How Much Wood for a Season of Burning?

[Hogwildz]

I go through 3-4 per year in NEPA. Last winter was much less due to a mile winter, gotta restack that stuff back on the rack. If you're burning more softwoods, or even Maple, Cherry etc, figure closer to 4 to 4-1/2. DO yourself a favor and get 3+ years ahead, split & stacked. A couple triaxle truck loads of pole length will get you there quickly.

 

[xman23]

For the experienced guys (and gals) out there, especially the ones that burn 24/7 or close to it....here's a question that is kinda related to the OP.

How much does size of the load actually impact how much you burn in a day? Everything points to smaller loads burn more efficiently versus full loads, which also allows you to control the heat output better than closing down the stove. But does that supposed gain in efficiency really translate into less wood used? Or is it just too much hassle to reload the stove that often to not really be worth it? Just curious what the experience is out there.

Good question. How to get the best bang for the buck. Slow burn or ripping full loads. I don't know the answer. My method is the burn size is based on the outside and inside temperatures. Whilst maintaining constant temps inside. If I run the stove without overheating the house I feel I not wasting the heat.

 

[velvetfoot]

I would say 4 cords. I have your insert and have 4 cords in the garage and one wrapped on the driveway, just in case..
I did put 5 cords through our old small Quad 2700i one winter though.
I'm thinking this winter since I'm retired I'll burn it as much as possible and I figure 5 cords might be a possibility.

 

[velvetfoot]

Good question. How to get the best bang for the buck. Slow burn or ripping full loads. I don't know the answer. My method is the burn size is based on the outside and inside temperatures. Whilst maintaining constant temps inside. If I run the stove without overheating the house I feel I not wasting the heat.

I'm not sure either. When it's cold outside I usually go with a full load and let the room temps cycle. When it's not too cold I use a smaller load.

If my wife is upstairs in the evening watching 'her' shows, the stove can't keep up with the temp she wants and the boiler supplies the difference.

 

[jscs.moore]

I would say 4 cords. I have your insert and have 4 cords in the garage and one wrapped on the driveway, just in case..
I did put 5 cords through our old small Quad 2700i one winter though.
I'm thinking this winter since I'm retired I'll burn it as much as possible and I figure 5 cords might be a possibility.

Hey Velvetfoot...good hearing from you again. I'm finally getting an insulated block off plate for the HI300 next week. I have two cords of bone dry wood ready to go and am going to get another 1.5 to 2 cords racked & stacked in the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to a much better burning season this winter now that I have a little more experience with all of this I'm hoping for much longer/efficient burn times and really keeping my heat pump bill low, low, low

 

[velvetfoot]

Hi again. I've said it before, but I LOVE my HI300.

 

[CheapBassTurd]

This will be my first full season on wood. (Wood only)

Indiana/Mi line next to Lake Mi. Lit it up for test burns 1/31 and from feb and March I cooked
up about 3 cords! (non epa potbelly also) It was cold and windy, much more than usual but not
record setting or anything. We're spoiled by the thing and keep 84 degrees in the stove/ family
room, fans blowing quietly luckily, and hangin' out in shorts n' t's when it's 17 outside.

Wasn't prepared for the shoulder season let alone cold spells in May and June. Used the trunk
of the car to keep a few days ahead scrounging plentiful freshly fallen deads.

Got my crap together real quick and haven't stopped yet. Bought a beater truck, two loads to
split, then hit the jackpot: My aunt messaged me that she was taking down an oak that was
getting weak n' hazardous. I gets there and she actually paid extra to make it a gift !! The
dudes landed a 4ft base standing dead white oak and the gift was sectioning the entire tree in
18-20 inch lengths! I've split 4 cord and am not done yet with this tree, and haven't needed
the saw once. With the truckloads we're up to 6 C split n' stacked, all seasoned, and about 2C
left to break up. Pretty impressive the amount of usable wood in a huge round I have discovered.

Expecting to use 6C+ this full season. Gonna have 12-20 on site split n' tarped.

 

[Ashful]

Welcome to the club. Won't be long 'till you're there, at this pace.


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[jscs.moore]

This will be my first full season on wood. (Wood only)

Indiana/Mi line next to Lake Mi. Lit it up for test burns 1/31 and from feb and March I cooked
up about 3 cords! (non epa potbelly also) It was cold and windy, much more than usual but not
record setting or anything. We're spoiled by the thing and keep 84 degrees in the stove/ family
room, fans blowing quietly luckily, and hangin' out in shorts n' t's when it's 17 outside.

