Long grasses are great for grazing cattle, but they can render an electric fence ineffective if they get too high.
That’s where R-Tech Industries figures their fence mower comes in.
Their design, which is meant to cut around obstacles, such as fence posts more easily, was among the entrants in the farm safety category at this year’s Manitoba Ag Days Innovation Showcase and this year’s winner in the category.
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WHY IT MATTERS: Winners in seven categories were named at the Innovation Showcase of this year’s Manitoba Ag Days.
“It solves the problem of having grass short out on your electric fences for your cattle,” said Josh Hennan, owner of R-Tech.
Hennan said that most cattle producers are often just using a weed whacker to trim long grasses under a fence line. Their solution is more efficient, lower maintenance, less fatigue-inducing and safer for the farmer doing the trimming.
“Instead of having to go around and weed whack for miles around your fence line, it’s just all automated,” said Hennan. “You sit in the cab of the tractor and it mows it down.”
Last year, during Ag Days in 2025, Hennan brought a different design of mower to the show. Feedback from several cattle producers indicated there was interest in a dedicated fence mower. So, over the summer, Hennan built one, tested it, and brought it to Ag Days 2026.
Hennan also made a practical observation this past summer when he saw two farmers cutting fence line grass in a pasture they were renting from him.
“It took them two guys, two days with a weed whacker, and it didn’t look like a lot of fun,” said Hennan.
From its parking legs, the mower can be attached to a three-point hitch or loader. The steel blades create a 30-inch cutting width.
The low-profile mower design has a spring mechanism. Once it makes contact with a fence post, the mower housing bounces away and, once past, springs back to its previous cutting path.
Hennan said that the mower requires an eight GPM (gallons per minute) system to run the hydraulic motor.
The R-Tech Fence Mower is made in Manitoba. For more information, visit www.r-techind.com.
