My soil is so tightly packed and so thick with roots that a blunt-tipped spade doesn't work well, but sharpening a pointed-tipped shovel has made an amazing difference. The pointed tip pierces the packed soil and the sharpened edges slice right through the network of roots under the surface. I was able to dig out four small cedars in about 20 minutes this week, and had completely given up on that job the week before because getting a shovel through the soil proved impossible. Great tip!
I don’t have an angle grinder. I did have 120 grit sand paper and that was enough for me to complete 90% of my project. Holy moly a sharp shovel is a hell of a thing
Bloody hell what a great tip and something I never thought to do when I was trying to get through roots in the summer. This video and the plane/chisel sharpening demo are great.
I have some seedlings that need to go into the ground for a garden. Was digging up the grass to plant elsewhere and didn't know some large tree roots ran under the area :( I don't know if sharpening will work on roughly 5" diameter roots but I'll give it a shot
Fair play, that's back breaking work. I'm surprised you didn't hire a rotavator or one of those small diggers? I've to re-sow grass in my mother's garden and I'm dreading it. The ground is full of briars, ivy and the roots from an old cherry blossom tree.
I didn't want to spend out any money hiring a digger or a rotavator. I'm trying to create a new law for £30, which is what the grass seed cost. Thanks for watching and good luck with your mother's garden, let me know how you get on with it 👍🏼
@@emmams5 🤣 I try to save where I can so I can spend elsewhere and make our money stretch. But doing jobs like this is very hard work as you say but it'll be worth it in the end.
It's actually a flap disc with pieces of sandpaper. Don't use a cutting disc you will need a flat grinding disc. Thanks for watching and don't forget to subscribe to help my channel grow 👍🏼
Yes if you've got one you can use a mattock. I tend to use both. Thanks for watching and please check out my other videos and subscribe to help my channel grow 👍🏼
@@Martial-Mat 🤣 I might just do that. He has scared a few people, especially when he was out the front. We live on a main road and he sneaked up from behind the hedge as you walked past 🤣
It was a lot of hard work. The full video will be out in a few weeks. Thanks for watching and please check out my other videos and subscribe to help my channel grow 👍🏼
Spent a while researching fancy tools and fancy ways to do it, then I saw this and just went out and did it. Saved me some money, thanks 👍
Glad I could help 👍🏼
My soil is so tightly packed and so thick with roots that a blunt-tipped spade doesn't work well, but sharpening a pointed-tipped shovel has made an amazing difference. The pointed tip pierces the packed soil and the sharpened edges slice right through the network of roots under the surface. I was able to dig out four small cedars in about 20 minutes this week, and had completely given up on that job the week before because getting a shovel through the soil proved impossible. Great tip!
Or thou canst use a hoe to delve in the earth.
I don’t have an angle grinder. I did have 120 grit sand paper and that was enough for me to complete 90% of my project. Holy moly a sharp shovel is a hell of a thing
A sharp spade is a game changer 😂
Glad you found my tip useful. Thanks for watching and please consider subscribing 👍🏼
Bloody hell what a great tip and something I never thought to do when I was trying to get through roots in the summer. This video and the plane/chisel sharpening demo are great.
Like a hot knife through butter. Good tip.
Glad you liked this tip.
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OK---I'LL DO IT. SHARPEN UP...
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Thank you mate
You're welcome!
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i'm dealing with that now tomorrow i'll sharpen the edge
I'll give it a try sir... Thanks
Let me know how you get on.
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Awesome tip, brother. Subbed.
Cheers mate!
Smart stuff, working smarter, not harder......should be your strap line. Super tip.👍
It was smarter but still very hard work 😓
I was thinking using a edger and/or trencher might be the easiest and fairly cheep. Any thoughts ? Ps I would not consider those roots >_< lol
I have some seedlings that need to go into the ground for a garden. Was digging up the grass to plant elsewhere and didn't know some large tree roots ran under the area :( I don't know if sharpening will work on roughly 5" diameter roots but I'll give it a shot
Sorry for the late reply. A mattock is probably what you need.
Thanks for watching and please consider subscribing 👍🏼
Fair play, that's back breaking work. I'm surprised you didn't hire a rotavator or one of those small diggers?
I've to re-sow grass in my mother's garden and I'm dreading it. The ground is full of briars, ivy and the roots from an old cherry blossom tree.
I didn't want to spend out any money hiring a digger or a rotavator.
I'm trying to create a new law for £30, which is what the grass seed cost.
Thanks for watching and good luck with your mother's garden, let me know how you get on with it 👍🏼
@@spendtimesavemoneydiy, lol, I forgot the name of your YT channel, my bad. 'Shudda paid more attention' will be written on my grave stone.
@@emmams5 🤣 I try to save where I can so I can spend elsewhere and make our money stretch.
But doing jobs like this is very hard work as you say but it'll be worth it in the end.
Men WORK.
What angle grinder disc is that? Just a standard grinding disc?
Thanks for the tip buddy
It's actually a flap disc with pieces of sandpaper. Don't use a cutting disc you will need a flat grinding disc.
Thanks for watching and don't forget to subscribe to help my channel grow 👍🏼
@@spendtimesavemoneydiy thanks buddy. What grit grinding disc do you think is best for sharpening a spade like this? 40? 60? 80?
@@MarcusT86 any would work, I think I use a 60 grit 👍🏼
@@spendtimesavemoneydiy thanks again buddy!
A reciprocating saw can cut through them
Well I'd never Let this dude Barrow any of my tools! That's for sure!!!
I'm glad my spade was blunt, so I didn't cut through the water mains
Good point, I will have to blunt it before I do our water main in a few weeks.
Hope you're well Pat 👍🏼
You can also use a mattock
Yes if you've got one you can use a mattock. I tend to use both.
Thanks for watching and please check out my other videos and subscribe to help my channel grow 👍🏼
Fantastic tip but somebody ought to tell casual camo guy we can still see him! :D
🤣 that's a scarecrow we made with the kids for a local charity competition. I don't know what to do with him 🤣
@@spendtimesavemoneydiy Put a ninja mask on him and use him as a scare burglar?
@@Martial-Mat 🤣 I might just do that. He has scared a few people, especially when he was out the front. We live on a main road and he sneaked up from behind the hedge as you walked past 🤣
@@spendtimesavemoneydiy ROFL!
How in the world could you level out a root infested lawn??? I’m sure that’s incredibly difficult to do without the heavy machinery.
It was a lot of hard work. The full video will be out in a few weeks.
Thanks for watching and please check out my other videos and subscribe to help my channel grow 👍🏼
NOOICE!
Glad you enjoyed it 👍🏼
Do you need to worry about killing the tress when cutting the roots?