Strainer distance for fencing

westlander

hello all,
doing some fencing at some point next month hopefully.

Was just wondering how often in distance would you use a strainer? (have one very long field) But I also have 2 complete dogs of strainers

What is the "recommended" distance you should go before planting another one?

Thanks,
westlander

Genghis Cant

westlander wrote: »

hello all,
doing some fencing at some point next month hopefully.

Was just wondering how often in distance would you use a strainer? (have one very long field) But I also have 2 complete dogs of strainers

What is the "recommended" distance you should go before planting another one?

Thanks,
westlander

I'd be thinking once it's an absolute straight pull you could get away with a big distance between just two strainers, one each end. If it curved or arched I'd be inclined to put another at this point.

onyerbikepat

When you say strainer, do you mean the actual wire strainer or the heavy straining post?

westlander

onyerbikepat wrote: »

When you say strainer, do you mean the actual wire strainer or the heavy straining post?

Its the heavy straining post.

TippNorth

Out of interest how do you normally install those large strainer posts?

westlander

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I'd be thinking once it's an absolute straight pull you could get away with a big distance between just two strainers, one each end. If it curved or arched I'd be inclined to put another at this point.

Thats what i was thinking as well. If it was a straight pull should be fairly ok.

onyerbikepat

If straight line then as long as you like, 500m no problem, I'd say. You'd need one then for any turns in the wire, corners etc.
I put one down only last week. Dug the hole by hand and packed gravel in around then. 6 ft post, 3" below groud and 3" above. I only had to put down the one post though. I have one of these hole diggers and then a spade to work the sides. Easy enough to do when back is kept straight.
Edit - talking about high-tensile wire, by the way.

Mad4simmental

Smack In your two strainers first at each end then pull the wire, then put in your normal posts at the wire. That way you are sure you have a straight fence.

skoger

What do you reckon is the best way stay or brace the strainer?

paddysdream

westlander wrote: »

hello all,
doing some fencing at some point next month hopefully.

Was just wondering how often in distance would you use a strainer? (have one very long field) But I also have 2 complete dogs of strainers

What is the "recommended" distance you should go before planting another one?

Thanks,
westlander

Depends on what sort of a fence you are erecting but for sheepwire and barbed on top normal practice is to use a strainer every 50m.You need this to strain the barbed to as pulling it much further ie 100m leaves it very difficult and also more chance of it slacking.On a dead straight run 7ft. turning posts are grand as intermediate strainers.You should also use strainers on any turns.The end strainers will need to be propped.

When I say strainer I mean an 8ft one not a 6ft heavy fencing post.This is normally driven about 4ft into the ground ie 4 inch gap at bottom,32 inch sheepwire,4 inch gap to barbed and couple of inches over to top of post is approx. 42 inches.

To prop it you will need 2 stakes(5ft).Notch the strainer on the side of the pull about 2ft off the ground with a wood chisel,enough to hold pointed end of the stake.Offer up stake to it(45 degree angle approx).Dig out a bit where stake meets the ground(to stop it twisting) and drive 2nd stake at butt of angled stake as deep as possible.Saw off the bit left over the ground.

Prop stake should be in line with the wire.Essential to prop before putting up the wire.Hard to explain easily but quiet simple in practice.
Much like this picture below;
http://www.sheepevent.org.uk/images/comps-photo.jpg

Nekarsulm

Good sound ESB pole if you can source them. If you have boulder clay that the post won't drive in, dig slot with a 9 inch bucket, at 90 degrees to the line of pull.

9935452

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Good sound ESB pole if you can source them. If you have boulder clay that the post won't drive in, dig slot with a 9 inch bucket, at 90 degrees to the line of pull.

Thats what we use if we can get our hands on it. Drive them at least 4 feet into the ground. Can take 20/25 minutes of hard hammering with the post driver in rocky ground .
We have driven them where 25 ton track machines have failed.
The trick is to use a big crow bar and beat it into the ground with sledge hammers to make a pilot hole. Then use strong posts with points on their ends , the point follows the pilot hole down pushing rocks to the side.

When straining in a straight line on level ground. pull the wire til it lifts off the ground, for single strand electric fence use short posts and drive them down far enough so that you can put the wire on top of the post, cattle will never stratch off the post then and break it or loosen it.

eddiek

is ht or mild steel wire best and why? also can ya stretch the 200m rolls of barbed wire till they lift in middle?whats the best way to stretch a full roll without machinery?

Nekarsulm

High Tensile only. Including the barbed. (wear heavy leather gloves, its vicious stuff)

9935452

eddiek wrote: »

is ht or mild steel wire best and why? also can ya stretch the 200m rolls of barbed wire till they lift in middle?whats the best way to stretch a full roll without machinery?

High tensile cause its meant to take /hold the current better.
Dont use barb wire here, you would have to try it and see.

This type of tool is what we use
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autochain-wire-strainer-/171461190250?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item27ebe2226a

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Strain-rite-Wire-Tensioners-/321769337705?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4aeaf27369

onyerbikepat

I use these type of strainers for both high-tensile and barbed wire;



They're much heavier then the ones with the built in insulator. I drill a hole in the strainer post and for hi-tensile use an 'egg' about 2.5 ft from the post. I just pull it by hand to figure where to put the egg and the 2.5ft is usually plenty to strain the wire.

