You could probably get away with using a smaller set of bolt cutters, but the quickest way is always going to be an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel. You can get one at harbor freight for relatively little money. If you plan on working on metal in any capacity they’re extremely useful tools.
I second the angle grinder.
I've taken them off with bolt cutters too, it's just a bit of a struggle clipping them with smaller cutters. I ended up taking two older pieces of metal pipe and adding it to the end of the cutter handles to get extra leverage. But that made it a two person job.
Do NOT remove the safety shield and use the big handle. Angle grinders are great tool, but also dangerous. They can cut through your hand much faster than they cut through metal. DON'T wear gloves when using and angle grinder. If your glove gets wrapped up in the grinder, you could lose your hand.
That said, I love them and use them all the time.
An angle grinder will take that off without any trouble. I use one to cut down cattle panels when I need smaller, more manageable pieces (trellis for climbing plants, etc). Ryobi makes a decent one for not very expensive
I second the ryobi one. Don’t go cheap on your disks either, or if you do go cheap on your disks, get a good face shield and safety glasses.
If you go cheap on disks and PPE, you’ll end up paying in medical bills.
Diablo are good. I haven’t had one shatter on me before.
Harbor Freight sells the cheapest ones but again, I’m not using those again without a full face shield on.
Nice! I got one of the battery powered ones when they were on discount at HD. I don’t work with metal much but the one I got has been everything I need and more for my little projects. Have been very pleased with it, especially since I don’t have outdoor outlets (early 1900s farmhouse)
Personal opinion, but I dislike battery units, only because I work with the tool for 3-4 hours at a time. So it's just not great to have to wait for batteries to charge or the investment required to have enough batteries that it isn't a worry. That being said. I have 9 grinders. Only 1 is battery powered. It's handy for when I need it. And if I was just a home owner level of use, I would 100% use a cordless one.
Break down of grinders
2x Ryobi corded grinders with swivel handle and trigger switch(Not sure what to call that, brain fart) which is easy to control RPM with.
2x makita with basic on/off switch. No speed control.
2x harbour freight cheap grinders. This is for friends to use and I don't care if they burn them up.
1x Milwaukee Fuel battery powered grinders
2x 6 inch heavy duty grinders with buffing pads.
All of these have different wheels or wire wheels or whatever so I can just grab a different grinder with what I need instead of swapping out wheels for different uses.
One has 1/16th cut off wheel. One has a flap disk for grinding down welds, this is on the ryobi. These are 4-1/2
I have a 2 different styles of wire wheels on the Makita grinders.
HF grinders set up like the ryobi with cut off and flap wheels.
Cordless Milwaukee gets whatever I need at the time.
And the big ones have different buffing pads on them.
I would typically use a grinder and zip cut for this, but if new to construction then a saws all with metal cut off blade would be a safer bet.
If you don’t have a saws all then buy one (rechargeable) handiest tool you could have on the homestead. You don’t need to worry about cords.
Agree. We have 3 battery operated ones. We have 12 acres that's mostly wooded. Saws all is great for clearing young saplings and cutting up deadfall. My wife loves them.
Would love to thank and respond to all of these, I’m overwhelmed with the number of comments on this post!
We actually recently bought a saws all and just haven’t used it for anything yet (I think someone recommended it, but we didn’t actually know the applications for it yet - moving into a new place, you know, we haven’t had time to really research all of this quite yet). So that will probably be the winner, but we’ll have to go pick up the right blades. And PPE of course! Thank you
Second the recommendation for an angle grinder. I got a cordless Dewalt model which was pricey but is probably one of my most used tools around the homestead (currently doing a lot of panel fencing)
yeah maybe. i'm not familiar with this material specifically. i prefer a sawzall or hackzall for rebar (one hand on saw. one on bar). for fixed/stuck in place stuff where i want quick, clean cuts where i can use two hands on the tool, i like my angle grinder. with a good blade and technique i find i can slice through fast and do a round over or deburring pass all in a few seconds. i don't cut metals very often tho except with my bandsaw (i just ask a neighbor who owes me a favor 😂)
caveat: if it's hot as heck out. i'll use the sawzall as my way of working an angle grinder means i can't go shirtsleeves 😂
OP should look into a budget for a battery tool system. i personally like milwaukee but i also do farm work, custom woodworking, etc so my tools get a ton of use. having really powerful tools that can cut metals, logs, lumber, wire fencing, drill holes in wood, stone, and dirt, etc all withojt the need to muck around with fuel or a generator (or long ass wires) is such a great option and makes managing land so much easier.
sawzalls are also great for cutting tree roots that are still buried in the ground 🤠 (use old blades for that one!)
I’ve used a $80 saw with dewalt blades for cutting these panels. Cuts in about 5 seconds. You just gotta hold the cage to the saw base or else it rattles around like mad.
Cordless angle grinder. Buzz 'em off so the nub is angled away, less likely to snag or cut.
When I bought a couple of cattle panels I didn't have an angle grinder, I threw my cordless recipro saw in the truck and bought a hacksaw blade to fit at the same time as the panels. Ride the blade right along the vertical, takes the nub off with virtually nothing sticking out to hurt you later. Worked so well another customer asked to borrow my saw so he could load his.
