# RED OAK vs. BLACK LOCUST...



## Ram 1500 with an axe... (Jan 9, 2014)

Ok now, I'm just seeing what you all think is the better wood while burning. Ignoring all the btu charts and all that... Which do you like the most and why?
I enjoy chopping black locust but the red oak is really taking off tonite,  so right now I'm voting for red oak...
Thanks all...


----------



## JA600L (Jan 9, 2014)

Red Oak, I like the Locust but theres no doubt in my mind the Oak performs better.


----------



## Paulywalnut (Jan 9, 2014)

I love red oak by itself. Burns great, great coaling. I love locust with something else too.
Locust and mulberry are good, locust and red oak very good. Yes splitting red oak is fun.


----------



## aansorge (Jan 9, 2014)

I have honey locust right now and it is very dense.  Also it is slow to light off.  I'll take Bur Oak (the most common oak species around here) over honey locust just barely as bur oak splits a smidgen easier and they both take a good while to season. The honey locust may burn a bit longer though.

I know I'm a bit off topic, just a Midwesterners perspective.


----------



## clemsonfor (Jan 9, 2014)

I like red oak I think you get more heat than the BL I have. The BL with definitely out heat out longer just don't think its as intense, but definitely a hot long burn on the BL


----------



## Wood Duck (Jan 9, 2014)

Red Oak is great to split and I like the smell. Black Locust doesn't rot, so I don't worry about stacking it for a long time. I think they both burn excellently. Overall, I choose Red Oak because of the splitting and smell.


----------



## chiefttt (Jan 9, 2014)

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:


> Ok now, I'm jusis longer seeing what you all think is the better wood while burning. Ignoring all the btu charts and all that... Which do you like the most and why?
> I enjoy chopping black locust but the red oak is really taking off tonite,  so right now I'm voting for red oak...
> Thanks all...


Both are excellent. Both split easy, oak a little easier. Some say drying time for oak is 2 years min. I disagree, I think 1 year is fine. Oak seems straighter and fits in the stove better. I would say oak has a slight edge.


----------



## red oak (Jan 9, 2014)

Well it's pretty obvious which one I prefer!  Red Oak splits easier and I have more of it around where I live.  The charts say BL has more BTUs but I have not noticed a tremendous difference when burning.


----------



## n2brk (Jan 9, 2014)

my father goes crazy over Locust.  He says it burns all night long.  I burned two pieces he threw me, and I didn't really note a difference compared to my red oak.


----------



## clemsonfor (Jan 9, 2014)

Depends on your stove. One year does not get you the goodie out of it in the 2 EPA stoves I have, one a Cat stove the other a tube stove.


----------



## Woody Stover (Jan 10, 2014)

red oak said:


> charts say BL has more BTUs but I have not noticed a tremendous difference when burning.


Well, according to the numbers I see, Red is 6/7 the BTU of BL so that's not all that much. The Red seems to burn at just the right rate in my stove, where I generally set the air. I've got a ton of Red/Black here but no BL, so I'll grab it just to have something different. 
Both are brutal for coaling during the cold snaps when I need fresh wood burning and the cat firing. Cherry coals burn down quicker so if I'm gonna be around to feed the stove, I'll toss some of _it_ in. A bit more weatherization on this place, and maybe I can get enough heat, even burning down the big RO and BL coal loads....


----------



## clemsonfor (Jan 10, 2014)

Yea full oak an BL loads get me massive coal beds. During the cold snap I was having to pull out buckets of coals to get wood in there. I could not wait to burn them down, that just do sent put out enough heat


----------



## BillLion (Jan 10, 2014)

I'll take the contrarian position; put me down for BL over oak!

No doubt oak is excellent and I'm glad I have it, but when I throw in some BL (mixed with other woods usually) it cranks to an inferno; I love it!


----------



## gzecc (Jan 10, 2014)

I think there is no comparison. When I use locust for over nights, my house is warmer and there is plenty of heat left in the insert in the morning.


----------



## clemsonfor (Jan 10, 2014)

Don't get me wrong when its cold I use BL. It heats longer its just to me a longer steady heat than oak which seems to peak hotter then taper off


----------



## osagebow (Jan 10, 2014)

I have to give BL the nod by a nose ...with a thorn scratch on said nose.


----------



## Brewmonster (Jan 10, 2014)

They're both excellent firewood but lately, having burned through a stash of BL for the past two-three weeks, I'm coming around to the oak side. BL seems harder for me to manage in the stove; more fooling with the air supply, etc. to keep the flames going nice. And then there's the smell! Like burning asphalt.
Actually, my favorite so far is sugar maple. Hot, easy to manage, no problems with coals or ash, pretty to look at, nice aroma, I could go on and on.


----------



## MofoG23 (Jan 10, 2014)

Red Oak is my favorite, followed closely by some nice cherry.  My mixture this year is 20% oak, 20% cherry and 60% maple....