For barbed wire I do the same and just take off the thorns from the wire with a pliars. It's easy enough to do. To take the first strain off the barded wire I wrap it around the post first and then go down half-ways along the wire and pull it out from the fence. That straightens out the wire enough to put on the strainer. If all that makes sense.

Muckit

9935452 wrote: »

use short posts and drive them down far enough so that you can put the wire on top of the post, cattle will never stratch off the post then and break it or loosen it.

If it's rocky ground, it doesn't matter what belting you do if the post is above on a rock and a post driver won't be able to shift it out of the way.

I don't agree with putting wire on top of the post. Cattle won't scratch a post where the electric fence is secured to the side of the post 2" from the top. If you put it on the top, you are relying on the staple to take the strain going around a corner. Also a staple will hold better driven in the side of the post than into endgrain, a better job if ground is up and down and posts will be at different heights.

onyerbikepat

Another trick I've learned about driving staples too is to drive them with a little twist or angle on them. That way you won't split the post. The legs of the staples will be going in on different grains of the timber.

Nekarsulm

I always Squeeze the legs of the staple closer together, as well.
At least get the two legs parallel.
Otherwise I find its harder to drive into any kind of hardwood/thorn/holly.

9935452

Muckit wrote: »

If it's rocky ground, it doesn't matter what belting you do if the post is above on a rock and a post driver won't be able to shift it out of the way.

I don't agree with putting wire on top of the post. Cattle won't scratch a post where the electric fence is secured to the side of the post 2" from the top. If you put it on the top, you are relying on the staple to take the strain going around a corner. Also a staple will hold better driven in the side of the post than into endgrain, a better job if ground is up and down and posts will be at different heights.

I said the trick to rocky ground is to sledge hammer a big crow bar into the ground to make a pilot hole. once you have a hole that the point will follow it will push the rocks out of the way as long as the post doesnt break.
I only put the wire on top of the post on straight runs , never around a corner

Jb1989

For straining electric wire I use gripples and a gripple tool, don't like the ratchet type that rolls up the wire, it puts too much stress on it, gripples leave the wire pulling straight bother directions. Plus it's better on the posts. As u put the gripple in the middle of the wire, you are pulling both ends together rather than the ratchet type pulling one post more.
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onyerbikepat

The same is tension is on both ends of the wire, so how can you pull one post more than the other. The gripples are very permanent and you can't adjust the tension again. At least with the rachet tensioners, you can put the minimum tension needed and adjust it again if needed.

Jb1989

onyerbikepat wrote: »

The same is tension is on both ends of the wire, so how can you pull one post more than the other. The gripples are very permanent and you can't adjust the tension again. At least with the rachet tensioners, you can put the minimum tension needed and adjust it again if needed.

There is a difference in pull tho, can't explain it, have seen the effects of pulling one side more tho and it's not ideal, best way is always the middle, even with barbed wire the we include cutting the wire in the middle and tensioning,
You can alway tighten a gripple a wee bit over time just not loosen it.

onyerbikepat

Jb1989 wrote: »

There is a difference in pull tho, can't explain it, have seen the effects of pulling one side more tho and it's not ideal, best way is always the middle, even with barbed wire the we include cutting the wire in the middle and tensioning,
You can alway tighten a gripple a wee bit over time just not loosen it.

Ya, kinda know what you're saying. Do you use the gripples on the barbed wire too?

Jb1989

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Ya, kinda know what you're saying. Do you use the gripples on the barbed wire too?

No, gripples just quick and handy for the electric wire.
Barbed is looped and tied in the middle mostly with the Hayes tensioner.

Nekarsulm

Any room on this thread for some redneck fencing?
where should I put the Grippel?

paddysdream

Jb1989 wrote: »

There is a difference in pull tho, can't explain it, have seen the effects of pulling one side more tho and it's not ideal, best way is always the middle, even with barbed wire the we include cutting the wire in the middle and tensioning,
You can alway tighten a gripple a wee bit over time just not loosen it.

If you leave a tail on the plain wire then its simple enough to retension if needed with a gripple pullers when using gripples.

In reality though,using any amount of gripples runs into a few bob esp. if using them on sheep wire(8 strands).
The end gripples instead of tying the sheep wire(hateful job) are handy though but rather pricey if doing any amount of fencing.Grand on plain wire esp. if you aren't in love with tying ht wire all day

For plain wire on electric fences just tie on the egg insulator to the strainer and run the fence wire through the egg and pull from the post with the hayes puller.With a little practice its easy to judge how tight the wire needs to be before tying off because when you release the gives back a bit.Tying both ends first and pulling to the middle with gripples is handy but more expensive plus although the gripple puller puts a fair pull on wire its not as good as a hayes type puller.

Barbed wire;tie to starting strainer then roll out (ideal to pull 50m or so but not always possible)wrap once around next strainer and put at correct height with a large staple slightly driven(enough to allow barbed wire to run through it.Then wrap chain of puller around the strainer and pull the wire.Important to take up as much slack as possible before attaching the pullers.Also watch that the wire pulls around the strainer correctly.When tight enough drive home staple and release pullers.Barbed wire over sheep wire will test how good your strainer is propped.Seen a few twist in bad ground or if the prop wasn't in line with the pull.
Went off one morning to hang sheep wire and 2 strands of barbed wire for a lad who drove all his own stakes(thank you job!!) and told me as he had used 10ft ESB poles for strainers there was no need for props as these were 5ft in the ground.After the first one pulled over about 9 inches when I pulled the first strand of barbed over the sheep wire he saw the light.