Cutting up old fencing

[rootytoot]

Hi, I've been cleaning out a lot of old fencing from blackberry bushes on my property. A lot of it just got thrown on a pile and burned (to get rid of posts that were attached to it). This wasn't thought out well by my partner, and so now we have a tangled mass of fencing that is too big to get in a truck, or deal with.

It looks to me like I will need to cut this up into chunks. So, my question is, what tool to use to efficiently cut up a variety of fencing. The hardware store has a variety of implements:

- 14" bolt cutters
- 24" bolt cutters
- wire rope cutters
- angled snips

The fencing is a variety of types: there is some three strand barbed wire, but it is mostly the kind of utility fencing with 5" square openings. Anybody got opinions on this situation?

Thanks,

Kurt

 

[Rocksprings]

Alot easier to roll it up if you can.

 

[2manyrocks]

Sounds like a tedious pain. When you cut one part, another part is likely to fly at you from some place.

If there is a bunch of it to cut and you have 110v power available, I'd suggest an angle grinder with a cutting disk. Be sure to wear eye and hearing protection. The thin kerf disks cut the quickest.

 

[two_bit_score]

Can you use the FEL to compact it down and then find some way to fold it over and roll it or fold it into a shape that you can then pick up with forks or a loader/backhoe and load onto a triler to haul to a scrapper?

 

[JakeBrake]

I had to do the same thing myself recently. Bolt cutters are great for big wire like in livestock panels, but not so good for barb wire. A barb wire fence tool is OK, but I prefer my Craftsman diagonal cutting pliers which I have had for over 40 years and cut as well today as when I bought them.

Good luck!

 

[Code54]

I use my 18v DeWalt angle grinder with a cut off wheel. VERY quick, and portable.

 

[RoMad]

I have a small pair of bolt cutters that work great. I cut the wire off of the posts and then roll it up and stand on it as I go and it mashes pretty flat. If I have quite a bit I use the FEL to compact it. At our local landfill fence is free to dump because it is recyclable. We took some to the local crook recyling place and had to wait in line to get weighed on the way in and on the way out and then he cut the price because he said fence gets tangled in his machine. I would rather give it to the county at the landfill

 

[crash325]

Can you use the FEL to compact it down and then find some way to fold it over and roll it or fold it into a shape that you can then pick up with forks or a loader/backhoe and load onto a triler to haul to a scrapper?

That works for me. :thumbsup:

 

[dex3361]

I just burnt a barn down and somewhere under the loft floor was the secret wire storage area. There must have been 10 miles of wire laying in the ashes. I took the tractor and dragged it out onto the open ground and used the grapple to smash it up tighter and tighter and then loaded it on the scrap truck. I didn't think the scrap yard would take wire but the scrap hauler said he would take it. It was much easier that way.

 

[studor]

Last year I had a big pile of ugly wire after burning old snow fence. I used bolt cutters (18") to cut it into manageable pieces then loaded it into a trailer, mashed it down using foot power and took it off to the metal recycler. A bit of a PITA but it worked

 

[rootytoot]

I think that I'm leaning toward the small (14" handle) bolt cutters after seeing them mentioned a couple times. I've used lineman's pliers before, and they work, but I think that the 8" handles are going to be making my hands and wrists sore - they're basically a one-handed tool, whereas the bolt cutters give more leverage and you use two hands. The grinder idea is good, but unfortunately I don't have a portable grinder and 110V is a long ways away. I also have this vision of an oxy-acetylene cutting torch, but I'm not prepared to spend those bucks, either .

Once I get 'em in manageable bundles I will take the FEL and mash 'em flat.

Kurt

 

[forgeblast]

If its a lot of fencing that will get old quick using hand tools (have done it, not fun), something 18v that will zip through them will make it a much easier job.

 

[Richard]

Buy a trashed out rotary mower or perhaps tiller.

Engage said impliment & drive over the pile, allowing said pile to wrap itself around the mower/tiller in a vice like death grip.

Load mower/tiller onto truck & dump at metal salvage.


You can guarantee perfect results and a VERY tighly wound spool of wire if you buy a brand new mower/tiller. I am sure there is a correlation of quality of bind verses cost.

 

[skspurling]

Harbor Freight has "Lobster Claw" pliers. Mostly use them for cutting large guage copper wire, but they should snip through regular fencing wire easy. They are also cheap when you get the HF stuff. They have the large curved pincer looking blades. I think that would eat through that wire pretty easily.

 

[Mace Canute]

I think that I'm leaning toward the small (14" handle) bolt cutters after seeing them mentioned a couple times. I've used lineman's pliers before, and they work, but I think that the 8" handles are going to be making my hands and wrists sore - they're basically a one-handed tool, whereas the bolt cutters give more leverage and you use two hands. The grinder idea is good, but unfortunately I don't have a portable grinder and 110V is a long ways away. I also have this vision of an oxy-acetylene cutting torch, but I'm not prepared to spend those bucks, either .

Once I get 'em in manageable bundles I will take the FEL and mash 'em flat.

Kurt

A few years back I helped a friend clean out a bunch of old barb wire fence and a bunch of page wire fence. We used 9 inch Lineman's pliers (Kleins) to cut everything, no problems. A small set of 14" aluminum handled bolt cutters would be light and easy to use and would definitely cut easier than pliers and having a set might not be a bad idea for the times when you do find you need to snip something that is indeed too tough for pliers.

 

[2manyrocks]

I think the quality of whatever you buy to cut with has a lot to do with your satisfaction. I have some sorry bolt cutters that aren't good for anything. What would be good would be something that had the leverage of pruning shears, but was tough enough to cut nails. I don't know where you'd find that kind of beast.

 

[Elviscaretaker]

Beg, borrow, buy or rent a generator.
The grinder with a cutting blade will be much faster than the bolt cutters. If the pile is as big a mess as it sounds, you'll be happy you did.

 

[riptides]

Not a fun job. I have been doing this part-time for five years. I have some bolt cutters, my tractors, a burn pile and some metal garbage cans.

If I can cut it and roll it - I Do. I place the "rolled" wire in the metal can, as best I can and compress it with a 2X4. I can get a lot of wire into the can. Once there I take it to the dump.

If I can't cut and roll, I pull the posts and burn them. I then mash the pile with the FEL and go around cutting the stragglers returning them to the can.

I wear leathers, eye protection and usually am on my best behaviour pulling and cutting wire. It can go every which way.

The metal can method has served me well.

 

[2manyrocks]

Are you current on your tetanus shot?

 

[Elviscaretaker]

Are you current on your tetanus shot?

:thumbsup: That's thinking ahead LOL.