Tearing Out an Old 4-Strand Barbed Wire Fence with 24-Inch Bolt Cutters: Pin Both Sides Before Every Cut, 50-Foot Sections, and 24-Inch Coils

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Pull the line-post staples first so each strand only hangs between its end wraps, then pin the wire on both sides of every cut before the bolt cutter jaws close. Cut each strand into 50-foot pieces, coil them 24 inches across, and haul every coil off the same day.

How do you cut out old barbed wire without it whipping back?

Secure the strand on both sides of the cut first, with a helper's gloved hands, a foot on the wire, or locking pliers clamped to a post, then cut. Pull the staples before cutting so tension is low, wear leather gauntlet gloves and eye protection, and never leave cut wire on the ground.

The Conservation Volunteers' wire handling and joining handbook says to secure high tensile or spring steel wire on both sides of the cut before cutting, so it cannot recoil. It also calls for thick leather gloves with gauntlets when handling barbed wire.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' landowner's guide to wildlife friendly fences recommends removing old fences in disrepair or no longer in use. It says to bale and carry away the wire, notes some recycling centers take it, and says never to leave wire on the ground.

Cut Plan for a 330-Foot Line

Item	Value	How it is figured
Fence length	330 ft.	One side of a small pasture
Strands	4	Barbed, 12-1/2 gauge
Total wire	1,320 ft.	330 ft. x 4
Sections per strand	7	330 / 50 = 6.6, rounded up
Coils to haul	28	7 x 4 strands
Wraps per 50-ft. coil	About 8	24-in. coil = about 6.3 ft. per wrap

Materials and Tools

• 24-inch bolt cutters for the strands and any rusted-in staples
• Fencing pliers to pull staples and untwist end wraps
• Two locking pliers and a short 12-inch scrap of wire for each coil tie
• Leather gauntlet gloves, safety glasses, long sleeves, and boots
• A trailer or truck bed parked beside the line, not behind you

Removal Sequence

1. Walk the line. Count the strands at every post and flag any wire buried in sod or wrapped around a fallen post.
2. Pull line staples. Work from one end with the pliers' claw so the wire hangs free on the line posts.
3. Pick the first strand. Start with the top strand, which is easiest to reach and the first to snag a passerby.
4. Pin both sides. Clamp a locking pliers on the strand about 12 inches each side of the cut and lock each one to a post or hold them under a boot.
5. Cut square. Close the bolt cutters straight across the wire between two barbs, with your face turned away.
6. Coil the piece. Roll the next 50 feet hand over hand into a 24-inch coil, crossing the wire so the barbs lock it.
7. Tie it. Wrap the 12-inch scrap through the coil twice and twist the ends.
8. Load it now. Put each coil straight on the trailer before the next cut.
9. Unwrap the ends. Untwist or cut the wraps at the end posts last, once all four strands are down.

Work the bottom strand last, since it is the one most often buried and the hardest to see.

Hazards to Plan For

• A strand cut under tension can snap back several feet toward the cutter
• Buried wire tugged out of sod can spring up without warning
• Loose coils catch on clothing and unroll during the carry
• Rusty barbs puncture gloves, so check that your tetanus shot is current

A wire you only need to repair, not remove, gets a Western Union splice on a broken woven-wire line wire. Steel posts left behind can be pulled and reused using pulling and resetting frost-heaved T-posts.

The new fence that replaces it can carry a mesh base sized from the hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide.

Cut ends on that mesh are finished as in cutting hardware cloth without sharp edges.

FAQ

Why not roll the wire off in one long piece?

A 330-foot strand of barbed wire is too heavy and too springy to control, so short sections are safer.

Can I burn the posts out with the wire still on?

No. Strip all wire first; it hides in ash and soil and injures people and animals later.