Advice on fencing type and installation

[Diggin It]

^^ Have you looked at the pre-fab sections from the big box stores? They're not exactly cheap, but if you do it yourself they may come in less than the $12/LF the contractor wanted.

 

[herm0016]

Was not my first choice but if the cost is significantly less I will certainly consider this approach.




Any idea what the cost per foot is? I'm betting I could do the work my self and go this route and save $5,000 or so even after purchasing a 3pt phd.

The wire is about 350 per 200 feet at tractor supply. posts are about 15 each. I had it installed and it was 8k installed. but our prices for labor are sky high compared to most of the country. 8 ft or longer posts every 8 feet, 2 sacks in each hole and very difficult digging around here. 2 walking gates and a 12 ft ranch gate.

 

[Fuddy1952]

What the fencing company said doesn't make sense because like you said the 3 rail won't keep coyote or dogs out either. Imho I would think you don't have to have just one type of fence everywhere.
If you have a tractor already and time I would consider a PTO digger, do it yourself. I'm installing lots of fence by myself. It's not that hard to do. I'm working on this section now.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I think something no one ever says is that fencing is a maintenance item. I have only seen one fence in my life that was not a maintenance requiring fence and it was to hold elephants in. I guess what I am getting at is that it will require repairs no matter what you use.

 

[Atchuuu]

The wire is about 350 per 200 feet at tractor supply. posts are about 15 each. I had it installed and it was 8k installed. but our prices for labor are sky high compared to most of the country. 8 ft or longer posts every 8 feet, 2 sacks in each hole and very difficult digging around here. 2 walking gates and a 12 ft ranch gate.

How many LF did you install?

What the fencing company said doesn't make sense because like you said the 3 rail won't keep coyote or dogs out either. Imho I would think you don't have to have just one type of fence everywhere.
If you have a tractor already and time I would consider a PTO digger, do it yourself. I'm installing lots of fence by myself. It's not that hard to do. I'm working on this section now.View attachment 579448View attachment 579449View attachment 579450

Great job and nice looking property.

I think something no one ever says is that fencing is a maintenance item. I have only seen one fence in my life that was not a maintenance requiring fence and it was to hold elephants in. I guess what I am getting at is that it will require repairs no matter what you use.

True.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Here's a few more pictures. If you have the time, digger it's not that hard to fence. I made a stretcher, 8ft 2x4 cut in half, four carriage bolts. I did buy a T post driver, $32.
Old fence in foreground I'm taking down.

 

[herm0016]

How many LF did you install?

460 feet

 

[Atchuuu]

460 feet

Wow - That is high. That's $17.50 LF

 

[RUSTBUCKET BRONCO]

That's funny that they said its not a farm fence. Kinda says a lot about them right there. I use to have horses but now its goats. My fence is all electric, Yep the wires are on the inside. I bought my rolls of wire in rolls of 4000' for about $100 a roll. I have 15 acres that the exterior is all 5 strand High tensile electric. All my corners are utility poles that are 4' deep averaging about 12"+ in diameter. The really nice thing about this type of fence is if you put springs on the line it will bounce right back up if a tree or something lands on it. A couple years ago I had a tree do a direct hit on the fence and once I cut it off the fence it just sprang right back in place. Here is a picture of one of my gates That gives you an idea of the general construction.

 

[prof fate]

Fence options...

Wood - you can do PT or green wood. Here you can get raw mill cut maple cheap and on a fence rail it will last decades. Painting means more maintenance...so leave it to weather to a natural gray.

Posts need to be PT or a species that is resistant to rot. Locust is common here and I've got some 40 year old untreated posts still in use. Pt isn't like it was 20 years ago. I've had it rot right in front of me, in less than 5 years.

The fastest way is ot drive them into the ground - you either need a big tractor or rent a skid steer with a post driver. If you have rocky soil you may bust a few going in.

T-posts are good, not as 'pretty', but functional. Will last a long time. They sell power drivers to make putting htem in easier - from the back of pickup is handy.

Wire - Hi-T (hi tensile) is very popular here, and other than adjustting the tension once in a while it's maintenance free. Can be elec or not. Can be bare wire or coated wire. Can be barbed, but nobody here uses barbed wire anymore. Elec is better.

Page-wire (square wire fencing) - it's a ***** to keep the weeds/grass/trees out of it. It's almost always install to the ground and theres' no way to mow or weed whack under it, so you end up spraying weed killer. If anything does grow into it, it really sucks to get it out. Will last a long time. Some folks like it - I detest the maintenance of it.

We have one pasture with t-post and 2 lines of elec fence, and another larger one with 'step in posts' (looks like rebar). Issue we have is deer knocking it down, breaking the insulaters, breaking the wire, etc. Nice thing about the step in posts is the fence is nearly invisible - aesthetically pleasing.

Chain link is similar to page wire in the mower/weed aspect. Here it rusts and to look nice it need spray painted silver (or whatever) every few years. A maintenance issue, unless you like a rusty fence. Personally I think chain link is too urban/industrial for a rural application.

Durability of the fence is a thought - you most along it and whack a post with the deck, weed whack the base of the posts, deer or such hit the fence.
Maintenance - weed killing/mowing, painting, cleaning, etc
Repair - it WILL break - guaranteed. We had a LOT of trees and limbs come down over the past 3 days and our wire fence is cheap and easy to fix. Splice a wire, replant or straighten a post. A wood fence is broken - cost and tools needed to fix, and if the wood is aged the fix won't match. If it's like now, and a painted fence, it won't match till May when it's warm enough to paint again.

Hi-T is VERY hard to break, but if it does it's a good bit of labor to fix as the wires often surround the entire pasture and it takes equipment to tightent the wire on installation.

