Y'know, it's not either/or. You can noodle partway through, to make a parting-line, then use maul/wedge. Helps to get through knots & forks, and wastes much less wood. Unless you need lots of mulch. Best saws I've seen for clearing chips from noodling: Dolmar 6100, PP5020, RedMax GZ4000. Some saws clog easily with noodly-chips; with those saws you cut with bar nose down or up, not parallel the grain. Makes shorter chips, which clear easily.
