# You are now only allowed two types of wood - pick them..



## CarbonNeutral (Dec 18, 2009)

I have a reasonably good range of species to burn - it got me thinking, if I only was 'allowed' two, for whatever reason - what would they be?

From my experiences so far (which are limited) I think I would go for hemlock - low ash, quick to get fire up to temperature, good to build base for my next choice: Locust - low moisture to begin with, long overnight burn, easy to split.

I've been burning a lot of maple, but far too much ash to make it to my choice of two..


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## boostnut (Dec 18, 2009)

Locust and ash.


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## jdscj8 (Dec 18, 2009)

Out of all mine i would say hedge (burns real hot and for a long,long time) and ash (ashs great and calms the hedge down).   JD


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## ROBERT F (Dec 18, 2009)

My two kinds would have to be "free" and "dry" :cheese:


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## CarbonNeutral (Dec 18, 2009)

PINEBURNER said:
			
		

> My two kinds would have to be "free" and "dry" :cheese:



Ah, but you're screwed now - I'm counting those as separate species, so you have free wood that's wet, and dry wood you paid for. And because it's 'my' thread, I saying the free wood will never dry. So there..


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## basswidow (Dec 18, 2009)

here in northern jersey,  seems to be alot of cherry.  I like it.  Seasons well and burns well.

!) Oak
2) Cherry


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## Jags (Dec 18, 2009)

Hickory and maple.
or
White Oak and Ash
or
Osage and maple.


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## smokinj (Dec 18, 2009)

ash and beech


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## Stevebass4 (Dec 18, 2009)

ash and oak


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## LLigetfa (Dec 18, 2009)

Is this based on fantasy or on what is easily obtainable?  Based on availability, I choose Ash first and Birch second.  If fantasy, dunno...


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## rdust (Dec 18, 2009)

Ash and any Oak


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## CarbonNeutral (Dec 18, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> Is this based on fantasy or on what is easily obtainable?  Based on availability, I choose Ash first and Birch second.  If fantasy, dunno...



I picked two that I have in my pile, but yes, if fantasy, I don't know what I should choose - ash by the looks of the results so far.. Maybe a 'coal tree'


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## Danno77 (Dec 18, 2009)

Black locust and black walnut.
once you go black, you never go back.


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## CarbonNeutral (Dec 18, 2009)

Danno77 said:
			
		

> Black locust and black walnut.
> once you go black, you never go back.



I admit it, I chortled.


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## billb3 (Dec 18, 2009)

Until this year I never kept mine seperate beyond hardwood and  </<white pine.
So a  little of this and a little of that is what I've always burned. If it was dry and fit it went in. (except for those that were too long and came back out)


I've burned pine seperate. Pine ash seems a bit <<fluffier.



Never really mattered to me which wood had a bit more ash. Had to be shovelled out regardless.
Usually sometime before there was more ash in there than firewood.


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## Bigg_Redd (Dec 18, 2009)

CarbonNeutral said:
			
		

> I have a reasonably good range of species to burn - it got me thinking, if I only was 'allowed' two, for whatever reason - what would they be?
> 
> From my experiences so far (which are limited) I think I would go for hemlock - low ash, quick to get fire up to temperature, good to build base for my next choice: Locust - low moisture to begin with, long overnight burn, easy to split.
> 
> I've been burning a lot of maple, but far too much ash to make it to my choice of two..




Doug Fir and Western Red Cedar (for kindling)


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## ikessky (Dec 18, 2009)

Hard maple and ironwood


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## backpack09 (Dec 18, 2009)

pine and spruce.


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## peterc38 (Dec 18, 2009)

Based on local availability here I'd say:

1.) Sugar maple
2.) Red Oak


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## JustWood (Dec 18, 2009)

Hard Maple
White Oak
Been burning about 90% beech for the last 6-8 years but only because it's plentiful and easy pickens. Does make great heat but I prefer H Maple and W Oak.


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## daveswoodhauler (Dec 18, 2009)

Maple and oak for me.....maples splits real easy and lights up fast. (Don't have too much Ash around here)
Oak is nice..takes longer to season, but I got time.
A runner up would be beech


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## firefighterjake (Dec 18, 2009)

Ash and sugar maple


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## quads (Dec 18, 2009)

Someday maybe I'll burn something I like even better, but so far my two favorite wood types list is:  Choke Cherry and Bur Oak.


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## CowboyAndy (Dec 18, 2009)

in fantasy land i would go with hickory and sugar maple.

in the real world, based upon avalibility, abundance, ease of splitting and burning uses i would go with sugar maple and pine or possibly ash.


