Did i screw up

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Dixieangus

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I have post on here a few times on my electric fence and here is another...I pulled the wire as tight as i could but thought it wasnt tight enough so at every almost every insulator i pulled it as tight as i could and looped it around the insulator and went on... then i took some pliers and clamped on the wire and twisted and that made the wire super tight it is about a two acre lot with 4 strands of electric and a 10 acre 120 volt box ...So did i screw up big time twisting the wire or is that o.k. ???
 
I dont wrap the wire around the insulators because on plastic insulators (and how tight you have the wires) over time the wire will cut through the insulator and short the fence out against the nail.
 
The wire needs tro be able to slide through the insulator as the wire heats and cools from the weather. Depending on how tight you twisted the wire you may have either A) damaged the galvanized coating, B) Stressed the wire so it may be weakend or C) all of the above
 
Much easier to have a free-running line (through the insulators) and use one of the regular methods of straining. I like permanent strainers (ratchet that fits somewhere along the line and you just tighten the wire round it) because inevitably wires slacken with age and the occasional beast bouncing off them. On some fences I tighten the permanent strainers once a year or so, a few seconds and it's picture perfect.
Hot wires don't need to be over-tight. As others have said, it's a mental barrier - as long as the animals can see it and it's not shorting on anything or sagging it's tight enough.

Hmm - reading again, you've been trying to hand-tighten a wire (presumably with fencing pliers?) over a distance. If you don't have a tool to strain wire, permanent strainers might be the best option for you. They can be tightened with a spanner/crescent. I don't hand-pull the heavier gauges on fences any longer than about 40 - 50 feet.
 
regolith":3363z7ek said:
Much easier to have a free-running line (through the insulators) and use one of the regular methods of straining. I like permanent strainers (ratchet that fits somewhere along the line and you just tighten the wire round it) because inevitably wires slacken with age and the occasional beast bouncing off them. On some fences I tighten the permanent strainers once a year or so, a few seconds and it's picture perfect.
Hot wires don't need to be over-tight. As others have said, it's a mental barrier - as long as the animals can see it and it's not shorting on anything or sagging it's tight enough.

Hmm - reading again, you've been trying to hand-tighten a wire (presumably with fencing pliers?) over a distance. If you don't have a tool to strain wire, permanent strainers might be the best option for you. They can be tightened with a spanner/crescent. I don't hand-pull the heavier gauges on fences any longer than about 40 - 50 feet.

I agree. Ratchet strainers make tightening a smooth wire a lot friendlier. Also, as was said already, don't wrap the wire around the insulators. Many have a tendency to do this, but it not creates weak points in the wire (which will cause a break within a few years), but it also creates the problem of the wire wearing into the insulator and grounding out at the nail/screw/etc. :cowboy:
 
Dixieangus":26yn9poo said:
I have post on here a few times on my electric fence and here is another...I pulled the wire as tight as i could but thought it wasnt tight enough so at every almost every insulator i pulled it as tight as i could and looped it around the insulator and went on... then i took some pliers and clamped on the wire and twisted and that made the wire super tight it is about a two acre lot with 4 strands of electric and a 10 acre 120 volt box ...So did i screw up big time twisting the wire or is that o.k. ???

Yup - you screwed up.

I have no idea what a 10 acre 120 volt box is - suspect it is some type of fencer that plugs in to regular electrical service or you have described it wrong.

There are dozens of different types of methods to stretch fencing wire and electrical fence wire - and yours is about the bottom off the list for many reasons.

Need to keep that wire straight and clear of obstacles - and insulators can be an obstacle. Someone - something - sooner or later will pile through that fence and you will not enjoy the splicing and restretching. Tough to pull wire from the middle although it can be done - you probably will not know how to do it.

You need to do a straight pull from one corner post to another with the wire floating straight through the insulators - we have some pulls of about 1 - 1 1/4 miles runs - one end is anchored to the corner post with a "football insulator" - and the other end is where we pull with a ratchet strainer.

You get out and look around - or better - go talk to a few businesses that not only sell the equipment, but have someone on staff that has a partial clue about fencing.

Your system - sooner or later will give you serious grief.

Electrical fences do not need to be as tight as smooth wire or barbed wire fences.

Slack wire - not too slack - and good insulators are your friend

Regards

Bez+
 
So even if i electric fence train the calves the fence wouldnt keep them in...The wire isnt so tight that it is breaking the insulators ...
 
