Tools for Shrub Removal

Hedge Trimmers

• The first step to removing a shrub is trimming back the branches so that you can gain access to larger branches and eventually the trunk and roots. Hedge trimmers can allow you to cut back bushy growth. Hedge trimmers come in automatic and manual varieties. Automatic hedge trimmers are often designed so that they can only cut branches of a certain thickness. Manual hedge trimmers may offer more flexibility for cutting larger branches when removing a shrub.

Hand Saws

• Hand saws are small saws operated by hand that are used to cut through thick woody branches. Bow saws are an example of a type of hand saw used for shrub removal. For small shrubs, a hand saw may prove adequate for cutting all branches and the trunk.

Chainsaws

• Chainsaws are power tools that rip through wood quickly. Chainsaws are typically used in the removal of trees and large tree branches but are also used to remove large shrubs or to speed up the process of removing many different shrubs. Using a manual hand saw to cut through the trunks and branches of many shrubs can be tiring.

Shovels

• A large shovel or spade is often required to remove shrub stumps and roots. Even small shrubs may have deep roots that are difficult to pull up by hand. Digging around a shrub with a shovel and then prying it up can dislodge the entire root ball of the shrub, allowing you to transplant shrubs or remove shrub stumps.

Wheel Barrows

• Wheel barrows can assist with shrub removal by providing a place to put dirt when digging up stumps and to place branch cuttings. Wheel barrows are also used to move other tools between work sites.

Axes

• Axes and hatchets are chopping tools that can hack through woody parts of trees and shrubs. Axes can often sever small branches and trunks with minimal effort, and they do not require gasoline or electricity like chainsaws.