HIT A Snag

[LBrown59]

While digging a ditch to replace a drain line I got into a really bad nasty root mass.

The trench pass about 3' from a tree with a 14 to 16 '' base. The main trunk is about 12 inches thick.

I ran into a big root about 6'' down. The thing must be 8 to 10 inches in diameter. there is another 4 or 5 inch root the same depth about 2 foot up stream from the big root.
These 2 roots are linked together with another 3'' root
The 2 bigger roots have all kinds of other trunk roots running every where.

Anyone have any ideas on how to get this root mass out of the way so I can continue the ditch and lay the drain line through the area?

Looks like a Root Canal may be needed here.LOL

 

[ByronBob]

Chain saw?

 

[bczoom]

Is re-digging a new route away from the tree an option? You should generally figure the roots are the same diameter as the branches of the tree.

What I did was leave the roots intact and hand dig between them (above and below) and slide the pipe between the roots.

If you rip those out with the chainsaw, you might kill the tree.

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Chain saw? )</font>
Wow that was fast.
Thanks for the quick reply.

I considered that but it is such a tangled mass I don't know if I can clear enought dirt away to find them all to even know where all to saw.
It's the worst tangled mess of roots I've ever seen.
Sure woull be hard on the chain saw chain.

 

[notamustang]

I like using a salz all for roots, usually whats right there. A salz all is nice for safety, they are easy to work with in a trench.

 

[jim_wilson]

Are these roots from a live tree? If so hacking at them will not do the tree any favors. Putting a drain line near tree roots like that is also asking for trouble over time. The roots will inevitably find their way into the joints in the drain line and plug up the pipe. It may take years but it will happen. My father spent last spring (before I got the tractor) digging a 5 foot pit in his front yard to get to the sewer line because roots had found their way into the joints and kept clogging up the pipe.
If you are going to hack at the roots that size you can either use a chainsaw - but be aware that there will be rocks embedded in the roots and the dirt you will contact with the chain will destroy the chain and the bar in pretty short order.

I ran into a similar problem while I was excavating for my new driveway last summer with the BX23. We had a large pine tree cut down and I needed to remove the stump and roots because they were right in the path of the driveway. The BX could pull out the smaller ones - up to about 6" or so - but the bigger ones I had to cut into pieces and then pull them out with the backhoe. After beating the **** out of my Sawzall and going thru a couple of packages of blades I ended up just using an axe to hack thru the roots. The axe worked pretty good although it does require some manual labor /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Soundguy]

Chain saw or hand saw.

Soundguy

 

[JoeL4330]

There are carbide chains available for "dirty" work ...however, they are expensive and are not, rpt not, anti-kickback, so usually discouraged ...but they stay sharp much longer in that environment ...and, plenty of bar oil.

 

[firtol88]

If you want to be rid of the tree use a reciprocating saw if not dig around the roots.

 

[AndyM]

<font color="blue"> If you want to be rid of the tree use a reciprocating saw if not dig around the roots. </font>

I agree.
Buy a pruning blade for your Sawzall/reciprocating saw. That combination is great for cutting tree roots that get in the way when you're digging trenches or holes in an area with lots of roots...

(see picture)