Dixieangus":2bonuil7 said:
So even if i electric fence train the calves the fence wouldnt keep them in...

It would probably keep them in as long as there is enough current running through it. 2.5 to 3 kv should be enough to send a message.
However, if something spooks them and sends them running on a rampage, nothing will keep them in.


The wire isnt so tight that it is breaking the insulators ...

The insulators wouldn't be breaking now, it would be over the course of time, as time passes by, the pressure of the wire into/on the insulators will weaken them and cause them to break. The wire being twisted and such also weakens the wire.

Perhaps someone has a few pics they could post for you showing the ratchet tightners and the types of set-ups we're talking about.


Katherine
 
Here you go....

20691_A.jpg


Spring Clip Wire Strainer
In-Line strainer constructed with a galvanized steel frame and aluminum alloy spool and features a spring loaded clip to keep from unwinding.

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html ... b0d0204ae5

You use this to tighten it.

mjs2rn.jpg


http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html ... b0d0204ae5
 
Dixieangus":29b00twm said:
NO it is a 120 volt 10 acre electric fence box [the thing that gives the fence the electricity}

I have no idea what you are talking about

So you have a fencer - that is the box

Tell us what is written on the box please

Bez+
 
chippie":3kdfse5l said:
Here you go....

20691_A.jpg


Spring Clip Wire Strainer
In-Line strainer constructed with a galvanized steel frame and aluminum alloy spool and features a spring loaded clip to keep from unwinding.

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html ... b0d0204ae5

You use this to tighten it.

mjs2rn.jpg


http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html ... b0d0204ae5

Chippie

Well done

By the way I now use the same strainer you have a picture of - except it has a 5/8 square nut on the side - so I can use my ratchet - much better than buying that dammed tool and losing it - like I always did.

On the other end of a long pull I use those big double action springs. When deer and moose hit the fence it allows more give to the fence. Have had no wire breaks in over a year now.

I also use braided - 6 strand wire - emergencey brake cable wire - carries a great charge, has no "memory" - will lay on the ground like a dead fish, does not kink when pulling it - and the best - when I buy it in bulk from the local dealer - it is cheaper and stronger than high tensile wire.

Cheers

Bez+
 
Bez+":2165mzhk said:
By the way I now use the same strainer you have a picture of - except it has a 5/8 square nut on the side - so I can use my ratchet - much better than buying that dammed tool and losing it - like I always did.

Bez+

Isnt it something how fast they get lost. (laughin) I was putting up some fence the other day and found 3 of them. Im good for now, but im sure these will come up missing in the near future.

Im gonna have to look into this 6 strand (emergency brake) cable. Sounds like good idea.


Beckett
 
I thought about posting a pic of the springs too.

x3dev9.jpg


http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html ... de7f56190e

What did you use for a ground rod and how deep did you drive it into the ground?

I know that you thought that you were doing the right thing by trying to get the wire really tight. Another reason it isn't necessary is that the cattle will not try sticking the heads through to graze on the other side and they will not lean on a hot wire.

It is so rewarding to see a cow who leans on fences touch a hot wire with her nose the first time.
grin.gif
 
Dixieangus":20zwjubn said:
So what everyone is trying to say {to sum it up}is that the fence is ok but if it is to tight then over time it will fall apart
Without a doubt, that fence won't last. Never ever twist wire if you can help it. Weakens the wire immensely
 
Dixieangus":hdu9x7lp said:
What do you mean by weakens it by not alot of shock or it caold break

Weakens the strength, aka the wire will break.

For example.... a person's arm is fairly strong. Take a person by the hand, both hands pull against each other, now take one arm and twist it while the other remains straight then pull again and I guarantee you that the arm that is twisted will break alot faster than the arm that is not twisted. It loses its tensile strength.

Katherine
 
chippie":2tmewo89 said:
I thought about posting a pic of the springs too.

x3dev9.jpg


http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html ... de7f56190e

What did you use for a ground rod and how deep did you drive it into the ground?

I know that you thought that you were doing the right thing by trying to get the wire really tight. Another reason it isn't necessary is that the cattle will not try sticking the heads through to graze on the other side and they will not lean on a hot wire.

It is so rewarding to see a cow who leans on fences touch a hot wire with her nose the first time.
grin.gif

I use the springs on the real long pulls in the wilder parts of our operation

They work

Bez+
 

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