Gripple contractor tool

[Bright Raven]

Depends on the barb I guess. I use gaoucho, and it does give me some trouble pushing the barbs off..Had trouble stripping some of them myself. Of coarse, if you have this type of what used to be a 'normal' barb, good luck pushing it off.



Most good barbed wire today uses a reverse twist at the barb, but looking at it close, you can see which 2 barb points belong to the same twist, and it's usually only the 2 outside helix that are holding the barb tightly to the wire runner.

If a barb gives you trouble, it's easy enough to grab the 2 mating points with any pliers and twist the 2 ends of a pair of points just a little, then do the other 2 points and the barb usually will slip right off..with or without the tool, but the tool makes it lots easier.

Might be worth making an insert to fit inside the Gripple tool to better grab the barb tho. Maybe cut a slot into a gripple itself to slip over the wire behind the barb. Have to look into that..maybe..

learning curve....
Hardest thing I was having to remember was to keep the tool pushed up against the gripple when opening the handles to make the next 'grab' and stretch..AND to open the handles wide enough to ensure the grip release activated. If you don't open the handles wide, jaw grip stays engaged and the part of the tool with the hollow that the gripple rests in just pulls itself away from the gripple.

I haven't done a whole lot of gripple work, but I've come to like gut stretching. No matter what way I've put up wire, especially barbed wire, it's always easier to work out in the open part of the fence when stretching and not up next to the end or corner posts.
How I did it last.. that seemed to work best for me:
(yrmv)
(most of my fences are already built, so I'm either adding some extra strands to existing 5 strand fence or repairing existing fence. 400 yard runs is about the longest I see me making anymore.)
1. Make a tie on one end, either manually or with the Gripple tee clips.
Start unrolling the wire toward the end point.
2. About 1/2 way, stop and string out a comelong with a wire dog on each hook. Put one dog on the wire, pulll up about 2 feet of slack in a big 'U' and put the other dog on..make sure the dogs bite. Use a goldenrod if that's your choice..that 2 feet of slack makes sure you have wire to go thru the gripple.
3. finish unrolling the wire, pull the slack by hand as much as possible and make your end tie.
4. Go back to the comealong, cut the wire and tension with the comealong.
5. Remove the barbs as needed and install the gripple, tightening whatever slack you have between the dogs with the gripple tool.

Why I like gripples.
I can still use my hands plenty easy, but am on blood thinners big time because of cardiac problems and apt to go into Afib any time. This is from 3 days ago working with a little short of run barbed run of 22' between a gateway and corner after a little bull tussle, and yes, I wearing some good leather gloves. Looks lots worse in person but I bled like a pig and can't be doing that no more. Gripples mean I can stay pretty far away from the barb points. (I'm sure Tornado wire is good stuff, but I cringed when I saw Luke mention they had points sharp enough and long enough to hit bone..I don't need jeans, shirts and even bed sheets to get any bloodier than they already are)

An outstanding description. GB, the tornado barbs are sharp, plentiful and long. It is the only wire I will ever use as long as I can get it.

I didn't realize it, but now I understand why stripping the barbs are causing Bigfoot trouble. The tornado barbs make a better fit in the pocket of the contractor tool.

Thanks for that description.

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm heading back to shed to play with this thing. What one man can do, then so can another.

 

[callmefence]

Same view that Fence posted, but with Goucho.


Barbs stripped off of the Goucho fine. I did need to hold the barb in the pocket until it was started.


Goucho 15.5 vs Tornado 14. Shameless plug.








Last two pics are close ups of Tornado and Goucho barbs. The attention to detail is evident. Not a shot at Goucho, but we have to compare ours to something.
Bigfoot, It'll probably be the week after Christmas, but I'm going to see to it that we get some Tornado Barb in your hands. I'd like to know your honest opinion of it.

You get to strip wire in the house???

