Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts

   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts #1  

banjopkr

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Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
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Location
Washington, The Gorge
Tractor
Kubota L3400
Need your opinion/experience on fence post materials. The question is to use entierly metal t-posts, or a combo of treated peeler cores and t-posts.
We're in the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. Fortunately very little rock (so far )
Some say we need the wood for the strength. Some say the wood will just rot off. Though the thought of buying a post hole driller is tempting, but, we can just push in the t-posts with our bucket.
We're fencing for a horse. 48" no-climb with an electric strand on top.
What do you think?
Thanks
 
   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts #2  
Use a combination of wood and T-posts. Set wood H braces every 100 to 150feet with T-posts in between. You pull your wire against and hold it tight with the H-braces. The T-posts simply hold up the fencing and keep it from sagging. Be sure you buy T-posts that are long enough to accomodate the no-climb fencing and the electric on top. I'd guess 7 footers.
Check out the TSC Website. It has a decent fence calculator that may be helpful to you. Tractor Supply Company - Fencing Calculator
Let know how your project is going.
 
   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks for the info.
Any trouble with the wood posts rotting off?
 
   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts #4  
banjopkr said:
Thanks for the info.
Any trouble with the wood posts rotting off?

I've done it w/ metal, wood, and a combo. Weldingisfun nailed it. The tension posts spaced 150 will do the trick. I'm not sure how long you are planning to be around, but treated wood posts in concrete will last a long time.
 
   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Some folks do 2 t-posts then a wood post and so on down the line. Do you see any advantage in that?
Thanks
 
   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts #6  
banjopkr said:
Some folks do 2 t-posts then a wood post and so on down the line. Do you see any advantage in that?
Thanks


It is overkill. Especially for horses who will quickly discover the hot wire. It will be a lot cheaper and be a great fence if you use the tension posts spaced out. That being said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder....you should build a fence you like.
 
   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts #7  
Here's some barbed wire fence we just put up. Notice the H-brace wood posts at the end of the fence.

T-posts by themselves will not hold up to livestock, especially horses. The electric fence will help keep the horses off the fence but won't help if a horse gets spooked and tries to run through the fence. Put H-braces every 100 to 150 feet. Space your T-posts 12 feet apart. You can put about 4 T-posts in a row, then you'll need a wood post, then 4 more T-posts, a wood post, etc. In this scenario, the wooden post should be set in a 2 ft deep post hole that you dig, put the post in the hole, then tamp in dirt around the pole. You don't have to have concrete unless your soil is real soft. My dad's farm holds about 90 cattle with fencing I've described.

Another alternative is to alternate T-posts with small wooden posts that you drive in the ground with a manual post driver. This method is faster than digging post holes and tamping dirt around the posts. However, fences we've put up this way tend to have problems leaning as the posts get loose from frost heave and livestock leaning against them.

Obed
 

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   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Ok, Obed's pictures reminded me of another question. One reference said on hilly ground, which we have, to set the posts at a 90 to the hill. Though this makes sence, I've never seen it done and think it would look crazy.
How does the net fence follow the contour of the land? We thought of putting an H brace at the crest of the hill and stretching it in sections to contour with the hill.
 
   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts #9  
banjopkr said:
Ok, Obed's pictures reminded me of another question. One reference said on hilly ground, which we have, to set the posts at a 90 to the hill. Though this makes sence, I've never seen it done and think it would look crazy.
How does the net fence follow the contour of the land? We thought of putting an H brace at the crest of the hill and stretching it in sections to contour with the hill.
That is what you'll have to do. The contours of the hills will determine how well the fencing will conform. It is a guarantee that it will not be as tight at the bottom as it is at the top. That is just someting you will have to accept.
 
   / Fencing question: Wood posts vs Metal t-posts #10  
Banjo, I'm not that far from you so conditions are likely similar. Treated pealer core posts should last you 10-15 yrs depending upon dia. That is the kind of life I'm seeing. WHen they go it is typ at ground level and below.

From the Willamette valley.
 
 
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