Field fencing vs. utility fencing for garden?

[kubota4me]

Ok gang, you've gave me some great answers.....so many of them that it has contributed to my confusion in some respects. Here's what I've got....

Fence is 140' x 120' 8' high to keep out the high-stepping white tails in Iowa.

2-330' rolls of this.....Fixed Knot Woven Wire 20/96/6 330 ft Roll

I can buy 12' long 6" diameter round green-treated posts to use for corners for $26.79 at Menards. 10' galvanized T posts run me anywhere from $9-$12 a piece. I may use 12' long 4" diameter round green-treated wood posts after every two T posts if I can get away with 4" diameter.

Also, I am planning either 36" or 48" galvanized 2" x 2" hardware cloth to keep out small critters. That will go on the bottom of the high tensile woven. Maybe put a stand of electric fencing right at the top of the hardware cloth to keep out raccoons.

Am I doing ok so far?

And to confuse this mess even more, just for shoots and giggles a guy gave me a quote of about $4000 for an 8' chain link installed which I should probably totally ignore?

 

[tcreeley]

I gave up on chicken wire and orange plastic safety netting to surround a garden- it has to come out each year because the weeds work in and pull it down (could weed wack both sides), and the snow finishes up the job. Now I use steel posts, with 2 fiber glas between them and white tape electric fence - three strands. I use a portable fence charger with solar hook up. It works to keep the deer out. Leave yourself room to get in with a tractor.

 

[Circle W]

Ok gang, you've gave me some great answers.....so many of them that it has contributed to my confusion in some respects. Here's what I've got.... Fence is 140' x 120' 8' high to keep out the high-stepping white tails in Iowa. 2-330' rolls of this.....Fixed Knot Woven Wire 20/96/6 330 ft Roll I can buy 12' long 6" diameter round green-treated posts to use for corners for $26.79 at Menards. 10' galvanized T posts run me anywhere from $9-$12 a piece. I may use 12' long 4" diameter round green-treated wood posts after every two T posts if I can get away with 4" diameter. Also, I am planning either 36" or 48" galvanized 2" x 2" hardware cloth to keep out small critters. That will go on the bottom of the high tensile woven. Maybe put a stand of electric fencing right at the top of the hardware cloth to keep out raccoons. Am I doing ok so far? And to confuse this mess even more, just for shoots and giggles a guy gave me a quote of about $4000 for an 8' chain link installed which I should probably totally ignore?

8' chain link is great. But probably not the most cost effective. But it looks like you've got all the right supplies listed and prices in front of you so I guess it's just personal preference!

 

[DT86]

How many corners are we talking about? I assume 4 with one gate?

 

[kubota4me]

How many corners are we talking about? I assume 4 with one gate?

Rectangle. 2-140' sides and 2-120' sides. 1-10' gate on a 120' side.

 

[DT86]

Ok, according to my calculations with the wire and the posts you are looking at $4.50/ft before labor.

(That is using the $26.79 posts for end posts, line posts and brace posts, with $12 T posts every 8')

~$2850 in materials but that doesn't include brace wire, brace pins, staples, gate or labor.

I may be off a bit but it should be close.

The chain link might not be such a bad deal.

 

[downslope]

Ok, according to my calculations with the wire and the posts you are looking at $4.50/ft before labor.

(That is using the $26.79 posts for end posts, line posts and brace posts, with $12 T posts every 8')

~$2850 in materials but that doesn't include brace wire, brace pins, staples, gate or labor.

I may be off a bit but it should be close.

The chain link might not be such a bad deal.

I think he could save some $$ by not using the $26.79 posts for line posts. just use them for the corners, ends and braces. He doesn't state the cost of the 4" X 12 ft posts, but they would certainly do the job for line posts being 4 ft in the ground, and you could staple right into them and space 15-20 feet apart. The 10 ft tee posts will only be 2 foot in the ground.

By attaching the hardware cloth to the bottom do you think it might eventually damage the coating on the expensive wire and make it rust sooner? I don't know, just a thought.

The gate would have to be a tight mesh also and no gap at the bottom for small animals to get under. Might also want to consider two smaller gate halves (6-8' each) latched in the middle instead of one 10' gate; easier to work with, lighter, less strain on hinges and ends and would give you a slightly wider driveway.

But having someone else do the work is certainly a tempting consideration if one can afford it.

 

[kubota4me]

Ok, according to my calculations with the wire and the posts you are looking at $4.50/ft before labor.

(That is using the $26.79 posts for end posts, line posts and brace posts, with $12 T posts every 8')

~$2850 in materials but that doesn't include brace wire, brace pins, staples, gate or labor.

I may be off a bit but it should be close.

The chain link might not be such a bad deal.

The chain link does sound very tempting.....amortizing it over 4 years.....a little over $1k per year. We expect to grow, can and freeze about 90% of our vegetables and 75% of our fruit. With the time it would take to put a fence up plus having to pay somebody to help, it is very tempting to pull the trigger on chain link. I can't expect somebody to help me put a fence up of that size and not compensate him. I can cover the cost of that fence by shooting 3-4 weddings as a part time wedding photographer.

 

[forgeblast]

Just remember with the hardware cloth along the bottom lets say its 2' high, you will bend 1' over that leaves you 1' of height which lets you go with a smaller roll of field fencing (7' high).