noodling or log splitter

[CRE1992]

I had to deal with the same thing! I just got my Stihl 460 Mag about 3 weeks ago. But right after Hurricane Sandy I was driving around picking up some monster oak logs. We stopped at a house about a mile from mine and they had 9- 36", 4 foot sections of oak. There was no way of lifting them into my truck. So I got some friends and rolled them up on my trailer. If I had the 460 back then it would of made my life a lot easier by cutting the logs smaller and noodling them.

However I do believe a good combination of noodling and a splitter is necessary. I use a horizontal log splitter that my grandfather built back in the early 70's but it looks like it came out of a factory. And lifting some massive rounds can be quite cumbersome and painful on your back.

-Charles

 

[missedbass]

I had to deal with the same thing! I just got my Stihl 460 Mag about 3 weeks ago. But right after Hurricane Sandy I was driving around picking up some monster oak logs. We stopped at a house about a mile from mine and they had 9- 36", 4 foot sections of oak. There was no way of lifting them into my truck. So I got some friends and rolled them up on my trailer. If I had the 460 back then it would of made my life a lot easier by cutting the logs smaller and noodling them.

However I do believe a good combination of noodling and a splitter is necessary. I use a horizontal log splitter that my grandfather built back in the early 70's but it looks like it came out of a factory. And lifting some massive rounds can be quite cumbersome and painful on your back.

-Charles

Yup! It was Sandy that took down those big oaks. A trailer and a big saw was the ticket

 

[zogger]

You can get a used big saw for a lot cheaper than a splitter.

I split around 90% of my wood now with mostly a fiskars, just a little sledge and wedge, and noodle all the nasty crotch pieces big enough to it into the stove as is.


I was using a big hydraulic splitter with a log lift table on it, it started leaking a little bit, and the carb started screwing up, and I dont care, it is sitting in the weeds now. I might fix it sometime, but it isnt a priority now. What few rounds I cant split easy doesnt justiy using a gas engine expensive device. And what was a chore with the hydraulic is now just pure fun.

Getting a Fiskars (and learning to use it *properly*, which is important) completely changed my outlook on hand splitting and the necessity or desirability of a hydraulic for personal home heating wood amounts, call it any single digits of cords per year.

Anything else that sucks to hand split, noodle it.

Its your money though, spend it how ya want!

 

[missedbass]

I like to leave the pieces in big rounds and roll them onto a low trailer (with ramp or 2X6). My back just cant handle picking them up anymore. When I get home, I roll them off and split with a home made splitter that stands upright. I use one of the big rounds for a seat :msp_rolleyes:

i like to leave the splitter at home and I don't have the room for a trailer so I'm thinking a bigger saw in the future:msp_biggrin:

 

[Mastermind]

You can get a used big saw for a lot cheaper than a splitter.

I split around 90% of my wood now with mostly a fiskars, just a little sledge and wedge, and noodle all the nasty crotch pieces big enough to it into the stove as is.


I was using a big hydraulic splitter with a log lift table on it, it started leaking a little bit, and the carb started screwing up, and I dont care, it is sitting in the weeds now. I might fix it sometime, but it isnt a priority now. What few rounds I cant split easy doesnt justiy using a gas engine expensive device. And what was a chore with the hydraulic is now just pure fun.

Getting a Fiskars (and learning to use it *properly*, which is important) completely changed my outlook on hand splitting and the necessity or desirability of a hydraulic for personal home heating wood amounts, call it any single digits of cords per year.

Anything else that sucks to hand split, noodle it.

Its your money though, spend it how ya want!

The Fiskars gets used a lot here too. I've split over a cord this year with mine. On wood 12" and less I don't even think about the hydraulic splitter anymore.

 

[HuskStihl]

I don't own a splitter, I have children for that.:msp_biggrin: I noodle all the time, and with fresh live oak, the 385 is much faster than the wedges. The maul bounces the accursed heavy live oak like it was concrete. The giant piles of noodles feel like wasted wood, but I am too lazy to do anything with them

 

[Zombiechopper]

I have major back problems so I noodle everything into light pieces. I'd rather use up a saw than use up any more vertebrae lifting heavy crap

 

[Zombiechopper]

I save a garbage bag of noodles sometimes. It's great tinder and it is great for flower bed mulch, or to till into garden soil. It gives you long lasting nitrogen once it's worked in.