Wasn't prepared for the shoulder season let alone cold spells in May and June. Used the trunk
of the car to keep a few days ahead scrounging plentiful freshly fallen deads.

Got my crap together real quick and haven't stopped yet. Bought a beater truck, two loads to
split, then hit the jackpot: My aunt messaged me that she was taking down an oak that was
getting weak n' hazardous. I gets there and she actually paid extra to make it a gift !! The
dudes landed a 4ft base standing dead white oak and the gift was sectioning the entire tree in
18-20 inch lengths! I've split 4 cord and am not done yet with this tree, and haven't needed
the saw once. With the truckloads we're up to 6 C split n' stacked, all seasoned, and about 2C
left to break up. Pretty impressive the amount of usable wood in a huge round I have discovered.

Expecting to use 6C+ this full season. Gonna have 12-20 on site split n' tarped.

Thanks for all the great feedback on this subject...I've decided I'm going to order 2.5 more cords , this will give me 4.5 cords racked and stacked. Hope to use the 2 cords seasoning since last summer (most of it is now reading about 11 to 12%MC) first and then use the 2.5 cords I'm ordering now later in the burning season. This is all still very new to me so gauging how much wood I will need for a season is guess work

 

[Ashful]

Thanks for all the great feedback on this subject...I've decided I'm going to order 2.5 more cords , this will give me 4.5 cords racked and stacked. Hope to use the 2 cords seasoning since last summer (most of it is now reading about 11 to 12%MC) first and then use the 2.5 cords I'm ordering now later in the burning season. This is all still very new to me so gauging how much wood I will need for a season is guess work

Your MC numbers sound low for 1 year. To check MC, you must split a piece of wood and probe the freshly-exposed face. Check in middle and toward each end, on this fresh face, then average the numbers.

 

[beatlefan]

Don't stop until you can look at your stack and "I have too much wood."

 

[prezes13]

Too much is never enough.

 

[tarzan]

Thanks for all the great feedback on this subject...I've decided I'm going to order 2.5 more cords , this will give me 4.5 cords racked and stacked. Hope to use the 2 cords seasoning since last summer (most of it is now reading about 11 to 12%MC) first and then use the 2.5 cords I'm ordering now later in the burning season. This is all still very new to me so gauging how much wood I will need for a season is guess work

I agree your moisture % seems low but it is what it is at this point. Just get a few years ahead now and don't look back!

 

[Simonkenton]

Just cut, split and stacked another Nissan pickup load of black walnut and locust yesterday. You'd be surprised at how much wood will fit into that truck.
Stacked that in my backup stack #3, my main stack is in the woodshed, have 9 pickup loads in there.

Now I have a 2 years supply on hand, I am starting to get comfortable.
When I am home again in 2 weeks will get more firewood.

It is fantastic getting locust up here in the NC mountains. As y'all know, locust is about the best firewood available in the US.
About 20 years ago a blight hit and killed all the big locust trees, and there were lots of locust trees.
But, it won't rot!
I own 39 acres and I have untold cords of locust on the ground, laying there fresh as a daisy, dead 15 years and a mc of about 25 percent.
Everytime I am bored I go out and get up a truck load of that locust.

 

[tarzan]

Just cut, split and stacked another Nissan pickup load of black walnut and locust yesterday. You'd be surprised at how much wood will fit into that truck.
Stacked that in my backup stack #3, my main stack is in the woodshed, have 9 pickup loads in there.

Now I have a 2 years supply on hand, I am starting to get comfortable.
When I am home again in 2 weeks will get more firewood.

It is fantastic getting locust up here in the NC mountains. As y'all know, locust is about the best firewood available in the US.
About 20 years ago a blight hit and killed all the big locust trees, and there were lots of locust trees.
But, it won't rot!
I own 39 acres and I have untold cords of locust on the ground, laying there fresh as a daisy, dead 15 years and a mc of about 25 percent.
Everytime I am bored I go out and get up a truck load of that locust.

That's why locust is sought after for fence posts and a few years ago residential power poles.

I agree it is also prized firewood. Most Locust here doesn't get very large or live a long life so it is time consuming to process. Locust reminds me of burning coal in that once it gets down to coals it burns HOT with a bright orange glow. You're lucky to have a good supply of it.

