered it from about 20 miles away. Not that it really justifies the price but if it’s burning I guess it’s seasoned? There’s some sugar maple in the mix too but 95% of it is ash. I think I like ash.


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## KJamesJR (Jan 10, 2019)

bholler said:


> If it really is 21%yes not bad but if it was frozen or not fresh face it isn't accurate.


I split and tested a fresh side across the grain. The split was about room temp. So around 70 degrees f once warm that particular piece was still around 21%.

Only problem is the Oslo still likes sub 20% it seems. The stuff I had processed from my woods caught faster and burned longer/hotter with healthy secondaries. It was 18% - 19% after seasoning spring/summer. Sugar maple.

I will say this Ash is producing secondaries I haven’t seen in more than a month. Last cord I got (seems we’re averaging 1 cord/6 weeks burning 24/7) was really bad. Still taking a little extra air to get it started even being in the 21% range.


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## KJamesJR (Jan 10, 2019)

STIHLY DAN said:


> Ash doesn't smell minty.


It does smell minty. Like the old doublemint gum. Or like the Simple Green cleaner. Best I can describe it.


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## KJamesJR (Jan 10, 2019)

Here’s a second piece split and moisture test. Room temp. Burning in stove, coming to the end of the burn cycle.


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## weatherguy (Jan 10, 2019)

That's ash for sure, 22% is not ideal but you can get away with it. For some reason wood in New Hampshire is expensive, you would think with all the woods that wood would be cheap.


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## KJamesJR (Jan 10, 2019)

weatherguy said:


> That's ash for sure, 22% is not ideal but you can get away with it. For some reason wood in New Hampshire is expensive, you would think with all the woods that wood would be cheap.


I think that’s the second or third time I’ve heard that statement about firewood in NH lol.

 My goal for the rest of the winter is to C/S/S 6 cords from my woods for next winter and the winter after. If I have to buy again, it will be a grapple.

22% will burn but it takes a while getting there with the side door open. Once lit it burns nice.


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## Todd67 (Jan 10, 2019)

Ash is my absolute favorite firewood.


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## weatherguy (Jan 11, 2019)

Todd67 said:


> Ash is my absolute favorite firewood.


mine too, good bttu's and seasons quickly.


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## Todd67 (Jan 11, 2019)

Yep. Plus it splits easily and stacks tight. A rack full of split ash will last longer than a rack full of maple, just because of how tight it stacks. It leaves excellent coals after a 10-12 hour overnight burn in my baffled Fisher.

There is less air space between the splits. If maple split and stacked and nicely as ash, it would be a tie.


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## Woody5506 (Jan 11, 2019)

Todd67 said:


> Yep. Plus it splits easily and stacks tight. A rack full of split ash will last longer than a rack full of maple, just because of how tight it stacks. It leaves excellent coals after a 10-12 hour overnight burn in my baffled Fisher.
> 
> There is less air space between the splits. If maple split and stacked and nicely as ash, it would be a tie.




Kinda depends where the tree grew. I've gotten ash from the woods that is perfect and stacks like you mention, but most of the ash I got when I started burning was yard trees that grew about as twisted up and gnarly as a lot of Norway Maple yard trees. I've also gotten maple that's grown very straight and stacks perfectly, but hardly ever from a yard tree.


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## Todd67 (Jan 11, 2019)

Woody5506 said:


> Kinda depends where the tree grew. I've gotten ash from the woods that is perfect and stacks like you mention, but most of the ash I got when I started burning was yard trees that grew about as twisted up and gnarly as a lot of Norway Maple yard trees. I've also gotten maple that's grown very straight and stacks perfectly, but hardly ever from a yard tree.



I agree. Around me, most of our maple grows all twisted, hence doesn't split or stack cleanly. I have had some straight maple trees that split like good ash trees, but they are few and far between around me. I remember splitting those maple trees because I remember asking, "why can't ALL maple split this easily?"

The ash around me is just the opposite. I almost never have a twisted ash tree, whether it's a young tree or old standing dead tree with a 20+" tree trunk.


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## Chas0218 (Jan 11, 2019)

Yup, I season my ash 1 year and burn it. Usually it is around 20% or less this year I was surprised to see it at 20% with all the rain we got. The trees I burn should be cut up for boards instead of firewood but nothing I can do about that. I burn about the same as you maybe a little more, but almost all Ash and wouldn't have it any other way. Ash is by far my favorite to burn because of the short seasoning it needs.