Next year I'll be closer to 50/50 oak and cherry.  I'm already looking forward winter next year...2+ years of seasoning on those stacks.


----------



## blazincajun (Jan 10, 2014)

Like black locust (BL) and southern/northern red oak (RO) for different reasons.
BL grows much faster and fixes nitrogen - is great for coppice or pollarding for stove wood. Could be a valuable wood source as an agroforesty project. Mature BL burns very well and has good coaling properties.
RO on the other had grows slower. Have always loved the smell of fresh cut RO. Burns great and has good coaling poperties. Local RO is more plentiful down here and his easy to obtain from my wood lot. Andrew


----------



## red oak (Jan 10, 2014)

blazincajun said:


> Like black locust (BL) and southern/northern red oak (RO) for different reasons.
> BL grows much faster and fixes nitrogen - is great for coppice or pollarding for stove wood. Could be a valuable wood source as an agroforesty project. Mature BL burns very well and has good coaling properties.
> RO on the other had grows slower. Have always loved the smell of fresh cut RO. Burns great and has good coaling poperties. Local RO is more plentiful down here and his easy to obtain from my wood lot. Andrew



Lots of people do not like the smell of red oak when it's freshly cut or split but I have always loved it.  Reminds me of fall and days as a kid getting the woodpile ready.  Welcome to the forum by the way!


----------



## Richie (Jan 10, 2014)

Locust by a long shot.  Burns, burns, and burns some more.  I have been running full loads of locust and find that it burns real well.


----------



## clemsonfor (Jan 10, 2014)

I hate the way oak smells!!


----------



## Craig S. (Jan 10, 2014)

clemsonfor said:


> I hate the way oak smells!!



Fresh split its quite unpleasant.  I had to stack mine downwind.


----------



## BillLion (Jan 10, 2014)

Brewmonster said:


> They're both excellent firewood but lately, having burned through a stash of BL for the past two-three weeks, I'm coming around to the oak side. BL seems harder for me to manage in the stove; more fooling with the air supply, etc. to keep the flames going nice. And then there's the smell! Like burning asphalt.
> Actually, my favorite so far is sugar maple. Hot, easy to manage, no problems with coals or ash, pretty to look at, nice aroma, I could go on and on.



But I love the smell of fresh cut BL!


----------



## red oak (Jan 10, 2014)

BillLion said:


> But I love the smell of fresh cut BL!



Really?  That smell takes some getting used to for me!


----------



## BillLion (Jan 10, 2014)

red oak said:


> Really?  That smell takes some getting used to for me!



Yeah, it's different but I like it. When it's burning there's no question that it smells like a locker room of dirty socks on fire!


----------



## weatherguy (Jan 10, 2014)

I had about 1/2 cord of BL last year or the year before and I thought it burned a little hotter and longer than oak. Oak is so abundant around here and it's at least a close second so I wouldn't go out of my way to get BL. Next year I'll have 5 cords of red and white oak 3 years seasoned, I'll probably try and only burn half and save half for the following year. I'll burn some pine, soft maple and cherry in shoulder seasons.


----------



## CenterTree (Jan 10, 2014)

BillLion said:


> Yeah, it's different but I like it. When it's burning there's no question that *it smells like a locker room of dirty socks on fire!*


I am NOT even gonna ask how you come to know this info.

I sure hope BL is good stuff, cause I got 5 wooded acres here and about 20% of it is BL.   Got a lot of cutting to do.


----------



## BillLion (Jan 10, 2014)

CenterTree said:


> I am NOT even gonna ask how you come to know this info.
> 
> I sure hope BL is good stuff, cause I got 5 wooded acres here and about 20% of it is BL.   Got a lot of cutting to do.



I think you'll be very happy!


----------



## JA600L (Jan 11, 2014)

You will love it! I still think Oak is better though


----------



## BobUrban (Jan 11, 2014)

For the record if you are fortunate enough to have plenty of both well seasoned, on hand and ready to burn you have a "High Class Problem"   Mix them together and forget about it.


----------



## splitoak (Jan 11, 2014)

I have yet to get my hands on some locust...oak is very plentiful so that is what I burn..got a big maple to cut up here soon...so ill have something to compare it to in a few years..lol


----------



## Missouri Frontier (Jan 14, 2014)

I've never had the chance to try BL but, I've heard nothing but good things(besides the smell). Hard to beat RO though. nice and dense but, spilts easy and throws great heat. one of the few better is Hedge. loves me some Hedge. I get happy when it gets in the teens and I can fill the stove with Red Oak and the yellow wonder wood. Man I love the heat a load of Red Oak and Hedge puts off. It's like I'm part of some ancient secret that the fossil burning sheeple just dont get. I just laugh at them and say " you are paying top dollar for substandard heat, you fools!" They just look at me like I'm crazy. While my neighbor is paying his $300 heat bill with his wife bitching at him that shes still cold, I'll be sitting in my undershirt watching my wife enjoy her radiant heat coma in the recliner, paying no bill. Whos crazy now?