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## joshlaugh (Dec 18, 2009)

ash and bitternut hickory


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## polaris (Dec 18, 2009)

Shag-bark hickory and Osage orange. Why all the Ash? I like it too because it seems to season as it grows but it ain't in the same league as the super hard guys.
Joe


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## Duetech (Dec 18, 2009)

Bitternut hickory and black or blue beech. Hickory splits down well to make good kindling and gets hot fast. There's more beech around and it burns real well. Both make great coals.


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## ROBERT F (Dec 18, 2009)

CarbonNeutral said:
			
		

> PINEBURNER said:
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 well then it wood have to be ponderosa and hickory.


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## Jack Straw (Dec 18, 2009)

Shagbark Hickory and ash

I love to split both with my maul


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## bogydave (Dec 18, 2009)

Easy one.
Of our 2 choices I'd pick ummmmmm
 Birch & Black spruce.


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## Stephen in SoKY (Dec 18, 2009)

Hickory  (Overnights and cold weather)

and 

White Ash (Daytime and shoulder season)


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## WoodPorn (Dec 18, 2009)

White oak (I don't care how long it takes to dry)
     and
  Hickory


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## hawkeye4771 (Dec 18, 2009)

Hickory and Black Locust, I like it HOT! otherwise i'm not losing much by burning Ash and Oak !


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## Gary_602z (Dec 18, 2009)

Any thing Quads and Smokinjay bring me! :lol:  :lol: 

Gary


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## smokinj (Dec 18, 2009)

Gary_602z said:
			
		

> Any thing Quads and Smokinjay bring me! :lol:  :lol:
> 
> Gary



Big loads of silver maple


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## Deere10 (Dec 18, 2009)

have to go with red oak n hickory


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## WOODBUTCHER (Dec 18, 2009)

I would love grapple loads of Hickory & Black Birch.


WoddButcher


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## fossil (Dec 18, 2009)

I'm lucky if I ever have two choices.  Of the woods I've been able to burn, I'd pick Oak & Madrone...but those woods are not typically available to me.  Of the ones that are, I'd pick Juniper and Larch (Tamarack)...but mostly what I burn is Lodgepole Pine, Ponderosa Pine, and a bit of Fir, because that's all there is on my menu from which to choose.  In any case, we stay warm.  Rick


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## Hurricane (Dec 18, 2009)

I would take Oak and Locust.


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## kestrel (Dec 18, 2009)

White oak and white ash

White is right!


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## rphurley (Dec 18, 2009)

Oak and Shagbark Hickory.  I like having a lasting coal bed to get things going with minimal effort.


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## CarbonNeutral (Dec 19, 2009)

Ash and.. is a clear winner


Locust and/Oak and.. chasing 2nd place

I may even have to draw a chart..


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## quads (Dec 19, 2009)

Gary_602z said:
			
		

> Any thing Quads and Smokinjay bring me! :lol:  :lol:
> 
> Gary


Sure, I could share.  I got plenty.


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## JBinKC (Dec 19, 2009)

This question is rather difficult to answer if I were paying for the wood I would want cedar and hedge but if I had to cut and process it by hand it would be white ash and beech. BTW all are uncommon tree species in my woodpile.


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## AlexNY (Dec 19, 2009)

Pine and Oak.

Both are very available around here.  Pine dries quickly and burns hot and fast (for daytime).  A little oak on the side to burn overnight on the coldest nights.

I currently burn 75% pine, 20% oak, and 5% everything else.


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## Dix (Dec 19, 2009)

Right now, I'd say cherry & pine.

I lucked into some cherry this summer. Tree was dying big time. The top branches were dry in 1 month after being cut. I've still got the rounds to be split next weekend. What I have burned of the cherry, I really , really like. Can't wait for the splits.

I've got 2 pine trees cut into rounds to be split next weekend, too. I can't wait to burn it.

I'm surrounded by oak & pine, and have alot down in rounds. I know it's going to take 2 years to season the oak, but I'll be patient. I've also got 1 YO split oak, stacked and seasoning. Can't wait


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## fespo (Dec 19, 2009)

FREE & DRY


Just like beer    Free & cold


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## wally (Dec 19, 2009)

pine for the sugar house

sugar maple for the boiler


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## Todd (Dec 19, 2009)

Red and White Oak, it's the good stuff, splits easy and burns long and hot.


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## North of 60 (Dec 19, 2009)

Spruce and lodgepole pine.


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## Bugboy (Dec 19, 2009)

Hedge and locust, both of which are very common here.


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## madrone (Dec 19, 2009)

Douglas Fir (tight grain older stuff) and, of course, Madrone.