Are the Locust coming back in your area?

 

[Simonkenton]

The locust I cut up yesterday was really prime, 12 inch diameter and not a bit of rot. 26 percent moisture content.
No, the locust are not coming back in the NC mountains. The tallest locust trees you see are about 20 feet high, 30 feet is really tall.
They are the first to turn brown leaves in the fall, in fact, all the locust leaves turned 10 days ago.

There is a locust blight but I can't learn any info about it.

 

[CheapBassTurd]

Good news (for us) on the locust.

What's prime and readily available here in the Midwest is ash due
to our friend the ash borer. Dutch Elm disease was the thing when I was
a kid in the 70's. Guess this stuff (parasites/ diseases) is common and follows
some sort of cycles over time traveling around. There's always something sprouting
up in every gap competing for precious sunlight. In the larger scheme it doesn't
really affect anyone hard as the "bad" species always changes and is replaced.
(maybe furniture makers if the oak, cherry, and walnut varieties fall victim)
In our 3 acre side woods there's 20-30 standing dead ash waiting on me to harvest
so a maple or whatever can pop up in the gap.

CheapMark

 

[Ashful]

Surrounded by walnut here, whether it be the trees in my yard, my office, den, library, and bedroom furniture, casings and moldings, and even some of my floor joists. A few years back the walnut trees were being wiped out by 1000 cankers disease, which was feared to be as devastating as EAB. Thankfully, it seems to have passed without enormous damage. Can't say for sure what the speculation did to walnut pricing.


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[tarzan]

The American Chestnut (wormy chestnut) was for the most part wiped out by blight in our Appalachian region. A few years ago I stopped at a small town restaurant that was selling American Chestnut lumber. The waitress informed me that many barns in the area had been built using American Chestnut because it could be milled and used without drying time and was weather resistant. She went on to add that most of the old barns were now gone because the local farmers were being made generous offers for the wood.

 

[begreen]

My wife grew up in an Inn made during the depression out of chestnut trees that had succumbed to the blight. It's a beautiful wood.

 

[Simonkenton]

I live in the Appalachian mountains in North Carolina. I own 39 acres of mountaintop land.
I have some oak trees, lots of poplar and maple, and quite a bit of black walnut. Zero chestnut, of course.

It is so sad to think that, 100 years ago, 25 percent of the forest was chestnut. In the fall, the chestnuts lay 6 inches deep beneath the towering chestnut trees. Chestnuts are nature's perfect food, high in protein and complex carbs.
Maple and poplar trees are pretty, but they don't produce nuts.

It is said that the farmers, 100 years ago, would turn their hogs loose in the forest and they would gorge themselves for months on the many tons of chestnuts that lay on the ground.
Of course, deer, bear, raccoons and other wild creatures also ate chestnuts.

I am re introducing the chestnut to these mountains. There is a tree called the Dunstan Chestnut which is blight-resistant. I have planted 6 of these trees. My brother next door has 45 thriving Dunstan Chestnuts.
Hopefully the Dunstan Chestnut will spread and, perhaps in 100 years, we may once again have a forest full of these majestic trees.

My neighbor has a 120 year old barn, and she let me get 2 planks, 2x6, off of this barn and it is chestnut. Fourteen feet long. I will make a coffee table from this wood someday, just got it stored in the carport for now.

 

[begreen]

Nextdoor neighbor has a chestnut that is thriving. Wonder if it's a Dunstan?

 

[Simonkenton]

You are in Washington. This could be an original American chestnut.
In 1600 there were no chestnut trees west of the Mississippi. Pioneers carried chestnuts west with them and they planted the nuts.
I know there is a big stand of chestnuts in Minnesota that came from this pioneer stock. Also there are the same chestnuts in Oregon, I bought 10 pounds of them from a guy out there and made a batch of chestnut beer, used chestnuts rather than barley.
Only made one batch of that beer. Barley tastes better.

The blight destroyed the massive, original chestnut forests in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, NC etc, but left many of the trees out west unscathed.

The Dunstan chestnut has been around for about 30 years.

 

[CheapBassTurd]

This thread has become very informative and interesting.
I hadn't even thought of the impact of fruiting trees and nut producers.

My boss lost some of his peach orchard but only one variety luckily.
That would have been around 2000-2009? Heard it a few years ago, and he said "A few years back".
May have been an early frost unless more members are familiar with
a peach blight in the Great Lakes portion of the midwest.