Opinions on fence stays

[brandonm_13]

What is everyone's opinions on using fence stays in order to increase spacing between posts and decrease cost? What spacing do you use with or without stays?

Thanks

 

[callmefence]

I don't care much for twist in stays. They do help with cattle going through a fence. Never include the top wire.. they will bend from deer traffic and hold the top wire down. Cedar stays work if tied properly. Usually stays shouldn't be needed with proper post spacing and wire tension. And using enough wires.

 

[Rafter S]

I agree with fence. They always seem to get bent, and often not just at the top. While I have used them in the past, and may again, they aren't ideal.

 

[TCRanch]

I have no shame. I use them where they stick their neck through the fence to get the good green stuff in the ditch. And I've used them as a temporary fix, "temporary" being subjective and may segue into a year (or until it's not brutal, ugly cold or rotten hot).

 

[Dave]

I have used the twisted wire in the past and probably will some in the future. Very common around here are juniper stays sawed 2x3 about 4 feet long. Then stapled to the wire using a cordless stapler. The small saw mills guys sell them in bundles of 100 for about $1 - $1.25 a piece.

 

[50/50Farms]

If the problem is manipulation of the wire, more wire won't help, so I'll third the wooden stays.

 

[Brute 23]

Not me. We took over a place that had a bunch and I had some one go and cut them out and put a tpost.

My buddy said he was going to fix fence for me one time. I showed up and he had a pile of the twist in stays. I threw them all in a hole and handed him 1. I told him every time he got the urge to put that one in the fence... drive a tpost.

In our area there is no trouble driving posts so there is no excuse, imo. In rock or places where it's not easy to get a post in.. it might make sense.

 

[libertygarden]

I drop a post every 4 paces of mine. I absolutely hate twisted fence stays, especially I have to fix an old fence. I'd much rather buy old t-post on CL than buy fence stays.

 

[tex452]

My grandpa always used them, I never cared for them

 

[J+ Cattle]

I hate the twist in wire stays, if you're going to use a stay use the cedar ones, personally I would just place the T posts a little closer together and not use stays.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Line posts are expensive. Hi-Tensile is not. For me - I prefer putting a line post on all high and low areas with the wooden droppers that has the grooves for a wire tie-on in between. If cost isn't a problem, by all means put your line posts 10 yards apart. I have had my boundary fence in place since 1978. 3 strand hi-tensile. Very little "repair maintenance". Snow does more damage than anything - well, other than a tree falling on it. But, mainly the damage is wire pulled off the posts - or break a dropper.
All 3 strands can be hot, but usually just the middle one is.

 

[greybeard]

I hate the twist in wire stays, if you're going to use a stay use the cedar ones, personally I would just place the T posts a little closer together and not use stays.

I never saw any cedar stays used or for sale in East Texas where I lived.
Yes, T posts or wooden posts (or a combination of the 2) closer together but I did use the twist stays where the pasture and yard met to try to keep the cows from running their heads under the fence to eat the yard grass. They would just bend the stays anyway and still get halfway thru the bottom wire on the side of the yard where it stayed wet year 'round..

 

[50/50Farms]

Who could turn down a free lawn mowing?

I never saw any cedar stays used or for sale in East Texas where I lived.
Yes, T posts or wooden posts (or a combination of the 2) closer together but I did use the twist stays where the pasture and yard met to try to keep the cows from running their heads under the fence to eat the yard grass. They would just bend the stays anyway and still get halfway thru the bottom wire on the side of the yard where it stayed wet year 'round..

 

[greybeard]

The ground there was so soggy that even 8' tee posts would be bent over when they pushed against the wires and the grass they got to came up by the roots. I sprayed roundup under the fence to kill the grass hoping the dead area would discourage them but they just pushed farther in. I ended up having to run a hot wire around the yard which I really did not want to do.

 

[Down in Dixie]

Who could turn down a free lawn mowing?

At my house I call them lawn mooers. Only fired up the mower 4 times this year.

 

[50/50Farms]

And they fertilize too!

 

[greybeard]

And they fertilize too!

but never put back near what nutrients they take from the soil, AND, left footprints 4" deep for the lawn tractor to run over..

 

[50/50Farms]

but never put back near what nutrients they take from the soil, AND, left footprints 4" deep for the lawn tractor to run over..

To be fair, you did live down there in that Trinity country.

 

[greybeard]

To be fair, you did live down there in that Trinity country.

nope. San Jacinto county where the East Fork of the same name ran as my Eastern property line.. Trinity flood plain was farther to the East. The Trinity flood plain is legendary for growing good grass and good hay because it's floodwater leaves behind so many nutrients, including what it picked up when it ran thru limestone regions. Helps the pH.

My little river? Left nothing but misery and a film of local mud on everything since it's source was only about 40 miles north as the crow flies.

 

[50/50Farms]

nope. San Jacinto county where the East Fork of the same name ran as my Eastern property line.. Trinity flood plain was farther to the East. The Trinity flood plain is legendary for growing good grass and good hay because it's floodwater leaves behind so many nutrients, including what it picked up when it ran thru limestone regions. Helps the pH.

My little river? Left nothing but misery and a film of local mud on everything since it's source was only about 40 miles north as the crow flies.

Ah, my mistake.