1:45 Jack usage starts
5:05 Chain setup overview


A farm jack functions as a winch in a pinch and is the actually the way I most commonly use one. I'm removing a line of trees along a fence boundary to replace the fence and plant something else. The first tools used to remove the stumps are a pick mattock, axe and lever bar to excavate around the stump, severing the roots you find. I suggest having a dedicated cheap grubbing axe because chopping into dirt will ruin your edge very quickly. Whapping the stump with a sledgehammer lets you know when it is loosening and can shake the dirt enough to help identify where roots are still connected. Once the stump is weakened, pulling it with the farm jack is a great expedient to break the remaining roots or expose them for further chopping.


A towel or rug placed over the chain is a good precaution to arrest snapback in case the chain breaks or comes loose.


Always wear safety glasses.