Wire grabs for high tensile

[Farm Fence Solutions]

why don't people use a winch for stretch? it seems way less physical effort and u have no problem with getting a tight stretch

I typically use a truck or tractor to stretch. The other tools more for holding the wire. Some examples exist back in the fence tips thread.

I spent a good portion of my career doing commercial work. Everything was done under the guidelines of blueprints and specs.
It was a common requirement for barbwire to be pulled to 800 pounds.
This was before high tensile.
I never had it tested but if 800 pounds means enough pull to move 800 pounds of weight. I wouldn't consider that very tight..... maybe I'm wrong

Andy. Tension is not measured as the force required to move say 800 pounds. Because it depends on the surface the 800 pounds is setting on. If it is a high friction surface, the pounds-force required to move 800 pounds one foot distance is greater than the tension required to move 800 pounds one foot on a low friction surface. There are gauges used to measure tension in pounds-force. If the requirement is 800 pounds-force, that does not exactly equate to what it takes to move 800 pounds one foot distance.

When Luke was demonstrating his fence tools, I thought he had a tension guage???

Thanks for the science Ron.
He didn't bring it. I asked.
There's one built into the small gripple tool, which is a joke imo. You'd pull the handle off the thing before it gets tight.
Let it be known.
This is a different tool than the invaluable to me now contractor tool.
I think farm will probably agree with me on this.

800 lbs on 12.5 gauge barbed, would actually be 400 lbs per strand. The tension would be the same as hanging an 800 lb weight from the wire. The Gripple Torq tool would be good for donating to the pre schools for chew toys. I have a few boxes in stock, but I can't bring myself to sell them to anyone I like. My wife sells them on Ebay. Good fencers are born with a tension gauge. They are, however, very usefull when a customer needs some proof that we have a better product and that we know exactly what we are doing on the install end.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

why don't people use a winch for stretch? it seems way less physical effort and u have no problem with getting a tight stretch

You certainly could, but I still take quite a bit of pride in being a fence builder. Not that using a winch would disqualify a man from that, but I like to have my hands on it. Also, I prefer a gut strain......as everyone knows. :lol: FWIW, the driver I have on order, has a pair of winches.

 

[Bigfoot]

Always been afraid to admit it--------I stretch with a tractor.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Always been afraid to admit it--------I stretch with a tractor.

That's nothing to be ashamed of.