 

[gcdible1]

I noodle for manageable size, split the rest. Gotta be able to move it first. My question is...Does anybody have any tips for keeping bars/chains cooler when noodling? I have heard full chizzy noodles better than semi, but I assume it dulls quicker as well. My 25" bar with rm chain on the 066 was dulling a bunch in this dead oak I was cutting today. The oiler sucks. Shouldve never let it leave Randy's without the HO oiler...pics to follow.View attachment 274583View attachment 274584

 

[z71mike]

I noodle when I'm in the woods with just me, my saws, and the truck. Need to cut up the biguns small enough to lift into the bed. But anything huge at home just gets rolled onto the splitter changed over to vertical mode. Just run it 10 times through the splitter.

 

[cutforfun]

I noodle for manageable size, split the rest. Gotta be able to move it first. My question is...Does anybody have any tips for keeping bars/chains cooler when noodling? I have heard full chizzy noodles better than semi, but I assume it dulls quicker as well. My 25" bar with rm chain on the 066 was dulling a bunch in this dead oak I was cutting today. The oiler sucks. Shouldve never let it leave Randy's without the HO oiler...pics to follow.View attachment 274583View attachment 274584

I noodle all the time with my 064, after a cut run the saw out of the wood and re-lube the B/C and go at the next log.View attachment 274589View attachment 274590

 

[7sleeper]

70cc not in the cards....yet . a 50cc saw with a 16" bar couldn't do the job.:msp_sad:

Something doesn't sound right. I only have as largest saw a Dolmar 5001 = 50cc and it noodles 16 inch easily. I even use my Solo 644(45cc / 15 inch blade) or Dolmar 420 (42cc / 14 inch blade) and noodle easily along. Important with the small saws is no pressing! The saw cuts at it's rate and I usually try to keep about 1-2 inches of space between the wood and the saw. It makes the clearing of noodles easier. I also save all my noodles for firestarters, mulch and sometimes my cat's use it as kitty litter. I wish they would warn me earlier! :hmm3grin2orange:

7

 

[o8f150]

we noodle everything down to manageable sizes before they go in the splitter

 

[Cbird14]

noodling is awesome!! gotta love those piles of spagetti after noodling a round. im fairly young and have a good back and would like to keep it that way. i dont have a fiskars...yet but my 8# splitting maul goes with me whenever i cut. much easier to split it out in the woods than lift twice before splitting it.

 

[MarcS]

much easier to split it out in the woods than lift twice before splitting it.

I hear you on that. Leaves the mess in the woods and when I get home I can stack it right away rather than dump the rounds in a pile and forget about them for six months.

missedbass,
Here is how my noodling is done. Nothing exciting but more of a practical video.

Ported Jonsered 2171 Noodling Oak - YouTube

 

[Typhke]

I've noodled some big oak rounds last week with my 064. Easier too load and I must say, they were a lot easier to split with the x27 than the ones I didn't noodled.

 

[SawTroll]

70cc not in the cards....yet . a 50cc saw with a 16" bar couldn't do the job.:msp_sad:

A 346xp with a sharp chisel chain is a surpricingly capable noodler, but of course there are limitations.....

I actually find it important to use chisel chain when noodling, semi-chisel doesn't work nearly as well for me....

 

[HuskStihl]

A 346xp with a sharp chisel chain is a surpricingly capable noodler, but of course there are limitations.....

I actually find it important to use chisel chain when noodling, semi-chisel doesn't work nearly as well for me....

Mr. Troll, your input is being requested on the rpm kills thread! Chain seems (to me) to make a bigger difference with noodling than cross cutting, sharpness and type.

I'm sorry, it should have been Dr. Troll!

 

[Axlerod74]

I save a garbage bag of noodles sometimes. It's great tinder and it is great for flower bed mulch, or to till into garden soil. It gives you long lasting nitrogen once it's worked in.

I have used the noodles for a number of things including chicken bedding in the nest boxes. Great pet bedding too.

 

[Axlerod74]

noodling is awesome!! gotta love those piles of spagetti after noodling a round. im fairly young and have a good back and would like to keep it that way. i dont have a fiskars...yet but my 8# splitting maul goes with me whenever i cut. much easier to split it out in the woods than lift twice before splitting it.

Smart young man! Take care of that young back............once it's damaged, it's never the same! :beated: