Looks like we were both looking for the same link. It does have limitations but so do I so we get along fine.I borrowed one from a neighbour, I think it was this one. I thought if I was going to get one I would want it to be a little more heavy duty
LEVELWINDER II BARB WIRE ROLLER/UNROLLER
The level-wind works excellent for rolling up old barbwire fencing spooling wire evenly across the full width of the spool with a guide pulley that travels back and forth on a cross-cut threaded High Tensile 4140 steel shaft for extra strength This unit can hook into 2" hitch receiver or to...fencefast.ca
Making do with old fence
- Thread starter ccattleco
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
Silver
Well-known member
Ya, I thought it was pretty slick, but would have liked for the level wind attachment to be supported on both ends somehow. I think I would end up bending it. But I'm hard on stuff.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
In some parts of the western US a three strand barbed wired fence is common. Does that work in Canada?
Silver
Well-known member
We have miles of 3 strand barbed wire fence. Works until it doesn't.
wbvs58
Well-known member
I've tidied up a few old fences by cutting out the rotten wooden posts and putting in steel ones. I use one of those Texas wire strainers to tighten up a lot of the wire, does a good job without putting too much tension on the old wire and strainer posts. Most of these fences I have tidied up will last a good while longer yet. Allows me to put my efforts into other fences that might need more urgent attention. A lot of these fences are in heavily treed and rocky areas with branches coming down a lot so more practical in many ways than a complete rebuid.
Ken
Ken
Hardnosecattleco
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2019
- Messages
- 132
- Reaction score
- 39
I recommend you just replace it all. The one time the cows get out and you have something going on or whatever you'll wish you had anyways. A patch is only a patch.
4hfarms
Well-known member
Spent the month of November doing our property line. The neighbors used the property for 40yrs, according to him, for hunting and fishing. Every section of wire, at 90% of the posts was cut to lay on the ground and rust away for years. Was only about 1500ft but was so grown in with kudzu and English ivy it took me a week to clear up enough to get to the wire. Some of that wire was in the middle of 12-16 inch tree trunks next to a post.
Not my favorite task but sure does make one feel accomplished after a long months work. Wish I had time to do the other side....
Not my favorite task but sure does make one feel accomplished after a long months work. Wish I had time to do the other side....
RDFF
Well-known member
In general, I've found that Hardnose is right. Hard to beat a well built new fence. I understand that it can be hard to justify the cost if you're just starting out and you want to count on cattle to help pay the bills though too. Try to patch up the old as best you can, but from the start INTENDING that it's only a temporary fix, and then put a single electric wire out in front of it on separate fiberglass or plastic step ins, or with standoffs, is where I'd go, and honestly... but ONLY temporarily.
HT electric is all I ever install on my place anymore, even if it is through the woods. Three wires for cattle as perimeter, single wire for interior. As long as you keep heat on it as your general practice so that anytime they DO touch it it reinforces their fear of it, they won't bother it for a long time if you lose that heat temporarily. I bought one of these, Flashing Insulator | Fence Monitor | Insulights , or there's this one from Gallagher too... Live Fence Indicator – Gallagher Fence. Can see that the fence is operational as you drive by on the road. Might be helpful if you're not there all the time, if you can just drive by and see that it's working and not grounded out or a dead fencer.
I don't/won't use anything but fiberglass/plastic posts (emphasis again on fiberglass... and NOT plastic, but they'd be better than steel any day), so there's nothing to ground the fence out, and NO insulators to break (you'll find that most of your fence issues will come because of a bad insulator, mounted on a steel post of some kind). I've got a stack of used steel posts... won't use them again. And using the standoff insulators "works", but know that you're putting an electric wire right next to all that "perfectly grounded" fence......... Greg Judy talks alot about not putting an electric wire with old barb wire, EVER, ...clean out that entire fence, and start over. He's got alot of really helpful videos on Youtube. And I've found the same to be true. Even where I HAVE taken out the old fence, alot of times there'll be a buried wire that you miss... and sooner or later, one will show up sticking out of the ground and up against you're hot wire. So now I pretty much prefer to start from scratch, clear the old fenceline, and build it right, with NO barbed wire OR steel posts anywhere near that electric fence, and NO insulators... THEN you have a reliable fence.
And spend the money on a BIG fencer right away... joule rating is how you want to compare them, NOT "miles of fence" ratings. Bigger is always better... Something like 15 and above... you don't have to go crazy, but I'd stay away from anything under maybe 6 joules, even if it was just a barnyard fence I was powering. If they get hit with a jolt they never want to experience again, and associate it with the wire they just hit, they'll not attempt it a second time. Put a "little tickler" on it though, and they'll be testing it all the time. Young starting out friend of mine was trying to get away with solars... most of those are like 1 joule... biggest I've seen on the shelf at the farm store was 3 I think.... he ended up buying a 36 joule StaFix... says it's the best thing he ever did. Had alot of fun watching his goats hit that wire for the first time after continually ignoring his solar charger! When grass and brush get up against the fence and you have a heavy dew, that can take alot of power out of a fence, if you don't have a BIG joule, low impedance fencer on the line. Don't ever "not power" the fence for long periods either, especially through grass and brush and woods. The electricity on the line creates a "charged electrical field" around the wire, and that helps to deter vegetative growth immediately close to the wire (within an inch or so). This will "help" to keep the charge strong.
I'm too old to build 'em twice anymore. When I first started out here, I tried to "save money" on fencing materials, using lighter weight wire and posts, etc. That never saved me ANY money... and really, it cost me alot more than it ever could have saved me. Ended up rebuilding pretty much all of it, and doing it right. I wish I had known then what I know now, and had done it right the first time.
