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Ash Logs vs Oak Logs: Which Firewood Is Best for Your Log Burner?


Darker cut hardwood triangular logs on the left and lighter softwood logs on the right
Ash Logs vs Oak Logs - let's get into it!

When it comes to choosing the right firewood, two names stand above the rest: ash logs and oak logs.


💬 One of the most common questions we get is:

"Ash Logs vs Oak Logs: Which Firewood Is Best for Your Log Burner?" It’s a decision many of our customers face when stocking up for the season — and the right choice depends on how you burn, what kind of heat you want, and whether you prioritise burn time, ease of lighting, or value.


Both are premium hardwoods and well-loved for their heat output, long burn times, and low smoke. But if you're trying to decide which is better for your home, log burner, or open fire, this guide breaks it all down — straight from the yard.


At JPS Firewood & Forestry, we supply and deliver seasoned hardwood firewood, including ash logs, oak logs, and mixed hardwood across Leicester, Leicestershire, Northampton, Derby, Coventry, Nottingham, and all areas within a 1hr 20min radius of LE12.


Truck mounted crane lifts logs onto a pile of brown, reddish firewood, surrounding my green forest
Close-up of our seasoned hardwood logs – cut to 8–10 inches, perfectly dried, and ready to burn in log burners, stoves, and open fires.

Ash Logs vs Oak Logs: Which Firewood Is Best for Your Log Burner?


🔥 Heat Output & Burn Time

Both ash and oak are high-density hardwoods that burn longer and hotter than softwoods. But their burn characteristics are different:


🔹 Ash Logs

  • Medium-high heat output

  • Lights quickly

  • Burns evenly and consistently

  • Great for daily use and fast starts


🔹 Oak Logs

  • Very high heat output

  • Slower to ignite

  • Longest burn time of any native hardwood

  • Ideal for overnight fires or larger stoves

💡 Oak is often the top choice for cold nights or slow-burning heat, while ash is great for fast, efficient everyday fires.


Firewood burns a deep orange in a glass-door, black metal log burner. Brick fireplace surrounds it.
Hardwood firewood getting ready in the yard to be seasoned

⚙️ Practical Use & User Experience


All our firewood is seasoned or kiln dried, meaning it's below 20% moisture and ready to burn. But there's still a difference in how these woods behave. Because of its density, oak must be properly dried or it will be hard to light and produce excessive smoke. Ash, however, is one of the few woods that can still burn acceptably if not fully seasoned — but we only sell it properly dried for best results.


Feature

Ash Logs

Oak logs

Lighting Time

Quick

Slow

Burn Length

Medium-Long

Very Long

Flame Quality

Bright flame

Glowing red embers

Stove Performance

Ideal for regular home burners

Great for Large stoves

Smoke

Minimal

very minimal when kiln dried



Piles of softwood logs with standing softwood trees in the background
Processing our own hardwood firewood out in the woodland!

📦 Value for Money


Ash Logs:

  • Usually slightly cheaper

  • More versatile for kindling and daily burning

  • Less dense = more volume per bag

Oak Logs:

  • Denser = longer burn

  • Higher cost per bag, but longer-lasting

  • Best when burned in quantity or for heat retention overnight

If you want cost-effective, efficient burning, go for ash logs.If you want the slowest burn and hottest output, you’ll love our oak logs.


Santa, with his face covered in soot and creosote, looks at the camera. A Christmas tree and presents are in the background.
Our ash logs stacked and drying in the woodland, ready to be processed into top-quality hardwood firewood
🪵 Mixed Hardwood Firewood

Can’t decide? Try our mixed hardwood firewood — a carefully selected blend of ash, oak, and other British hardwoods, all cut to 8–10 inches, seasoned or kiln dried, and ready to burn.


Two pairs of feet, in comfy socks, relax as a wood stove burns away. Two wicker baskets of wood are at its side, with a white terrier lain at its front.
Our oak logs, chord-stacked in the woodland and ready for processing into premium hardwood firewood





🚚 Local Firewood Delivery – Where We Cover

We deliver seasoned hardwood firewood, oak logs, ash logs, and firewood bundles across a wide area — all within 1 hour 20 minutes of our yard near LE12 .


📍 Firewood Delivery in Leicester & Leicestershire

We provide fast, reliable delivery of hardwood firewood in Leicester and throughout Leicestershire. From central Leicester to villages and surrounding towns, we’ve got you covered.



📍 Firewood Delivery in Northampton & Kettering

Our logs are regularly delivered across Northampton, Kettering, Corby, and all nearby villages. We supply both bulk bags and barrow bags to homes and small businesses.



📍 Firewood Delivery in Melton Mowbray & Oakham

Need seasoned firewood in Melton Mowbray, Oakham, or surrounding areas? We deliver weekly to these areas during the peak season.



📍 Firewood Delivery in Derby & Derbyshire

We supply quality ash and oak logs in Derby, and across Derbyshire. Our logs are cut to size, moisture-tested, and delivered direct.



📍 Firewood Delivery in Stamford & Grantham

Our drivers cover Stamford, Grantham, and the surrounding areas. Whether you need a top-up bundle or a full bulk bag — we’ll get it to your door.



📍 Firewood Delivery in Hinckley, Lutterworth & Rugby

We offer hardwood firewood delivery in Hinckley, Lutterworth, and Rugby with next-day or scheduled delivery options available.



📍 Firewood Delivery in Tamworth & Coventry

If you're in Tamworth or Coventry, we can deliver direct from our Leicestershire base with reliable service and quality logs.



📍 Firewood Delivery in Nottingham

We regularly deliver oak and ash logs in Nottingham, both in the city and surrounding rural areas. Fast delivery, great prices.



✅ Not Sure If We Cover You?

If you’re within 1 hour 20 mins of LE12, chances are — we do.

💬 Message us directly or contact us here to confirm and book your delivery.



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