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[chadley]

I own 8.5 acres of woods and have a lot of down trees.  I also sell firewood, but only good hardwoods (ash, oak, cherry).  This year in a warm year I sold 21 truck loads so far.  I have about that many split and ready for next year and plan on cutting/splitting more before the summer.

My question is this.  I will  have a new conventional OWB for next heating season and I am trying to decide whether to clean up my woods and burn whatever is down (hardwood or not) OR use some of my good hardwood that I am also selling.  Obviously the hardwoods I sell will be more efficient but if I burn it, I will lose money in sales.  The down trees won't take away from my sales but will probably take away from my efficiency.  I do however like the idea of cleaning up my woods and making it look nicer all the while being able to burn the down trees.  What would you guys do in my situation?

[woodfuel]

Based on my experience with my owb, I would use the hardwood only on really cold days/nights or days/nights you can't be around it to check on it/stock it up within 18-24hrs. If you can be around your owb 2-3 different periods in a day, I think you should burn everything else. Save the hardwood for your extra income.

[Scott7m]

In winters like this you can burn junk wood and still get great burn times...

[tree climber]

burn junk wood and the forked noty hardwood people will not buy thats what i do.

[johnybcold]

Burn the free stuff first

[RSI]

It will work fine burning the stuff you can't sell.

[Bull]

What they said

[MattyNH]

Def burn the junk dead whatever type wood for sure.. Not a bad idea to have some good hard wood stacked somewhere when the "stupid cold" hits..

[chadley]

a lot of this stuff is like drift wood.  You know there are those logs laying on the wood floor that are rotten and wet; well then there are some trees that are dry as a bone like driftwood. Does that stuff burn well?  I know it will burn but will it be worth putting in the OWB for decent burn times? Obviously seasoned hardwoods would burn longer but that's not my question.  Thanks.

[Scott7m]

a lot of this stuff is like drift wood.  You know there are those logs laying on the wood floor that are rotten and wet; well then there are some trees that are dry as a bone like driftwood. Does that stuff burn well?  I know it will burn but will it be worth putting in the OWB for decent burn times? Obviously seasoned hardwoods would burn longer but that's not my question.  Thanks.

Yes.....  It's free, it's wood, it will burn!  Go for it, your burn Times will be shorter but that's okay a lot of the time!  Keep "some" hardwood for those cold cold nights, the rest of the time burn junk

[PatrickfromPA]

I just cut and stacked ash and white oak off of my 9 acre property. 45 trees average height about 120 ft. it netted about 68 cords (true cords)  take the junk wood and put it on pallets off the ground put two two by fours holding it up in the center like a lean to and tarp it now.  it will be really dry by oct and burn it til xmas then burn the good stuff... do the same in reverse for late feb march and april.