HT elec fence question.

[greybeard]

I need to run a temporary (~ 60 days) elec fence straight line across between 2 existing 8" fence posts to keep some heifers off new planted and just emerged winter forage.
Is there any reason I CAN'T just tie the wire strainers directly to the wooden posts instead of using insulators between strainers and those 2 posts?

(will have tee posts with insulators to support the wire between the posts)

 

[dun]

Not sure I follow, but if you're talking about the hotwire being basiclyy connected to the posts withou insulating it from them, you'll lose a lot of hot off that wire. If the posts at the end have hotwire on them now, just use hooks and hook the temp wire to the hotwire.

 

[Nesikep]

Depending on how wet it's going to be.. All our HT fences get charged, and there's 50 or so posts down the line, none have insulators and you still don't want to touch it. On just 2 posts I wouldn't worry about it.. (the 8" posts are wood right?)

We found no insulator will hold up to a well stretched HT wire... a 5" post with 5 wires on it will bend, and the wire cuts into it about 1/4"

 

[HDRider]

Depending on how wet it's going to be.. All our HT fences get charged, and there's 50 or so posts down the line, none have insulators and you still don't want to touch it. On just 2 posts I wouldn't worry about it.. (the 8" posts are wood right?)

We found no insulator will hold up to a well stretched HT wire... a 5" post with 5 wires on it will bend, and the wire cuts into it about 1/4"

How tight do you pull your fence?

 

[dun]

Using porcelin insulators I've stretched 20ga 180 lb high tensil tight enough that the wire broke. But it doesn;t need to be nearly that tight.

 

[HDRider]

Using porcelin insulators I've stretched 20ga 180 lb high tensil tight enough that the wire broke. But it doesn;t need to be nearly that tight.

Is there some kind of running debate between tight as banjo strings versus tight enough not to sag?

 

[dun]

Using porcelin insulators I've stretched 20ga 180 lb high tensil tight enough that the wire broke. But it doesn;t need to be nearly that tight.

Is there some kind of running debate between tight as banjo strings versus tight enough not to sag?

I'm sure there is. Sorta like FORD chevy
When I first started doing a lot of hi-tensil I used to string it so tight that it would ring c sharp. Now it's just tight enough to not sag

 

[regolith]

Using porcelin insulators I've stretched 20ga 180 lb high tensil tight enough that the wire broke. But it doesn;t need to be nearly that tight.

Is there some kind of running debate between tight as banjo strings versus tight enough not to sag?

I'm sure there is. Sorta like FORD chevy
When I first started doing a lot of hi-tensil I used to string it so tight that it would ring c sharp. Now it's just tight enough to not sag

"Tight as banjo strings" increases the likelihood of wire breakage and may bend your end posts if they're too light... so I've heard. I'm quite sure I've NEVER actually bent an end post by overtightening HT :cowboy:

I wouldn't tie electric HT straight off to wooden posts - they can carry a surprising amount of electricity even when dry and will crackle when wet. A lot of the old fences here have the hot wire passed through plastic pipe - like water pipe, but 1/4 inch - wrapped around the end post as an insulator. I've seen it done with 3/4 inch as well. For poly wire the cheat way to do it is just tie a piece of string to the end of the polywire & use the string to hook on to stuff.

 

[Nesikep]

I think I'd have around a couple hundred pounds of tension on HT fence... 5" end posts are about right, but the anchor has to be built well... This is also of course on permanent fence.. For a temp fence I think just tight enough to not sag is enough.

When you have a 5 wire HT fence that's nice and tight, the cows don't even think about messing with it.. once it gets loose they will push on it and that's no good

 

[dun]

I think I'd have around a couple hundred pounds of tension on HT fence... 5" end posts are about right, but the anchor has to be built well... This is also of course on permanent fence.. For a temp fence I think just tight enough to not sag is enough.

