High Tensile Barbed Wire Spacing

[gooberland]

I'm planning on a fence overhaul this year and would like to transition to HT barbed wire.. most everything we've got now is old, low carbon wire.

My question is, on flat ground, how far apart can you set t posts? I've seen suggestions with quite a range..

I will be using cedar stay/staves as well, albeit partly just for looks as this has become "show fence" country...

Thanks-

 

[GoWyo]

16.5 feet between posts and stays halfway between. A true show fence needs wood posts though.

 

[gooberland]

16.5 feet between posts and stays halfway between. A true show fence needs wood posts though.

Well in north central Texas (and about the whole state) it's all about pipe fence lol But, even if I could afford that I prefer the look of pipe braces, t posts, and cedar staves.. even if more than necessary.

Thanks for the tip

 

[Silver]

I thought with HT on flat ground you could go as much as 30'. But I don't use it so will defer to the experts.

 

[RDFF]

I go 35' on smooth, 12.5 ga. single strand HT ELECTRIC, on 3 wire perimeter fencing, 50' on single wire interior. I've never used HT barbed wire. My expectation would be without the electric to make it a psychological barrier, you'll have to cut that at least in half, and even then, probably put stays in between 'em ... which would be about what GoWyo suggests.

 

[wbvs58]

I do 5 metres which equates to 16' in your language. Works well, I will put a dropper halfway which is what you call a stay I think. Gives a good strong fence. Only problem is I can't climb through those fences to take short cuts.

Ken

 

[Warren Allison]

8'

 

[Muletrack]

Haven't changed spacing much since going to Bekaert Gaucho Hi-Tensile Barbed Wire. Four point barbs are great. My dad (1916-2003) took seven giant strides. I'm a little taller so I take eight normal strides. Don't use stays or droppers. Fences take a lot of beating in North Dakota because of snow, but this Hi-tensile Gaucho wire is really great. Will never go back to Red Brand or any other low carbon type.

 

[GoWyo]

Started using the Bakaert 14 gauge high tensile barbed wire in place of the standard 12.5 gauge regular barbed wire. It stretches up tighter and stays tight and has way more strength and substance to it than the Gaucho.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Like hi tensile. Why go with barbed rather than smooth?

 

[C-Ranch]

Around here smooth for horses, barbed for anything else.

 

[RDFF]

Haven't changed spacing much since going to Bekaert Gaucho Hi-Tensile Barbed Wire. Four point barbs are great. My dad (1916-2003) took seven giant strides. I'm a little taller so I take eight normal strides. Don't use stays or droppers. Fences take a lot of beating in North Dakota because of snow, but this Hi-tensile Gaucho wire is really great. Will never go back to Red Brand or any other low carbon type.

I do "normal steps" too... but 15 on perimeter, 20 on interior. (HT smooth, but electric... see my earlier post).

 

[Muletrack]

I do 15 on hi-tensile electric fence --roughly 45 feet. I'm talking 8 steps for barbed wire.

 

[gooberland]

Like hi tensile. Why go with barbed rather than smooth?

I like electrified smooth wire for cross fencing, for perimeter I prefer barbed. Not many people around here use electric fence for perimeters.. I don't believe smooth wire constitutes a legal fence under Texas fence law, but I could be wrong.

 

[Timmer]

I tend to over engineer things, but I'd rather not have issues. I used 12.5g, 4pt high tensile barbed wire with ground contact posts 12' apart. It looks very nice.