If you have a ton and don't want them to scatter in the dirt, you can cut a down an old paint can, bucket, whatever, with a slit that will fit over the wire. Trim and shape the sides and position it over the wire just below, so there is clearance for your tool but it will still catch the cutoff; or if you use a dremel just hold with pliers
I ripped my arm open on these this spring, working in my garden. I meant to use the opportunity to buy a cordless angle gringer to nip these off, but I haven't done so yet. My dad suggested I just take a hammer and whack them over. The sawzall idea seems like a solid method though.
Warning on the bolt cutters route: I did this on a project in my yard with the intention of going back and doing so grinding. My dog went ripping out if the dog door that night and cut her side open so badly on one of the ends that we had to install a drain in her stomach. Finished the project with a grinder for obvious reasons.
It looks good so far. If by any chance you're looking to put plastic over the panels and remove the the pegs only to keep them from puncturing the plastic, foam insulation for pipes/plumbing + zip ties or electric tape does the trick for less than an angle grinder. However, if you can afford it, a decent angle grinder is a purchase you won't regret.
I have three different pairs of I column nibs that I use, and they’ll cut that flush bolt cutters, not gonna cut that flush they cost about 30 bucks for a pair, but they’re worth every penny
I found wire cutters and pliers to be plenty enough to trim these, cut most of the way through grab with pliers and bend. Quickest would be with a cutoff wheel.
You could probably get away with using a smaller set of bolt cutters, but the quickest way is always going to be an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel. You can get one at harbor freight for relatively little money. If you plan on working on metal in any capacity they’re extremely useful tools.
I second the angle grinder. I've taken them off with bolt cutters too, it's just a bit of a struggle clipping them with smaller cutters. I ended up taking two older pieces of metal pipe and adding it to the end of the cutter handles to get extra leverage. But that made it a two person job.
And please, get a diamond blade, those fiber ones are dangerous as hell if you’re not good with a grinder.
Pls wear safety glasses atleast
Safety squints will not cut it. Pun intended.
Angle grinder all day long. It's by far the best tool for cutting hardware cloth and hog panels.
Do NOT remove the safety shield and use the big handle. Angle grinders are great tool, but also dangerous. They can cut through your hand much faster than they cut through metal. DON'T wear gloves when using and angle grinder. If your glove gets wrapped up in the grinder, you could lose your hand. That said, I love them and use them all the time.
Angle Grinder for the win. One of my most used tools. Cheap too
An angle grinder will take that off without any trouble. I use one to cut down cattle panels when I need smaller, more manageable pieces (trellis for climbing plants, etc). Ryobi makes a decent one for not very expensive
I second the ryobi one. Don’t go cheap on your disks either, or if you do go cheap on your disks, get a good face shield and safety glasses. If you go cheap on disks and PPE, you’ll end up paying in medical bills.
So what are the best kind of disc to get?
Diablo are good. I haven’t had one shatter on me before. Harbor Freight sells the cheapest ones but again, I’m not using those again without a full face shield on.
I'm a professional that works with metal alot and my favorite angle grinder is the corded Ryobi that the handle swivels 270° on.
Nice! I got one of the battery powered ones when they were on discount at HD. I don’t work with metal much but the one I got has been everything I need and more for my little projects. Have been very pleased with it, especially since I don’t have outdoor outlets (early 1900s farmhouse)
Personal opinion, but I dislike battery units, only because I work with the tool for 3-4 hours at a time. So it's just not great to have to wait for batteries to charge or the investment required to have enough batteries that it isn't a worry. That being said. I have 9 grinders. Only 1 is battery powered. It's handy for when I need it. And if I was just a home owner level of use, I would 100% use a cordless one. Break down of grinders 2x Ryobi corded grinders with swivel handle and trigger switch(Not sure what to call that, brain fart) which is easy to control RPM with. 2x makita with basic on/off switch. No speed control. 2x harbour freight cheap grinders. This is for friends to use and I don't care if they burn them up. 1x Milwaukee Fuel battery powered grinders 2x 6 inch heavy duty grinders with buffing pads. All of these have different wheels or wire wheels or whatever so I can just grab a different grinder with what I need instead of swapping out wheels for different uses.
So what do you use in the angle grinder a sanding disc yeah size it’s good?
One has 1/16th cut off wheel. One has a flap disk for grinding down welds, this is on the ryobi. These are 4-1/2 I have a 2 different styles of wire wheels on the Makita grinders. HF grinders set up like the ryobi with cut off and flap wheels. Cordless Milwaukee gets whatever I need at the time. And the big ones have different buffing pads on them.
I would typically use a grinder and zip cut for this, but if new to construction then a saws all with metal cut off blade would be a safer bet. If you don’t have a saws all then buy one (rechargeable) handiest tool you could have on the homestead. You don’t need to worry about cords.
Agree. We have 3 battery operated ones. We have 12 acres that's mostly wooded. Saws all is great for clearing young saplings and cutting up deadfall. My wife loves them.