HT electric is all I ever install on my place anymore, even if it is through the woods. Three wires for cattle as perimeter, single wire for interior. As long as you keep heat on it as your general practice so that anytime they DO touch it it reinforces their fear of it, they won't bother it for a long time if you lose that heat temporarily. I bought one of these, Flashing Insulator | Fence Monitor | Insulights , or there's this one from Gallagher too... Live Fence Indicator – Gallagher Fence. Can see that the fence is operational as you drive by on the road. Might be helpful if you're not there all the time, if you can just drive by and see that it's working and not grounded out or a dead fencer.
I don't/won't use anything but fiberglass/plastic posts (emphasis again on fiberglass... and NOT plastic, but they'd be better than steel any day), so there's nothing to ground the fence out, and NO insulators to break (you'll find that most of your fence issues will come because of a bad insulator, mounted on a steel post of some kind). I've got a stack of used steel posts... won't use them again. And using the standoff insulators "works", but know that you're putting an electric wire right next to all that "perfectly grounded" fence......... Greg Judy talks alot about not putting an electric wire with old barb wire, EVER, ...clean out that entire fence, and start over. He's got alot of really helpful videos on Youtube. And I've found the same to be true. Even where I HAVE taken out the old fence, alot of times there'll be a buried wire that you miss... and sooner or later, one will show up sticking out of the ground and up against you're hot wire. So now I pretty much prefer to start from scratch, clear the old fenceline, and build it right, with NO barbed wire OR steel posts anywhere near that electric fence, and NO insulators... THEN you have a reliable fence.
And spend the money on a BIG fencer right away... joule rating is how you want to compare them, NOT "miles of fence" ratings. Bigger is always better... Something like 15 and above... you don't have to go crazy, but I'd stay away from anything under maybe 6 joules, even if it was just a barnyard fence I was powering. If they get hit with a jolt they never want to experience again, and associate it with the wire they just hit, they'll not attempt it a second time. Put a "little tickler" on it though, and they'll be testing it all the time. Young starting out friend of mine was trying to get away with solars... most of those are like 1 joule... biggest I've seen on the shelf at the farm store was 3 I think.... he ended up buying a 36 joule StaFix... says it's the best thing he ever did. Had alot of fun watching his goats hit that wire for the first time after continually ignoring his solar charger! When grass and brush get up against the fence and you have a heavy dew, that can take alot of power out of a fence, if you don't have a BIG joule, low impedance fencer on the line. Don't ever "not power" the fence for long periods either, especially through grass and brush and woods. The electricity on the line creates a "charged electrical field" around the wire, and that helps to deter vegetative growth immediately close to the wire (within an inch or so). This will "help" to keep the charge strong.
I'm too old to build 'em twice anymore. When I first started out here, I tried to "save money" on fencing materials, using lighter weight wire and posts, etc. That never saved me ANY money... and really, it cost me alot more than it ever could have saved me. Ended up rebuilding pretty much all of it, and doing it right. I wish I had known then what I know now, and had done it right the first time.
Last edited:
RDFF
Well-known member
You can build a really good HT electric fence for alot less than you can a barbed wire one. Don't need nearly as many line posts, because you're not building a "physical barrier", it's a psychological one. These are the kind of line posts I use: Fiberglass Rod Post 1-1/4" - 6' - – Powerflex (powerflexfence.com) spaced @ 35' on perimeter fence, 50' on interior fencing. I don't use the cotter keys that they show for fastening, just cut a 7" piece of 14 ga. soft galvanized, run it through the post and over the wire and twist tie it behind the post. These are similar to the posts I use for ends/bracing. FP4.5x7 ~ Fiberglass Corner Post – Powerflex (powerflexfence.com) I don't source my posts from Powerflex (shipping costs can eat you up), but these are pretty much the same thing, and Powerflex is a great company to work with... only sell the "good stuff", and they're reasonable/comparable on price. I DO get alot of my supplies from them or Kencove.
Big difference in HT electric vs. barbed wire... HT is intended to be mounted "loose on the posts", barbed wire is fastened "hard" to every line post. When a deer hits the HT, or a tree falls on it, the wire can... and WILL spread out the strain throughout the whole length of the fence. Once the deer is gone or the tree is removed, the wire will go right back to its original position. Barbed wire will most often break at the point of contact, or at best will be badly stretched and loose, all but eliminating it's "physical barrier" capabilities, and requiring maintenance by YOU to get it back........but HT wire will have alot more "forgiveness" in it. Unless the wire is right down on the ground from the tree (and often even if it IS touching the ground), it STILL won't be completely grounded out, and the fence will still be in place to hold the animals on each side of it. With a barbed wire, the fence is down and broken, and the animals will go right out. In 25 years, I've NEVER had a HT wire break, and we have alot of deer around us. Barbed wire was broke or messed up all the time.
Big difference in HT electric vs. barbed wire... HT is intended to be mounted "loose on the posts", barbed wire is fastened "hard" to every line post. When a deer hits the HT, or a tree falls on it, the wire can... and WILL spread out the strain throughout the whole length of the fence. Once the deer is gone or the tree is removed, the wire will go right back to its original position. Barbed wire will most often break at the point of contact, or at best will be badly stretched and loose, all but eliminating it's "physical barrier" capabilities, and requiring maintenance by YOU to get it back........but HT wire will have alot more "forgiveness" in it. Unless the wire is right down on the ground from the tree (and often even if it IS touching the ground), it STILL won't be completely grounded out, and the fence will still be in place to hold the animals on each side of it. With a barbed wire, the fence is down and broken, and the animals will go right out. In 25 years, I've NEVER had a HT wire break, and we have alot of deer around us. Barbed wire was broke or messed up all the time.
Last edited:
