I wanted to pick y’alls brain about this issue and see if anyone has any tricks, tools, or methods when clearing brush from a barbed wire fence line.

I’m about to start helping my F-I-L clear a few miles of grown up fence line and I wanted to see if any of you have ever used any of these weed-eater attachment heads before. Stihl has 2 different aftermarket attachments and then another popular one is made by Grass Gator. We mainly have briars/vines growing up the t-post and barbwire, but there are a few mesquites scattered in there as well. We have cut most of the bigger mesquites with our chain saws, but the smaller junk basically requires a machete to cut them off close to the ground. Also, we have used Remedy and Diesel to kills some over growth, but I’m really curious about these weed-eater heads.

#1 - Stihl Metal Brush Cutter




#2 – Stihl Scratcher Tooth Circular Saw




#3 – Grass Gator (plastic blades)




The obvious answer is, “Clear them once and never let them get overgrown again.” And I completely agree! But have any of you ever used any of these weed-eater heads?

Thanks for the help!

never used em, but they look good. my advice, buy a bottle of technu for the end of the day.

Ya! No joke.
Not a bad idea. Thanks!!

John Deere 310 and scrape away with bucket. We tried the Mack daddy Stihl wacker and only had marginal success. My experience with this is clearing fence for removal for roadway project. Heavy machinery was readily available for us.

Bushwacker tractor or a small dozer would work. Gotta be careful not to hit your fenceposts.

I call up the Jose's and tell them mucho limpio

I've cleared many an acre with #2.... If you go this route invest in the shoulder strap for your stihl...

quote:

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I've cleared many an acre with #2.... If you go this route invest in the shoulder strap for your stihl...

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Couldn't really add anything to this post.

I have agree with plowboy, hire a bunch of illegals. They will get the job done faster and cheaper than you and your FIL can do it. Won't be hard to find in ranching country.

Plowboy/Doc —I’ve thought about that, but I don’t know of any Jose’s or Juan’s in area! I know I could probably find some though. But…honestly, I get pissed off seeing so many illegal already in out great state, I don’t think I could bring myself to actually pay them for any services! However, clearing brush is a P-I-T-A, so I might reconsider this!

Iknapp/tlh—what do you think the average diameter was on the bigger stuff y'all have cut with #2? Did it dull quickly or hold its edge for awhile?

Thanks!

I'll be the third vote for option 2. Just used it on a smaller scale and it worked great. I second the vote on the shoulder strap. Be sure to wear steel toe boots and some protective gear on your legs. That head can skip a bit. Definitely leave your dog in the truck.

thanks Dr.B
when you attached yours, did you have to buy a separate head to attach the saw blade too? Or does it just mount on the existing piece that's already there (after you remove the string spool stuff?)

After you hire the illegals don't forget to go to the politics board and blast the government for not securing the border.

Diesel/Remedy is deadly on briars, but only if they are the green stemmed bois d'arc kind. Just spray the stems near the ground.

Cue the flamethrower pic.

I use both 1 and 2 on my Stihl. If it is brush(cedar tree)with a diameter around 1" or more definitely number 2 but if you are smaller than that, Number 1 will make quicker work of it. So from your description of vines, etc. I would suggest Number 1 for sure. With that much clearing to do...screw the shoulder strap...you need to get the Stihl double shoulder harness with lumbar support. Much better support for the amount of work you are talking about. Good luck.

Only 1 good way.------Have fence line dozed --build new fence and then keep the brush away. Much, much better. Worth the money

My grandfather had #2 for his old Green Machine string trimmer back in the mid 80's and maintained quite a bit of fenceline.

The saw blade is long gone, but the trimmer is in the shop for an ethanol clean out and otherwise still going strong.

Also agree with the steel toe boots and a pair of chaps.

Rule #1. Seriously, if you show us pics we can help you more. Normally I would say a dozer is the only way to go but without looking at it I can't tell you which one is the best. #1 I would say is only good for stuff as big as your thumb. If its just vines and the fence is good I would get some Grazonext and spray it and forget it. Email me at username @ yahoo dot com if you want some help. I manage a ranch in Raymondville.

From experience, I can tell you, do NOT use Bic lighters!!!!!

A guy just down the road from me cleared about 4 miles of fence. His method was to hire a caterpillar with a 8' blade and run down the fence. It clears the trees and brush. It also clears the posts and barbed wire. Then he just had them put up a new fence. I know that doesn't help you but I thought it was cute.

BTW, I have a Stihl FSwhatever with bike handlebars and a harness. I have used the blade that looks like the circular saw blade. It works but its slow going if you have to use it for actual sawing. You cut the vines at the base but you still have them tangled up top and it sucks. For me, clearing my fence lines and property with huisache is just one of those things you suck up and plug away at. If you can't hire a bunch of illegals from the Hope Tree and you can't afford to have someone else farm and ranch for you with big ass dozers and a fence crew....well, you just got to get after it old school.

