New Barbed Wire Fence Top or Bottom Strand first

[skyhightree1]

All im sorry I couldn't find a posting that had this in it without going through half a million ...lol What order do you string up new Barbed wire fencing. I thought bottom up was best practice.. Can anyone explain there preference and why ?

 

[MShaffer]

We start at the bottom and the spacing is the length of the hammer handle. It seems like a quick way to get even spacing.

We run 4 strands.

 

[plumber_greg]

If your corners move at all and you start at the bottom the top wire will be the only tight one. Start at the top to pull the slack out of the corners. gs

 

[dun]

This is like Ford chevy. I start at the top so that as I pull the lower wires tight they don;t get hung up on the previosu wires. That way I don;t have to keep walking back and forth to unhook a wire while I'm tightening it.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I agree with plumber and dun. Top wire first, tight as I can get it with a golden rod and then one more click with a cheater pipe on a 200 foot run tension post.

If the run is 2000 feet, it is ten tension braced posts along wth way - usually a deep H. The next 5 are all pulled at once off of a spool and each one tightened sequentially top to bottom on the tension posts. Never cut the wire. Just make the pull to the next tension post and then the next until you run out of wire.

 

[bigbull338]

we always start with the bottom wire 1st.an use the hammer handle for the wire spacing.plus if you go top to bottom you have a bunch of wires in the way.

 

[novatech]

we always start with the bottom wire 1st.an use the hammer handle for the wire spacing.plus if you go top to bottom you have a bunch of wires in the way.

If you go bottom to top every wire you put up is in the way of the next. If you go top to bottom, what can possibly be in the way? But if it works for you go for it.

 

[dun]

we always start with the bottom wire 1st.an use the hammer handle for the wire spacing.plus if you go top to bottom you have a bunch of wires in the way.

If you go bottom to top every wire you put up is in the way of the next. If you go top to bottom, what can possibly be in the way? But if it works for you go for it.

I was wondering the same thing!

 

[bigbull338]

not if you pull the wires tight an steaple or tie them to the post before you unroll the next wire.

 

[TXBobcat]

I set my H-posts at each end of the run and weld them up, then I stretch the bottom wire from one H-post to the other. This wire is then used as a straight line to drive all the line T-posts. Once the line posts are driven, then the top wire is stretched and clipped to the T-posts. I then look down the top wire line and see if it follows the contour of the ground, and if there are low or high posts I drive them down a little further or pull them up slighty. Then the remaining wires are stretched from top to bottom. One other trick is to bend some welding rods in in a J hook fashion and hang on the top wire every 100 feet or so. Then when streching the next wire you can get it off the ground by putting the wire on the welding rods.

 

[farmwriter]

I vote bottom to top for 2 purely selfish reasons.
1) My back is stronger in the morning. It'll be killing me to stoop that much at the end of the day.
2) If I start at the top, my arms and face are constantly moving up and down past wires that are already strung. My boots and jeans handle low wire much better.
I agree with Dun though - It's Ford/Chevy. Do what you want.

 

[upfrombottom]

Contrary to some of my friends, I always start at the top. My theory is that is the weakest point of the post and if i get it tight first the rest will be easy to get tight without moving or pulling slack in the other wires. I built a rig that goes on the three point hitch on my small tractor, that I can raise and lower to what ever height I need the wire and use the tractor to stretch it.

 

[dun]

Contrary to some of my friends, I always start at the top. My theory is that is the weakest point of the post and if i get it tight first the rest will be easy to get tight without moving or pulling slack in the other wires. I built a rig that goes on the three point hitch on my small tractor, that I can raise and lower to what ever height I need the wire and use the tractor to stretch it.

I have a rig on my tractor that lets me raiee and lower it too, it's called the bucket on the loader.

 

[ga.prime]

You can't get a tractor near where I put barbed wire. Tension mine with a yellow gal. Can tension a whole roll in one pull with it. Don't put your hand on the wire when you're cranking on it. If it slips you'll get some scars that look like I got. I vote for pulling top first. Otherwise the barbs will hang up.

 

[Fly-guy]

Top or bottom? It's kinda like hanging toilet paper, do you like it coming off the top or bottom. Personally, I like the toliet paper off the top and the wire from the bottom.

 

[hillrancher]

If you in un level ground or hill as I you will go from bottom to top because you never know where the top will be in the hollows. We some time run extra strands in the low places. Most of the time we take the slack out and use weight to get the tighness. We weight until the wrapps start to go streight.

 

[gimpyrancher]

I have to fence 5280'. I will string one strand the entire length to establish a straight line from corner to corner. Then I'll go back and install all the H braces from corner to corner. Then run the second, then third and then fourth strands between each H-brace. Repeat all the way down the fence to the corner. If still alive, rest.

 

[Ryder]

I have to fence 5280'. I will string one strand the entire length to establish a straight line from corner to corner. Then I'll go back and install all the H braces from corner to corner. Then run the second, then third and then fourth strands between each H-brace. Repeat all the way down the fence to the corner. If still alive, rest.

Exactly. It is nice to look down and see everything all lined up straight. If not, correct it.

 

[Ryder]

Top or bottom? It's kinda like hanging toilet paper, do you like it coming off the top or bottom. Personally, I like the toilet paper off the top and the wire from the bottom.

You are certainly correct about the toilet paper. There is a good reason for this----that being that the other way is wrong. :nod:

One of us maybe needs to re think stringing wire.

 

[cowchew]

I always like to start on top. retty: