What is easiest way to remove old glue down linoleum?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wuTmmrtQoE

This video has a good method that is pretty simple, with a utility knife?

The peel and stick can be lifted by first heating them with a warm iron - lay down a moist towel and heat it with the iron. That softens the glue and you can pull it up while it is still warm. Linoleum is usually put down with a cement type glue. The pros who did mine used an "ice chipper" which is made for breaking up ice on the driveway. This was an OK method because my floor was covering a cement slab.

There is a flat hoe that you can buy for tearing off shingles that works really well and once you get under it some spray some Greased Lightning and that softens the glue

I have exactly the same situation in my kitchen. House was built in 1985, and I have been told by several installers not to remove the original sheet vinyl because of possibility of asbestos in the glue. Seems that using asbestos in linoleum was stopped a few years prior to 1985 (have forgotten the year I was told) but some of the glue that was sold through 1986 contained asbestos. (Two of the installers consulted said not even safe to nail through that original layer.)

I plan to remove the peel and stick tiles using the methods others have mentioned (doing that myself to save money) and then have new flooring installed on top of the original vinyl.

Delay in project because each installer consulted has had a different idea about what can be put over the original floor. One says only thing will work is sheet vinyl; another says only can use a floating floor; a third says can do anything I want but urges using "luxury vinyl tile); and a fourth said he wouldn't worry about asbestos at all and would pull it up if I want him to but suggests putting new flooring on top of it because would save time and money.

And as if my head wasn't already spinning, Lowe's and Home Depot both refused to put anything down except carpet because my floors are too uneven (have dips and humps more than 1/4"). Said would void the warranty. Since there's no way I am having carpet in my kitchen, I even offered to sign a waiver on any warranty claims, but they still refused to do the job.

If I call yet another installer, I fully expect to get yet another story! So my kitchen floor continues to look terrible while I try to decide what to do.

Sorry to have gotten off track in my answer to your question - I only intended to caution you about the asbestos possibility. Guess my frustration over all this craziness kicked in and got me venting. Hope you have smoother sailing on your project!

Caution always needs to be advised with asbestos. After saying that, I would use the shovel designed for removing shingles. If the floor is really uneven as in Evie's case, a self-leveling underlayment like this ( https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.levelquik-rs-self-leveling-underlayment-227kg.1000668620.html) can be used to level your floor.

Thanks everyone, the original glue down has the deep groove patterns that eventually with time show through linoleum placed on top of it. I don't really want to chisel away at the entire floor so needs more thought.