Best fence options

[jmfox]

I'm also building a fence around 10 acres of land, primarily to let dogs run off leash. This is not the invisible type, but the tall and sturdy to possibly contain horses also. I would like to keep it deer friendly, economical and easily installed. I will be doing it myself and wondering what equipment/attachment is best. I have an ASV80.

jmf

[zzvyb6]

I did this with wood landscape timbers at 10' spacing and a woven wire fence with graduated vertical wire spacing. Keep the narrow slats at the bottom.

That being said, you will need a pto powered post hole digger, a shovel, a tamper, fence staples, a fence pliers, a fence stretcher, gates, a drill to install gate hinge pins and some brace wire. I took a roll of string, set it in loops to produce the 10' spacing, spray painted the multiple loops, then strung it around the property. I sprayed the ground where the paint marks were. Then drilled all the holes at once. Poles set, wire started, stretched, stapled and braced.

It may take you a day to run 1 roll of wire (330'), but the next day after you will do twice as much by working smarter. Then you will finish the 10 acres on the 4th day. Plan out your gate locations and set them first. For dogs, you need to run the wire close to the ground. Otherwise they may try to crawl or dig under it. For horses, I set the wire about 6" off the ground so they wouldn't get their hooves caught in it. Deer will jump this type of fence with ease.

I would not recommend setting posts in gravel, concrete or worry about exact post spacing. The dogs, horses and deer will not complain about this, and the extra work is cost in time and material. Don't splice the wire ends together. Just overlap at the closest post. Plan a head so that Martha Stuart doesn't notice. The treated landscape timbers are cheaper if you buy by the pallet, so plan ahead. Use Google Earth to measure the fence perimeter length. Its pretty accurate. I use a pipe attached to my loader bucket to carry the roll of wire while its being unrolled. That's the only troublesome task as far as I'm concerned. Have done 25 acres this way over the years.

[Aquaman]

TONS of great info in that last post, ZZ. Thank you from all of us poor schmucks that have to build fence this summer!!

[tallyho8]

I am in South Louisiana where the water table is high and fence posts will always be in wet ground. The landscape timbers sold here are all rated for above-ground usage and will rot out in 3 years if used for fence posts. I use 2 or 3" round treated fence posts sold at the feed store that are more heavily treated and rated for in-ground usage. They are about the same price which is a lot cheaper than 4x4s which would be better but more expensive.

Depending on the soil conditions in your area it may not be advisable to use landscape timbers.

[flusher]

Originally Posted by jmfox

I'm also building a fence around 10 acres of land, primarily to let dogs run off leash. This is not the invisible type, but the tall and sturdy to possibly contain horses also. I would like to keep it deer friendly, economical and easily installed. I will be doing it myself and wondering what equipment/attachment is best. I have an ASV80.

jmf

I have 10 acres, perfectly square, 1 furlong (660 ft) per side. Next year I plan to install new fencing. I'm leaning to an all metal design-T-posts, 4-ft high farm fence, H-braces from salvaged 4" dia steel pipe. Fortunately I have a corner parcel so I only have 2 furlongs (1320 ft) of fence to install. The South and West fences belong to my neighbors.

[MtnViewRanch]

Originally Posted by flusher

I have 10 acres, perfectly square, 1 furlong (660 ft) per side. Next year I plan to install new fencing. I'm leaning to an all metal design-T-posts, 4-ft high farm fence, H-braces from salvaged 4" dia steel pipe. Fortunately I have a corner parcel so I only have 2 furlongs (1320 ft) of fence to install. The South and West fences belong to my neighbors.

So you want a fence similar to this.

[jmfox]

Great details from the been there done that people. What kind of cost should I expect to pay for woven wire fence and timbers?

jmf

[MtnViewRanch]

Originally Posted by jmfox

Great details from the been there done that people. What kind of cost should I expect to pay for woven wire fence and timbers?

jmf

Sorry, don't remember the prices. What I do remember is 5280' of wire and 600 T posts.

[Soundguy]

Economical = metal tpost and wood corenr posts and H braces or L braces.

I just did my 10ac a while back.

Pop corners in and brace, and then drop a H brace every so often.. 100-150' or so.. I used 20' spacing on my t-post.

Woven Field wire with a optional top strand of barb wire. some people don't like field wire for horses.. some do.. your choice. Field wire is strong, and economical. Next choice is 2x4 welded wire.. not as strong.. but 'safer' for horses.. but.. again.. not as strong. up from there is 2x4 woven wire.. strong and horse friendly.. but not wallet friendly.

I used barb wire 4 strands onmine.. but had no dogs to contain Tpost and wire hold in mules and cows.. so any of the wires i mentioned should be ok for your application.

Buy a fence stretch rig, and a set of PHD's.. and your wood corner posts. i reccomend the large 6-8x8 corners.. and braces can be 5-7 and peeler posts.... get some fence staples, and a good set of fence pliers.. a post pounder, and some twine to pull your line.. drive the truck down the line and have a helper toss out tpost ever 20' down the line.. One of you start pounding int he t-post while the other does the corner and brace holes. I like to 'bias' my corner posts leaning away from the fence pull.

You and a helper should be able to drop in a couple thosand foot of fence on a clear line a day easy. IE.. this can be a 2 day project at most for a gate and a rectangular fenceline with no clearing.. just digging, pounding unrolling and stretching.. etc. Then go back and clip the wire to the posts.. etc.

plan your gates WELL.

soundguy

[zzvyb6]

The man said 'possibly horses'. I'd never use T posts for horses because they learn how to walk them down and if they jump up to chase a fly, they will get punctured. T posts will need to be electrified for horses. That 10 acres of WORKING electric fence.

Barbed wire never stopped a horse until its too late. If you ever board other's horses, they will probably reneg when they see the wire. My treated landscape timbers have lasted 15+ years, even the ones in the swamp. New pallets I just purchased to run some lanes in my fields went for $1.50 a piece from Lowes last fall. That's a lot cheaper than 4x4's or 6' cedar, You set the landscape timber so the strong side is out, not sideways. (Yes, I've seen the geneous side of civilization).