How to attack this fence line ?

[StuartDK45SE]

I have maybe 350 yards of fence line that looks like this. I should have taken a picture with the mule in the foreground, but I will say this mess is at least 12 feet tall. The folks that own the other side used to run a few cows, but they don't anymore and over the years my elderly dad just couldn't stay on top of it. I have a 45 horse Kioti with a FEL and I'm not afraid of work. The best thing would be to rent a dozer, clear it out and burn it, but that probably won't happen. I back the brush hog in the mess and try to keep as much as I can from advancing but the problem is it is overhanging and a lot of it has thorns, big thorns. I've thought about bending it down where I can with the FEL and cutting it with a pole saw. Other than that, I don't have any other ideas.

Thanks

 

[geneP]

Is there a fence in there that you want to save? If so I think your pole saw is about your only option, Or spray it with a commercial sprayer and let it rot.

If there is no fence in there I would push it over with the FEL and drag it up by the roots with a box blade.

 

[tcartwri]

Looks like there's a lot of Ivy mixed in there... I would be **** careful.

 

[StuartDK45SE]

Yeah, there's a fence of sorts in there somewhere. It's gotten so thick I don't think a cow could get through there. Lol. Don't ever let your fence get like this !

 

[kebo]

I would be tempted to hire a forestry mulcher to come in and level it, then it should be maintainable with the bush hog. With all those thorns, you might be fixing a LOT of flat tires if you try and tackle it entirely with the tractor. However, it sounds like the actual tree's/bushes are growing on the neighbors property? If so, that complicates things. Good luck.

 

[joecdeere]

goats or round-up

 

[rekees4300]

I have a 45 horse Kioti with a FEL and I'm not afraid of work.

Get yourself a Ratchet Rake. With FEL and 45 HP you can make short work of that mess.

Ratchet Rake, LLC - Rip and Dig, All Terrain Rake, Snow Edge, Tractor attachment, Bucket attachment, Loader, Skid loader, Kubota, Skid steer, Landscape rake, Brush remover, York Rake, Harley Rake, Rock Rake, Tractor rake attachment, Construction attac

 

[Coyote machine]

I've seen a tool mounted to a Bobcat skidsteer that could chew that into nothing, and if on rubber tracks the thorns would not cause problems. IF, as stated, in addition to thorns, there is Poison Ivy present, I'd hire out to the tool needed for this job, then maintain the fence going forward. If Ivy is present, do NOT under any circumstances burn the debris! The smoke inhaled can do serious harm to you, downwind neighbors, and could render you DEAD.
BTW, there is no fence in there, it left years ago, with Elvis.:laughing:

A random example of a mulcher at work: Slide down to videos of machines in destruction mode! Skid Steer Mulcher 60" Width High Flow | Universal Quick Tach Adaptors

 

[amaxwell]

If there is a fence in there a forestry mulcher probably is not a good idea. Mulchers and fence wire don't work well together. A mulcher could get the edges so you could find the fence.

 

[bcp]

Tracked skid steer with mower on the front. Lift, advance, and drop. Repeat as needed.

Avoid the fence.

Bruce

 

[mjcountrybumpkin]

Mini excavator. That 350 yards is about 5-8 hrs. Work with one. 8-10 if you want to leave the fence.

 

[Cat_Driver]

I had the same problem only my "brush" was mesquite trees. I was quoted 7K for a crew with saws to take it back 20' from the fence.
I dove in with the Cat and grappler and cleaned it up in two days. Again these were trees with hard wood.

This video is sped up to not waste your time.


I did lose a $100.00 windshield, but only cost me some tome and fuel. Thinking I saved $6,500.00

 

[Sysop]

My old falling brushed up fencelines are getting dozed into a ball and left in a hole to dry out. Then I'm installing new, and after the old dries up, I burn it. Whatever wire is left I ball up and toss in the dump trailer and drop off with other stuff to the recyclers. After that I cover the hole up and reseed the grass. Mine looked much like yours do...

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

What kind of fence is under there? Wood or wire? And do you run animals yourself and need to maintain the fence?

 

[TomSeller]

My old falling brushed up fencelines are getting dozed into a ball and left in a hole to dry out. Then I'm installing new, and after the old dries up, I burn it. Whatever wire is left I ball up and toss in the dump trailer and drop off with other stuff to the recyclers. After that I cover the hole up and reseed the grass. Mine looked much like yours do...

Do the recyclers take burned up and oxidized barbed wire? I have a pile of barbed wire, chicken wire, hog wire, hot wire, etc. that I have been wondering what to do with, some pretty rusty. If so, I have a trailer full of metals as it is and it can just go on top.

 

[StuartDK45SE]

What kind of fence is under there? Wood or wire? And do you run animals yourself and need to maintain the fence?

It's a barbed wire fence. We don't run any animals now, we converted over and grow jigs grass for hay. A couple of months ago I was seeing a couple of horses on the other side, so I have to be careful not to open up a way out for them. I like the idea of the ratchet rake for now. In some spots, the growth has creeped 5 or 6 feet onto our side, so I have room to work in areas without disturbing the fence. If I do compromise the fence, I'll just patch it up. My goal for now is more to clean the brush up back to the fence vs having a pristine fence line.

 

[Sysop]

Do the recyclers take burned up and oxidized barbed wire? I have a pile of barbed wire, chicken wire, hog wire, hot wire, etc. that I have been wondering what to do with, some pretty rusty. If so, I have a trailer full of metals as it is and it can just go on top.

Not really sure what they take. They recycle metal, so any spare scrap I have gets dumped at their place. I work the same hours they do so I generally am there when they're not. They leave the gate open on a lot for the public to come in and drop stuff off and license plates are monitored going in and out. If they had a problem with me dropping off old rusted fence I'm sure I would have heard by now. Generally there is some stuff in my loads they would typically pay money for, but since I'm only around after hours I just drop it with the rest. I guess if the fence wire is useless to them, the aluminum, old batteries, and whatever else happens to make that load makes up for it.

 

[Creamer]

350 yds is not a lot. Once you get behind the brush you should have good access to the stumps. Spray is certainly an option although not very precision. If it was me i mow as close as i could to it to - I would use my sickle bar and reach under it. Then i would cut a path in behind it and start cutting and being sure to put Tordon or equivalent on the fresh cut stumps to make sure they don't grow back. let it dry, pile it and burn it.

I have done this to my fence line about every ten years but then I got smart and bought the sickle bar which will reach under the trees and bushes and keep it trimmed back so it doesn't get too wild. I mow it at least once a year now and it is a lot less work.

 

[StuartDK45SE]

Went and picked up a rachet rake from TS and tried it out on a random spot. I have to admit I'm impressed with it so far and I'll only get better at using it.

Before shot and after shot. Definetly going to need a pole saw to reach in and cut limbs that are overhanging the fence.