what to do with 1000's of feet of hi-tensile wire fence??

Otto Syracuse · Oct 21, 2014

I have a 10 acre field that was surrounded with a hi-tensile wire fence several years ago. It is now mostly overgrown, and no longer needed. I'd like to remove it and keep the round PT posts to use on the main horse paddocks. (4 rail 5/4 X 6" PT deck boards) The top wire is a 1" wide plastic and wire, I'll keep that too.

I'm not sure what to do with all the rest of the wire! Should I just roll it up and store it somewhere, or bring it to the scrap yard, or would it sell on Craigslist?

I've never worked with this wire, but it looks stiff and hard to handle. This is going to be a big job anyway I slice it....

MossRoad · Oct 21, 2014

Electrify it and put out a bowl of free candy behind it on Halloween.... :stirthepot:

Seriously, though, I'm a big fan of keeping everything if I have the room. It may come in handy in the future. As for selling it on Craigslist, or ebay, take a look over there and see if anyone else is selling the stuff and price accordingly. If you really want it gone, offer it free to anyone that wants to remove it all.

GPintheMitten · Oct 21, 2014

If you take it down get a spinning jenny to wrap the wire or you'll have a mess. Once you spin it on a Jenny to coil it, wrap the coils with some tape to keep it in a coil for storage or to sell or give away.

You may have to use thinner guage wire to secure the coils rather than tape.

japody · Oct 21, 2014

A new roll of high tensile, 4,000 ft, at TSC is $89.95. Price it as used accordingly on Craigslist. Someone should jump on it.

MNBobcat · Oct 23, 2014

Put an Ad on craigslist that whoever wants to remove it can have it for free.

EddieWalker · Oct 23, 2014

MNBobcat said:
Put an Ad on craigslist that whoever wants to remove it can have it for free.

This is what I would do and what I've seen friends do. Have them remove it and they can have it. If you save it, where will you put it and how long will you keep it before you forget you even have it, or get tired of it taking up room and then get rid of it? I just like to store stuff that I use all the time, like lumber. Other stuff I get rid of as quickly as I can.

Eddie

JD5210 · Oct 23, 2014

You could contact your local high school and if they have a FFA program, if they come and get they can have it for free. You might also see if there is a 4-H program in your area and offer the same deal. I would require that an adult accompany anyone under 18 and maybe have them sign a wavier.

If 4-H or like group gets the wire, you might be able to take it off your taxes as a donation.

Having messed with high tensile a number of times. I would gladly give it away if someone else removed it.

CobyRupert · Oct 23, 2014

I've seen it said that keeping things is really rooted in control issues. Trying to control (or deny) the biggest thing that we can't: the passage of time and our mortality. We try to deny these things by keeping items that either associate us with our past or deny our certain future ("Someday (in my limitless future) I'll read that book (again); someday I'll have a need for that part (again), etc...").

(How does a question about hi-tensile fence wire turn into a philosophical issue? Better re-check these meds.) Getting off soap box now.

Gary Fowler · Oct 23, 2014

It should be easy to remove, just cut all the tie clips from each post, then with a reel type wire holder just start reeling. Smooth wire would pull back easily thru the brush. The top tape might be harder if not impossible if you have thorny type growth to snag it. If you have pasture, save it for use later. It would work good for garden deer fencing if you have a fence charger.

Removing all the tree growth is going to be harder than removing the wire unless you can just plow it down with the FEL. I recently cleared up about 200 yards of fence line with my backhoe which was easy but took a lot of time to dig, push and pile all the bushes and small trees. This was after cutting and pulling out all the old rusted barbed wire.

Otto Syracuse · Oct 23, 2014

I do want to keep the posts, or at least a good portion of them. The wire can go. I have a friend that owns a fencing company, maybe he has a need for it, or at least would have a spool or something to put the wire on.
Good idea on the 4H clubs. I'd like to see it reused or put to good use.
As far as clearing the brush, I lease the lot to a farmer that plants field corn. On the other fields he leases, he brings a backhoe in the spring and cleans up the edges so he can plant as much as possible. I'm sure he'd like to see the fencing gone too.
thanks for sone good ideas. I'll save some of it out of the way, and try to put the remainder to some other good use.