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## KJamesJR (Jan 11, 2019)

I do notice it seems to burn down a little on the fast side for me. Could be because of the high moisture though. Taking longer to get the stove warm, wasting a lot of btus evaporating moisture. Splits are 50% charred before they ignite kind of thing.

I'm a little upset. Walked my property during the fall and only have ONE ash tree in a four acre space. I was thinking about propagating some of its seeds before taking it down. Which would mean waiting until next fall for it to drop seeds... which means no ash to burn next season. It has mothered some saplings in the surrounding area, but in a lot full of sugar maple, they wont do well. Supposed to be one of the faster growing hardwoods.


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## Chas0218 (Jan 11, 2019)

KJamesJR said:


> I do notice it seems to burn down a little on the fast side for me. Could be because of the high moisture though. Taking longer to get the stove warm, wasting a lot of btus evaporating moisture. Splits are 50% charred before they ignite kind of thing.
> 
> I'm a little upset. Walked my property during the fall and only have ONE ash tree in a four acre space. I was thinking about propagating some of its seeds before taking it down. Which would mean waiting until next fall for it to drop seeds... which means no ash to burn next season. It has mothered some saplings in the surrounding area, but in a lot full of sugar maple, they wont do well. Supposed to be one of the faster growing hardwoods.


My smaller splits are coals by the 6 hour mark I usually get good re-starts after 8 hours but the 10 hour mark takes quite a while. This is also with splits on the dryer side. Rounds with bark on seem to take longer as well.


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## KJamesJR (Jan 11, 2019)

Chas0218 said:


> My smaller splits are coals by the 6 hour mark I usually get good re-starts after 8 hours but the 10 hour mark takes quite a while. This is also with splits on the dryer side. Rounds with bark on seem to take longer as well.


Yeah, mine have been coals by about the 3-4 hour mark. Sucks burning your first year but you live and learn.


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## Chas0218 (Jan 11, 2019)

KJamesJR said:


> Yeah, mine have been coals by about the 3-4 hour mark. Sucks burning your first year but you live and learn.


My first year in my new house I had about 3 cords of dry wood figured that would get me close. Well it got me through about 4 months starting in October. I had some dead standing cherry trees at my fathers that I have left until I needed last year. They were punky towards the bottom so I figured for sure they would have been dry well they were almost 30% and stacking next to the stove got them close. My first year had started off great up until Feb. when I started burning the Cherry, in hind sight I should have just opted for a pallet of the eco-bricks but at that time had no idea they were available. I was kicking around the idea of buying one of those stainless pellet holders and burning hardwood pellets but almost everyone said they were a waste of money. Reluctantly I just turned on the furnace and spent $300 on fuel oil in 1 & 1/2 months.

I have done so much reading on firewood and drying my wife thought I was obsessed until I showed her a few articles outlining the importance of dry wood. Not to mention her father kept telling her how he split all his firewood for the year only once and from then on dropped trees 2 years in advance and that was all I needed to do to get seasoned wood. I don't know how he only had 2 chimney fires with smoldering fires and unseasoned wood in the "25 years he had burned fire wood".


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## hickoryhoarder (Jan 12, 2019)

Split ash can be used pretty quickly -- I've burned it six months after it was cut.  So I can see where even logs could be used.  It is way better after 2 or 3 years, and the nice thing about it is it doesn't get fungus and stuff in the stacks.


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## SpaceBus (Jan 12, 2019)

Chas0218 said:


> My first year in my new house I had about 3 cords of dry wood figured that would get me close. Well it got me through about 4 months starting in October. I had some dead standing cherry trees at my fathers that I have left until I needed last year. They were punky towards the bottom so I figured for sure they would have been dry well they were almost 30% and stacking next to the stove got them close. My first year had started off great up until Feb. when I started burning the Cherry, in hind sight I should have just opted for a pallet of the eco-bricks but at that time had no idea they were available. I was kicking around the idea of buying one of those stainless pellet holders and burning hardwood pellets but almost everyone said they were a waste of money. Reluctantly I just turned on the furnace and spent $300 on fuel oil in 1 & 1/2 months.
> 
> I have done so much reading on firewood and drying my wife thought I was obsessed until I showed her a few articles outlining the importance of dry wood. Not to mention her father kept telling her how he split all his firewood for the year only once and from then on dropped trees 2 years in advance and that was all I needed to do to get seasoned wood. I don't know how he only had 2 chimney fires with smoldering fires and unseasoned wood in the "25 years he had burned fire wood".




