high tensile barbwire fence?

[LuckyLegs]

Guys
I was at the store the other day and picking up fence supplies for an upcoming fencing project. I was about to get a few rolls of RedBrand Ruthless 12.5ga 4pt, when I noticed they also had RedBrand 15.5ga 4pt high tensile barb wire. In addition to being half the weight, it was also $20 cheaper per roll. I have always associated high-tensile with smooth electric fences. Have any of you guys tried the stuff and can offer any insight, I am tempted to try it, easier to handle and cheaper!

 

[llcupit]

All that I will use is high tensile, once you get it tight it stays that way. But everybody to their own. ;-)

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I hate it. I got suckered into buying a roll of that stuff when we first moved to the ranch. Think I still have most of the roll someplace. I HATE it. It breaks when you look at it and you can't bend it to do an old style splice and it twangs back around your legs, arms, brush etc - it seems evil to me.

Did I mention I hate it?

 

[Jogeephus]

That's all I use too. I like it cause it is tight. Does break more easily but its nothing to put back in place if you use one of those camming splices made by gripple(?).

 

[cfpinz]

I use the Bekhart(sp?)/Gaucho and am pleased with it. Red Brand rusts so fast around here.

cfpinz

 

[Brute 23]

A place I take care of and a couple fencing crews around here will not allow it because if breaking when they go to stretch it. They consider it a liability.

With that said alot of people use it all the time with no problem.

I prefer the heavier duty stuff. IF you do it right and stretch it out tight then it won't get so saggy on you later. Plus I would rather a cow stretch it out a little that pop the wire.

 

[dun]

HATE IT

 

[Brute 23]

HATE IT

I was thinking the same thing but was trying to be civil... then you go and do that. Did we switch play books or what? :lol:

 

[hillrancher]

It will break and rust if attached to trees, also if attached to something that will move such as a cattle guard and wild game break it more. Hard to reuse.

 

[novatech]

I took some Gaucho down that was installed in the late 60's.
It was still tight and had no rust. I reused it on my place.

 

[LuckyLegs]

thansk for the responses, consensus appears to be - it blows. I will stick to the old stuff

thanks

 

[Hippie Rancher]

thansk for the responses, consensus appears to be - it blows. I will stick to the old stuff

thanks

:lol: well I don't know if we had consensus but I personally agree with your conclusion.

 

[KMacGinley]

It is all we use. We love it and it does a great job. Consensus: ??? Looks like five for and 5 against to me.

 

[milesvb]

We use two-prong Gaucho for all our fencing now. It's hard to work with but lasts a long time. It can't be stretched the same way (it doesn't need to be) as conventional barbwire. Be prepared to bleed if you work with it long enough. We don't call it "Gotcha" wire for nothing.

 

[LuckyLegs]

Guess I should have counted first, maybe subconsciously I wanted the regular stuff to come out on top! - ha

:roll:

 

[George Monk]

I have the same opinion of Red Brand Barb wire as dun has of the Gaucho! The only brand to use is Oklahoma 4barb to me it has the sharpness of Gaucho and the strenth to stand up to the elements. Those that suggested it to me have had fences for years that are not rusted.

 

[rkm]

Built some new fence about 4 years ago with 12.5 ga red brand. Had to replace it this fall, it rusted to pieces. This was not high tensile. We used to swear by that stuff. I like high tensile fence but I hate high tensile barb.

 

[cowsrus]

I have my whole place fenced with high tensile Gaucho brand 15 1/2 gauge 4 barb. All you have to do is get it tight and run 5 or 6 wires and you have a good fence. It,s a little harder to work with, I agree but it,s a heck of a lot cheaper and its a good fence if its put up tight. I,m getting ready to put in some cross fencing and i,ve got 4 rolls of Gaucho left that i,m going to use and I may buy some 12 1/2 gauge 4 barb to finish with just because its easier to work with. It depends on the difference in price.

 

[Calman]

We bought 200 acres recently from a guy who raises and boards trains cutting horses. The whole place is fenced in high tensil. May have been good for his horses, but I (like Dunn)absolutly HATE it for cattle. They just push through it without barbs on it. Wound up putting stays every three ft.
Just my experience.

Cal

 

[danl]

They just push through it without barbs on it. Wound up putting stays every three ft.

Are we all talking about the same stuff?
I first put up Gaucho and Redbrand High Tensile (all 4 barb) 20 years ago when I bought my place. I have a 125 acres and along with cross fencing and boundry fences I have a few miles of it up. It is still tight and I wouldn't go back to using the heavy 12 guage for nothing.
I don't understand about not being able to stretch it. I stretch a 1/4 mile at a time using fence stretchers or a come-a-long and get it tight enough to yank steel posts out of low places if I'm not careful. It don't sag, and the only breakage I've had is if a tree falls on it. I have some Redbrand Hi-tensile barb wire behind my house that I know is at least 27 years old (because that's when I got marrried, Nov 15 1980) and it isn't rusty at all. In fact I took some of it up this summer and reused it to build a new hay pen. I stretched the crap out of it and it didn't break. Sounds like a guitar string.
So what gives???????????
I don't have religious convictions about hi-tensile barbwire, I'm just curious how our opinions are so different :lol: :lol: