Best mains Fencer

Dunedin

looking to buy a new Mains fencer.

looking at the MX-18 Mains Fencer - supposed to burn the vegetation around the fence.

any experiences on whether this works well or not and/or suggestions for any other type of fencer - will be doing about 80 acres circa of which is mostly fenced, both sides of ditch with electric fence (haven't a clue of the over KM).


any help appreciated.

49801

Don't think there is much between brands myself.
Would tend towards gallagher or pel myself
Either way Stick with brand that has good local back up... Though there is rarely a problem with these items these days.

Even expensive fencers need a REALY REALY good earthing system.

White Clover

49801 wrote: »

Don't think there is much between brands myself.
Would tend towards gallagher or pel myself
Either way Stick with brand that has good local back up... Though there is rarely a problem with these items these days.

Even expensive fencers need a REALY REALY good earthing system.

I'd agree with everything 49801 has said except to add that forcefield are not a good fencer. Pel & gallagher are excellent. Can't comment on other makes, cheta etc as have no experience of them

Count Mondego

Pel and Gallagher here. Pel must be nearly 20 years old and would still lift you out of it.

farmerjj

Count Mondego wrote: »

Pel and Gallagher here. Pel must be nearly 20 years old and would still lift you out of it.

+1

Nekarsulm

Have an old Elephant brand mains fencer. Could be 35 years old. Still lift you out of your boots if you touched the wire. Letting the strimmer touch the wire is not recommended, either.

djmc

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BXswiBnlgAA

I second the galliher or elephant had both with years.
I like the idea of the new ones telling you there is a fault rather than cattle letting you know when they break out.
Also found the video a bit funny for some strange reason.

agriman27

I bought an elephant m85 a couple of years ago, I'm very happy with it. I have a very long distances and it has enough power. It came with a free lightning protector. I agree with the other lads about having a good earth. If I was buying now I defiantly would price the new lacme fencer that only shocks when touched sounds like a great idea. Connaught agri sells them I see them advertised on the journal I'd say there expensive though

jimmy G M

Elephant fencer here as well, maybe 8 yrs, electrifying performance. Had an elephant fencer before that, so old it was probably a mammoth when it died.

Mehaffey1

Another add for the Gallagher products, seem expensive but worth it.

Run 2 Stafix energizers on this farm and 1 of them has blown up twice and had to be sent back to get fixed.

Hershall

Have a forcefield and a cheetah would prefer the cheetah to be honest.

Bullocks

agriman27 wrote: »

I bought an elephant m85 a couple of years ago, I'm very happy with it. I have a very long distances and it has enough power. It came with a free lightning protector. I agree with the other lads about having a good earth. If I was buying now I defiantly would price the new lacme fencer that only shocks when touched sounds like a great idea. Connaught agri sells them I see them advertised on the journal I'd say there expensive though

Only shocks when touched ? Maybe I'm missing something but I've never seen anything get shocked without touching it

Mad4simmental

Cheetah M60 here. The scrub is kept well clear from the fence and she lights up all the lights on the tester. I got a belt off it the other day getting under it and it panned me out for a few minutess ha.

Base price

Bullocks wrote: »

Only shocks when touched ? Maybe I'm missing something but I've never seen anything get shocked without touching it

I don't think humans get a shock with this one. I could be wrong
http://www.connachtagri.ie/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=vmj_naru.tpl&product_id=104&category_id=30&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6

Brown Podzol

Pel, Speedrite and Stafix seem to be the the same fencers in different colours. Have a couple of gallaghers and pels here, both excellent makes. The main one is a Pel 836r, expensive but with 36 joules output cattle will stay where you put them.

djmc

Brown Podzol wrote: »

Pel, Speedrite and Stafix seem to be the the same fencers in different colours. Have a couple of gallaghers and pels here, both excellent makes. The main one is a Pel 836r, expensive but with 36 joules output cattle will stay where you put them.

Does anything over 10 joules burn off briars and vegetation or do you still have to spray under wire or use strimmers.

Melodeon

Big thumbs up for the Cheta G-303 here, a mighty piece of kit.
Well fit to energise many miles of fence and keep vegetation burnt back.

djmc

Do you ever need to spray under fence wire

Melodeon

We've been out of livestock entirely for a good while now so this is old information, but with the G-303, we found it to be well able to keep fresh green growth burned back.
However, if you just abandoned the fence to look after itself, woody stuff (briars and the like) and tall grassy stuff would grow over the fence and eventually fall onto it.
The fencer would then kill it off and you'd end up with a bunch of dead vegetation draped over the wire.
In damp weather the place would be cracking and banging like the fencer section at the ploughing match.
There was still a hell of a bang off the fence though, and livestock still gave it utmost respect.

We sprayed and topped around and under the fence lines now and again, but it was more for the cosmetics of keeping the place looking vaguely tidy, not because the fence was being made ineffective.

djmc

Melodeon wrote: »

We've been out of livestock entirely for a good while now so this is old information, but with the G-303, we found it to be well able to keep fresh green growth burned back.
However, if you just abandoned the fence to look after itself, woody stuff (briars and the like) and tall grassy stuff would grow over the fence and eventually fall onto it.
The fencer would then kill it off and you'd end up with a bunch of dead vegetation draped over the wire.
In damp weather the place would be cracking and banging like the fencer section at the ploughing match.
There was still a hell of a bang off the fence though, and livestock still gave it utmost respect.

We sprayed and topped around and under the fence lines now and again, but it was more for the cosmetics of keeping the place looking vaguely tidy, not because the fence was being made ineffective.

Thanks I think I must buy a stronger mains fencer. I hate briars taking the shock out of fence by earthing it and spraying every year is a pain especially with new spray regulations.

agriman27

Base price wrote: »

I don't think humans get a shock with this one. I could be wrong
http://www.connachtagri.ie/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=vmj_naru.tpl&product_id=104&category_id=30&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6

Bullocks wrote: »

Only shocks when touched ? Maybe I'm missing something but I've never seen anything get shocked without touching it

I don't know much about this new type fencer but i dont think it has a continuous pulse all the time. There is only shock when a animal comes in contact therefore I doubt animals will sense when its turned off either. I also think the shock would be instant, not waiting on the next pulse. Hard to know what would happen if there was a fault on the line though, interesting yolk though, I'd be lookin into it if I buying again!

limo_100

Melodeon wrote: »

Big thumbs up for the Cheta G-303 here, a mighty piece of kit.
Well fit to energise many miles of fence and keep vegetation burnt back.

Have two of them here they good feners enough mine are giving me problems at the minute but its probly my own fault due to a lack of attention to the fence it self i must buy a good fault finder one with out a probe and get started. How many earth rods have you in that cheata fence?

Melodeon

limo_100 wrote: »

Have two of them here they good feners enough mine are giving me problems at the minute but its probly my own fault due to a lack of attention to the fence it self i must buy a good fault finder one with out a probe and get started. How many earth rods have you in that cheata fence?

To the best of my recollection, we have 8 x 1.2m (4 foot) galvanised rods driven into a trench (and then buried) in a dampish spot, 2 meters apart.

djmc

http://www.grass-fed-solutions.com/smart-electric-fence-installation-building.html

Just thought I'd post link for anyone doing a bit of fencing
I think it makes some interesting reading.

mayota

djmc wrote: »

http://www.grass-fed-solutions.com/smart-electric-fence-installation-building.html

Just thought I'd post link for anyone doing a bit of fencing
I think it makes some interesting reading.

Good stuff.

High bike

Slightly off topic but does anyone know if you can connect a car battery to a fenser and how effective it is?

djmc

Some battery fencers are 12v and a car battery would be fine for them.
A deep cycle leasure or marine battery would be better.
If its a 9v fencer then a car battery might ruin the fencer after a while.

Base price

High bike wrote: »

Slightly off topic but does anyone know if you can connect a car battery to a fenser and how effective it is?

You can connect a car/tractor/lorry battery to a battery powered fencer. They are good as long as your not expecting it to do 100 acres. Remember to keep a eye on the battery as it will loose charge and have to be recharged. Most battery fencers will have an high and low setting. Set it a high to get the animals used to it and then you can change it to the low setting which will extend the life of the battery.

Dunedin

Brown Podzol wrote: »

Pel, Speedrite and Stafix seem to be the the same fencers in different colours. Have a couple of gallaghers and pels here, both excellent makes. The main one is a Pel 836r, expensive but with 36 joules output cattle will stay where you put them.

What sort of money is the pel836r

Durrus Boy

Is it possible to claim the VAT back on the purchase of a Mains Energiser?? Presume so, seeing as it's a fixed unit?

In the market for another one myself and considering either a Pel or Gallagher as their units and materials have been used over the year's. Appears you have to go through an agent though... they don't seem to want to sell direct.......

Brown Podzol

Dunedin wrote: »

What sort of money is the pel836r

€1,200/€1,300 less the vat.

Dunedin

hoping someone might be able to help me on this one.

my current fencer is a Cheetah 550 (I think).

anyways, the problem is that some days I go out the fence would lift you out of it and other days you would barely feel it.

I have 4 metre long earth bars which I keep watered in dry weather (assume that would help). I have walked every yard of the farm and it is not earthing anywhere that I can see.

any idea what the problem might be - has the fence reached end of life??

djmc

It sounds strange all right
Try disconnecting different fields or parts of the farm and using a fence tester when shock is poor this will help you narrow the problem down to an area
If the shock is good straight off the fencer without being connected to any field its probably not your fencer
If the power drops off when field then something is earthing your wire
Discontent the second field and test again and so on.
It could well be an old bit of wire stuck in ground
That touches fence wire intermittently with wind etc.
Not always easy to see.
If power is low at fencer without any field connected check earth again and run new wire form fencer to earth and to field in case wire is cracked inside insulation
If all else fails buy new fencer but I have never seen one fail like that on my farm they either work or they don't but that's just my experience
I'm no expert.

Nekarsulm

Have you used black water piping to bring the current under ground at gateways etc?
This can get cracked underground by traffic, if a stone gets pressed down on it.
Also I read somewhere that the black water piping is a poor insulator, as there is carbon used in its construction.
Sometimes the tube insulators that you slide onto the wire and nail to a post with two staples, can cut and be earthing against the staple itself. With either of these scenario's, you could have a strong shock from the fence in dry weather, and a poor shock when its wet and raining.

farmerjj

Pel and Gallagher here 2, and no complaints 2good fencers

foxy farmer

Sorry to sidetrack the thread lads but does anyone have any suggestions for decent insulators?
Use the black screw in type here and they are only fair. They rust in the treated posts and eventually fall out. Stood a shot of PDM posts yesterday and I'm wondering would they last longer with the creosote. 2 strands of wire on boundary and drain so want them to last.
Bought red screw type (Elephant brand i think) a few years ago. Useless as the sun makes them brittle and they flake away.

ganmo

have to have them all on the wire before pulling the wire


don't hammer these type home

White Clover

foxy farmer wrote: »

Sorry to sidetrack the thread lads but does anyone have any suggestions for decent insulators?
Use the black screw in type here and they are only fair. They rust in the treated posts and eventually fall out. Stood a shot of PDM posts yesterday and I'm wondering would they last longer with the creosote. 2 strands of wire on boundary and drain so want them to last.
Bought red screw type (Elephant brand i think) a few years ago. Useless as the sun makes them brittle and they flake away.

Bryce insultube. The only job.
where did you get the posts foxy ?

foxy farmer

White Clover wrote: »

Bryce insultube. The only job.
where did you get the posts foxy ?

FRS in Bandon. About 40 in a bundle for around €200. Got them in 2013. Plenty tar coming out of them so that can't be bad. Decent posts 5ft long and up to 5" on top.

White Clover

foxy farmer wrote: »

FRS in Bandon. About 40 in a bundle for around €200. Got them in 2013. Plenty tar coming out of them so that can't be bad. Decent posts 5ft long and up to 5" on top.

Give them a shout about the bryce. I think FRS are the only ones who stock it. It's way heavier wall than pel or gallagher tubing.