how to identify between soft maple and hard maple logs?

[CDN Farm Boy]

How do I tell the difference between soft and hard maple when it is still in logs? I can tell when it's still a tree, when it's lumber and when it's a split piece of firewood but not the foggiest idea when it's still in log form. This will be my first year buying logs and splitting myself and currently in our 5th winter of only heating with wood. The biggest thing I have learned so far is that 5 out of 5 suppliers of split wood I've delt with are crooks in one way or another.

While I'll likely be buying from the same guy that KiotiKen uses and not worried about him but if I'm dealing with other loggers I want to be sure. I've been burnt too many times and don't want to end up with a stack of soft maple that might as well be pine

 

[strum456]

Hard maple will be notably heavier. It is slower growing, so its growth rings are generally closer together. It will tend to be a little lighter in color as well, but the color of maple can range.

 

[Garandman]

Differences Between Hard Maple and Soft Maple | The Wood Database

We harvested some Sugar Maples. FWIW I mark cut lengths with a machete and you can tell as soon as you hit it.

 

[DieselnHooters]

I've been burnt too many times and don't want to end up with a stack of soft maple that might as well be pine

Red maple a.k.a soft maple is only soft in relation to sugar maple, it is still fairly dense and heavy and preferable to pine by a wide margin as far as firewood goes.

How can you tell the difference with split pieces and not with logs ? Or have those logs been debarked ?

 

[Looking4new]

How do I tell the difference between soft and hard maple when it is still in logs? I can tell when it's still a tree, when it's lumber and when it's a split piece of firewood but not the foggiest idea when it's still in log form. This will be my first year buying logs and splitting myself and currently in our 5th winter of only heating with wood. The biggest thing I have learned so far is that 5 out of 5 suppliers of split wood I've delt with are crooks in one way or another.

While I'll likely be buying from the same guy that KiotiKen uses and not worried about him but if I'm dealing with other loggers I want to be sure. I've been burnt too many times and don't want to end up with a stack of soft maple that might as well be pine

Can you get Oak, Beech and White or Yellow birch instead and skip the Maple?
I generally start my fires with White Birch, then graduate to Oak and use Beech for all nighters. Yellow Birch comes in handy when the fire is down to coals and you want it going again.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Hard maple will be notably heavier. It is slower growing, so its growth rings are generally closer together. It will tend to be a little lighter in color as well, but the color of maple can range.

I know its heavier but when it's still a log, they are all heavy. Lighter color? I find the opposite - soft is generally whiter while hard has a pink tint to it and very often a bit of fleck in to color but can't judge colour till it's split.

Width of growth rings, check. I'll keep an eye on that.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Differences Between Hard Maple and Soft Maple | The Wood Database

We harvested some Sugar Maples. FWIW I mark cut lengths with a machete and you can tell as soon as you hit it.

Thanks for the link, I'll take a look at that. I'm buying logs so no chance to mark them as they are cut...that would be the easy way

 

[Jstpssng]

The bark on a hard maple is lighter colored, plus it's tight and doesn't flake off easily, whereas on a soft maple it has long scales which easily come off. Can you tell the difference in a standing tree with no leaves? If so, go check out a few to see the difference in bark. Small tree can be tough in winter... I once had a licensed professional forester with 30 years of experience insist that the soft maple we were looking at was hard. (The fact that we were in a cedar swamp should have been a giveaway.)

A useless piece of trivia; on a per pound basis all wood has the same amount of BTUs.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Red maple a.k.a soft maple is only soft in relation to sugar maple, it is still fairly dense and heavy and preferable to pine by a wide margin as far as firewood goes.

How can you tell the difference with split pieces and not with logs ? Or have those logs been debarked ?

In my stoves, there's a huge difference between soft and hard. Hard easily lasts twice as long and puts out much more heat while doing it. The pine reference was figurative not litteral.

Sounds like you can ID from the bark. This is what I need to learn. All my research either IDs by leaf and tree structure or colour/grain when in lumber (which can be useful looking at the side of a split)

Do tell...

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Can you get Oak, Beech and White or Yellow birch instead and skip the Maple?
I generally start my fires with White Birch, then graduate to Oak and use Beech for all nighters. Yellow Birch comes in handy when the fire is down to coals and you want it going again.