I'm stuck in the hospital so my wife had to take over hearth duties. She now understands why I'm obsessive with the wood, when/where to stack, getting it indoors and room temp before burning, etc.


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## weatherguy (Jan 13, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> I'm stuck in the hospital so my wife had to take over hearth duties. She now understands why I'm obsessive with the wood, when/where to stack, getting it indoors and room temp before burning, etc.


You posting from the hospital?


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## SpaceBus (Jan 13, 2019)

weatherguy said:


> You posting from the hospital?



Yes, I got here Tuesday around 2300. I'm either talking to my wife on the phone/face time or on here. It helps me to have something to focus on that isn't the inside of this hospital building. While in Afghanistan I picked up some kind of blood disorder that causes my own immune system to attack my blood. I had a pretty bad crisis and I'm here trying to get well enough to go home.


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## PA. Woodsman (Jan 13, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Yes, I got here Tuesday around 2300. I'm either talking to my wife on the phone/face time or on here. It helps me to have something to focus on that isn't the inside of this hospital building. While in Afghanistan I picked up some kind of blood disorder that causes my own immune system to attack my blood. I had a pretty bad crisis and I'm here trying to get well enough to go home.


Hang in there buddy, thoughts and prayers sent your way! Sorry this has happened to you and I hope that they correct it and you feel better soon!


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## SpaceBus (Jan 13, 2019)

PA. Woodsman said:


> Hang in there buddy, thoughts and prayers sent your way! Sorry this has happened to you and I hope that they correct it and you feel better soon!



By some kind of miracle I am going home today! This community has helped me immensely through this crisis. This is a wonderful group full of supportive people.


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## Medic21 (Jan 13, 2019)

bholler said:


> That will vary greatly by area here a cord of hardwood is 180 to 200 split.



Holy poop.  $100-$150 here.  And this year it’s been high at the auctions because the weather has not cooperated for any of us is two years.  Can’t get wood out with as wet as it’s been.


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## Medic21 (Jan 13, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Yes, I got here Tuesday around 2300. I'm either talking to my wife on the phone/face time or on here. It helps me to have something to focus on that isn't the inside of this hospital building. While in Afghanistan I picked up some kind of blood disorder that causes my own immune system to attack my blood. I had a pretty bad crisis and I'm here trying to get well enough to go home.



Damn Brother!!

I came home with health problems I never had before but, nothing like that.


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## SpaceBus (Jan 13, 2019)

Medic21 said:


> Damn Brother!!
> 
> I came home with health problems I never had before but, nothing like that.



I had less than 5,000 platelets per deciliter of blood yesterday. I woke up today with 42k


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## PA. Woodsman (Jan 13, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> By some kind of miracle I am going home today! This community has helped me immensely through this crisis. This is a wonderful group full of supportive people.


That is great news! I hope you continue to improve and stay well!


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## weatherguy (Jan 13, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> By some kind of miracle I am going home today! This community has helped me immensely through this crisis. This is a wonderful group full of supportive people.


Glad you're doing better, hospitals are no fun, I never thought to take my tablet in and use the internet.


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## KJamesJR (Jan 13, 2019)

Medic21 said:


> Holy poop.  $100-$150 here.  And this year it’s been high at the auctions because the weather has not cooperated for any of us is two years.  Can’t get wood out with as wet as it’s been.


I can buy ash by the grapple. I sometimes see it posted for sale. Just straight ash. 8-10 cords a load for the low low price of $1500...

A normal 8-10 grapple goes for around $900-$1000. But it’s hard to find grapples around here.


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## Todd67 (Jan 14, 2019)

KJamesJR said:


> I can buy ash by the grapple. I sometimes see it posted for sale. Just straight ash. 8-10 cords a load for the low low price of $1500...
> 
> A normal 8-10 grapple goes for around $900-$1000. But it’s hard to find grapples around here.



That sounds expensive, but I haven't priced that much firewood around here. It's usually $195 or more per cord of splits, and it's a mix of mystery wood. More soft wood than hard wood, and some of it it poor quality.


