Getting rounds near root ball on wind blown tree

This red oak I am working, finally got a trail to it through the woods. Has been down at least five years. Most of trunk off ground and wood is real good! Nearing the root ball, there is a probably 8 to 10 feet touching ground. Would you do anything special to get that wood? Knowing that you might get dirt on chain? Dig around it with shovel or anything? Take files and get ready to sharpen? I would like to get those last big rounds.

 

Shovel is good. Ive used a spud bar or long pry bar to remove and/or make a depression where the kerf will be to minimize dirt cutting. If you can make it all the way underneath, try sliding bark scraps under so saw hits them instead. Scrap board or plywood works even better. I used to have a scrap of 3/4" plywood just for that.
Slow throttle down to a crawl when nearing end of cut. I tried jacking up a big trunk once with a scissor jack and 3/4" plywood under it. Ended up bending the jack. Trunk didnt budge. 28" red oak.
Hitting dirt is almost inevitable when making last few cuts.
Pic is of last round bucked off a rootball trunk in dirt. Tree was 18 month old blow over. Pic from November.

 

I'd cut as far as you can safely from the top, then take a cant hook or tractor or ATV or truck and roll the log over. Then take a stick or something to get as much dirt off the logs. Then either let the rain wash the mud/ dirt off, or just cut the rest of each round from the bottom up. That way there's less chance of dirt dulling the chain.

 

I cut 16"+ rounds as far as possible without hitting dirt and then drive a wedge in at the top with a sledge hammer to spread the cut and then reach in near the bottom with the chainsaw to "nip" out the last little bit of wood. The battery chainsaw does this "fine" work especially well.

If I remove the dirt then I would do that only at the butt cut and then roll the loose log with a cant hook to do the other cuts.

I never cut dirt.

 

Yep Mr. Buzzsaw has got it covered. +1

 

I usually just cut close to the root ball and roll the log from there. I hate to hit dirt, but do sometimes. Easily avoidable. I also feather the cut near the end.

 

Old chain. I save a couple for just that purpose. Cutting off root balls and flush-cutting stumps. Just make sure to clean and oil your saw bar and sprocket afterwards - they will get all messy too.

 

I usually try to cut through as much as i can and like iowahiker said above use some wedges to get better access. If i can get a couple places cut all the way through, I'll to use a track bar and roll a "log" that's several fw lengths long, then finish the cuts from the top.

However, it is in my humble opinion and experience, that if you cut much firewood, no matter how hard you try not to, you're gonna hit dirt. If you dont, you're magical or something...

 

Another thing ive done is not completely cut through the round leaving it still attached...cut without hitting dirt. Sledge and wedge and/or split off the cut part. A PITA working it almost horizontal. Ive done it that way when i was only running a 16" bar on my 290 saw when it couldnt slice all the way through the round. Suppose you could noodle it too.

 

Knock the dirt off best you can and cut away. Sharpen chain after your done


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ok 2 things. #1 is there any chance the stump will stand back up if you cut it right next to the root ball? if not.
#2 cut at the base close to the root ball. and use the wedge or shovel method, (as already mentioned) or both. then once its cut thru. you can use a cant hook or tractor to roll the log and cut the remaining rounds by putting the dirt closest to you so the chain cuts thru the wood and flings the dirt off.

 

My ‘going to the woods’ egg crate has five to six extra chains for this reason

Run them until they don’t cut and then swap.
Hitting dirt is part of the process

 

I just cut down till the bar is flat on the earth (without touching) Then back off and use just the tip to gently work away at the bottom. Start on the far side. You can feel it cutting through. Keep it just slightly off cutting through. With a little experience you can feel your way through. They’ll usually be bark,punk or compressed leaves to add a little buffer in case you mess up.

 

I keep some old lumber around, and dig away enough dirt to get the lumber under the trunk. Using a heavy hammer, just drive the lumber under the spot you are making the cut. A couple of 4' 2 x 6s, and you almost never need to cut dirt. It adds a few minutes, way faster than it takes to sharpen a chain. And, way less frustrating. I use straight branches sometimes in a pinch, but boards are better.

A huge added benefit, this reduces binding situations quite a bit.

This, and a couple of the plastic wedges to keep from binding, have significantly improved my life..