Conifer removing tips?

The time has finally come to build the back fence in our garden.

I plan to build the fence on the boundary posts. I will need to dig out the four conifers shown in the images. Any tips as to how to remove them easily? What tools and steps should I use?

They are quite small, so I am hoping they wont be too difficult?

 

I agree with JWK conifers tend to form a rootball, so are quite shallow rooted and easy to dig out.

 

Well, I got 3 of them cut down and left at the trunk. I broke my spade on the first tree trying to uproot it! Not good. Maybe need to dig around it better.

Going to have to see if I can get a pick or something!

 

Yes I kept the main trunk where available and took away the rest. Here is the state of play



The ground is quite firm around the trees, no leverage as of yet.

 

I have a small log splitter that I use for chopping up blocks for our stove, would that be alright to use or would it damage it?

 

I have a cheap Baracuda saw that has been brilliant, I will use a combination of the saw and the axe and will hopefully finish it off tonight!

Will post some results later, thanks

 

Got the 3 in a row out last night in the pouring rain! Was determined...

I dug around the area with the fork (since I broke my spade!), then gave it a wiggle, and used the little axe to attack the roots. A few rocks back and forward and it started loosening up before eventually coming out. The roots are good at hiding! One more to go!

 

. Well done. If you hadn't succeeded I was going to ask if you could get a car anywhere near the stumps to pull them out. This method is quite good for getting tree stumps out, BUT not so good for cars. I managed to remove a bumper off my old Subaru trying to remove a fairly sizeable tree stump which moved not at all. I failed to utilise the towing point ghit that I am, also broke the tow rope. Post this failure I returned to the attack with a Discovery and tow chain. Well I did succeed in getting the tree stump out but only after removing most of the rubber of the Discovey's tyres as it was rearing up with the strain and depositing much rubber on my driveway! Turned out to be rather an expensive stump removal.

 

I used block and tackle to rip this lot out.

 

Do you guys never use chainsaws and stump grinders for doing jobs like this? Lots of fun annoying neighbours with noisy machines, and plenty lovely compost afterwards!