Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Anybody burn Box Elder for heating?

I've got a couple of big Box Elder trees in the yard that need to go. I've read different opinions and most people don't like it,...that it stinks and doesn't generate much heat.

I'm cutting them either way. But I wonder if it's worth splitting up or just toss it in the burn pit.

Outstanding heat source if still green.

Go for it.

If you're taking them down anyway, you should cut it up and split it. Wood is wood, it'll burn.

I'll give it a try, I guess. But wood is cheap to free around here if you want to go to the trouble of cutting and splitting it up. I could just as easily be processing walnut or oak.

In any event, I've got to get rid of it somehow.

Bristo, it's a hardwood it should be good. \I think you can tap the sap for syrup.

Yeah it's a maple.

Factor in the time, the fuel, the bar oil, and the wear/tear on your saws and splitter to process it and decide if it is worth it to you.

Take em down...find one of the small sawmills guys in your area...they may come get them. Some will make some really cool looking wood.

Burns hot and fast.

18 million BTU per cord. It is a dog.

Oak is 24 million, ash is 22 million. This stuff is little better than pine. I would let it rot.

Free is cheaper that having to pay for hardwood. Around here we try to get piñon, mesquite, or juniper.

If I had it, I'd burn it.

Yes.

I'm sure that after Jake cut, split, and put up, a few cords of Box Elder this bumbling dumb fugk would throw pile after pile into a wood burner.

LOL

Mostly, I'm wondering if it's going to stink up the house. I've burned all kinds of wood and I've never encountered any that particularly stunk.

The people who lived here before us planted a bunch of ornamental stuff back in the early 90s and most of it was overgrown. Much of it was big enough to cut some fireplace logs, so I burned it. I don't know what most of it was. But I can't say that it stunk the place up.

I wouldnt go out my way to acquire it BUT if it’s in the way, and you got nothing but time…burn it.

I have burned it and there is probably some in my massive firewood hoard. My uncle said last winter he wanted “everr goddamm sombitchin tree along that road cut down”. So I probably do.

I have an outside wood eater-heater, I’ll burn anything that makes heat. So the smell or punkiness is up to you

burn some outside to see how it smells?

Toward the base of the tree, if it’s big enough, there can be some cool wood for turning bowls if you’re into lathe projects.

Otherwise burn as you would maple....mixed with a bit of a hardwood it’ll kick out enough heat to justify the effort.

Burn it.... Let us know next spring how it worked for you.