Perimeter fencing pasture

[drumminj]

Thanks for all the responses here from folks. Lots to think about. Looks like I'll do my best to keep straight lines, and will use double 45deg "corners" to ease out the sharp edges.

Just learned from the fencing contractor they use 5" line and corner posts but 6" gate posts. It's easy to spend other people's money, but would y'all be concerned about 5" corner posts, and would you recommend upgrading to 6"?. RedBrand and StayTuff seem to recommend 6"+ corner posts.

 

[EddieWalker]

Here in Tyler Texas, Round Treated 6inch by 8-foot posts are $22 each. 6-in x 8-ft Round Wood Post | Atwoods

How much are you saving by using 5 inch posts?

 

[drumminj]

Here in Tyler Texas, Round Treated 6inch by 8-foot posts are $22 each. 6-in x 8-ft Round Wood Post | Atwoods

How much are you saving by using 5 inch posts?

Funny, I hadn't thought to look at local retailers and hadn't asked the fencing guy. Looking at TractorSupply it's $28 for a 6" and $23 for a 5". So looks to be $5/post give or take.

So probably $100 difference on a $20k fencing project

 

[EddieWalker]

Tractor Supply always seems to be the most expensive place to buy stuff. Lowes and Home Depot also sell posts here. And there are other Hardware stores just out of town that are usually cheaper if I want to drive half an hour. I've found the best prices by going to Facebook Marketplace and putting in a keyword like "post" "fence Post" "treated post" or "round post" and see what shows up. Then click and find out who is selling it. Usually when I find the best price, its listed by somebody working at a smaller Hardware type store that I never knew existed.

Earlier this year I learned about a new store out by the airport that sells 7/16 OSB for $9 while Lowes has it for $16. Their treated 2x6x16's are $4 less then Lowes and their 8 footers are $2 less!!!

 

[drumminj]

Tractor Supply always seems to be the most expensive place to buy stuff. Lowes and Home Depot also sell posts here. And there are other Hardware stores just out of town that are usually cheaper if I want to drive half an hour. I've found the best prices by going to Facebook Marketplace and putting in a keyword like "post" "fence Post" "treated post" or "round post" and see what shows up. Then click and find out who is selling it. Usually when I find the best price, its listed by somebody working at a smaller Hardware type store that I never knew existed.

Earlier this year I learned about a new store out by the airport that sells 7/16 OSB for $9 while Lowes has it for $16. Their treated 2x6x16's are $4 less then Lowes and their 8 footers are $2 less!!!

TS is expensive here as well. Luckily we have an ag co-op a little further up the street that's cheaper for shavings, grass seed, livestock panels, etc. They probably have fence posts too.

We have a metal roof & siding company close by too that sells PT lumber at good prices. Basically a pole barn materials yard. Far better than going to a box retailer.

 

[grsthegreat]

When i did my 10 acre pasture 2 years ago, i checked for non climb at every store near me and in Spokane. Tractor supply had the best prices on the wire. I was surprised. All red brand like the others, but way less money.

 

[JimRB]

Georgia, east of Atlanta. I have about 4,000 feet of Red Top no climb 4' fence. 7 turnout spaces on 9 acres. Currently 6 horses.

I pounded posts on 8 foot centers. Not that many field rocks but I found a few and had to move posts. As one person said, with moisture in the clay, it is a few minutes of scary pounding. No rain for a month and the posts will bounce. 20 years later I added a 200' section using a 6 inch auger and tamping back. I was hitting ground water a foot down. Soil is much dryer after a month of no rain. Land is gentle roll. I think soil analysis say 4% slope.

Lots, well a few dozen posts have rotted off. Fence originally put in 1997 back in CCA days. Two different vendors for 4x4 square posts. I could not say that Yella Wood was any better than the other posts.

Hand nailed fence staples. I do like the power staplers I see at farm shows.

Not impressed with the crummy galvanizing on the Red Top fence. Maybe 2 strands of horizontal have not rusted. I suspect new wire might be due in the next 10 years.

Gallagher solar charger with hot wire on the top. Deer snag the hot wire a dozen times a year. I need to get a fresh battery for that charger.

I got the wire from 84 Lumber, Home Depot and Tractor Supply. Depends on who wants to order wire for me and what lumber yard is still open. I know Home Depot and Tractor Supply are not lumber yards. 100 foot rolls a bit easier to wrestle than the longer rolls.

 

[gsganzer]

I don't know if everyone is referring to the same thing when they say "no climb". True no-climb has the 2 x 4 rectangles on a diagonal. I've used it once and hated it. It has very few crimps, providing very little spring and it was the most difficult fence to pull tight and extremely hard to follow the land contours.

The other horse fence I've used is also 2 x 4 rectangles but is in the traditional pattern. It has a lot more crimps and spring and can follow the contours.

I'd avoid the first one I mentioned.

 

[grsthegreat]

I don't know if everyone is referring to the same thing when they say "no climb". True no-climb has the 2 x 4 rectangles on a diagonal. I've used it once and hated it. It has very few crimps, providing very little spring and it was the most difficult fence to pull tight and extremely hard to follow the land contours.

The other horse fence I've used is also 2 x 4 rectangles but is in the traditional pattern. It has a lot more crimps and spring and can follow the contours.

I'd avoid the first one I mentioned.

Mines true non climb. Stretched just fine, but level land

 

[drumminj]

I don't know if everyone is referring to the same thing when they say "no climb". True no-climb has the 2 x 4 rectangles on a diagonal. I've used it once and hated it. It has very few crimps, providing very little spring and it was the most difficult fence to pull tight and extremely hard to follow the land contours.

I believe that is called the 'v-mesh', vs standard "no climb". See: Keepsafe® V-Mesh Horse Fence 50-in. - 165-ft.

 

[EddieWalker]

I usually call mine 2x4 horse fence but accept that it's also called no climb because a horse can't get its hoof through the fence and hurt itself. The opening is also too small for goats to get into trouble.

When I first started, Lowes had the very best price when I added my Military 10% discount. But then Covid hit and it became very hard to find fencing, so I paid whatever it cost just to get it. Some days I could only find one roll after going to three or four stores. Other times a pallet of four might show up and I'd buy all four rolls at 50% more then I used to pay for it.

Red Brand never came back down on pricing to where it was before, but Attwood's did with their OK Brand, and when they had a sale, it's better than Lowes ever was. Now they sell Stay Tuff, which I think is the same thing as OK Brand, but I can't prove it. Price for 200 feet is $319, which is up $20 from the last time I bought it.

48 in. x 200 ft. Class 1, 12.5 Ga Horse Fence | Atwoods

www.atwoods.com

The 200 foot rolls are a bit cheaper per foot, but also a lot heavier to handle. I use my hay forks to pick them up and carry them to where I'm working. I can carry two rolls that way. What I like the most about the longer rolls is less crimping the rolls together. I've gotten better at doing it and it's not as painful as it originally was, but it's still a pain.

 

[grsthegreat]

I only use 100’ rolls…due to the weight of the roll. I always have a nice 6x6 spaced to end and start the next roll. Dont use crimps. But i can see there use if i have to ever repair a broken fence

 

[gsganzer]

With exception of the one Diamond weave section, all mine has been the OK Brand 2 x 4 horse fence. I used the 100' rolls, because at every 100', I install an H to pull to. Because we have horses, I also pulled (2) smooth twisted wires at the top that have tensioners and a spring. It irks me when I see a fence top bent over from horses leaning on it. You could probably do without the tensioner and just use the spring. There's also a smooth wire at the bottom (that's what I use as my straight line for putting in tee-poles and posts.) As an example I ran a 600' wire along the ground, from corner post to corner post and pulled it tight. I then used that wire as my straight line to set my posts and H assemblies. The fence is hog ringed to the smooth wire at the top and bottom.

 

[gsganzer]

I find connecting the wire to the t-posts to be a pain, even with the t-post clips they sell and the little tool. Next time I build a fence, I might try these? Anyone have experience with them?

Bekaert T-post clips

 

[EddieWalker]

To me, it seems like more work just hauling the drill from T post to T post. I use the Clip Bender. I think it's fast and easy.

Clip Bender - Made in the USA - Steel tool used for securing T-Post fence clips - Comfortable yellow rubber grip - Black oxide coating to prevent rust. From LockNLube. - Rebar Cutters And Benders - Amazon.com

Clip Bender - Made in the USA - Steel tool used for securing T-Post fence clips - Comfortable yellow rubber grip - Black oxide coating to prevent rust. From LockNLube. - Rebar Cutters And Benders - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[grsthegreat]

With exception of the one Diamond weave section, all mine has been the OK Brand 2 x 4 horse fence. I used the 100' rolls, because at every 100', I install an H to pull to. Because we have horses, I also pulled (2) smooth twisted wires at the top that have tensioners and a spring. It irks me when I see a fence top bent over from horses leaning on it. You could probably do without the tensioner and just use the spring. There's also a smooth wire at the bottom (that's what I use as my straight line for putting in tee-poles and posts.) As an example I ran a 600' wire along the ground, from corner post to corner post and pulled it tight. I then used that wire as my straight line to set my posts and H assemblies. The fence is hog ringed to the smooth wire at the top and bottom.
View attachment 4466730

I run a hot wire on the top. How come you Texan’s dont mount a set of bull horns on there

 

[gsganzer]

I had a fence with a hot wire on top, once. I still smirk when I think back to the day my wife absentmindedly laid her bare hand on the fence as we were checking our peach trees. You should have seen her knees buckle and heard the groan she made just as I heard the telltale "snap". We don't build our fences that way, anymore.

 

[grsthegreat]

I had a fence with a hot wire on top, once. I still smirk when I think back to the day my wife absentmindedly laid her bare hand on the fence as we were checking our peach trees. You should have seen her knees buckle and heard the groan she made just as I heard the telltale "snap". We don't build our fences that way, anymore.

 

[grsthegreat]

Your missing half the fun. I remember a friend peeing on a hot wire fence. If you do t learn from that, you deserve to get hit with it again.

 

[bigtiller]

I had a fence with a hot wire on top, once. I still smirk when I think back to the day my wife absentmindedly laid her bare hand on the fence as we were checking our peach trees. You should have seen her knees buckle and heard the groan she made just as I heard the telltale "snap". We don't build our fences that way, anymore.

I was visiting an acquaintance and admiring his cattle feed lot. He had a hot wire on top and warned me not to tough it because "it will knock you down to the ground."

I took 3 steps back. That's not the place to get absent minded.