Building a 4 rail fence and need some help please..

[SteelDust]

I went with the Rammfence and am pretty happy with it. When I considered that wood was actually more expensive, my horses are beavers, wood would take far longer to install, and required a lot more upkeep, it was an easy decision for me.

I hung it on 4-5" rounds, driven 3 feet deep with a post driver. One thing with the Rammfence, design your corners strong, then go back and make them stronger. When you tighten it up, there is a huge amount of tension there. I ended up having to go back and redo mine. Posts were painted with an acrylic black paint. It's been up for 5 years now, and other than being dirty, still looks new. I've got just over 1000 feet of it total. The whole install took 2 weekends, with 4 of us. One weekend to drive all the posts, and another to hang all the fence. The ringshank "spikes" that Ramm supplies aren't backing out anytime soon.

Anyone considering 4x4x8's as posts, ensure that they are ground contact rated, treated by itself isn't good enough.

 

[mark.r]

Mark
Check at Riverbend Sawmill the next time you need fence boards. They had better prices then TSC. They are on Cochran Mill Rd on Goose creek past the quarry. Your place looks Great.
Rick

You know, I am going to check with them on this next batch of fence board. It will be my largest one time buy so the cheapest price will help. My boarder get sawdust for stalls there.

This is the section we are doing now to split the front pasture. We started at again Sunday but only got 4 post in the ground. I'm hoping it was because the tip my PD65 is simply to worn to do the business. I replaced the cutting edges but I'm thinking that they are not even making contact with the soil because the "bit" is so worn it' not pulling the auger into the ground. I am calling and ordering a new one this morning. We just called it a day until I can get it replaced.

 

[ldabe]

Mark,

Enjoyed the "On The Farm" pictorial tour. Thanks for posting.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I used Centaur for a couple of small paddocks for our stallions and our arena at our last farm. The arena was the most obvious in terms of visual change for judging fencing.

The 125x250 arena was excavated out of a hillside so the posts on the long north side had to be drilled into hardpan. Though I had the contractor vibratory roll the earth as it was moved, I used ten foot posts on the excavated areas, five foot in the ground and five feet out.

I used double H braces on all corners and at both ends for gates. The end towards the main barn had a 20' wide opening. I used four rows of Centaur.

Over the six years we had that arena, the gate openings grew wider. You know how gates come in lengths just slightly shorter than say ten feet like 9' 6 or 8 inches? I had to seek out gates that were more true to an exact ten feet.

My other problem with the Centaur was the stapled post twisting. Centaur's manual advises you to wrap the fencing roughly 3/4 around the post then staple the stripped back wires to the post. The tension would tend to twist the post out of alignment with the brace. Granted, I used no concrete in my install.

Other than that, I like that fence. I consider it the one of the safest for horses especially now that you can buy it with a conductor. Once installed maintenance is minimal.

The property we purchased in February has a long run of three rail plastic fence along the driveway. Looks pretty but that is where it stops. In order to set up a paddock for my one stallion, I am backing that fence with some of that wire rope to keep him off. We want to fence in the other side so I think I am going to use Centaur to keep it visually close to the plastic fence yet safe for horses.

I was doing some thinking about using 4x4's from Lowes for fencing. First off, they are selling ACQ treated lumber. You can still buy CCA treated posts. I happen to live about an hour or so away from a plant that treats yellow pine and they will sell you both round or dimensional posts.

I admit that I do not know that much about ACQ treated wood save for the fact that the high concentration of copper eats metal fasteners. I suggest reading the label before you purchase. I bet they do not sell ground contact.

 

[mark.r]

Mark,

Enjoyed the "On The Farm" pictorial tour. Thanks for posting.

No problem . . . although I am WAY behind. I have a bunch of pictures/updates that I have yet to post. I keep telling myself "I'll get to it" but can never seem to find the time. Soon I hope.

 

[blueriver]

What brand did you go with...

Seems horse people either love or hate vinyl where I am...

I didn't know there was a brand ... I went to the local lumber yard, asked for three rail vinyl.

I got the post with pre cut slots and the rails were 16' and the hardest was you need to be real close with the 8' O.C. cause you are using 16' material. I used poly baler twine, stretched it the full 1/4 mile. Every 100' I put in a t-post set the poly twine to the height I wanted the top rail. Layed out 32' at a time marked the holes and drilled. When I put the post in I used a rubber mallet to set the depth to the line put in 1 bag of concrete and moved on.

I have had it 4 years, problem free until this year. We got a little dry and the cows wanted to reach thru for the grass on the other side. Thats when I bought the extenders, screwed them to the vinyl post and ran a hot wire. Cured that problem!

If you like I can post a picture. 4 years ago the 1/4 mile cost me right at $5900, I don't know what it would be today.

 

[ultrarunner]

If you like I can post a picture. 4 years ago the 1/4 mile cost me right at $5900, I don't know what it would be today.[/QUOTE]

Pictures would be great... thanks for the info!

I don't have a flat spot anywhere along my property lines and getting all the posts just right with plastic may be a challenge.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

No problem . . . although I am WAY behind. I have a bunch of pictures/updates that I have yet to post. I keep telling myself "I'll get to it" but can never seem to find the time. Soon I hope.

Your place along route 15?

 

[mark.r]

Your place along route 15?

Yes, and ironically we just finished the "unfinished" fence I posted earlier this past weekend. It came out REALLY nice. And as Ranger Rick noted the rough cut 16' footers from the saw mill are MUCH cheaper to the tune of 2/board the TSC. They had just been cut the day before. I put up a picture or two later.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Yes, and ironically we just finished the "unfinished" fence I posted earlier this past weekend. It came out REALLY nice. And as Ranger Rick noted the rough cut 16' footers from the saw mill are MUCH cheaper to the tune of 2/board the TSC. They had just been cut the day before. I put up a picture or two later.

thought so, I go by you all the time. thought that new fence looked familiar.
I'll have to check out that sawmill sometime, I want to build some board fence, but just ain't got the time right now.