When you stretch barb wire

[Dixieangus]

When you stretch barb wire do you hook it to the post then stretch or stretch then attach to post

 

[dun]

Stretch first staple second

 

[plumber_greg]

I hook it past the corner, to my skidsteer or something else, and then staple it. That's reallt dangerous if the staple doesn't hold, so on long stretches, 1/4 mile or more, I stretch and then use a hammer to pull and staple to the corner after the stretchers are done. The little that the hammer can't pull won't make much of a diference on a long pull. gs

 

[farmwriter]

DixieAngus, have you got a neighbor you can go help work on his fence for the experience? I don't want to make it seem like brain surgery, but there are little things that will make your fencing job easier and stronger that are much easier to demonstrate than explain.

 

[Dixieangus]

Yes I do but it isnt like i dont have a clue i have repaired fences,built fences,and etc from the peoples help on these board and my own knowledge.. I just like to know how other people think and do things...Like one teacher told me dont go through this life without asking questions or you will be ignorant...Thanks and everyone have a good day...

 

[SRBeef]

I just finished putting up some 5-barb wire fence in the past couple weeks. I did part of it myself and hired what I didn't have time to finish.

The pro's do it as Dun mentioned - stretch then staple. Unless you really know what you are doing that can be dangerous however.

On the portion that I did on my own I use a different system to terminate and tension barb wire. I mark the heights above ground on my end post(s), put a staple in about 2/3 of the way at each height. I then use about 4 ft of smooth #9 brace wire thru each staple twice around the post then twisted around itself leaving about 2 ft of #9 free.

I cut my barb wire just inside a barb so there is about 5" of end with no barb and at a point which overlaps the end of my #9 wire by maybe 6". I insert this end of the barb wire into a "Large/#12 Barb Wire" Gripple connector, insert the free end of the #9 and use the Gripple tool to pull the #9 smooth wire until the barb wire is as tight as you want it. I then add another staple and hammer them both down lightly. The twist is holding the wire, not the staples. Gripple has a new tool which you can preset for the tension needed at which level it clicks like a torque wrench.

On long fence runs I do this at both ends. On medium to short runs I wrap around the post and twist the barb wire on itself at one around the end post and use the #9 and Gripple to tension the other end.

This is a good, safe, one-man system that a fencing novice can use. And they can be easily tightened later by pulling a bit more of the #9 thru the Gripple with their tool. Here is a link to the Gripple website if you are not familiar with them. Premier sells them online.

http://www.gripple.com/us/products/catalogue/agricultural/

These are a bit more expensive to use than the old stretcher but in my opinion they are worth the small difference in cost, not to mention the savings in medical costs if some barb wire breaks while you are stretching it, etc. They are reuseable.

Here's a picture of what I tried to describe above.

I cut an existing fence to add a new gate. The top two and bottom two of the 5 wires are tensioned as described with the #9 and barb wire gripples. The middle wire on this fence is electric and terminated a bit differently but wit a gripple used to tension it also. I don't do this middle wire of 5 electrified any more. I find that adding a separate 14 ga on 5" standoffs inside a 5 barb does a better job of keeping the cattle back and not pushing on the fence. I used the large gripples to tension the #9 brace wires also. I find it easier than the twist method used by the pros.

 

[talldog]

I just finished putting up some 5-barb wire fence in the past couple weeks. I did part of it myself and hired what I didn't have time to finish.

The pro's do it as Dun mentioned - stretch then staple. Unless you really know what you are doing that can be dangerous however.

On the portion that I did on my own I use a different system to terminate and tension barb wire. I mark the heights above ground on my end post(s), put a staple in about 2/3 of the way at each height. I then use about 4 ft of smooth #9 brace wire thru each staple twice around the post then twisted around itself leaving about 2 ft of #9 free.

I cut my barb wire just inside a barb so there is about 5" of end with no barb and at a point which overlaps the end of my #9 wire by maybe 6". I insert this end of the barb wire into a "Large/#12 Barb Wire" Gripple connector, insert the free end of the #9 and use the Gripple tool to pull the #9 smooth wire until the barb wire is as tight as you want it. I then add another staple and hammer them both down lightly. The twist is holding the wire, not the staples. Gripple has a new tool which you can preset for the tension needed at which level it clicks like a torque wrench.

On long fence runs I do this at both ends. On medium to short runs I wrap around the post and twist the barb wire on itself at one around the end post and use the #9 and Gripple to tension the other end.

This is a good, safe, one-man system that a fencing novice can use. And they can be easily tightened later by pulling a bit more of the #9 thru the Gripple with their tool. Here is a link to the Gripple website if you are not familiar with them. Premier sells them online.

http://www.gripple.com/us/products/catalogue/agricultural/

These are a bit more expensive to use than the old stretcher but in my opinion they are worth the small difference in cost, not to mention the savings in medical costs if some barb wire breaks while you are stretching it, etc. They are reuseable.

Here's a picture of what I tried to describe above.

I cut an existing fence to add a new gate. The top two and bottom two of the 5 wires are tensioned as described with the #9 and barb wire gripples. The middle wire on this fence is electric and terminated a bit differently but wit a gripple used to tension it also. I don't do this middle wire of 5 electrified any more. I find that adding a separate 14 ga on 5" standoffs inside a 5 barb does a better job of keeping the cattle back and not pushing on the fence. I used the large gripples to tension the #9 brace wires also. I find it easier than the twist method used by the pros.

Great system !---I learned something here as I'm getting ready to string 5400 ' of 5 strand!!

 

[farmwriter]

No offense intended, Dixie. You know what I mean then about how little things can make the job easier and result in a better fence.

SRBeef, good looking job. Your picture's worth a thousand words. :tiphat:

 

[Dixieangus]

None taken farmwriter

 

[mtncows]

I like to put in a strainer like you use in high tensile wire.You can lightly tighten the wire and staple then ratchet the slack.

 

[msscamp]

When you stretch barb wire do you hook it to the post then stretch or stretch then attach to post

It depends on whether I'm repairing fence, or building a new one. If repairing, I loosen/pull the staples, stretch the wire, and drive/redrive the staples. If I'm building fence, I stretch the wire and then drive the staples.

 

[Howdyjabo]

I like to put in a strainer like you use in high tensile wire.You can lightly tighten the wire and staple then ratchet the slack.

I am getting where I use those ratchets all over the place

 

[ToddFarmsInc]

When you stretch barb wire do you hook it to the post then stretch or stretch then attach to post

I guess this is a poll. :cboy:

On my fences, if I am just repairing, I will unclip the wire from the t-posts, and loosen the staples enough the barbs can pass through, then I stretch the wire.

On puttin in a new fence. I will first establish the two end posts and brace posts, and get them all tied together so they don't move. Then I will wrap one end of the first wire around one end posts, and string the wire out to the other end. Then we will stretch the wire out tight untill it breaks. At that point we know we have most all the stetch out of the wire. (funny thing is once the wire breaks, it doesn't rewind itself back up, it just lays on the ground. Then we pull that wire back up tight, staple it to the other end post, and that tight wire gives us a nice straight line to push in the remainging middle t posts, and wooden posts. The remaining wires are tightened up the same way.

 

[dun]

Instaed of using strainers I just use Jakes tighteners to get it tighter if I want