On Sat, 22 Dec 2018 14:51:13 -0500, wrote:

If washing the dirt off the roots you almost need a slurry pump to
get/keep the hole clean and dry enough to work in.

It depends on the dirt I guess. Around here the hole will drain in a
few minutes. I just kept working around the tree in different spots
until I had all of the big roots exposed enough to chain saw. Once I
got the radials out I hooked a chain to the truck and yanked on it.
Then I cut the remaining roots as they came up. It took a while but I
got it out. Next time I called a grinder guy.

http://clscatalog.com/images/18-96.jpg Gets any water out. Hand
held siphon pump.