Chain sawing wet conifer roots.

[Owdboggy]

We are in the process of removing where possible some large conifer stumps. My chain saw just will not cut through the roots even with a brand new blade. We think it is because the roots are wet with being underground etc and they just clog the teeth on the blade. Even when we have cleared the soil away from the stump and exposed the roots they still ooze 'water' when cut.
Anyone any tips on how to overcome this problem?

 

[Silentrunning]

I use a Milwaukee sawzall when cutting roots. There are a large variety of tooth and kerf combinations of blades available. Moisture has never been a problem.

 

[Owdboggy]

Not a lot of use if one does not own such a tool. which I don't and my better half is not too keen on me buying a reciprocating saw. I doubt if I would ever use it more than once. Having said that my brand new cut anything pruning saw just cuts the roots for a short distance then just makes no further impression.

 

[Chuck]

What did men do about these roots before Sawzalls and chainsaws were invented? I have spent many an hour wielding one of these things while removing stumps way back when I was a youngster.

 

[DirtMechanic]

We are in the process of removing where possible some large conifer stumps. My chain saw just will not cut through the roots even with a brand new blade. We think it is because the roots are wet with being underground etc and they just clog the teeth on the blade. Even when we have cleared the soil away from the stump and exposed the roots they still ooze 'water' when cut.
Anyone any tips on how to overcome this problem?

Sawsall here, specifically a cheap ryobi 18volt battery powered sawsall.

 

[Owdboggy]

We used bowsaws. but my back is not up to that sort of physical exercise these days.

 

[Owdboggy]

ryobi 18volt battery powered sawsal

£142 quid here!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I have taken out conifer roots with my car. I dig around the roots, then find a good area to hook a steel hook in a bunch of roots, hook a chain to it, then to the car and slowly pull with the car to get them out.

 

[Chuck]

An ax folks, an ax! Relatively cheap when compared to a powered saw but for someone with a bad back not so good. Then how about a hatchet which is even cheaper and it won't murder you back like an ax. You can even use it sitting down. Easy to sharpen too.

 

[DirtMechanic]

By far the best method is hiring a young fellow.

 

[Chuck]

By far the best method is hiring a young fellow.

SO TRUE! And even better is to let the wife hire him.

 

[DirtMechanic]

SO TRUE! And even better is to let the wife hire him.

EVERYBODY says you are smart. This is wisdom.

 

[Owdboggy]

Spend money????? You must be joking. We are committed already to huge expenditure on the Bungalow, she certainly is not going to allow me to spend it on a tree stump.
Sadly the stump is not accessible to any sort of machinery and I doubt that my little vehicle would mange it in any case. Have a horrible feeling that as the roots go under our neighbours fence any pulling like that would bring the fence down.
Never mind I shall just re-bury the roots and leave them to rot.

 

[Chuck]

Spend money????? You must be joking. We are committed already to huge expenditure on the Bungalow, she certainly is not going to allow me to spend it on a tree stump.
Sadly the stump is not accessible to any sort of machinery and I doubt that my little vehicle would mange it in any case. Have a horrible feeling that as the roots go under our neighbours fence any pulling like that would bring the fence down.
Never mind I shall just re-bury the roots and leave them to rot.

All joking aside, why don't you just drill a bunch of 1/2 inch-1 inch holes deep into the stump and the roots you can get to and fill the holes with saltpeter (potassium nitrate). This stuff will turn the wood into cellulose in a fairly short period of time. After this happens the stump will burn easily and so will the stumps if you want them to. It doesn't really flame and burn it smolders. It is sold here under the names of Stump-Out, Stump Remover, Stump Be Gone, among others.

 

[Owdboggy]

That is what we planned to do if no-one could make any suggestions.
Used the chain saw this morning to cut up some logs. The chain which would not cut the root went through the dry logs like a hot knife through butter.