 

[Bigfoot]

(on gaucho wire), it bends the barbs down flat to the wire, and the party is over. I'll untwist my barbs, and use it that way. I occasionally have to do that with ferrules anyway.

I would be happy to buy some tornado wire. Obviously, from the pics, the Tornado is a superior product. Unfortunatly, I have enough gaucho already strung on my place, if it was laid end to end, it would reach from here to Nashville.

 

[greybeard]

You get to strip wire in the house???

I've done lots worse than that....

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

(on gaucho wire), it bends the barbs down flat to the wire, and the party is over. I'll untwist my barbs, and use it that way. I occasionally have to do that with ferrules anyway.

I would be happy to buy some tornado wire. Obviously, from the pics, the Tornado is a superior product. Unfortunatly, I have enough gaucho already strung on my place, if it was laid end to end, it would reach from here to Nashville.

I've got plenty of Goucho on my place too. It ain't the worst thing that ever happened to me. Dropping some wire off would be a good excuse to shake your hand, as long as I don't have to meet you in Nashville.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Same view that Fence posted, but with Goucho.


Barbs stripped off of the Goucho fine. I did need to hold the barb in the pocket until it was started.


Goucho 15.5 vs Tornado 14. Shameless plug.








Last two pics are close ups of Tornado and Goucho barbs. The attention to detail is evident. Not a shot at Goucho, but we have to compare ours to something.
Bigfoot, It'll probably be the week after Christmas, but I'm going to see to it that we get some Tornado Barb in your hands. I'd like to know your honest opinion of it.

You get to strip wire in the house???

That'd be in the barn.

 

[Bigfoot]

It's not going to strip the barbs off of Gaucho. Not for me anyway. Spent the day fencing, and had many opportunities to try. Not the end of the world, nor does it make the tool any less valuable to me.

One of the YouTube videos shows a repair being made with a small piece of high tensil wire. That may be the way to go for me, when repairing an exhisting fence. Using a goldenrod on a new build, to draw the wire as close as possible,before grippling, only leaves about 3 barbs to pull. That's probably what I'll do.

 

[greybeard]

What ga Gaucho are you using BF?
14 ga or 15.5ga?
2pt or 4pt?

 

[Bigfoot]

What ga Gaucho are you using BF?
14 ga or 15.5ga?
2pt or 4pt?

15.5 4pt. That's pretty much all that is available locally.

 

[callmefence]

2: We stick a gripple in while we are laying the wire out. Strip 3 or 4 barbs out of the wire to the left of the gripple before you stick the gripple on. Make sure to leave enough of a tail to get the jaw of the contractor tool on. Next thing is to get the second end tied off. On a long stretch, we will take up as much slack as we can with chains and dogs or a golden rod, and then put final tension on with the gripples........Or, you can just keep shoving barbs up the line with the gripple tool, but you didn't hear it from me.

This will sound exactly like a sales pitch, and I suppose it is, but the wire has quite a bit to do with it. What we have is just better in every aspect. Yep, I'm a bad salesman. lol I really do enjoy being a member of this forum, and I don't want to ruin that by pushing products we sell. I have sold quite a bit to many members here, and hopefully it has come through that we are not out to rip anyone off, or just here to push product sales. Plain and simple, if you put us against the others, our cost of installation will be less as well as our long term cost of ownership. I've been typing and backspacing for 30 minutes, and I'm still sure this will come out wrong, so I'm headed to the coffee shop, where I belong.

