Barbwire fence wood posts or tposts?

[texasjohn]

Yep, you got fences that will last.

 

[crackerjack222]

I have been doing something similar to TexasMark except when I set a pipe post in concrete it is 2 7/8" for gate posts or 2 3/8" for line posts or H brace; and I put it in a hole 8"x48" deep filled with concrete. The last fence I built, I had a guy come in and use a tractor mounted post pounder (Blackcat Fence Post Driver | Fence Post Driver System for Tractors Skid steer) to install the gate posts and H brace posts (still 2/ 7/8 or 2 3/8 pipe). I used galvanized 6.5' T's and 5" x 8' cedar on 10' centers, four t's to one cedar, five wire Gaucho.
The pipe posts he pounded in were cut 10' and put 5' in the ground. Remains to be seen if the pounded posts will hold up as well as the cemented posts. If they do, I would sure like to have one of those pounders.

 

[Texasmark]

I have been doing something similar to TexasMark except when I set a pipe post in concrete it is 2 7/8" for gate posts or 2 3/8" for line posts or H brace; and I put it in a hole 8"x48" deep filled with concrete. The last fence I built, I had a guy come in and use a tractor mounted post pounder (Blackcat Fence Post Driver | Fence Post Driver System for Tractors Skid steer) to install the gate posts and H brace posts (still 2/ 7/8 or 2 3/8 pipe). I used galvanized 6.5' T's and 5" x 8' cedar on 10' centers, four t's to one cedar, five wire Gaucho.
The pipe posts he pounded in were cut 10' and put 5' in the ground. Remains to be seen if the pounded posts will hold up as well as the cemented posts. If they do, I would sure like to have one of those pounders.

Agree on the larger post for gates. Agree 2 3/8 is marginal for corners in that if you put the wire on really tight and look closely, you can see a bit of a bend to the post with a solid concrete footing. Problem for me was the difference in cost and Gates were already installed in an older wood fence.

Agree too on the Gaucho wire 15 1/2 GA. high tensile wire......made in Arkansas. It works differently than soft drawn 12ga wire in that it doesn't stretch. When you get her tight she stays there. But the big difference for me was how long the galvanized/zinc coating lasts. About 4 years ago I removed some rotten wood posts and replaced with steel. The fence had been up over 20 years. I didn't have to install new wire as the coating on the existing wire was still perfect; no rust anywhere. So I just laid the wire to the side, did the post work and put it back.

Being smaller in diameter, the rolls are lighter and easier to carry. The barbs are almost razor sharp to the point where I can't get near it without drawing blood. Cows respect the 2 barb just fine so you don't have to go the added expense of 4 barb.......oh and the best part, it's cheaper, probably due to the smaller quantity of steel. On the coating resilience, the chemicals they add to make it high tensile may help the wire to resist iron oxidation.

Am I sold on it????????? Naw. Grin

Mark

 

[Soundguy]

As a side note, just tossing this out.

Some people don't want / need fences that last.

My pasture fences are tpost for that reason. I will eventually be doing some building ont hat property.. but have it subdivided into paddocks for now, and those paddocks will change when I build there.. so no need to make it permanent since I will be pulling it all up later. I know some other people that do temp fencing like that. etc.

 

[BHD]

Agree too on the Gaucho wire 15 1/2 GA. high tensile wire......made in Arkansas. It works differently than soft drawn 12ga wire in that it doesn't stretch. When you get her tight she stays there. But the big difference for me was how long the galvanized/zinc coating lasts. About 4 years ago I removed some rotten wood posts and replaced with steel. The fence had been up over 20 years. I didn't have to install new wire as the coating on the existing wire was still perfect; no rust anywhere. So I just laid the wire to the side, did the post work and put it back.

Mark

may be I am dumber than rock here, but what is the problem if the wire is rusted, and is not breaking,

most of the wire on my fences are 100+ years old, and I do not even know if they ever were galvanize, but as long there not in the dirt, they do not deterate (at least at any speed), I do have a section that needs to be replaced as the wire is brittle but my guess is it has been that way from the beginning of it life, but one has a hard time splicing that section of fence,

but the only wire that is galvanized are the new fences (less than 30 years old), I have even taken some of the better wire my dad rolled up from when the land was totally fenced in, (open range laws), and have reused it in other sections of the fence, (most has so much dirt in the old rolls are no good now, I guess that is what 50-60 years of blowing dirt does),

and for the record I like the new high tensile wire as well, but have only used a mile or so of it, and only been up about a year so far,

 

[Fastowl]

Over the last three years we have replaced nearly 7 miles of 50-60 year old fencing on our place. All have been done using high tensile netting suitable for sheep and goats with a strand of barb wire at the top to reduce cattle from lounging on top of the fence. In some cases we run a barb strand on the bottom of perimeter fence to help reduce critters from going under and may put a strand half way up to discourage cattle from leaning on fence. All of the corners and gates are done with 2 7/8 line pipe and 2 3/8 on the H brace; these were all drilled and set in concrete. T Posts are used along the fence line at 20' spacing and are pounded in. Every 100' a 2 3/8 line pipe is installed by drilling and cementing in place. The USDA has recommendations on fencing if you interested in what they have to say.