Your Best Noodling Saw?

[CTYank]

Which works best for you?
IME, stock PP5020 and RedMax GZ4000 work best- I simply can't get them to jam up their clutch covers with chips. OTOH, Husqy 455r clogs really quickly, though clutch covers are similar.
Hoping to hear about some sleepers out there.

 

[VW Splitter]

I do my best noodling with my ported 372xp with a 24" bar. It does clog up sometimes but it will make you grin from ear to ear when you use it.

 

[spike60]

Mine is a Jonsered 920 with 28" bar. Did some noodling last Sunday on a big ugly white oak butt log. Really did the trick. 288's work great. 372's also. I prefer the bigger cc saws for this work. Maybe because I'm noodling bigger wood that's too heavy to begin with. I've found that any saw with a full wrap handle is going to load up with noodles if the additional part of the handle loops under the clutch cover. Inboard or outboard clutch doesn't matter. It just won't clean itself out.

 

[Hinerman]

Snellerized MS 460....I need to add the bigger clutch cover for better noodling.

 

[srb08]

Stihl 460 with a 24" bar. I have to leave about 6" of the back of the bar exposed to keep it from clogging up.

 

[Eric Modell]

394xp, but I do not noodle very much, I rather stand the round up and cut a nothch with a big saw and split it with a maul.

 

[HD2010]

066 Masterminded, 25" bar and chain with large clutch cover.

 

[Chris-PA]

The GZ4000 works fine without clogging, but my favorite is an old ported 42cc Craftsman/Poulan I built out of several saws that I run with no chain brake just for this purpose. There isn't much in the cover to block up, and I just modified an old clutch cover to (maybe) clear noodles better yet.

I don't like noodling with full-kerf bars. Lo pro seems to work very well.

 

[Cheesecutter]

Jonsered 2171 or Husky 372.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

066, 25" bar, 8t rim, full chiz

 

[HuskStihl]

385 XP. Never tried with the 394 tho

 

[benp]

My Dolmars have better discharge than the 394. The 394 is my main noodler because of the bar length.The outboard clutch, imo, hampers the noodling aspect.

But neither compare to andy's Stihl. A good design.

 

[wndwlkr]

7900 24"

 

[ash man]

372 sporting a 24" bar or my 7900 with 28" bar.

 

[ft. churchill]

385xp.

 

[ttyR2]

32" bar with skip chain and large side cover on my 046 does the trick

 

[gulity1]

084 36 bar she runs but it does clog up when you get to the end of the cut at the bottom, half wrap, I dont noodle very much.

 

[Wolfcsm]

880 with 24" bar. Since Brad worked on it, it is really fun to walk through 36" oak rounds.

Hal

 

[CTYank]

The GZ4000 works fine without clogging, but my favorite is an old ported 42cc Craftsman/Poulan I built out of several saws that I run with no chain brake just for this purpose. There isn't much in the cover to block up, and I just modified an old clutch cover to (maybe) clear noodles better yet.

I don't like noodling with full-kerf bars. Lo pro seems to work very well.

I hear you- I don't like noodling either. I'd rather use a bandsaw, but ...
I only noodle until knot or fork's cut through, then swing a maul or set a wedge in the noodled slot. Prefer firewood over mulch.

 

[Chris-PA]

I hear you- I don't like noodling either. I'd rather use a bandsaw, but ...
I only noodle until knot or fork's cut through, then swing a maul or set a wedge in the noodled slot. Prefer firewood over mulch.

Yes, for me noodling at all is for knots, crotches and sometimes bit butt-end rounds that need reducing so I can move them without hurting myself.

OK, and sometimes because I want to play with a saw, but that doesn't count!