[This message has been edited by Brazosdog02 (edited 4/15/2013 11:13p).]

I use #1 for youpon, small pines, and other underbrush. It's not that big in diameter, but with some work, it goes thru the brush like butter. Make sure it's balanced before you get after it. Less vibration on your hands.

If you have bigger than 1", I'd go with #2 or something more extreme like a billy goat type mower or tilt shredder.

I did probably 1,000 yds of of game fence with a Leatherman back on the ranch I used to work on. I did like the blade in #2 for barbed wire, but you can't use it on panel fence.

Those were an awful couple of days.

I've cut trees as big as about 2" in diameter. The little stuff is harder like someone else pointed out, and you generally get the best cut from getting a good swing which can be tiring

New property owner here down in Sinton TX. Love being able to look back through these forums for information. I'm needing to replace some fence lines on the property, starting with one that is 650 yds long. It has Some large mesquite 12+ inch diameter and some smaller stuff.

I've thought about hiring a mulcher to come clear the line. Figured I'd have to get in the brush and remove the t-posts and wire first. Then I'd be left with a nice clean property line to put the fence down on.

I like the idea of having a dozer clear the fenceline. Maybe even more than the mulcher. If I'm going to hire someone to run a machine I might as well go with the one that can remove the existing fence as well. What do you typically do afterwards, burn the brush and then bury the posts and wire? I'm only on 20 acres so am trying to avoid an eyesore.

You don't want to mulch the mesquite. It will just come back with a vengeance. If building new fence a good bull dozer operator is the ticket. He will need experience on mesquite because he needs to " grub" them out so they don't grow back.
He can then blade a smooth path that will be easy to build new fence on.
I would pull any old t-post and pipe post first. Then just push the old wire with the brush and burn the brush and go back and either bury the old wire or mash/roll it into a ball and haul to the scrap yard.
Depends on your ground. I would probably just bury the old wire.

I have a trimmer head for my EGO that has the #1 blade on it that I use to clean up pens at the deer lease. It works surprisingly well and I cut up to about 1" or maybe slightly (but not much) more diameter yaupon and huisach with it.

I did hit an old t-post that was on the ground covered by grass and undergrowth that bent one of the blades and I knew it right off the bat because 1) it hurt and 2) the vibration after was terrible. Bent it back into shape and continued cutting for another hour or more without any issue.

I had never used a brush cutting head before and was pleasantly surprised at how well they work. It was also nice to not have to F with string. I wll 3rd or 4th or whatever the harness and handlebars if you are doing it for more than a handful of minutes at a time. Weed whacking just sucks.

Others have said this, but, seriously, go rent a small dozer with a 6 way blade or a skid steer with a 6 way blade attachment.

You will be time and money ahead. Start from smooth consistent ground and your fence will look much better AND you will be able to maintain it easier.

Remember if you just cut some trees down, you'll be tripping over them and fighting to string the wire then they will begin to re grow from the stumps.

I'm not saying this is the smartest way…

But we have about 3,000 ft of fence that's grown up pretty good with briars and bushes over probably 30 years. We didn't want to just bulldoze it out and break off the tposts into the ground and leave them. We also aren't counting on having a dozer out there at all.

So we're cutting the ties off the t posts and then hooking a tractor to 5 wires at once and pulling about 200 ft out of the fence line and rolling it up. Then using front end loader on tractor to pull the posts up. Some wires break but for the most part they come out ok. It makes for a pretty big roll of wire when you've got all 5 strands rolling up at once.

The stretch posts are cedar posts that have rotted enough that almost all the staples are gone already.

It would be a lot more pleasant of a job in winter than right now!

Definitely more manual labor but it's making use of what's available. Broken up into 2 hour chunks of work in the mornings before the heat of the day, it's getting done eventually.

Are you new to the area? Or have you been around long enough to know who to call for dozer & fence building?

I bought a jug of the Brush Bullet pellets.

I delivered them by hand to the problem areas, now I need it to rain. If it works, I will buy the paintball gun to deliver them.

I have had good luck with Remedy in the past.

Good idea on pulling the wire all off at once. I think I'm going to give this a shot this weekend.

I grew up down here just outside of Taft. The wife and I spent the last 5 years in San Antonio before moving back to Sinton, her hometown.

I've had a few folks give me some prices on bulldozing the fenceline and settled on someone to come out and take care of the work for me. I figured what might take him 1-2 days would probably take me a week if I had rented a machine.

Thanks for asking!

It makes for a big roll of wire, it helps to have some baling wire to tie around the roll a couple of times as you're going to keep the roll tight. It doesn't make it fun or easy, but slightly less sucky.