I didn't hear it from him

 

[Tbrake]

I'm still in disbelief how many on here us gaucho wire. I have some rented pastures with that stuff, might as well be no fence. The deer destroy it, and the calves will walk right though it. I had to run a hot wire the entire interior. Everything I build on my own land is 6 stand 12.5 gauge. Deer don't faze it, and the cows down reach their head through and stretch it out. Surely I'm not the only one out there that thinks this way. Like I've said before, would not use that stuff If it was free.
I will admit, I like it for permanent electric fences in high deer places. The barbs must make it much more visible or something, it never gets broken or knocked down.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I'm still in disbelief how many on here us gaucho wire. I have some rented pastures with that stuff, might as well be no fence. The deer destroy it, and the calves will walk right though it. I had to run a hot wire the entire interior. Everything I build on my own land is 6 stand 12.5 gauge. Deer don't faze it, and the cows down reach their head through and stretch it out. Surely I'm not the only one out there that thinks this way. Like I've said before, would not use that stuff If it was free.
I will admit, I like it for permanent electric fences in high deer places. The barbs must make it much more visible or something, it never gets broken or knocked down.

I'm having problems following what your saying? Is it good sometimes and not worth a hoot others?

 

[hillbilly beef man]

I'm still in disbelief how many on here us gaucho wire. I have some rented pastures with that stuff, might as well be no fence. The deer destroy it, and the calves will walk right though it. I had to run a hot wire the entire interior. Everything I build on my own land is 6 stand 12.5 gauge. Deer don't faze it, and the cows down reach their head through and stretch it out. Surely I'm not the only one out there that thinks this way. Like I've said before, would not use that stuff If it was free.
I will admit, I like it for permanent electric fences in high deer places. The barbs must make it much more visible or something, it never gets broken or knocked down.

Are you sure you have the 15.5 gauge high tinsle Goucho and not the 15.5 standard or 18 gauge? That 15.5 high tinsle is some nasty stuff that has the same breaking strength as standard 12.5 gauge. I prefer it over 12.5 gauge.

 

[greybeard]

Deer don't faze it, and the cows down reach their head through and stretch it out. Surely I'm not the only one out there that thinks this way. Like I've said before, would not use that stuff If it was free.

If cows are "stretching out" Gaucho,...
A. It wasn't pulled tight to begin with.
or
B. It isn't Gaucho HT.

I've observed previously. Some people can work with Gaucho HT. Some can't.

 

[callmefence]

Another use...

 

[greybeard]

No end to the uses is there? Told my wife I need to re-guy off our TV antenna pole and gripples would work pretty good for that too.

I always like looking around the background of pictures I see posted.......I understand the Exercycle, ax and pickax hanging way up high, but the mirror on a stick and the wire brush way up there? Is that a rolling pin too?
If the shtf big time, I can visualize you barricading yourself behind all that Tornado and opening up with that long gun I see with the stock resting on the shelf... Don't Mess With Texas....

 

[callmefence]

No end to the uses is there? Told my wife I need to re-guy off our TV antenna pole and gripples would work pretty good for that too.

I always like looking around the background of pictures I see posted.......I understand the Exercycle, ax and pickax hanging way up high, but the mirror on a stick and the wire brush way up there? Is that a rolling pin too?
If the shtf big time, I can visualize you barricading yourself behind all that Tornado and opening up with that long gun I see with the stock resting on the shelf... Don't Mess With Texas....

Some things you leave where the man before you put them.

 

[callmefence]

No end to the uses is there? Told my wife I need to re-guy off our TV antenna pole and gripples would work pretty good for that too.

I always like looking around the background of pictures I see posted.......I understand the Exercycle, ax and pickax hanging way up high, but the mirror on a stick and the wire brush way up there? Is that a rolling pin too?
If the shtf big time, I can visualize you barricading yourself behind all that Tornado and opening up with that long gun I see with the stock resting on the shelf... Don't Mess With Texas....

Some things you leave where the man before you put them.

 

[greybeard]

I sure understand that Fence.

There's an old steel box under a white oak tree that once held my father's stuff for his dozer work, back when I was 14-15-16 yrs old. Shackles, wire clamps, hooks chains etc. I found it when I was clearing the place off, grown up in thicket. Box is empty now, a place for copperheads to hide and it's all rusted, but I'll never move it.
Wife and my sisters don't get it but my brother did.