# Pin Oak?



## Gomez (Dec 21, 2008)

My mother has a 26" or so Pin Oak i wll be taking down this winter. 
I don't see too many (or any) references to Pin Oak.
Is it any good for burning?


----------



## LLigetfa (Dec 21, 2008)

I'm pretty sure someone that lives close to you will not only tell you that it isn't fit to burn but they will also offer to haul it away for you and safely dispose of it at no cost to you.


----------



## webby3650 (Dec 21, 2008)

Great to burn, horrible to spit! Better have a splitter.


----------



## JerseyWreckDiver (Dec 21, 2008)

Pretty much the same as red oak as far as I know. Except for looking at the leaves and acorns you'd probably have a really difficult time telling them apart.


----------



## bsruther (Dec 21, 2008)

Pin Oak is one of the many varieties of Red Oak just as Northern Red Oak is another variety of Red Oak.
There seems to be more Pin Oaks around here than any other kind. And yes, it's not easy to split by hand.
I've read that it's a poor lumber grade Oak too. 
It's definitely one of the best burning woods to be found around here


----------



## Superlite (Dec 21, 2008)

Most difference is in the growing habit and the leaf shape. As with any wood, splitting could be terrible or cake depending on many different factors. Last year i milled some Pin Oak that had super straight awesome grain, that would split if you dropped it on an axe. Besides Oak is Oak, whether it is red, black, pin, white, willow leafed, etc... Burn it or Mill it. Enjoy it either way 
Superlite


----------



## Corey (Dec 22, 2008)

Setting in front of a nice pin oak fire right now.  I looked at a couple of btu/cord charts and didn't see pin oak specifically listed.  My feeling is that it might be slightly less than red oak in btu's mainly because it seems to be a bit lighter.

The fun part is in the splitting.  The stuff I got hold of had been felled and cut into stove lengths last year.  I was splitting it this fall.  Several of the pieces would take nearly the full load of the splitter and just when you think it wasn't going to split....**BOOM** the log would crack in two and pieces would go flying a couple of feet!  Definitely seems like it might be better to split green!


----------



## Malatesta (Dec 22, 2008)

There's lots of oak tree's here in MD. Ive burned them all. Pin-oak is one of the harder oaks to split by hand its very dense. I feel it splits easier when its a little green. Its not the same as red oak which is very easy to split.
The bark makes it easy also to ID its slightly smooth and Dark grayish. 
Pin-oaks leaves are very easy to identify there not rounded ,if you exam them close they look like tiny pins on the end,no rounded curves. The leave ends are pointed.I also feel its right up there with white oak,its alot heavier then red-oak in my opinion. Anyways its a great wood to burn.


----------



## billb3 (Dec 22, 2008)

50 years ago the pin oak in this back yard had the characteristic  pyrimidal shape. At 75 years old  or so, it now has a more typical canopy shape of red oak. Tends to lose its leaves latest of all the oaks, when younger often retaining a large number of them until Spring.
The ones here tend to have more surface roots under the canopy than other oaks. Tough to dig under, like some maples.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Dec 22, 2008)

We don't have many oaks on our place but of what we do have, most are pin oaks. Pin oak definitely is in the red oak family. Not good for lumber but excellent for fire wood. Burns almost like red oak and needs time to season; 2 years.


----------



## Gomez (Dec 22, 2008)

Thanks all!

I have a splitter so hopefully the splitting won't be too bad.
The tree died sometime in the fall, probably won't be getting to 
split it until February.

I've been burning Red Oak for the past few weeks and if the Pin Oak
is similar, I'll be quite happy and warm.


----------



## Todd (Dec 22, 2008)

I scored 2 1/2 cords of Northern Pin Oak late spring and it was some of the easiest firewood I ever split. I have a small 8 ton splitter and as soon as the rounds hit the wedge they popped apart. I'm looking forward to burning some two years from now, most is still pegging the moisture meter.


----------



## Tony H (Dec 22, 2008)

Gomez said:
			
		

> My mother has a 26" or so Pin Oak i wll be taking down this winter.
> I don't see too many (or any) references to Pin Oak.
> Is it any good for burning?



Wood is no good , please drop it by my house and I will get rid of it for you  ;-)


----------

