A sharp axe or hatchet, even a pickaxe with a blade on one side... sawing into the dirt looks bad, anytime... a sharp edge cuts quickly and cleanly with minimal stress on the plant they're attached to...

 

They make carbide tipped sawzall demolition blades that will hold up in dirt pretty well.

 

They make carbide tipped sawzall demolition blades that will hold up in dirt pretty well.

I would use a sawzall. Those blades are cheaper then a chain saw chain.

 

They make carbide tipped saw chain too, but it is wicked expensive, and while the chain will stay sharp cutting in the dirt, it will probably ruin your bar pretty fast.

The biggest problem with a sawzall is that demolition blades are coarse, but still not coarse enough for green wood, and the pruning blades will get dull really fast in dirt.

Anyway, I'd rather be replacing dull sawzall blades after half an hour of cutting, than sharpening my ax all day long.

 

Just use a maddock and some elbow grease. No need to use any power equipment on anything 3 inches.

 

Why are you cutting roots?

 

Why are you cutting roots?

I would take a guess and say working in an area where very old shrubs used to be. Or, planting new material on a property that has lots of tress on it.

I've run into this plenty of times. You could be 20 feet out from a tree and be planting something and hit enough roots while digging the hole to really get irritated.

 

I use a maddock and a cheap sacrificial axe. I also have an official Boy Scout hatchet I'll use for tighter spaces like when I'm removing shrubs near foundations.

 

I use a maddock and a cheap sacrificial axe. I also have an official Boy Scout hatchet I'll use for tighter spaces like when I'm removing shrubs near foundations.

I agree, I love using a maddock. Its a real good workout and call me crazy, but its a good way of getting any agression out of your system. I always pretend I'm chopping some terrorist up that tried attacking.

 

Why are you cutting roots?

Last time I had to do it, I had a tree that had fallen over, and I was trying to remove as much material as possible without stump grinding.

I use a maddock and a cheap sacrificial axe. I also have an official Boy Scout hatchet I'll use for tighter spaces like when I'm removing shrubs near foundations.

That is one way, but personally, I've grown to like my toes too much to do it that way.

 

What I like about a maddock is that you can pry with it too. I have a pair of sacrificial loppers that I use for smaller roots as well.

 

Just use a maddock and some elbow grease. No need to use any power equipment on anything 3 inches.

Definately makes a person wonder...

Jamming saw blades into the dirt for a 3" root, is like using a jackhammer to scrape ice off the sidewalk...
Do LCOs ever stop to think how they look to the neighborhood when they are running a blade into the dirt???

Everywhere I work I have access to a water hose with adequate pressure and volume to wash away the soil around the root and make a clean cut for whatever I use... I seen threads entitled "Why no Respect for the Profession" at various times on these forums and I think this thread revealed some reasons for it...

 

ok guys
digging a hole for a 4'X4'X4' french drain FILLED with roots 2"-4" thick. No way was my maddock (pick axe) doing the job. Sorry, i dont have the agression you speak about. Well there are some root saws made by silky- which makes good saws. but i dont think you can sharpen those serrated blades.......

Thanks

 

... maybe I'm mistaken and there is a way of sawing, but, with that volume, you may just want to rent a stump grinder and make a nice clean hole... after 2' down your roots will thin out quickly then a shovel will do just fine...

 

No, not the Silky blades. I'd hate to ruin one of their blades by cutting in dirt.
I have a tree saw blade from Fiskars that they call a "woodzig" blade. It can be really easily sharpened with a round file just like a chainsaw.

That's why I suggested carbide tipped blades. I guess I wasn't specific what kind of blade I was talking about.
The Freud Diablo Demo Demon blades have a tiny piece of carbide brazed to each tooth. They happily cut through plaster and stucco without grinding their teeth off, so I don't see why they would be hurt by dirt.
The only problem is that they're a little fine toothed for green wood. Perhaps someone can break off every other tooth and report back the results . . .
My only concern would be about sucking dirt into the tool's air vents.

 

ok guys
digging a hole for a 4'X4'X4' french drain FILLED with roots 2"-4" thick. No way was my maddock (pick axe) doing the job. Sorry, i dont have the agression you speak about. Well there are some root saws made by silky- which makes good saws. but i dont think you can sharpen those serrated blades.......

Thanks

Well in that case no, the maddock wouldn't be good. You just said in your post you were running into roots. No description of how deep, or what you were doing. I think a lot of guys just assumed digging in shrubs or removing old ones.

 

Our soils have rock inbedded in the root ball of all sizes... sometimes when digging out stumps, we find stone the size of baseballs so surrounded by roots that you couldn't knock it loose with a hammer...
There is no blade that I would run through that... I'm sticking with stump grinder and shovel under these circumstances...

 

No mention of hydraulics here? So much cheaper and I never get tired.

 

If I can't cut it with a heavy steel spade I use a pruning saw.

 

If I can't cut it with a heavy steel spade I use a pruning saw.

thanks for the responses
could yuo post a link of that pruning saw jlcrox2???????? please?
thanks

 

I'm just talking about a Corona saw that you buy at Lowes. They cut quick and clean. May not be the best for some but it works for me.