Fence wire

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Jim62

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High tensile 12 ga. wire seems to be the wire of choice for electric fencing. Being as it's such a PITA to work with, what is the advantage to using it over using 14 ga. galvanized steel wire?

I've been using the 14 ga. for a long time and have not had any trouble with it as far as breaking, but some of it does rust pretty badly. Seems to not be a brand problem, as much as a batch problem. I usually get Red Brand, and some will last up to 10 -12 years and some is rusted too bad to use after 1 or 2 years. Would the HT be less likely to rust than the 14 ga. galvanized?
 
As far as Hi-Tensile being a PITA, I suppose it is all a matter of perspective.

Compared to Barbed Wire, the installation, life-span, strength and durability, cost, not to mention it's ability to be electrified makes HT a dream.

Compared to 14ga. or Polywire for temporary use, ease of handling, take-down/put-up and no speacialized tools, it is a PITA.

Different tools for different jobs.

As far as rusting goes, HT is generally has a galvanized or galvalume coating on it. For your 14ga. wire, you could purchase it in Stainless Steel and avoid the rust issue.

HTH.

bart. †
 
I have hi tensile wire that I put up in 1986 and there is no rust on it anywhere.

I currently expect it to outlive me.

cut a tree offf of one seciton of it last night and it popped back up.

the new tools make it pretty easy to work with. Eliminates the knot tying we had to do back in the day.

I will use poly wire and 14 gauge for divisions but for a permanent fence Hi tensile every time.
 
pdfangus":3tuabfcc said:
I have hi tensile wire that I put up in 1986 and there is no rust on it anywhere.

I currently expect it to outlive me.

cut a tree offf of one seciton of it last night and it popped back up.

the new tools make it pretty easy to work with. Eliminates the knot tying we had to do back in the day.

I will use poly wire and 14 gauge for divisions but for a permanent fence Hi tensile every time.

!4 gauge Class I galvanized wire-easy to work,rusts

12.5 gauge HT Class III- Hard to work ,takes a long time to rust,stronger
 
There 2 (at least) strengths for 12.5 gauge. The 170 lb stuff is easy to work with and lasts, the 210 lb stuff is a real stinker to deal with and it lasts.
14 gauge can have visibility issues for both the animals and you
 
bverellen":2yquq9nl said:
As far as Hi-Tensile being a PITA, I suppose it is all a matter of perspective.

Compared to Barbed Wire, the installation, life-span, strength and durability, cost, not to mention it's ability to be electrified makes HT a dream.

Compared to 14ga. or Polywire for temporary use, ease of handling, take-down/put-up and no speacialized tools, it is a PITA.

Different tools for different jobs.

As far as rusting goes, HT is generally has a galvanized or galvalume coating on it. For your 14ga. wire, you could purchase it in Stainless Steel and avoid the rust issue.

HTH.

bart. †
:shock:
 
Most importantly ---- 12.5 ga wire can carry more electricity for longer distances compared to 14 ga. Don't expect 14 ga to carry juice as EFFECTIVELY as 12.5 ga. The electricity travels around the outside of the wire.... bigger wire carries more power... longer distances... less resistance.

IMHO, 17ga and 14ga wire has caused some real disasters with electric fence and turned some folks into skeptics.
 
I had two strands of 14 gauge around a 28 acre pasture I was leasing and I lost the lease. I rolled about 2/3 of it up on a garden hose roller thing and it worked perfect. I'll do the rest this weekend when I have time. If you have a good ground system, keep the weeds & grass off the wire and have a good reliable charger it will hold cattle just fine in my experience. Mine consistently was around 5000-6000 volts and the heifers would not get near it.
 
Never had deer break the Hi-tensile. Have had them run right through the 14 ga stuff. That to me along with cutting trees off of the hi-tensile is the best thing as well.
 

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