Should Wire Be Unwound Or Cut Off?
This is a common question. The answer depends on size of wire, type of metal, and if the wire was biting in or not.
In general, it’s best to cut off large wire, and unwind smaller wire. The “hinge” wire size for copper is 14. You can either cut or unwind a 14. Size 3.5mm is a comparable hinge size for aluminum. Smaller than these is better to unwind, and larger is better to cut.
This is 14 copper. It’s easy to nick the branch when wire smaller than this is cut off.
Unwinding is a good option for size 14 copper, and the best option for smaller wire.
With biting in wire, some amount of unwinding is wise to prevent further damage to the branch.
With large wire, size 8 and above, you risk real damage to the branch if unwound. Copper is very stiff after applying. The wire above is so large that cutting off is the only safe way to remove it.
One caveat is if the large wire is biting in badly—in that case, some loosening of the wire is necessary before cutting off.
Small wire is sneaky. Older patinated copper, looking like the bark, can hide in the dark recesses of foliage. If cut off, one missed rotation of wire it’s very easy to miss, which then 5 years later reveals itself as a huge bulge in the branch, having bitten in badly.
This is a strong argument for unwinding wire, when you can.
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