The besttool for cuting roots.

[Ray S S]

As new as I am to this wonderfull hobby of metal detecting there is still so much to be learned yet. But I do have a tip that might help some of you with the roots that are in the way of your find. In looking at all kinds of digging
tools I haven't seen anything that looks like a very easy tool to cut them. Especially in just a small hole. I can't
afford any of the expensive tools so I use a drywall saw. Some of you might not know what it looks like. It is similar
to a hunting knife in size. A hardened, tempered blade, 6" long, 1 inch wide at the handle and with a sharp point it
is sometimes called a jab saw because you put the point against the drywall and smack it with your hand. It goes
through it and saws out the hole. The handles used to be just round like a thick screwdriver handle but are better shapped for the hand. Because of their shape and size with very sharp teeth it is ideal to jab it in and cut the roots
without making the hole bigger. They sell for anywhere from $5.00 up to $15.00 in Home Depot or Lowe's or any store that sells carpentry and drywalling tools. If you try one of these I am sure you would like what it will do for you.

Hope someone can make use of this little bit of info.

Ray karenray08

 

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[MEinWV]

K-ray, the best little root cutter I have used is a regular Ginsu steak knife. They are dirt cheap dollar store items, and they go through roots like butter. The blades are thin and they work great on manicured lawns when cutting a plug, just takes a little more time and care to get the plug out. Give it a try and lets us know what you think!

Good luck and HH!

 

[Ray S S]

Hello, MEinWV, Thanks for the reply. I'll try one of those knives you mentioned. It sounds like it would do a good job on thoseroots, too. I'll have to try it out and compare it to my little saw. They are probably both about the same with thethiness of the blades there is very little resistance from the dirt, making it easy to cut through roots no matterhow thick the root is. Thanks again for the tip. Good hunting to you too. Ray karenray08

 

[diggemall]

These little beasts work great - cut through roots like a hot knife through butter plus the blade retracts into the handle when not in use

Diggem

 

[CanUDigIt]

Hey karenray08! I use the 7 in 1 planter's buddy. I got it at Lowe's but I hear it's at Walmart too. The one edge has a saw and the other is like a knife. I have used it for over a year and love it!

 

[Ray S S]

Thanks, guys for the replies and pics.

CanUDigIt That 7 in 1 Planter's Buddy looks like a good name for it with all the features it has. I'll take a look
at it.

Diggemall, your suggestion looks good too. With the blade open, it is about like my drywall saw, but I like the
part about being able to fold it like a pocket knife making for better carrying. I see on your avatar you are in
North East wisconsin. When I was a kid I went to a church camp in Crivitz, Wis. every summer for 1 week in August for
5 years in a row. Started when I was 9 years old and the church paid my way fot the first 4 years. On the 5th year my mother went as counsler so sister and I got in free. It was on Sand Lake, small and surrounded by woods.
Good memories from those camp days. Boy that seem like it was so long ago that the Big Dipper must have been still
just a cup. LOL.

Thanks again for the replies.

Ray karenray08

 

[dahut]

I use a drywall/compass saw

 

[gman7665]

I also use a drywall saw ...works great!!!

 

[Prospector70]

Black & Decker NLP1800 Alligator Lopper 18-Volt Cordless Chain Saw. 89 bucks.

Edit / pic:

 

[mcockrell]

I know this an old thread but reading it reminded me of an experience my wife and I had just last week. we both use something very similar to the 7-in-1 tool above, and we also have one of the saw tooth knives listed up there as well. we were hunting in a local park and I got a huge hit right before we were about to leave (which is when this kind of thing always seems to happen). I knew the object was large but she likes to find old cast iron or steel pieces and clean them up so I decided to dig it. it was right at the base of a pretty young tree (maybe 8-10 inches in diameter). we dug..and dug...and dug some more. the smaller roots we were able to cut with our tools but this thing had been in the ground so long that there were roots that were bigger in diameter than the trunk of the tree on top of it. and this particular object had a hole in the center of it and there were roots 5" in diameter growing through the hole. so we spent about 1.5 hours trying to cut through these roots before finally it got too dark and we had to leave.

the whole next day while we were at work we were coming up with a gameplan to get that thing out of the ground. and then around 3pm it started raining. and it rained for the next 5 hours.

so the next day it was sunny and I had the bright idea of bringing a drill with some paddle bits. my idea was to drill into the roots with the bits and then finish them off with the saw knife. well that drill lasted about 20 minutes before it drained and we were really no closer than we were when we left. so the wife went to harbor freight which was only about a mile away and she came back with a manual log splitter. I tried it a few times and it was so loud that we had to stop because there were lots of other people in the park.

so about 30-45 minutes before sunset we were mostly alone so we headed back to the mystery object. I pounded that log splitter for about an hour before we FINALLY got the roots removed and got the object out. I still have no clue what it is but its about 2 feet square and about 1/2" thick. it was dark by the time we got it out so we had to get out flashlights to round up all our gear (since we had practically brought every shovel and digger and knife and saw that we own). we decided we would wait until after work the next day to clean it up and take pictures or whatever.

halfway through the next day my wife asks me "did you get that thing out of my car last night?". I told her that I didn't. she says that its not in there. and then it hit me that I did not remember carrying it back to the car. she said that she didn't either. so after all of that we ended up having to back because we left the stupid thing there!

anyway, thanks for reading.

 

[maipenrai]

You were doing all this digging in a PARK?

 

[Red James Cash]

A keyhole saw,about 10 bucks

 

[rockhound]

Any kind of saw that's lightweight, foldable has decent sized teeth will do. I like the Bear folding brush saw myself. Made of stainless steel in U.S.A.. It is lightweight. compact and does a good job on any kind of roots and or brush. You can order one from Smoky Mountain knife works , if you can't find one locally. BR713 and only $9.99 plus shipping. Good Luck. rockhound