Chain link - next to me a commercial outfit with a chain link fence..tree wne down on it, the top rail bent badly. DOn't know baout the posts (can't see them). Again, more work to repair.

What are you keeping in or out? Just about everyone will have good or bad stories about a type of fence - horses getting a foot caught, deer (they take down and snap off my neightbors page wire 4x4 PT posts). I've seen them take down chain link fence too.

There is no perfect fence.

 

[HillStreet]

Looking to fence the area shown below. The main purpose of the fence is to keep vehicles/people off the property and for aesthetics. It is not to keep animals in.

Leaning toward a 3 rail wood fence using 4x4 posts and PT wood. I have a handheld auger, am willing to purchase a 3pt PHD if necessary and may even hire it out in order to get the posts driven in. Is this too small of a job to purchase a 3pt PHD? Any idea what it would cost to hire out?

If I did 8' spacing I calculate I would need approximately 94 posts.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

View attachment 578654

View attachment 578657

Buy the PHD, sell it when youæ±*e done.

 

[prof fate]

I do remember measuring and we have just over a MILE of fence...12.50/LF times 5500 feet..$68,000. LOL I think the amish will do the hi-t for like $3/lf or there about - $16,000 is the ball park on the fence - about twice what we had hoped it would be.

Here is one estimate I received for fencing. Hard to believe that the PVC is cheaper than wood. I do not know, at this time, the make or grade of the PVC fencing.

Can't imagine what it costs to fence and cross fence a large horse farm.

PVC- White Vinyl
Furnish and install 710 lf of 3rail PVC white vinyl ranch rail fence with (2) 20
wide double drive gate.
Price is 12.50 per lf 8875.00 with (2) 20' double drive gate (680.00 each) - 1360.00 = 10,350.00 plus tax 716.45 = $10,951.45

Treated Lumber fence
Furnish and install 710 lf of 3 rail ranch rail with all treated lumber, 4" x 6" post set in concrete with (3) 2" x 6" horizontal rails, with all ring shank galvanized nail with(2) 20' double drive gate.
Price is 12.75 per lf - 9052.50 with (2) 20' double drive gate 650.00 -1300.00 = 10,352.50 plus tax 724.68 = $11,077.18

 

[Fuddy1952]

That's funny that they said its not a farm fence. Kinda says a lot about them right there. I use to have horses but now its goats. My fence is all electric, Yep the wires are on the inside. I bought my rolls of wire in rolls of 4000' for about $100 a roll. I have 15 acres that the exterior is all 5 strand High tensile electric. All my corners are utility poles that are 4' deep averaging about 12"+ in diameter. The really nice thing about this type of fence is if you put springs on the line it will bounce right back up if a tree or something lands on it. A couple years ago I had a tree do a direct hit on the fence and once I cut it off the fence it just sprang right back in place. Here is a picture of one of my gates That gives you an idea of the general construction. View attachment 579576

Could you post some more pictures when you get time? That looks fantastic.

 

[RUSTBUCKET BRONCO]

Could you post some more pictures when you get time? That looks fantastic.

This in the very back of the property where the tree fell on the fence. Back here I couldn't get any equipment to so its all step in posts and T posts. At the start of every strand I have a tensioner This is from one side of the property in the winter I'll take some more pictures tonight when I get home

 

[Diggin It]

What are you keeping in or out?

Nothing. Nothing but people that is. It's decorative:

The main purpose of the fence is to keep vehicles/people off the property and for aesthetics. It is not to keep animals in.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Granddad bought his place from a fellow who had 2500 acres. That fellow was well off, never worked. He was amazing, lived in a cabin, no electricity. He had a fire going in fireplace year round his wife cooked on.
The woods were untouched for 1000s years, the chestnut blight killed them off but huge ones were still standing. The fellow had draft horses that were pets.
He would cut huge chestnuts by hand, horses pull them up to one of his barns where he made split rail fences using an adze. He lived like someone in 1800s.
He had miles of well kept trails with split rail fences. I'm so fortunate to have known him as a kid...a time gone past.

 

[Fuddy1952]

View attachment 579590 This in the very back of the property where the tree fell on the fence. Back here I couldn't get any equipment to so its all step in posts and T posts. At the start of every strand I have a tensioner View attachment 579592 This is from one side of the property in the winter I'll take some more pictures tonight when I get home

Thanks. Very nice!

 

[Atchuuu]

Nothing. Nothing but people that is. It's decorative:

At this point I have no animals to keep in or out. Neighboring property is already fenced with T posts and barbed wire on one side. My plan is to fence the front for aesthetics and tie into the neighbors fence. If I decide to have animals I will cross fence with appropriate fencing.

I have called a couple of fence companies and requested a quote similar to the one Rustbucket posted. One said they did not do that type of fencing. The other said they don't do that type of fencing because it isn't profitable for them and they can't cover their overhead doing that type of fencing. Don't know why but I appreciate the honesty.

 

[Fuddy1952]

To me for them not to do it seems like more reason to do it yourself. Maybe just the short section near house with gate do in wood, the rest high tensile. Three strand would probably be ok. A 16ft. gate though.

 

[Atchuuu]

To me for them not to do it seems like more reason to do it yourself. Maybe just the short section near house with gate do in wood, the rest high tensile. Three strand would probably be ok. A 16ft. gate though.

Yes, this is what I am leaning toward now. I went to TSC today and spoke with a very knowledgeable guy. PHD is reasonable enough.

Anyone know if RAMM Fencing is the same as Centaur Fencing? They look the same. In fact, I think some of the photos on both of their sites are the same but it seems like the RAMM fencing is more expensive.