[jweiner]

I have two river birches in my front yard that are just off the sidewalk that leads from my driveway to my house. They were planted about two years ago and they really aren't looking very good. Well, to make a long story short, I would like to remove them, but certainly don't want a bobcat up on my sidewalk. Is there a device (perhaps sort of like an engine block jack) that can be used to hoist the trees/root balls out of the ground without doing too much damage to the surrounding landscaping and walkway?

 

[gma2rjc]

If it's only been 2 years, you should be able to dig them out with a shovel. When you get to roots too thick for the shovel to cut through, use loppers or a hand saw.

 

[jweiner]

They're too big to remove by hand. They're each about 20 feet tall and I believe the root ball was about 2-3 feet in diameter.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

A backhoe might work - use the arm as a hoist

 

[gma2rjc]

Okay, I thought they were saplings 2 years ago.

 

[Yoyizit]

Is there a device (perhaps sort of like an engine block jack) that can be used to hoist the trees/root balls out of the ground without doing too much damage to the surrounding landscaping and walkway?

Comealongs are good for 1 or 2 thousand pounds of force. Moisten the ground and build up a fixture shaped like an upside-down U with RR ties and chains and such, and pull it out vertically.

When I tried to find out how much force it takes to uproot a tree I got a woman in a bikini being frisked
http://www.browardbeat.com/plantations-petrocelli-and-the-stewardess-a-story-from-his-past/
This might be a good omen!