When you have a 5 wire HT fence that's nice and tight, the cows don't even think about messing with it.. once it gets loose they will push on it and that's no good

You must have tougher or dumber cows then mine. They won;t go anywhere very close to the hotwire even if it's been knocked off by deer and is laying on the ground

 

[greybeard]

I bit the bllet and went on in to town and picked up some more porcelin insulators. Pretty sure I had some extras but couldn't find them.
I pulled it tight and stopped-----right before it broke.

Looking the clover and oats over tho, I don't think I accomplished much--dang deer tracks are everywhere and the stuff is just a few inches high.

 

[Nesikep]

Dun, I was talking about my permanent fence, which doesn't always have power to it. my cows do like to test my fence for me once in a while though.. I have a couple that are particularly bold about it

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that has deer knocking off the hotwire though

 

[dun]

Dun, I was talking about my permanent fence, which doesn't always have power to it. my cows do like to test my fence for me once in a while though.. I have a couple that are particularly bold about it

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that has deer knocking off the hotwire though

Based on previous years we have about another 4 days of the running phase of the rut. After that passes they seem to learn how to jump over it again.

 

[Nesikep]

The deer here NEVER learn.. I can put that thing up every day, all year.. I gave up, I now have a 12V battery fencer which I just take to where I need.. works just fine as long as you have a good ground

 

[greybeard]

I'm using a little solar power charger for this one. A cheap 10 mile Patriot, but it's been bulletproof for nearly 2 years every time I needed it.
The other fences are tied into a 100 mile charger running off my shop power. Neither has an affect on feral hogs or deer tho.

First time I've used the Zareba spinning jenny I purchased a couple of months ago--can't say I'm pleased with it. Pretty dinky construction and materials.
The "L" bolts and wing nuts stick down too far and hang up on the ground and grass for one thing and the 'brake' takes about 3 revolutions before the spool stops, but as soon as I get the wire off of it, I'll take it in the shop and make it right, and stronger. Need to sharpen the spike too--didn't think I'd get it in the ground without peening the top of the shaft so bad the wheel wouldn't fit over it.

 

[dun]

I'm using a little solar power charger for this one. A cheap 10 mile Patriot, but it's been bulletproof for nearly 2 years every time I needed it.
The other fences are tied into a 100 mile charger running off my shop power. Neither has an affect on feral hogs or deer tho.

First time I've used the Zareba spinning jenny I purchased a couple of months ago--can't say I'm pleased with it. Pretty dinky construction and materials.
The "L" bolts and wing nuts stick down too far and hang up on the ground and grass for one thing and the 'brake' takes about 3 revolutions before the spool stops, but as soon as I get the wire off of it, I'll take it in the shop and make it right, and stronger. Need to sharpen the spike too--didn't think I'd get it in the ground without peening the top of the shaft so bad the wheel wouldn't fit over it.

If the spool stops becuase the nut gets too tight, stick a couple of thick washers under the nut and grease them up. That solved the problem with my old Gallagher jenny

 

[greybeard]

No nut on this one Dun--no adjustment of the brake--the "brake" consists of nothing more than just of a thick rubber or neoprene washer that sits between the spool and the spike. The weight of the wire spool is supposed to provides enough friction to stop the spool from 'over-running itself. It's the one in this video--it works, but barely.
[youtube]KmHFm0MkCg8[/youtube]
(not sure why the video isn't showing up here)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmHFm0MkCg8
I have a much older one--a vertical one that we used for years, but the base has rusted thru, so I need to do some work on it.

 

[dun]

Mine has a big bolt that comes up through from the bottom that the arms turn around. I saw one of the ones in the video and it looked like such a piece of crap I passed on it. I would think that a hundred bucks worth of steel and rod and it could be made into something that worked decently

 

[greybeard]

Maybe.
I expected better from Zareba for sure.

 

[dun]

Using porcelin insulators I've stretched 20ga 180 lb high tensil tight enough that the wire broke. But it doesn;t need to be nearly that tight.

TYPO
20 ga should read 12 1/2 ga(12/5)