Hayes Wire Strainer - Barb Wire

patsy_mccabe

Eventually got around to buying a Hayes Wire Strainer (H300). I've a lot of bits and pieces of fencing to do.
Things is, I can't figure out how to strain barb wire with it. Say I want to strain and tie the end of the barb wire to a strainer. As you can see in the pic, there is no hook or shackle on the chain to tie it around the strainer. Do I just add my won.
It just seems to be set up to tension wire to wire.

Wildsurfer

Your gonna feel stupid when someone explains it to ya Patsy...

wrangler

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Eventually got around to buying a Hayes Wire Strainer (H300). I've a lot of bits and pieces of fencing to do.
Things is, I can't figure out how to strain barb wire with it. Say I want to strain and tie the end of the barb wire to a strainer. As you can see in the pic, there is no hook or shackle on the chain to tie it around the strainer. Do I just add my won.
It just seems to be set up to tension wire to wire.

Ijust use a length of chain with the same size links and a hook on it. I used to put a hook on its own chain but found it too awkward

patsy_mccabe

I just feed the chain back through the opening, is it? Would that not damage it?

patsy_mccabe

wrangler wrote: »

Ijust use a length of chain with the same size links and a hook on it. I used to put a hook on its own chain but found it too awkward

Grand. That I understand. Thanks.

Aravo

Put the chain part around the strainer and loop it through. Or if it suited park tractor behind the strainer and loop through the chain onto front pen area and strain. Doing it this way allows for a better strain. I made up a puller that fits sheep wire that can be pulled with the Hayes strainer that's handy.

Wildsurfer

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I just feed the chain back through the opening, is it? Would that not damage it?

That's what I do although it does use up a nice bit of chain you need to strain with so wranglers idea is good in that regard

lab man

I bought a strainer not a Hayes one though an when straining the wire gets caught in the clamp an can't be released does this happen on the Hayes one .... no problem with electric fence wire though??

SuperTortoise

Choke the end with the chain on it around the strainer, won't damage it one bit, i've snapped brand new heavy duty wire with it and never bent anything.

I don't think i've ever used it to join wire as in a break in the middle of the line, it's a bit of bother trying to join barb wire that way, i usually just run out a new bit to the nearest strainer.
Great bit of kit, a gift when doing a bit of fencing.

Omallep2

Is the tru craft version fit for purpose as less than 1/4 the price? https://www.frscahir.ie/proddetail.php?prod=EH30&TruCraft-Wire-Strainer

Muckit

They are designed in new zealand where they don't use barbed wire or net sheep wire, all HT wire. So we have to tinker to make it work for us!

What l do. A 5-6' length of heavy blue rope. Tie the ends together. Push it through the clamp on pullers and loop it through itself so that it tightens on clamp. Then pull the rope through itself again to make a running knot of sorts on the end and put this over your straining post. Harder to explain than to demonstrate! But hopefully u get the idea!

lab man

Omallep2 wrote:

Is the tru craft version fit for purpose as less than 1/4 the price?

That's the one I have grand job for a small farmer

lab man

Muckit wrote:

They are designed in new zealand where they don't use barbed wire or net sheep wire, all HT wire. So we have to tinker to make it work for us!

Muckit wrote:

What l do. A 5-6' length of heavy blue rope. Tie the ends together. Push it through the clamp on pullers and loop it through itself so that it tightens on clamp. Then pull the rope through itself again to make a running knot of sorts on the end and put this over your straining post. Harder to explain than to demonstrate! But hopefully u get the idea!

I got a length of chain same as what's on the strainer wrap it round the strainer an have the chain for the strainer put on with a small shackle works grand

AntrimGlens

Aravo wrote: »

Put the chain part around the strainer and loop it through. Or if it suited park tractor behind the strainer and loop through the chain onto front pen area and strain. Doing it this way allows for a better strain. I made up a puller that fits sheep wire that can be pulled with the Hayes strainer that's handy.

Does this puller you made pull all rows of sheep wire together or just one row at a time? I'm finding that the sheep wire i'm using at the minute after i tighten and staple the top strand and then move down to tighten the bottom strand that the top strand can often go a bit loose. It's probably a bit due to uneven terrain, but i don't remember this happening me with older type wire.
I did make up a puller to hold all the sheep wire in one go out of two bits of wood clamped and bolted together, but it took a serious time to open and close and had to strain it from the tractor weights.

I'd love to see a pic of your invention (unless its patent pending)

MickeyShtyles

AntrimGlens wrote: »

Does this puller you made pull all rows of sheep wire together or just one row at a time? I'm finding that the sheep wire i'm using at the minute after i tighten and staple the top strand and then move down to tighten the bottom strand that the top strand can often go a bit loose. It's probably a bit due to uneven terrain, but i don't remember this happening me with older type wire.
I did make up a puller to hold all the sheep wire in one go out of two bits of wood clamped and bolted together, but it took a serious time to open and close and had to strain it from the tractor weights.

I'd love to see a pic of your invention (unless its patent pending)

I used a pair of 2/3’s as you described but instead got four G clamps soaced evenly. Then I strained with a chain attached to the bottom and top.

