tool for manually uprooting roots and stumps of small shrubs

 

hello a farmer friend of mine is manually reclaiming an abandoned land using only hand tools and muscle power, he has to uproot some ailantos roots, to do this he uses a pickaxe and an axe, he broke several handles of these tools, he asked me if I could build him a homemade tool with a tubular iron pole and a chain a sort of lever crowbar with which to harness and boil the root without soil and then by levering lol earth pole and twisting the chain in screwing tear out the roots. what do you think it could work how should I make this homemade tool thanks I await advice and suggestions.

 

 

Another interesting question Angiolino! It's good to see your posts.

I did a web search and this is the closest I could find to the name you gave us. Ailanthus altissima. Boy, planting these is a serious mistake, In the USA they're listed as an invasive species and they're hard to get rid of. The roots put out a chemical that prevents other plants from growing so they become a mono species colony. Badness!

The illustration you posted above makes me cringe, I'd never use something like that to pull roots or stumps.

I can think of a couple ways to get rid of the stumps and roots. My favorite might be a problem in Italy, it involves chemicals easily made into explosives but it's really effective. IF there isn't a chance of starting a ground fire, organic soils, roots, etc. in the ground that can burn and smolder. 

My favorite method is as simple as drilling a couple holes into the stump without going all the way through, then filling them with potassium nitrate and pouring diesel fuel in the holes. Repeat with the diesel fuel till the potassium nitrate is gone and light the stump on fire. The stump will burn to ash to the ends of the roots. Some folks use chain saws instead of drills to get the potassium nitrate into the stump but you have to have a chainsaw and everybody has or can get a hand drill and bits.

Another method would be attach a long lever to the stump, maybe drill a hole down through it, insert a steel rod. Maybe chain a rod to the outside. Then use a motor vehicle and chain or cable to pull on the lever (steel rod) and pry it out of the ground.

Might be able to use a long lever and fulcrum to pull the stump straight up and out by jumping on the handle end. 

Frosty The Lucky.

the weed killer kills the animals in the area, we used it on a cane field it killed the pigeons and cats that went to eat them, you can't put fire in it it's forbidden and they give you a report, a fine and a criminal complaint for arson you go to the criminal court you risk jail in Italy the forest police check, an excavator no for two economic reasons of rental cost and then I'm on a steep and precipitous slope we had thought of a lever of the 2nd type like a nutcracker and with a corkscrew type chain that is you lift and you twist to screw, I broke several hoe and pickaxe handles even if I cut the roots when you leverage with the pickaxe in the heat you break the handle.

https://www.zaggo.ru/sas/image/brushgrubberbrushgrubberxtrememodelbg_11.mp4

https://youtu.be/lhmLFkM6HNM

 

I wasn't clear, my bad, Angiolino. 

I wasn't suggesting YOU use poison. I meant to say that, "Ailanthus altissima," puts out herbicide chemicals from it's roots itself and kills plants that compete against it. In the USA those trees are an illegal herbicide, planting one will get you, fines, penalties, court time and a record. It's even possible to receive jail time. 

No, wrapping a chain around it and pulling won't work, even if you used a caterpillar type tractor, it wouldn't get all the roots and these trees propagate from the roots. I was suggesting you use a home made version of the 3rd pic from the bottom but on a very large scale. The lever needs to be long enough to pull a stump.

Were I doing it with the restrictions you have I'd find or make a lever at least 10m and chain it to the stump at an upwards angle. Then drive an anchor into the ground and use a come along or block and tackle to pull the lever down.

Frosty The Lucky.

Would splitting the stump in half make it easier to pull out?

basically one sprung up years ago on the slope that I removed, then a thicket formed that I tore away with great difficulty. then for various reasons I had to abandon the land it formed like a jungle, I tore away the small suckers by hand, I cut the big ones with a billhook, with the pickaxe some come off the bigger ones I have difficulty even with an iron bar it's an endless struggle I don't know what to do they infest the slope, they had infested the flat terrace to cut them away first with the pickaxe then with the hoe and with gloves I don't know what to do.

Can you get a truck up near it? Maybe 5 or 10 feet away (meter or 2)? If you can put a tire next to the stump, wrap a chain around it, over the tire and connect to the truck and pull. The tire acts as a pulley increasing the force and pulls straight up rather than an angle. 

It is an old hillbilly trick to pull stumps and there are you tube videos of people doing it. Maybe worth looking at. 

I don't know what to suggest Angiolino, from what I've read those trees are almost impossible to get rid of without spending quite a bit of money and they spread like spilled water in a parking lot. 

You might just have to spend the money for permits and a suitable herbicide. 

I know this method won't work for you but we have very hard to kill off plants and developers will literally dig well below the roots and hire a company that burns the soil in large incinerators till there's nothing left of any vegetation but ash. The incinerators are the size of semi trailers with tops that open and BIG blowers. They'll burn large tree trunks and root "balls" to ash in an hour or two once the fire gets rolling. Best part is there's no smoke and the screen lids don't let sparks out. Its got to be top down combustion, there's nothing left but ash and random pieces of metal like nails.

You don't see anybody standing anywhere close, say 35-50 meters. They shut the blower off remotely to add wood. If a window is open you can feel the radiant heat from 400-500' driving by on the highway.

Frosty The Lucky.

Is glyphosate (Roundup) legal to use where you are?   For stubborn trees I cut them off and use a paint brush to apply the concentrated herbicide to the stump.  So far that has worked for me on everything, but in a couple cases roots must have been in contact with the roots of other trees.  It didn't kill any of those trees, but they were in distress for a couple years afterwards.

I used the herbicide glisolide for the canebrake but I caused a massacre of pigeons I mixed it with ammonia the pigeons and cats died I prefer not to use it trucks can't get there it's a steep slope a slope I would have to use a 5 ton excavator with the ripper rake with the claw to sink the prongs deep down and anchor the deep roots it costs me an arm and a leg and I cause the slope to collapse with the risk that the provincial road comes up I get a complaint and then I have to rebuild the road I have to find a manual solution from the lumberjack grandfather.

 

 

 

 

 

Tree Popper

I'm not trying to discourage you from using a mechanical means of extraction.  

However, if glyphosate is applied as I described (concentrated liquid brushed on to a freshly cut stump), there is no wide area of effect above ground.   You could even cover the stump with plastic for a week or two to prevent wildlife from reaching it.  Glyphosate is generally considered to be of low impact on animals and humans as well.   

If you are dealing with a plant species that consistently sends runners up from the roots it is difficult to eliminate and may take several years of consistent extraction in order to completely eradicate it.

okay thanks I'll try

On 2/26/2025 at 4:24 AM, BillyBones said:

Can you get a truck up near it? Maybe 5 or 10 feet away (meter or 2)? If you can put a tire next to the stump, wrap a chain around it, over the tire and connect to the truck and pull. The tire acts as a pulley increasing the force and pulls straight up rather than an angle. 

It is an old hillbilly trick to pull stumps and there are you tube videos of people doing it. Maybe worth looking at. 

Living where I live I’m not likely to need this trick. But so I can stop lying awake and wondering, did you mean to say “wheel” rather than “tire”?  

Wheel, tire, eh, same thing, i said i was a hillbilly after all. 

Seriously though, yes i should have said wheel. 

Thanks for explaining.  The tire looked perfectly happy under the chain, but then I got to the part about acting as a pulley . . .

How about a 10 ton hydraulic jack and a notch cut into the stump?

That doesn't work Bud, the base of the jack has to push on the roots, it's been tried in case you wondered how I know. I suppose the expanding jaws of a porta power might work but they don't open more than a few inches.

Frosty The Lucky.