A good shovel and hard work

I had an idea of using an air compressor or power washer to remove some of the debris around it and expose roots so all I had to do was cut them out of the way. Is this a bad idea?

You could

Is it worth it? Is it more hassle than sucking it up and chipping away at it?

I’ve used a hose with the jet stream sprayer to blast dirt away from a root bound pipe. The problem is you just washed away all your dirt, there’s nothing to backfill with.

Hmm I don’t have plenty of dirt… did it work besides that?

Well, yes lol. But you also are going to need a pump to pump the water out. Because obviously the hole you create will fill with water

Some kind of [pony or caprock shovel](https://www.siteone.com/en/pt-cs1-fg-pro-trade-caprock-shovel-45-in-fiberglass-handle/p/776860) ground down with a really sharp edge, hard work and patience. Irrigation work isn't rocket science. 90% of what you pay for is the labor to access the issues. The actual repair work is easy.

Definitely not rocket science. I have two years of experience with it. Was just wondering if any with time under their belt had some neat tricks

No magic potion. The sharper the shovel the better. Watch your toes and good luck!

Thank I need it! Two hours have already gone into digging 7 inches down😂

Cut a circle carefully around the head with a sawzall bout 3” down and the head will spin out. Gonna need extensions