# Cutting Chicken Wire and Hardware Cloth



## youngfarmer

Hey y'all. Quick question, what is the easiest way to cut chicken wire and hardware cloth. After 1/4 of the run is protected, my hands are dead from using wire cutters. Is that generally the easiest way? Maybe I should invest in some tin snips, any help is appreciated! Thanks. 


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## Fiere

I use tin snips. Makes the job a lot easier than snipping each. Individual. Wire.


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## hildar

My husband uses tin snips as well. I plan on getting tons more wire this coming week because we will be needing a few extra coops by the looks.


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## youngfarmer

Well, off to the local hardware store! Thanks for the comments. Good luck with the new coops!


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## robin416

Just wait until yf gets home with those tin snips and finds out how much easier it is to cut with them.

There's also an attachment that you can put on a drill to cut with. That's more for metal roofs but it does make quick work of hardware cloth.


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## hellofromtexas

I used medical trama shears. Those things can cut thru pennies and they are shaped like scissors.

but basic wire cutters are anything that can cut wire works.


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## TheLazyL

Tin snips and leather gloves.


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## SamT

Electric Framing Saw with an old dull rusty non-carbide toothed blade put on backwards. Well it doesn't really have to be old, dull, and rusty, but it will be really old, dull, and shiny when you finish. Put a 2x4 under the wire or tin on each side of the cut line and set the blade depth to 1/2". Wear ear protection, it screams like a banshee!

On one commercial construction job, I had to cut a zillion 1 1/2" strips of expanded metal mesh. I just stacked the panels thicker that the blade could cut and ripped about 20 at a time. Ear, Eye, Face and Hand and Arms protection time. Wowzer! But I did manage to cut several hundred strips in less than 10 minutes.

This method produces surprisingly few high-speed flying metal chips. The most important _*WARNING:*_ Do not let the blade touch the ground, it will fling dirt, sand, pebbles and the occasional metal object flying at terrifying speeds, worse than a lawn mower, even.


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## Alaskan

The best way ever... Make the boys with young functional hands do all of the work.  best way ever! ( I have five boys, and my hands are arthritic)


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## seminole wind

I have to laugh at the nurses at the hospital when they saw all my scapes , slashes and cuts all over my legs and arms from playing with wire. 

I do use the tin snippers for hardware cloth. For the other wire I use regular wire cutters. It pays to buy good ones, they stay sharp longer. 

But the saw sounds good if I had to cut a lot. But I work slow.


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## dawg53

seminolewind said:


> I have to laugh at the nurses at the hospital when they saw all my scapes , slashes and cuts all over my legs and arms from playing with wire.
> 
> I do use the tin snippers for hardware cloth. For the other wire I use regular wire cutters. It pays to buy good ones, they stay sharp longer.
> 
> But the saw sounds good if I had to cut a lot. But I work slow.


Like Freddy Krueger got ahold of you LOL. Same here!


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## seminole wind

Ha ! And now the scrapes have some colorful bruises to go with them thanks to the aspirin regimen.


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## MichaelA69

Tin snips are very good for hardware cloth. I use dikes/wire cutters for wire below 9 gauge. Klein tools are better than most and keep an edge. Bolt cutters work well for 9+ gauge wire.


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## seminole wind

How do I cut wire fence panels that I believe are 6 gauge? They are horse fence panels.


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## seminole wind

Duh. Can I rent bolt cutters? What about a hack saw? Too much work?


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## Alaskan

Dremel tool or sawzall with a metal blade.


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## dawg53

seminolewind said:


> How do I cut wire fence panels that I believe are 6 gauge? They are horse fence panels.


A disc grinder will just about cut through anything rather quickly. Always wear eye protection.


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## MichaelA69

Sem, bolt cutters work great for wire mesh/panels. You can rent them if you don't want to buy a pair.


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## seminole wind

Well I can't purchase any more tools. I've bought enough this year. You just reminded me, the farm I keep my horse at, the owner Steve has every tool known to man. I'll go ask him.


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