----------



## Flatbedford (Jan 17, 2014)

My stash has been mostly BL for the last few years with some RO. I have lots of RO for the next few years. I think BL makes a bit more heat than RO and burns nice in 2 rather than 3 years. I also think that RO is easier to get started and easier to manage during all stages of a burn cycle. If I had to choose one, it would be RO. I think a nice mix of the two would be ideal.


----------



## Richie (Mar 17, 2014)

I find that locust does not stink that bad if the bark is off.  One year I went down to my dads firewood shed (before I started burning) and picked up some wood for the smoker.  Made many racks of ribs with this wonderful wood and then I asked my dad what kind of wood it was.  It was BL.  Maybe I should call them daddy's gym sock ribs.  They tasted great.


----------



## Hickorynut (Mar 18, 2014)

I guess I like locust better because of the way it holds up in the elements.  I have been burning some red oak the last couple years that is about 5 years old that I am battling sapwood rot terrible.  BTU's have dropped way off with some splits.  Even if it is covered the water runs down the sides and will over time soak up the ends and then get under the bark creating rot.  Red oak needs to be put in a wood shed from the get go and then it can't be beat.  If you got a bed of coals and keep adding the locust it is the superior wood by far.  But you need something else to help it along at times.  I like the black cherry/locust combo alot.  Really, no easy answers to alot of these situations in my opinion.


----------



## clemsonfor (Mar 18, 2014)

Yep I have some white and red oak on the outside row of my open sided woodshed. The rain blows in and runs down some tin I had back there and now the ends are starting to go spunky. Been under shed for 3 years at least. Meant to burn it this year but just got to it recently and can't bring myself to burn 4 yr red oak in SC shoulder season. Its still 90% fine. I guess next year is the year? Said that this year but where it is my shed is against a fence in the back and I take wood from the front. I guess I can slip around back next mid winter to burn it?


----------



## buggyspapa (Mar 20, 2014)

For me, BL is the better. Plenty of oak here, just so much time watching it, and waiting. 18 month CSS BL is really nice to burn, whereas the oak is hissing an spitting. The burn time seems better with BL too. I'd rather give it a couple of extra whacks to split than wait double the amount of time to season. Oak has the better rep, better sale value, if you're into that, but for quick growth, and seasoning time, I'll take the locust. It would be nice if it were more common around here. I'd rather leave the oak standing for shade and grow/cut the locust for heat.


----------



## Richie (Jan 9, 2015)

BL is working great in my firechief wood furnace.  I pack it with about 8 huge splits at about 10 in -15 weather.  Woke up at 8 to a beatiful bed of coals.  I don't like BL in by fpx 44 because of those very coals.  The great thing about the furnace is that the air comes from the bottom and turns all the wood in to fine ash.  The modern wood stoves blow air over the top of the fire and do not burn all the coals completely leaving plenty of charcoal.  Red oak runs beautifully in the fpx 44.  Nice coals just not ridiculous coals like bl.


----------



## Clyde S. Dale (Jan 9, 2015)

I love them both but have to say slight favor towards BL. Great choice of woods to compare!


----------



## Firefighter938 (Jan 9, 2015)

I have been burning a lot of locust and black walnut. I don't have a problem with coals. I just spread them out and throw more locust on them. If I want to burn some off I throw a piece of walnut or cherry on it.


----------



## bill2500hd (Jan 9, 2015)

I have a Question about  Locust, IM going  to have a chance to get some this spring. Don't know if dead standing or live. My question is does the locust take as long as oak to season  2-3yrs.  Thanks


----------



## BucksCounty (Jan 9, 2015)

Burned BL during last years cold spells, opting to save the old for this winter. The oak is outperforming but I think probably because of the extra drying year over the BL. I do think BL was a lot tougher on the chains compared to the RO when cutting.


----------



## Ram 1500 with an axe... (Jan 9, 2015)

bill2500hd said:


> I have a Question about  Locust, IM going  to have a chance to get some this spring. Don't know if dead standing or live. My question is does the locust take as long as oak to season  2-3yrs.  Thanks


My opinion and the results that I see is for at least two years before it's worth using, mine is 2 years old the other day I didn't get too good of heat results, today's results mixed in with red oak are keeping the room nice and toasty.... So I say the longer the better, it should be really good next year.....


----------



## Richie (Jan 9, 2015)

bill2500hd said:


> I have a Question about  Locust, IM going  to have a chance to get some this spring. Don't know if dead standing or live. My question is does the locust take as long as oak to season  2-3yrs.  Thanks


BL takes three years in my book.  I tried some 18 mo just to see and did not burn worth a hoot and blackened the glass.  I have some 5 year stuff that burns hotter than hell.  Like I said, in the furnace it is doing wonders.


----------