Yes, that's all available in mixed load here but maple is very common and often the majority

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

The bark on a hard maple is lighter colored, plus it's tight and doesn't flake off easily, whereas on a soft maple it has long scales which easily come off. Can you tell the difference in a standing tree with no leaves? If so, go check out a few to see the difference in bark. Small tree can be tough in winter... I once had a licensed professional forester with 30 years of experience insist that the soft maple we were looking at was hard. (The fact that we were in a cedar swamp should have been a giveaway.)

A useless piece of trivia; on a per pound basis all wood has the same amount of BTUs.

Very helpful, thanks. I haven't done much I'd on winter trees but the bark comments I will look into.

Useless trivia? Sure. Interesting none the less. :thumbsup:

 

[Avondale]

In my area, we have a "soft maple" commonly referred to swamp maple or Manitoba maple. It usually is found around water. When cut, the end of the log has a fairly distinct red ring. This hard wood is actually quite soft and grows very quickly. It is not considered as a desirable fuel wood in my area as it is quite fibrous and burns very quick.

 

[murphy1244]

"The biggest thing I have learned so far is that 5 out of 5 suppliers of split wood I've delt with are crooks in one way or another."

I hear you there!!! I just starting burning 3 years ago and i'm 6 out of 7 were crooks. Taking advantage of this city slicker.

 

[Garandman]

In my area, we have a "soft maple" commonly referred to swamp maple or Manitoba maple. It usually is found around water. When cut, the end of the log has a fairly distinct red ring. This hard wood is actually quite soft and grows very quickly. It is not considered as a desirable fuel wood in my area as it is quite fibrous and burns very quick.

We call them Swamp Maple here in New England as well. I was surprised to learn that according to a Wiki on the subject, "Acer rubrum (Red Maple, also known as Swamp, Water or Soft Maple), is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. The U.S. Forest service recognizes it as the most common variety of tree in America."

 

[forgeblast]

My favorite wood to burn was Black Birch. It also has a sugar content (not as high as sugar maple) and throws some nice btu. I think it was second to hickory in the chart I saw.

 

[dave1949]

Not all red maple is created equal. The red/swamp/white maple that grows in wet areas is the least useful. Those logs usually have tight, uniform bark with shallow furrows.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Not all red maple is created equal. The red/swamp/white maple that grows in wet areas is the least useful. Those logs usually have tight, uniform bark with shallow furrows.

I agree. Manitoba maple is nothing more than a weed. Sure, you can burn it after 2 or 3 yrs but it's not the same a soft maple - its worse. It's also very crooked making it easy to ID. The only way you'd ever get Manitoba maple around here is to cut it yourself.

 

[DB Pilot]

I no longer have any trouble telling the difference between a hard and soft maple tree. :thumbsup: About five years ago I bought a chainsaw mill. First the color of the leaves in the fall has to do with soil conditions, so that doesn't help much. Second the bark of a soft maple has whorls (circles) that are noticeable, but at some point it helps to have both types of trees within view. The hard maple has a much rougher bark.
I think a lot of the confusion comes from trees being at different stages of growth, of course the trees are of the same species.
I only mentioned the Chainsaw mill as it's a lot of work (fun work) but I wanted hard maple boards (nicer grain) so making a mistake in tree Identification wastes time. :2cents: If you find a stand of maple trees with both types it will really help.

 

[TnAndy]

A useless piece of trivia; on a per pound basis all wood has the same amount of BTUs.

True. Unfortunately, the volume my stove will hold is limited, so I like to stuff it with the most dense species I can find. Here, that is hickory, white oak, and locust. I'll burn red maple, but it sure isn't my top choice in wood. We have virtually no hard maple around here, find them occasionally from a yard someone planted one in.

 

[Jstpssng]

I no longer have any trouble telling the difference between a hard and soft maple tree. :thumbsup: About five years ago I bought a chainsaw mill. First the color of the leaves in the fall has to do with soil conditions, so that doesn't help much. Second the bark of a soft maple has whorls (circles) that are noticeable, but at some point it helps to have both types of trees within view. The hard maple has a much rougher bark.
I think a lot of the confusion comes from trees being at different stages of growth, of course the trees are of the same species.
I only mentioned the Chainsaw mill as it's a lot of work (fun work) but I wanted hard maple boards (nicer grain) so making a mistake in tree Identification wastes time. :2cents: If you find a stand of maple trees with both types it will really help.

I know what you're referring to. However, the whorls (aka bullseyes) that are so easily identified in your area don't appear in other regions.