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## johnsopi (Dec 19, 2009)

Cotton and Sweetgum.


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## ansehnlich1 (Dec 19, 2009)

CTburns said:
			
		

> Oak and Shagbark Hickory.  I like having a lasting coal bed to get things going with minimal effort.



I'm with ya on this one....

For me, it would definitely be WHITE OAK and HICKORY!

Hands down, the two best woods I've ever burned.


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## adrpga498 (Dec 19, 2009)

As everyone runs for the different species of oak, I'll hang back for the left over *locust* and *mulberry*, thank you very much.


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## Jeb1heat (Dec 19, 2009)

Oak and Birch. Oak heats great and I love the sound of throwing a birch log on.


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## fyrwoodguy (Dec 19, 2009)

sugar maple & red or white oak


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## golfandwoodnut (Dec 19, 2009)

Cherry and Black Locust for me, they both season quick, burn nice and the cherry smells great.


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## myzamboni (Dec 19, 2009)

Eucalyptus and Oak


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## CarbonNeutral (Dec 19, 2009)

I just bought the last of my pine inside - have a found a pile of what may be ash, so..


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## Flatbedford (Dec 19, 2009)

Oak and Locust


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## wendell (Dec 19, 2009)

Locust and hickory


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## ccwhite (Dec 19, 2009)

golfandwoodnut said:
			
		

> Cherry and Black Locust for me, they both season quick, burn nice and the cherry smells great.



Me 2. I love locust and have loads of it and cherry is great and very abundant. I also love the smell of the cherry burning ... not so much with the locust. Seems lately I've had mostly Oak and maple as that was left over from logging.

I see a lot of pine burners. I guess you gotta burn what ya can get but I don't think I've ever burned a single chunk of pine (Other than the occasional piece of scrap lumber from some project). Do you guys have trouble with creosote from the pine?


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## Wallyworld (Dec 20, 2009)

Red Oak and Yellow Birch, both burn long and hot, split easily with my splitter


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## lexybird (Dec 20, 2009)

smokinjay said:
			
		

> ash and beech



i agree .....


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## ROBERT F (Dec 20, 2009)

ccwhite said:
			
		

> golfandwoodnut said:
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  Just like any other wood, only if burnning it when its unseasoned.  when its seasoned it burns just as clean as any other wood.


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## North of 60 (Dec 20, 2009)

ccwhite said:
			
		

> golfandwoodnut said:
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I am on my 5th house now.


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## SolarAndWood (Dec 20, 2009)

north of 60 said:
			
		

> ccwhite said:
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hope you were able to reuse the foundation and improved the layout every time.


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## CarbonNeutral (Dec 20, 2009)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> north of 60 said:
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That was the problem - he burned the old studs and set fire to the new house. Rinse, repeat.


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## madrone (Dec 20, 2009)

ccwhite said:
			
		

> Do you guys have trouble with creosote from the pine?



Yes. I find it much easier to get creosote from hardwoods.


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## countrybois (Dec 21, 2009)

#1 Hickory

#2 Ash


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## Wood Duck (Dec 21, 2009)

I'm going with pine and oak. Pine burns fast, oak slow, so I can be flexible, and both smell nice when you are cutting and splitting. Specifically I want Lodgepole Pine and Red Oak. I have never actually processed a Lodgepole Pine but they seem to have few branches, so I think they'd be easy to work with. It'll have to be shipped in, but I think there should be some beetle-killed Lodgepole Pine out there somewhere. The Red Oak I can get locally. 

If I have to pay for this, I'll continue to take whatever the neighbors stack by the road for the chippers.


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## ChrisNJ (Dec 21, 2009)

With my limited experience burning different known species I like Locust and Maple, however I look forward to meeting some Ash for next year which I will find.


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## ikessky (Dec 21, 2009)

Can't believe I'm the only one that brought up ironwood in 4 pages..........


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## Vic99 (Dec 21, 2009)

white birch and hickory


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## CJRages (Dec 21, 2009)

Where's the love for Cottonwood and Willow? 

Lol...


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## BroadCove (Dec 21, 2009)

Sugar maple and black cherry would be the top two of the species available to me. I have to apologize to the white pine for not putting it in the top two: you dry quickly, you're plentiful, and you burn down all the coals from your hardwood brothers, but you just can't compete with their heat output.


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## gerry100 (Dec 21, 2009)

Oak and Hickory.

Split the Oak up well and use it to start the fire  then hickory, which seems to have the density of Iron even when dry.


