Thoughts on elm?

[Sully]

Darker brown heartwood to me indicates red elm which is usually much easier to split. I would also take it if most of it doesn't require splitting.

Almost all requires cutting to size and splitting

 

[Sully]

Mixing some American elm with some higher BTU woods now. Not bad burning wood, but once it's gone I'm done. I don't have a hydraulic splitter so it's not worth the headache for me.

That said, I do suggest everyone that has access gets it and tries to manually split it at least one time. It's worth the bragging rights!

I scored 2 free loads last year until I came to this conclusion!

I'm getting the truck load. I want the bragging right lol. Plus I'd like to be able to post on future elm id

 

[BillLion]

I'm getting the truck load. I want the bragging right lol. Plus I'd like to be able to post on future elm id

Be sure to share you're post-splitting thoughts...and pics!

 

[Wingman]

Sitting by an American Elm fire right now. I tried splitting using the x27 but gave up after swinging all afternoon...on one piece. I wound up borrowing a splitter from my brother's f.i.l. and it handled it great. Fairly quick drying and ignites easily.

 

[firefighterjake]

Burns fine . . . splitting . . . eh . . . depends on the tree. Standing dead elm often splits quite easily . . . fresh cut elm often is a test of your patience . . . sometimes even while using a hydraulic splitter.

 

[peakbagger]

I remember when the dutch elm disease wiped out most of the elms in the region (late sixties early seventies) the dumps were loaded with it. During the arab oil embargo many folks switched to wood or ramped up their use and it was hard to find wood. Many folks were dragging the dump elm back out of the dump and trying to split it. It generally was near impossible by hand and even many of the rental hydraulic splitters had a rough time. A friend of mine built a 35 ton two stage splitter that seemed to work well. With some of that wood I don't think there was much difference between splitting with the grain or cross grain!. Much of that dump elm stayed where it was once folks figured out how difficult it was to split.

 

[Matt93eg]

I only have experience with one elm tree that was a neighbors. Big branch broke out of it and they sawed it up and told me I could have it. Few months later I got around to splitting it. Was using an 8lb maul and never again will I tackle elm. I ended up getting most of it split after spending about an entire Saturday beating myself to death beating that stuff my my maul and ended up with a face cord. Haven't burned any of it yet, its stacked and still drying. I have access to plenty of Red Oak on my parents property that for the most part splits real easy and is better wood IMO.

Maybe some elm isn't as bad as what I had but I about vomit anytime I hear ELM. Only way I would accept elm at this point is if it was already split. If I have to split it I won't take it for free.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Will have a chance this afternoon to add elm to the stack. After Reading some other posts and the tree trimmer saying it sucks I figured I'd get some opinions if it is worth it.

I would only be getting a pick up truck load and I split everything with the x27. Heard elm is hard splitter. What are the elm experiences here?

As far as I know I have never cut, split nor burnt Elm and have no specific opinion about it's efficacy. Hope this helps.

 

[Applesister]

JUST DO IT

 

[jdonna]

I had a huge stand of elms go down about 8 years ago to dutch elm. Still burning through some of it. White and red elms.

I think red elm splits easy and sure kicks some heat when seasoned good.

A few things I have found help, split when it is frozen, and each piece has to be read to split in the direction of the grain and you avoid it stringing up on you. If it is white elm I season whole rounds if they are under 6" in diameter and or split them larger.