Fence removal

[joecoin]

This past spring we had some trees logged. The loggers ran a bulldozer through and took out some hundred year old hog fence.
They wrapped about 200 feet of it around the base of a tree. I need to get it out of there. What's the best tool to use to cut fencing?
I don't have a generator, so I'm looking at hand tools.

 

[rustyshakelford]

I'd wheel my cutting torch out there if it was my land. Bolt cutters would make for a long day

Brett

 

[oosik]

Well - - if bolt cutters aren't your thing then maybe a rechargeable die grinder will speed up the job. If you are talking real hog wire ( 4" squares - 1/4" thick wire) then I think its best to make a project of it and do a little bit every day until finished.

For whatever reason - I found a "patch" of the stuff on my property. Used the tractor & log chain to pull it out. It gets really tough when it "grows" into the ground.

 

[oldballs]

It sounds like one should cut it in uniform pieces so as to stack and remove it as easily as possible. Hum-m-m-

 

[randy41]

photo?

 

[hslogger]

Get a real good pair of Channel Lock or Utica fence pliers. Not some cheap ones, these are the bestest

 

[Xfaxman]

I have a 18" bolt cutter in the cab for that sort of job.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Whatever tool you use is going to take a lot of cutting. Bolt cutter will be the easiest to cut with, but will take a lot of cutting. You may be able to weave a chain or cable in the wire and use your tractor to just rip it out a bit at a time.

 

[Sodo]

Angle grinder with a cutting wheel. I'd use my 18v rechargeable DeWalt. A guy could use a generator or inverter and a 120v grinder.

Maybe wrap a cinch cable around it and give a pull with the tractor (or pickup) to bunch it all together at the cut location. Do it on 2 (or 4) sides of the tree then wrap the tight bunch with wire then you have a couple tight fence bundles that you can mash up with the tractor & load. All bunched together like a bundle of wires might be quicker to cut (or with a torch).

 

[ovrszd]

Having grown up on a hog farm, I'm assuming he's talking about woven wire. If so, good fence pliers will easily cut it to get it off the tree. Then I'd use my Grapple to push it into a pile and carry it to wherever he's gonna dispose of it. Without a Grapple it will take a little more tractor time to get it pushed into a pile and compressed so it can be carried. I've taken out a LOT of woven wire fence on my farm. I pull the posts with a tree puller on my FEL.

 

[Stimw]

A friend has a pile of chainlink fence covered with vines. I told him to set it on fire.
That will remove the vines and soften the wire so it can be compressed to haul off. The heat will take the temper out of the steel.

 

[Xfaxman]

This past spring we had some trees logged. The loggers ran a bulldozer through and took out some hundred year old hog fence.
They wrapped about 200 feet of it around the base of a tree. I need to get it out of there. What's the best tool to use to cut fencing?
I don't have a generator, so I'm looking at hand tools.

Is all 200 feet wrapped tightly around one tree?

 

[joecoin]

Is all 200 feet wrapped tightly around one tree?

Yes, the tree is about 6 inches in diameter. A lot of ivy has grown up through the fence, but I don't think that will affect the removal.

 

[joecoin]

Here's a cutter I found that I'll attempt to use:


Here's the pile of fence around the tree:


Another view. The pile is roughly two feet high:


I wrapped a chain around the fence and pulled with my come along, cutting as I went. Results are less than optimal, this will be a long term project.

Excuse the quality of the pics, it's raining pretty hard today.

 

[KiotiJason]

Here's a cutter I found that I'll attempt to

Here's the pile of fence

Another view. The pile is roughly two feet

I wrapped a chain around the fence and pulled with my come along, cutting as I went. Results are less than optimal, this will be a long term project.

Excuse the quality of the pics, it's raining pretty hard today.

That's not too bad, I'd just snip it with the wire cutters then roll it to manageable sizes. I've had hundreds of meters of this all caught up with vegetation. Once it is manageable rolls burn it like what has been suggested. Then you can take it to the dump. My 4 in 1 has been perfect for this but again no big deal. Watch out for those fencing pliers as they tend to jamb your little finger, I opt for some small bolt cutters.

 

[Xfaxman]

Wear thick leather gloves. :thumbsup:

 

[SandburRanch]

Look at it from this perspective Joe. It could be worse like nearly that much balin wire wrapped real tight around a 55 Mercury drive shaft that the front U-joint snagged.

 

[ovrszd]

By the pics, kinda looks like woven wire. But there's no where near 200ft. Looks like a simple snip, snip, snip until you can separate it from the tree. I was expecting a much larger problem.

 

[joecoin]

By the pics, kinda looks like woven wire. But there's no where near 200ft. Looks like a simple snip, snip, snip until you can separate it from the tree. I was expecting a much larger problem.

Well, there's a 200 foot gap where there used to be fence.

The pics don't do it justice, I only posted them out of peer pressure. I'm tellin' ya, this is a colossal issue with world wide ramifications.

Tell you what I'm gonna do. When all is said and done I'll measure it and if there aint 200 feet of fence I'll send you a nice gift. Maybe a fruit basket or a scorpion in Lucite. Something nice.

 

[ovrszd]

Well, there's a 200 foot gap where there used to be fence.

The pics don't do it justice, I only posted them out of peer pressure. I'm tellin' ya, this is a colossal issue with world wide ramifications.

Tell you what I'm gonna do. When all is said and done I'll measure it and if there aint 200 feet of fence I'll send you a nice gift. Maybe a fruit basket or a scorpion in Lucite. Something nice.

Now why ya gotta be like that??

I'm sorry I questioned your judgement. 200ft of woven wire would make a pile you couldn't pick up in one trip with a FEL and Grapple.

So,,,, since you smarted off,,, cut it loose and take a picture of the huge pile and post it. I'll stand by.