how to cut big roots
 

We had a big, bad hurricane come through where I live, several months ago.
I've got a whole bunch of big, tall pines and oaks that were blown down.
Still involved cutting those things up.

Where the trees went over, there's big craters, with lots of broken, big
root pieces sticking up. In order to fill the craters and smooth things
over, every one of the roots has to be cut off below the surface before we
put fill dirt in and smooth over.

This is tricky. To get to the roots for a clear cut, you just about always
end up with dirt still close on one side or the other, or the root partially
embedded at the only spot clear to make a cut below ground level. To make
the cut with a chainsaw, it kills the blade rapidly, because, inevitably,
you end up with some area of the chain blade down in the dirt, during some
part of the cut.

Anyone know of any other way of cutting almost buried roots with any degree
of efficiency?

I'm thinking maybe going to a sawzall might be a better answer, as it's
easier to change blades, and I hope they would give me more cuts than the
chain dulling cycles do.

I'm not sure there's any good answer to this problem.

"RB" wrote in message
...
We had a big, bad hurricane come through where I live, several months ago.
I've got a whole bunch of big, tall pines and oaks that were blown down.
Still involved cutting those things up.

Where the trees went over, there's big craters, with lots of broken, big
root pieces sticking up. In order to fill the craters and smooth things
over, every one of the roots has to be cut off below the surface before we
put fill dirt in and smooth over.

This is tricky. To get to the roots for a clear cut, you just about
always
end up with dirt still close on one side or the other, or the root
partially
embedded at the only spot clear to make a cut below ground level. To make
the cut with a chainsaw, it kills the blade rapidly, because, inevitably,
you end up with some area of the chain blade down in the dirt, during some
part of the cut.

Anyone know of any other way of cutting almost buried roots with any
degree
of efficiency?

I'm thinking maybe going to a sawzall might be a better answer, as it's
easier to change blades, and I hope they would give me more cuts than the
chain dulling cycles do.

I'm not sure there's any good answer to this problem.


I usually shovel the dirt away (including using a hand trowel), blast it all
clean with the hose, then use the chainsaw to cut the root just below ground
level. The sawsall is a good alternative, but does not have the 'reach' of a
chainsaw.

I just took out a pine tree last summer and it was a PITA.


(¯`·._.· £ãrrÿ ·._.·´¯)

Roots usually cut fairly easy with an axe.

"RB" wrote in message
...
We had a big, bad hurricane come through where I live, several months ago.
I've got a whole bunch of big, tall pines and oaks that were blown down.
Still involved cutting those things up.

Where the trees went over, there's big craters, with lots of broken, big
root pieces sticking up. In order to fill the craters and smooth things
over, every one of the roots has to be cut off below the surface before we
put fill dirt in and smooth over.

This is tricky. To get to the roots for a clear cut, you just about
always
end up with dirt still close on one side or the other, or the root
partially
embedded at the only spot clear to make a cut below ground level. To make
the cut with a chainsaw, it kills the blade rapidly, because, inevitably,
you end up with some area of the chain blade down in the dirt, during some
part of the cut.

Anyone know of any other way of cutting almost buried roots with any
degree
of efficiency?

I'm thinking maybe going to a sawzall might be a better answer, as it's
easier to change blades, and I hope they would give me more cuts than the
chain dulling cycles do.

I'm not sure there's any good answer to this problem.

RB wrote:
We had a big, bad hurricane come through where I live, several months ago.
I've got a whole bunch of big, tall pines and oaks that were blown down.
Still involved cutting those things up.

Where the trees went over, there's big craters, with lots of broken, big
root pieces sticking up. In order to fill the craters and smooth things
over, every one of the roots has to be cut off below the surface before we
put fill dirt in and smooth over.

This is tricky. To get to the roots for a clear cut, you just about always
end up with dirt still close on one side or the other, or the root partially
embedded at the only spot clear to make a cut below ground level. To make
the cut with a chainsaw, it kills the blade rapidly, because, inevitably,
you end up with some area of the chain blade down in the dirt, during some
part of the cut.

Anyone know of any other way of cutting almost buried roots with any degree
of efficiency?

I'm thinking maybe going to a sawzall might be a better answer, as it's
easier to change blades, and I hope they would give me more cuts than the
chain dulling cycles do.

I'm not sure there's any good answer to this problem.



Why not just get someone in there with a big stump grinder and make
quick, short work of it?

I agree, a good sharp axe will cut it a couple inches below ground level
quite easily.

"Srgnt Billko" wrote in message
...
Roots usually cut fairly easy with an axe.

"RB" wrote in message
...
We had a big, bad hurricane come through where I live, several months
ago.
I've got a whole bunch of big, tall pines and oaks that were blown down.
Still involved cutting those things up.

Where the trees went over, there's big craters, with lots of broken, big
root pieces sticking up. In order to fill the craters and smooth things
over, every one of the roots has to be cut off below the surface before
we
put fill dirt in and smooth over.

This is tricky. To get to the roots for a clear cut, you just about
always
end up with dirt still close on one side or the other, or the root
partially
embedded at the only spot clear to make a cut below ground level. To
make
the cut with a chainsaw, it kills the blade rapidly, because, inevitably,
you end up with some area of the chain blade down in the dirt, during
some
part of the cut.

Anyone know of any other way of cutting almost buried roots with any
degree
of efficiency?

I'm thinking maybe going to a sawzall might be a better answer, as it's
easier to change blades, and I hope they would give me more cuts than the
chain dulling cycles do.

I'm not sure there's any good answer to this problem.

or get a back hoe or tractor in there and dig it out. ripping all the
roots with a tractor or back hoe should make short work of everything.



Why not just get someone in there with a big stump grinder and make
quick, short work of it?

Dynamite is another option.

"benzette" wrote in message
news:xoqAd.276954$V41.93533@attbi_s52...
or get a back hoe or tractor in there and dig it out. ripping all the
roots with a tractor or back hoe should make short work of everything.



Why not just get someone in there with a big stump grinder and make
quick, short work of it?

"RB" wrote in message
...
We had a big, bad hurricane come through where I live, several months ago.
I've got a whole bunch of big, tall pines and oaks that were blown down.
Still involved cutting those things up.

Where the trees went over, there's big craters, with lots of broken, big
root pieces sticking up. In order to fill the craters and smooth things
over, every one of the roots has to be cut off below the surface before we
put fill dirt in and smooth over.

This is tricky. To get to the roots for a clear cut, you just about
always
end up with dirt still close on one side or the other, or the root
partially
embedded at the only spot clear to make a cut below ground level. To make
the cut with a chainsaw, it kills the blade rapidly, because, inevitably,
you end up with some area of the chain blade down in the dirt, during some
part of the cut.

Anyone know of any other way of cutting almost buried roots with any
degree
of efficiency?

I'm thinking maybe going to a sawzall might be a better answer, as it's
easier to change blades, and I hope they would give me more cuts than the
chain dulling cycles do.

I've used a sawzall in the past for this type of problem. Get a bunch of
12" blades and go to it. Call it your reciprocating axe. When a blade gets
dull, discard it and get a fresh one. Sometimes, you don't even need to dig
a hole, just work it through the soil.


--
Jim Sullivan
seattle, washington