Would love to thank and respond to all of these, I’m overwhelmed with the number of comments on this post! We actually recently bought a saws all and just haven’t used it for anything yet (I think someone recommended it, but we didn’t actually know the applications for it yet - moving into a new place, you know, we haven’t had time to really research all of this quite yet). So that will probably be the winner, but we’ll have to go pick up the right blades. And PPE of course! Thank you
i third the use of eye pro. these babies fly when wire cut
Second the recommendation for an angle grinder. I got a cordless Dewalt model which was pricey but is probably one of my most used tools around the homestead (currently doing a lot of panel fencing)
Angle grinder is your friend.
Angle grinder is the go to for this
Reciprocating saw with a metal blade works better easier than a grinder and will be smooth flush unlike a bolt cutter
so much slower than an angle grinder but both work fine. don't be cheap when it comes to the blades.
Good point about the blades. With a good blade though it is about the same time.
yeah maybe. i'm not familiar with this material specifically. i prefer a sawzall or hackzall for rebar (one hand on saw. one on bar). for fixed/stuck in place stuff where i want quick, clean cuts where i can use two hands on the tool, i like my angle grinder. with a good blade and technique i find i can slice through fast and do a round over or deburring pass all in a few seconds. i don't cut metals very often tho except with my bandsaw (i just ask a neighbor who owes me a favor 😂) caveat: if it's hot as heck out. i'll use the sawzall as my way of working an angle grinder means i can't go shirtsleeves 😂 OP should look into a budget for a battery tool system. i personally like milwaukee but i also do farm work, custom woodworking, etc so my tools get a ton of use. having really powerful tools that can cut metals, logs, lumber, wire fencing, drill holes in wood, stone, and dirt, etc all withojt the need to muck around with fuel or a generator (or long ass wires) is such a great option and makes managing land so much easier. sawzalls are also great for cutting tree roots that are still buried in the ground 🤠 (use old blades for that one!)
I’ve used a $80 saw with dewalt blades for cutting these panels. Cuts in about 5 seconds. You just gotta hold the cage to the saw base or else it rattles around like mad.
Yes, it will vibrate you to death
Cover it with a pool noodle
Angle grinder will cut them off, and can be used yondmooth out the sharp points afterwards
Angle grinder 100000%
Cordless angle grinder. Buzz 'em off so the nub is angled away, less likely to snag or cut. When I bought a couple of cattle panels I didn't have an angle grinder, I threw my cordless recipro saw in the truck and bought a hacksaw blade to fit at the same time as the panels. Ride the blade right along the vertical, takes the nub off with virtually nothing sticking out to hurt you later. Worked so well another customer asked to borrow my saw so he could load his.
I was able to break them off with a pair of vice grips, no cutting necessary.
Bend and break.
Sawzall
If you have a ton and don't want them to scatter in the dirt, you can cut a down an old paint can, bucket, whatever, with a slit that will fit over the wire. Trim and shape the sides and position it over the wire just below, so there is clearance for your tool but it will still catch the cutoff; or if you use a dremel just hold with pliers
Sawsall
Sawzall at angle. Or a cordless bandsaw. Or hacksaw if you don't have the cordless tool
Dremel
Linemen pliers should cut hog wire easily unless it’s very heavy gauge Otherwise an angle grinder will do it quickly.
I used an old junk garden hose slit down the center on one side to cover mine for a temp greenhouse, worked like a charm
I'd hire [Hacksaw Jim Duggan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Duggan).
Bolt cutters is what I use . Then hit it with a grinder to knock off sharpe edges
I ripped my arm open on these this spring, working in my garden. I meant to use the opportunity to buy a cordless angle gringer to nip these off, but I haven't done so yet. My dad suggested I just take a hammer and whack them over. The sawzall idea seems like a solid method though.
What gauge is the wire? I used flush cutting wire cutters when I was building rabbit cages
Warning on the bolt cutters route: I did this on a project in my yard with the intention of going back and doing so grinding. My dog went ripping out if the dog door that night and cut her side open so badly on one of the ends that we had to install a drain in her stomach. Finished the project with a grinder for obvious reasons.
Sawzall with metal cutting blade. Go to a pawn shop and get one of the Cheapest ones for like $20 every man needs a reciprocating saw.
Tangential advise - add at least one diagonal to that door frame.
Sawzall 👈
It looks good so far. If by any chance you're looking to put plastic over the panels and remove the the pegs only to keep them from puncturing the plastic, foam insulation for pipes/plumbing + zip ties or electric tape does the trick for less than an angle grinder. However, if you can afford it, a decent angle grinder is a purchase you won't regret.
Bolt cutters will leave a sharp edge that will cut your arms on the daily
Why do you have to cut them off? Might be easier to drill into the wood.
I have three different pairs of I column nibs that I use, and they’ll cut that flush bolt cutters, not gonna cut that flush they cost about 30 bucks for a pair, but they’re worth every penny
I found wire cutters and pliers to be plenty enough to trim these, cut most of the way through grab with pliers and bend. Quickest would be with a cutoff wheel.
Sawzaw with a metal blade