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## bholler (Jan 14, 2019)

Medic21 said:


> Holy poop.  $100-$150 here.  And this year it’s been high at the auctions because the weather has not cooperated for any of us is two years.  Can’t get wood out with as wet as it’s been.


The prices I gave are delivered but just dumped in a pile.  Stacked is more if you pick it up it is less.


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## bholler (Jan 14, 2019)

KJamesJR said:


> I can buy ash by the grapple. I sometimes see it posted for sale. Just straight ash. 8-10 cords a load for the low low price of $1500...
> 
> A normal 8-10 grapple goes for around $900-$1000. But it’s hard to find grapples around here.


Wow I got a load of white oak for 750 last year.  1500 for ash is crazy.


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## SpaceBus (Jan 14, 2019)

bholler said:


> Wow I got a load of white oak for 750 last year.  1500 for ash is crazy.



How do you deal with a truck load of logs like that? Our driveway wouldn't facilitate a logging truck anywhere near our house.


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## bholler (Jan 14, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> How do you deal with a truck load of logs like that? Our driveway wouldn't facilitate a logging truck anywhere near our house.


I have about an acre of paved parking lot.  So mine is easy.  But you would be amazed where they can get those trucks.


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## SpaceBus (Jan 14, 2019)

bholler said:


> I have about an acre of paved parking lot.  So mine is easy.  But you would be amazed where they can get those trucks.



Do they just dump the uncut logs on the ground? Sounds like a nice setup. Do you process all of it by hand? Once I get a tractor I'll be able to process wood on my own without killing myself. It's just hell to move large logs. I really overestimated my abilities!


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## bholler (Jan 14, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Do they just dump the uncut logs on the ground? Sounds like a nice setup. Do you process all of it by hand? Once I get a tractor I'll be able to process wood on my own without killing myself. It's just hell to move large logs. I really overestimated my abilities!


My guy lays down a couple logs as sleepers then stacks the rest on top of them.  I then cut them to length.  Split them and throw them in a pile as I do that.  Then pushed the pile over to my covered racks with my snowplow.  I also cut in the woods I just got a log load to get ahead.

When cutting in the woods I cut to length and throw it in the bed of my dump truck drive back and dump it then repeat.


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## bholler (Jan 14, 2019)

And no I don't really want an acre of pavement.  But it was here and it does make some things very convenient.  I will eventually take allot of it out.


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## KJamesJR (Jan 14, 2019)

My driveway is pretty much my yard with a little dirt strip to pull into off the road. Given I have about 2 1/2 acres of grass, there’s no shortage of “driveway” for a log truck to get into.

I wouldn’t spend $1500 for a load of ash, however I only have one ash tree decent enough to take so I’d like to source more. My initial goal is to get 6 cords of out my woods this winter but given my limited resources those six cords are going to be mostly cherry with a little sugar maple. 

When you guys place orders for your grapples do you get to be choosey to an extent or do you get what they got for the most part?


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## Medic21 (Jan 15, 2019)

I’m sitting here thinking I could load a mix of hard woods from the mill rejects in the semi dump trailer, 46’ trailer and deliver to one of you guys for $1500 on a weekend.  

Anywhere east of Mississippi River and North of Kentucky through South Carolina and make big bucks from Northern Indiana.  



bholler said:


> The prices I gave are delivered but just dumped in a pile.  Stacked is more if you pick it up it is less.



Same, heaping pickup load, seasoned, unloaded in a pile.  The Amish auctions are you drive through they bid you deliver.   

Most, including my plans, are using coal as a backup for $210 a ton delivered.


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## maple1 (Jan 15, 2019)

SpaceBus said:


> Do they just dump the uncut logs on the ground? Sounds like a nice setup. Do you process all of it by hand? Once I get a tractor I'll be able to process wood on my own without killing myself. It's just hell to move large logs. I really overestimated my abilities!



Don't move any large logs. Cut it up where they land it. Split it where it landed when you cut it. Then the only thing you move is splits. Well, aside from getting the round into splitting position in/on your splitter.


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## bholler (Jan 15, 2019)

maple1 said:


> Don't move any large logs. Cut it up where they land it. Split it where it landed when you cut it. Then the only thing you move is splits. Well, aside from getting the round into splitting position in/on your splitter.


I personally more rounds when I cut in the woods.  I just don't like splitting in the feild personally.  But no I don't move big logs


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