Pod123

For sheep wire I got round solid bar probably about 40mm in diameter and drilled the holes to correspond with the width of the sheep wire strands.Put each strand through and put on the wire stoppers at the other side. A light pull with the wire strainers or light pull with the tractor. Staple it up then just cut wrap around strainer r and tie off.

Will try and post a picture of the stoppers but Frs have them.

Nekarsulm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Eventually got around to buying a Hayes Wire Strainer (H300). I've a lot of bits and pieces of fencing to do.
Things is, I can't figure out how to strain barb wire with it. Say I want to strain and tie the end of the barb wire to a strainer. As you can see in the pic, there is no hook or shackle on the chain to tie it around the strainer. Do I just add my won.
It just seems to be set up to tension wire to wire.

The main thing to remember is that you're better if you DON'T try and strain from the same post you are nailing to.
Strain from the next post, or a bush/sapling in the hedge.
Or drive the nose of the tractor in at 90 degrees to the fence line, and strain from the front linkage or weights or nose guard etc.

Lots of fencing videos on youtube.
Search in youtube for Otokastation1 or Tim Thompson for their videos.

paddysdream

Pod123 wrote: »

For sheep wire I got round solid bar probably about 40mm in diameter and drilled the holes to correspond with the width of the sheep wire strands.Put each strand through and put on the wire stoppers at the other side. A light pull with the wire strainers or light pull with the tractor. Staple it up then just cut wrap around strainer r and tie off.

Will try and post a picture of the stoppers but Frs have them.

Gripples?Or a wire vice(used when straining electric fence wire through a hole in the strainer)

paddysdream

Nekarsulm wrote: »

The main thing to remember is that you're better if you DON'T try and strain from the same post you are nailing to.
Strain from the next post, or a bush/sapling in the hedge.
Or drive the nose of the tractor in at 90 degrees to the fence line, and strain from the front linkage or weights or nose guard etc.

Lots of fencing videos on youtube.
Search in youtube for Otokastation1 or Tim Thompson for their videos.

Why not?

Nekarsulm

paddysdream wrote: »

Why not?

Because the tail end you are nailing to the post is not strained.
When you knock off the strainers (or "walk" them backwards) you lose some of your tension.

paddysdream

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Because the tail end you are nailing to the post is not strained.
When you knock off the strainers (or "walk" them backwards) you lose some of your tension.

The few inches of wire between the strainer and the post will not matter to be honest.If it's anyway half done right then that slack is easily taken up by the fifty m of strained wire.
With ht barbed the "weight"of the wire should ensure a fairly good tension.
No problem tensioning wire as you can make it as tight as you like pulling from the strainer.Actually easier to overtighten at times.

How otherwise could you strain barbed wire on a fence with a strainer every 50m ?
Idea is to staple tightly to strainer,loop wire around the strainer and then continue on.All the staples on the intermediate posts should be left slightly off the wire to allow it to move.Idea is that if any one stake is damaged/broken etc then the wire should not slacken.

GrasstoMilk

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Because the tail end you are nailing to the post is not strained.
When you knock off the strainers (or "walk" them backwards) you lose some of your tension.

Drive home stables into the post when the wire is tensioned that's how barbed is done here.
For HT elecric wire here we use two eggs on end posts, wire is tied on one posts and strained off the other, fencing pliers then used to twist the wire just enough to hold the tension while strainer is removed and we finish off tying the wire neetly

GrasstoMilk

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Drive home stables into the post when the wire is tensioned that's how barbed is done here.
For HT elecric wire here we use two eggs on end posts, wire is tied on one posts and strained off the other, fencing pliers then used to twist the wire just enough to hold the tension while strainer is removed and we finish off tying the wire neetly

Not my tidiest fencing but hopefully op gets the idea. Egg on the left is where I strained to and tied off the line, egg in the right is where the line started and I pulled from

wrangler

AntrimGlens wrote: »

Does this puller you made pull all rows of sheep wire together or just one row at a time? I'm finding that the sheep wire i'm using at the minute after i tighten and staple the top strand and then move down to tighten the bottom strand that the top strand can often go a bit loose. It's probably a bit due to uneven terrain, but i don't remember this happening me with older type wire.
I did make up a puller to hold all the sheep wire in one go out of two bits of wood clamped and bolted together, but it took a serious time to open and close and had to strain it from the tractor weights.

I'd love to see a pic of your invention (unless its patent pending)

sheep wire clamps aren't expensive and last for years, buy one, you won't regret it.
You have to keep it out of sight though, it seems to be easy to lend but hard to get back

Pod123

Paddy’s dream you have the right name.
I must try and learn how to upload a picture on to boards.

Another thing about the staples is get the right length a shorter staple for barb wire and a longer one for electric as you have the insulating tube.

Put your staple at an angle into the post don’t have the two pins in a line.

As regards insulating tube but the proper type. I used to drive my two end strainers strain the wire then drive the intermediate posts. Then count them allow “four fingers of tube per post” then put on that length on the wire. Then cut it with a gardeners pruners as you staple it on.