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## Rickochet (Dec 22, 2009)

Shag-bark Hickory   &   Red Oak


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## ramonbow (Dec 22, 2009)

buckthorn - it seems like a very dense wood.  I spent a couple years working for the DNR cutting the stuff and getting scratched.  i would like some revenge by burning it.  

Cherry - everyone says it smells good but i am yet to try it.  I have a face cord split and stacked that will be ready next year for me to try.


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## CrawfordCentury (Dec 22, 2009)

Ash and red oak among what's available here. Though I'd lobby hard for a kindling exemption so I could keep kindling with white pine.



			
				Hurricane said:
			
		

> I would take Oak and Locust.



Theoretical question: would you be perfectly happy to burn only one species if a botanist successfully cross-breeded a Loakust?


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## CarbonNeutral (Dec 22, 2009)

CrawfordCentury said:
			
		

> Ash and red oak among what's available here. Though I'd lobby hard for a kindling exemption so I could keep kindling with white pine.
> 
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How well would it light? 

Maybe a Ploakust - locust and oak in a pine wrapping..


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## CrawfordCentury (Dec 22, 2009)

CarbonNeutral said:
			
		

> How well would it light?
> 
> Maybe a Ploakust - locust and oak in a pine wrapping..



Sorry. Not good enough with words to explain the science behind why, but that's a botanical impossibility.

The closest we could get in the experimental nursery was a cultivar we call Hemloakust.


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## prink3 (Dec 22, 2009)

White Oak and Black Locust, a perfect contrast of all business.

This post gave me a good laugh for my way out the door from work for the year. Happy Holidays everyone.


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## Jake (Dec 24, 2009)

AFrican Wenge 

Brazilian Walnut (Ipe)

I burn lumber scraps all the time, Nothing and I mean nothing burns hotter , longer


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## Thrash44047 (Dec 24, 2009)

For burning Hickory and maple, mainly because i have never used any of the others.  And for kindling, corkscrew willow, I have then in my yard and the small branches that fall are the best kinkle that I have used this year, and as all willow they drop constantly.


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## mobetter (Dec 24, 2009)

This is a no-brainer;




 Split and Stacked!



 Merry Christmas!             Mo


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## Cluttermagnet (Dec 26, 2009)

basswidow said:
			
		

> here in northern jersey,  seems to be alot of cherry.  I like it.  Seasons well and burns well.
> 
> !) Oak
> 2) Cherry



Yep, me too. Red Oak and Black Cherry.
But I'd miss my Mulberry, Maple, and Mimosa. And a host of others. I like variety!


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## awoodman (Dec 26, 2009)

Oak and Hedge(Osage Orange)


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## hayrack (Dec 26, 2009)

yellow birch and cherry


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## iceman (Dec 26, 2009)

kinda off topic... but i have a chance to get some black locust but the guy wants 180 a cord not split....  i am kinda thinking about it to try it because everyone seems to love it.....  but i get red oak cut not split for 70-100 a cord (depends on oil, gas etc)  but now many people offer red oak 150-170 c/s/d  green....  so i am wondering if 180 is reasonable...  is black locust THAT much better than red oak?


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## gzecc (Dec 27, 2009)

Iceman, I think that is Highway robbery.  Let some other sucker buy it.  Locust is good but its not worth that much. At this point you couldn't use it until next year.
Tell him $100


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## Der Fuirmeister (Dec 27, 2009)

ikessky said:
			
		

> Hard maple and ironwood



Amen to the Iron Wood.  Coal that grows in the form of a tree.  If not Hard Maple then Oak or Yellow Birch.


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## Der Fuirmeister (Dec 27, 2009)

ikessky said:
			
		

> Can't believe I'm the only one that brought up ironwood in 4 pages..........



Only because you posted before I turned the computer on.......


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## ikessky (Dec 27, 2009)

Der Fiur Meister said:
			
		

> Only because you posted before I turned the computer on.......


And a Wisconsinite to boot!


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## Cluttermagnet (Dec 27, 2009)

iceman said:
			
		

> kinda off topic... but i have a chance to get some black locust but the guy wants 180 a cord not split....  i am kinda thinking about it to try it because everyone seems to love it.....  but i get red oak cut not split for 70-100 a cord (depends on oil, gas etc)  but now many people offer red oak 150-170 c/s/d  green....  so i am wondering if 180 is reasonable...  is black locust THAT much better than red oak?


Nope. Not that much better. Just another 'good' one, like Oak.


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## Todd (Dec 27, 2009)

Der Fiur Meister said:
			
		

> ikessky said:
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I forgot about Ironwood, great stuff, burns longer than Oak, but not very plentiful.


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