How big a post for a 12 foot gate?

[GrumpyJoe]

Got one **** of a project coming up soon. 3100 foot of fence! Few 12 ft. gates and some smaller. Was wondering what you guys think would be acceptable for corner post and can also handle those 12 ft gates. Was thinking about using 5 in posts every 3rd with T-post every 10 ft in between. Then not sure about the rest. Can ya help a brotha out? Not holding livestock in just dogs. The fencing is going to be Red Brand field fence. Thanks guys.

 

[dusty3030]

My longest gate is 14 foot but it is light. We use 6x6 treated posts for corner posts / gate posts. A few of our fences have cross ties as corner posts just because we had a pile of them to use up and they were in good shape. We use 4x4 or 5" rounds in our fence runs with T posts in between each. Red Brand no climb horse fence with one strand of barbed wire on top.
They hold up well.

 

[Fawken]

Sounds like the guy next door to me, but I'm guessing you don't speak English as a "second language?" He's using the same spacing as you mentioned, but he is using the free guard-rail posts (16" diameter) he brought out here in the wee hours of the morning about 8 months ago. Maybe helluva will get by the robo-censor.

 

[dusty3030]

Here is another, I browsed through my phone to see what pics I could find.

 

[dusty3030]

My neighbor used cross ties as fence posts with T post in between. It was overkill but he never chased loose cattle!
He had a mountain of them left over that he would give us and he burned up all the broken up ones. That fire I am sure you could see from outer space.
We used them as a border for a playground we built and for a parking pad as well.

 

[bcp]

I got tires of replacing wooden posts so I switched to galvanized steel chain link style 2 3/8in corner and intermediate brace posts set in concrete. Two 12 ft gates use them with no problems.

Bruce

 

[oosik]

I have 2.5 miles of barb wire fence - 4 strands. I use 133 T-posts set every 14 feet. My corners are rock gabions - 4'x4'x4'. My gates are anchored with 9"x9"x 10' creasote treated railroad ties. My gates are 16' tubular steel frame with heavy wire mesh interior - about 75 pounds each. The fencing and gates were installed in '83 and are in good condition today. I check the fence lines 2x annually and do repairs as necessary.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I believe we use 4" line posts and 8" corner posts with a brace post and corner tie wire. Usually space the line posts out 25' for 5 strand high tensile. Usually try and get the gate to pull against the line pull of the wire so that they balance each other. We still brace every end post or corner post though.

 

[MH8675309]

I use old utility posts about 10" in diameter and buried 5 feet down. Brace with a 6" post 7 or 8 feet away. Notch the tops of each post large enough to accept a treated 4 x 4 cut to length. Toe nail the brace in with 16 penny nails. Try to keep this reasonably level or it will look like "who did it and ran". Run a tightening wire (typically number 9 wire but barbed wire will do) from near the top of the 6" post on a diagonal to near the bottom of the 10" post. Take a straight piece of hardwood branch about 18" long or even a sawn off handle and stick it in between the strands. Turn this - tightening the wire with each turn there by creating tension on the diagonal strands of wire. When it is tight position it so that it is stopped from unraveling by the top brace. Keep it in place with a 16 penny nail. Make sure you pack the dirt in good around these posts especially the corner or in time it will work its way up and out of the hole and in time you'll notice a corner post that's way too tall.

 

[Stimw]

Here is a 14' gate I put in back in march. The posts are 6-8" treated and I buried them 4'.
I have another double 12' gate with old power poles set 4' deep that has been up for 15 years with no other support.

 

[JerryK]

I just put in two 10' gates using 3" rigid conduit [ galvanized pipe ]. I am old enough to have replaced some of those last forever wood posts... plus, being a has been electrician... only seemed right.

 

[ustmd]

Got one **** of a project coming up soon. 3100 foot of fence! Few 12 ft. gates and some smaller. Was wondering what you guys think would be acceptable for corner post and can also handle those 12 ft gates. Was thinking about using 5 in posts every 3rd with T-post every 10 ft in between. Then not sure about the rest. Can ya help a brotha out? Not holding livestock in just dogs. The fencing is going to be Red Brand field fence. Thanks guys.

If I am reading this right, you are talking about putting a wood post every 30ft which is overkill. If you want to do the absolute minimum, get a get a good double H brace at the start and get a good stretch, you should be able to go the entire 330' of a roll without another wood post.

 

[GrumpyJoe]

I would love to do it that way. But I'm not going in a straight line. I will be following a tree line most of the way. And the land isn't very level. There are some areas where I might be able to that. But not many. Thanks any way.

 

[rutwad]

It seams that I once read you can place your wood post at 100' intervals and T-posts at 20' or 25'.

As for the gate, we have hung 8' tall 14' gates on 6x6" pressure treated post. But we do put a horizontal 4x6" and a 45 degree 4x6" over to another 6x6" post.

I would personally stay away from cross-ties. I've seen too many rot before too long.

 

[Old Junk Man]

Ideally I like to use the largest post I can for gates and corner post. I prefer to use a large living tree. I have lots of red cedar and commonly use a 10 diameter cedar. Ive got a WWII drill mounted on a trailer that's powered by a tractor PTO. it can drill a 18 ft deep hole if you don't hit rock. it has two bits a 14 inch and a 22 inch. Reciently I bought at auction a couple hundred brand new galvanized post like they put road signs on. if you drive them deep and add a angled brace they are pretty substantial. the T post are brittle and a bull can break them off. I use old car hood springs to hold tension on the high tensle barb wire when using trees for stretch post. That way when the wind blows the wire doesn't break. and when the weather gets very hot or very cold the barb stays tight. around the yard At my house I have chain link fence some 4 ft and some 6ft with the required hardware. It holds the deer goats,chickens & dogs Ok. It wont hold cattle. you have to run some electric wire along side it to hold cattle. Also you can greatly extend the life of wood post by sawing the tops of at a steep angle or better yet install a metal cap. old roofing metal or anything to keep the water from soaking in.