If you cut individual pieces and then put in on the wire you will find it harder to push.

Hope the above makes sense. If not I will try again!!!

paddysdream

Pod123 wrote: »

Paddy’s dream you have the right name.
I must try and learn how to upload a picture on to boards.

Another thing about the staples is get the right length a shorter staple for barb wire and a longer one for electric as you have the insulating tube.

Put your staple at an angle into the post don’t have the two pins in a line.

As regards insulating tube but the proper type. I used to drive my two end strainers strain the wire then drive the intermediate posts. Then count them allow “four fingers of tube per post” then put on that length on the wire. Then cut it with a gardeners pruners as you staple it on.

If you cut individual pieces and then put in on the wire you will find it harder to push.

Hope the above makes sense. If not I will try again!!!

Good insul tube and proper eggs are a bit more expensive but well worth it for a permanent fence.

Still need a few of the large staples for barbed wire ie to keep wire at correct height on strainer when pulling as its easier to get the barbs through a large staple.
Have a homemade sheepwire pullers somewhat like you described here for years.Lenght of angle drilled with 8 holes and two bars with a ring welded on to allow it to be pulled with tractor.
Grand job unless sheepwire ends in a corner where its impossible to pull with tractor(or if all fails push with puller on loader)
In that case use a centre puller.Basically staple wire to both ends,cut it in the middle.Then two bars which grip the wire either side and two hayes type pullers on long chains (12ft I think)Pull wire tight,put on gripples and use gripple puller to take up the slack between the two bars.Handy job.Think its New Zealand made.Have it years and know it was expensive enough at the time.

Aravo

AntrimGlens wrote:

Does this puller you made pull all rows of sheep wire together or just one row at a time? I'm finding that the sheep wire i'm using at the minute after i tighten and staple the top strand and then move down to tighten the bottom strand that the top strand can often go a bit loose. It's probably a bit due to uneven terrain, but i don't remember this happening me with older type wire. I did make up a puller to hold all the sheep wire in one go out of two bits of wood clamped and bolted together, but it took a serious time to open and close and had to strain it from the tractor weights.

I'd love to see a pic of your invention (unless its patent pending)

All rows of the sheepwire pulled together at the one time.
Will take a pic and see if I can send it.

SuperTortoise

Regarding the wire slackening when letting off the strainer:

The way i do it is i wrap the wire 3/4 the way around the straining post, tapping the wire into the post all the way around, then use a claw hammer/crowbar to take up any slack using the strainer as a lever, drive home a staple, walk off the haynes strainer and tie the loose end back onto itself. You will leave no slack in the wire.
If putting up multiple lines then you should tie at lease one line opposite to the others, so tie the middle line clockwise around the strainer and the lines above and below it anti-clockwise around the strainer, this prevents the strainer rotating in the hole and losing all tension in the wire.

MfMan

Anyone use a cable puller to tighten wire? How does it compare to Hayes strainer?

SuperTortoise

MfMan wrote: »

Anyone use a cable puller to tighten wire? How does it compare to Hayes strainer?

Used it once or twice, no reason why it can't be made to work, i just found it a bit fiddly, when you spend years doing it one way with a hayes , it's hard to come around to doing it different.

croot

MfMan wrote: »

Anyone use a cable puller to tighten wire? How does it compare to Hayes strainer?

Yes. I have always done it with one. Works no bother. I tie it to the front loader with a rope that will give before the wire if you strain too much. No loosening the strainer either because you are not pulling from it.

MfMan

croot wrote: »

Yes. I have always done it with one. Works no bother. I tie it to the front loader with a rope that will give before the wire if you strain too much. No loosening the strainer either because you are not pulling from it.

Ya, it's what I always use also. Downside is you need a bit of working space the straining side of the post, not so easy when you're tight to a wall or ditch.

patsy_mccabe

Well I got around to using it at last. Works great in fairness, once I figured out how to use it.

Muckit

Fair playa! Better it'll get as it frees out! Some lads even take off the spring between jaws. A pair of gloves are handy too to avoid pinches!

patsy_mccabe

Ya, my gloves kept getting pinched in it. It's safer too. No worries about barb wire flying and catching someone in the face.

SuperTortoise

The spring came off of my one years ago. Never bothered to replace it.

Forgot to say last time, a flathead screwdriver comes in handy for twisting the chain, sometimes the wire will twist as it's being pulled and it'll twist the chain with it making it hard work to get the claw of the strainer to seat into the chain links.

Aravo

Home made version

Say my name

Aravo wrote: »

Home made version

Nice job.

The only potential fault I can see might be that hook clasp holding the three chains together. It could be the weakest link so to speak.
I'd say you'll probably have to put a solid ring in and weld it closed.

Aravo

I made that about 10yrs ago. Has been in use since.
The Hayes strainer is used to tighten. Not a tractor or digger that some might be tempted to use. That hook is weighted to a number of tonne. But your right it's taking a lot of pressure. Might add another thing there. Total cost of that, few bits of chain, welding rods, few nuts and bolts