Wire Fence unroller, does it exist?

[EddieWalker]

My projects around the land revolve on what my wife feels needs to get done first. Recently coyotes have become super aggressive at killing our chickens and she has decided that it's time to start fencing in more of the land.

I've been looking for a dolly type fence unroller that I can pull by hand that will allow the 4 foot horse fence to unroll as I go. I've found one made my Tarter that goes on the back of a tractor, but I don't want that. The closest that I've been able to find is this trailer dolly.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200695290_200695290

I thought about modifying it so I can put a roll of horse fence over a post and pull it, but was hoping for something out there that is already built to do this. Unfortunately, I've failed at finding what I'm wanting by searching online. Does it exist?

If it doesn't exist, I might make one, but I would prefer to buy it if it's reasonably priced.

 

[jcummins]

Probably wayyyyy expensive, but so you'll know..... Fence Fast LTD

 

[raptorterry]

Are you not wanting one that attaches to a 3 point because of the price or you dont have a tractor? I, myself, have a bad back and if I can get my machine to do most of the heavy work, I'll go that route.

CountyLine Wire Fence Stretcher at Tractor Supply Co.
CountyLine Wire Fence Stretcher at Tractor Supply Co.

 

[raptorterry]

You could also use high speed lead as a deturrant.

 

[jcummins]

You could also use high speed lead as a deturrant.

There you go.....Like the idea of putting money into a thermal imaging scope versus a fence unroller.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

A 200' roll of 2x4 horse fence is 236 pounds according to the Kencove website. Those rolls are a pain to move around, and when they're on end they're very tippy. I don't see how you could put one on a cart and not have it tip over without a couple hundred pounds of ballast in the base. That sounds like a lot to pull around by hand.

I have the Tarter one. It's not quite exactly the way I would have done it but it works reasonably well. It's usefulness is in moving those **** rolls around as much as unrolling them. If I can't use the unroller I use the FEL to put the roll where I need it then unroll on the ground.

 

[bcp]

Make one using this pattern, but lighter, and with a pulling handle instead of a 3pt hitch.

A wide, U-shaped frame, axle, and handle.

Fence Unroller Build (Part 3 of 3) - YouTube

Like this, but wider.



Bruce

 

[Diggin It]

I'd be wondering about pulling that weight and keeping the fence roll tight enough. Do you have anything else to pull a small trailer with? LT, GT, ATV, etc.? If so, you might be able to adapt a small, low trailer like a two wheel car towing dolly.

 

[zzvyb6]

I bolted a piece of 2" water pipe onto the sidewall of my loader bucket to serve this purpose. I use an old traffic sign with a hole in it for a base to let the wire roll unravel freely. To load the wire roll, just curl the bucket forward and stab it in. Once the posts are in, I anchor one end and just keep traveling ! I have found it more convenient to back away from the fixed end rather than go forward.

When done, unbolt the pipe and finish the stapling. I tried using the tractor to tighten the wire once: not recommended. The corner post broke and the wire + broken post came flying towards me. A conventional ratchet stretcher is all you really need. This method works nice for barbed wire, too. It's a lot friendlier on my leather gloves.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

If you look at the Tarter unroller, the bottom is only about 1/8" thick so the bottom of the roll sits basically on the ground. This means you don't have to lift that 200+ pound roll onto the unroller, you roll it over and stand it up. It also means you can fasten the fence to the post with the unroller close to the post. If the unroller is off the ground you have to get some slack in the fence in order to get the bottom fastened to the post snug against the ground. If the unroller is horizontal it's even worse, you have to have enough slack to take the fence through a 90-degree rotation. If you're trying to keep out coyotes you're going to want the fence snug against the ground at the bottom.

With a 3-point hitch it's easy to raise and lower it, so you can put it down on the ground to fasten one end, then lift it to drive to the other end, and then lower it while you tension and tie. I don't know how you get that functionality on a hand-drawn cart. Maybe a foot lever to raise and lower the roll?

 

[raptorterry]

A good fence should be horse high, bull strong and hog tight—and for goats, water tight as well. Coyotes, being a dog, are going to be pretty Wiley.

 

[oosik]

Eddie - I don't want to be a turd in your oatmeal but - you don't expect a four foot high mesh fence to stop a coyote, do you? I've witnessed several climb right up and over an eight foot high deer fence. The deer fence was HD 4" mesh.

 

[QRTRHRS]

For tensioning woven wire, you can buy those two piece clamps from TSC or Kencove or you can what I do for cheap. Two 2x4's screwed together squeezing the wire with eye bolts or something to pull on. Quick enough to secure with an impact driver and better than one more one time tool sitting in the shed.

 

[EddieWalker]

Are you not wanting one that attaches to a 3 point because of the price or you dont have a tractor? I, myself, have a bad back and if I can get my machine to do most of the heavy work, I'll go that route.

I like to keep my bush hog attached to my tractor. If I was doing all the fence at once, then the 3 point option makes sense to me, but I'm going to do three rolls fairly soon, and then the rest of the land as time allows, which means a roll or two one weekend, then maybe nothing for another month or two, or maybe more fencing the following weekend. I don't want to be attaching and attaching stuff from my tractor.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'd be wondering about pulling that weight and keeping the fence roll tight enough. Do you have anything else to pull a small trailer with? LT, GT, ATV, etc.? If so, you might be able to adapt a small, low trailer like a two wheel car towing dolly.

In the past I've used a hand truck to get the wire where I want it. I was thinking that if I had something with a pole in the middle of the wire to keep it in place, that would be even better.

I'm also considering a dedicated trailer that I can pull it behind my Mule or even my truck. I saw a few that people have built and it looks simple enough.

Another options is to buy a quick attach plate and weld up something that will do all the lifting, and then drive backwards to unroll it.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie - I don't want to be a turd in your oatmeal but - you don't expect a four foot high mesh fence to stop a coyote, do you? I've witnessed several climb right up and over an eight foot high deer fence. The deer fence was HD 4" mesh.

No fence is 100%, but where I have existing fence, I don't have anything dying. It's this area between my house, my fenced in pasture and the chicken coop that is wide open that I want to close off. If the problem continues after the fence is built, I'll had a hot wire. I've seen how good that works. It's very satisfying seeing a coyote get zapped and scream as it runs away.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Sorry about your chickens. We let ours free range during the day, and we have lost some to dogs and I believe to an owl. The chickens' coop is inside a covered, 10 x 10 dog kennel. They will migrate into the kennel at dusk, and we go close the gate to the kennel. 30 minutes later they'll be in the coop and we go close the doors on that. I built it with no cracks bigger than 1/8" to keep out snakes, but the snakes go in there during the day to get the eggs. Also have to watch out for hawks.

 

[cqaigy2]

A good fence should be horse high, bull strong and hog tight—and for goats, water tight as well. Coyotes, being a dog, are going to be pretty Wiley.

+2 on goat water tight fencing.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

In the past I've used a hand truck to get the wire where I want it. I was thinking that if I had something with a pole in the middle of the wire to keep it in place, that would be even better.

I'm also considering a dedicated trailer that I can pull it behind my Mule or even my truck. I saw a few that people have built and it looks simple enough.

Another options is to buy a quick attach plate and weld up something that will do all the lifting, and then drive backwards to unroll it.

I hadn't thought about a hand truck but I think that's on the right track. Just need to figure out a way to put a rod through the roll so it can unroll without being pulled off the cart. The way the Tarter unroller works is there is a hole in the bottom plate and a bracket on the top. You put the roll onto the bottom plate, then drop the rod through the top bracket, the roll, and into the bottom hole.

The question is whether it will unroll with a reasonable amount of effort. The rod not being vertical when you tilt it back may be a problem.