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.

Gawd we have acres of that useless nuisance crap growing in the creek bottoms and fencerows at farm #2.

I bush hog the shît out of it, push some of the 6” crap down with backhoe and bobcat.

About every other flood that rips through, one or two of those pos trees (some 18” diameter) fall off into the creek channel and contribute to log jambs. Nail fence to one and mfer will die the next year.

Crap trees

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/boxelder-stinks.3023/

I'm just wondering is anybody here has any personal experience.

Too bad no one makes wooden fruit boxes any more?

Pallets.

I've burned all kind of doty, crappy wood if it was easy enough to get.
It all makes makes heat.

Are people on that hearth.com forum smelling smoke, or the wood itself?

If smoke, then there's something wrong with their woodstove I'd say. If they're smelling the unburnt wood, then get a close woodbox for in the house.

And this makes no sense at all. Why burn if it's warm enough to have the windows open?

If it burns like soft maple it will burn hot and fast. Good enough to light your oak and walnut that doesn't start easy.

kwg

It is a maple. I wouldn't call it a hard wood. Splits easy, dries fast, doesn't stink, burns fast. Not great firewood, but if you are going to cut it anyway, you might as well get some heat out of it.

Walnut stinks and makes a lot of ash.

Jerry

Its one of the softest maples. Dry is better than green as green burns at lower temps and can generate more creosote. As stated low btu compared to hardwoods. As long as your stove draws well it will burn and make heat. As mentioned mixed with some HW would be best. Use it as a starter and during the day when you can add to the fire and then at night bank hardwood. Since it is free and already on your place I would burn it.

#countrystrong

If you can get walnut and oak, forget the box elder.

https://www.firewood-for-life.com/boxelder-f

Love hate for me with the box elder.

Cool name though.

I've got to do something with it. The trees are in the way.

Put it in a pile and burn it.

That's one option.

roast marshmallows and make s'mores?

Funny when folks got picky about firewood

Burn whatever I can fit in the stove.

"If smoke, then there's something wrong with their woodstove I'd say. If they're smelling the unburnt wood, then get a close woodbox for in the house."

Thank you valsdad. A rational answer! The second one, mine was first.
Smoke supposed to go up the pipe. If you get your chimney swept you won't smell the smoke.

The box elders I messed with was full of bugs. If I was gonna burn it inside I’d leave it stacked outside until I got ready to throw it on the fire. YMMV

We burned some "free" box elder wood.

Unfortunately, box elder bugs were in it too and they were quite a mess for a while.

#whitepeopleproblems

I burn everything, including Boxelder! Easy on the chains when it is green! Gives off BTU's, a blessing in any form!

Last year I burned a bunch of Honey Locust, if there's a better firewood I don't know what it is. The aroma is amazingly great.

Coolest car in Box Elder MT.... 😎



One of them blink and you’ll miss it kinda places, I missed getting a pic of the famous burger joint, didn’t want to PO the locals sitting out front.

That. BE is just another variety of the maple genus... (Acer Negundo), IIRC...

We burn a lot of locust. If you don’t split it soon after chunking a log, it gets as hard as woodpecker lips.