how to install barb wire fencing?

[moloss]

as the subject reads.....I'm in need of help.....I have put up the corner posts (I'm not doing the typical H cross bracing, I sunk cut up telephone polls) and the wood posts every 50' feet......I'm ready to put up the t-posts and I plan on them being on the outside of the fence (fence is for cows).....my real problem is do I start at the top of the fence and work my way down (5 strand fence) or from the bottom.....also do I pull the whole distance about 600' at a time or just to the next large post? any and all suggestions are needed.....thank you.....Chris.

 

[Egon]

If my memory serves me correctly we used to pull about 300 feet with a four pulley rope wire stretcher. We also used to start on the bottom and work up.

I am sure others will have different methods that will work equally or better.

 

[HoustonBrama]

Start your bottom wire first. Get it straight and perfect, then measure the rest of your strands off that one. Start at one corner post. If your land is flat, pull all the way to the other corner post. If you have dips or hills, pull to the first hill or dip and tack there and so on and so on.

 

[psj12]

I noticed that no matter how tight I stretched the wire it always seemed to go slack in a couple months. My son in law pointed out that I had the wire wraped around the end posts in the same direction. This caused the wire to slightly twist the braced end posts unwinding hte wire. It seems it only takes an inch or two to slack a nice tight fence. I then wrapped every other wire in different directions to stop the twisting. I now have a tight fence except when the oak trees drop limbs on it.

 

[rtimgray]

Just a word of caution (since you said you didn't make H braces) Did you brace the corner posts? Unless you put absolutely huge poles/posts in very deep (like 5 or 6 feet), after you tighten 4 or 5 strands of wire, the post will start to lean. I put up several sets of posts that I thought were strong enough, and after stretching the wire, I had a loose bottom strand and leaning posts. That was a rough lesson.

Besides that, the other advice is right on. Start at the bottom and work your way up. I use a cable come-a-long and pull the wire 'til it's tight. Then start all over again.

I also liked the suggestion about alternating which side of the post you wrap around then end posts. I've had that problem before, and now I think I know how to minimize it.
Good thoughts.

Take care.

 

[MicroPilot]

I would suggest not placing the T posts until the wire is stretched. This will allow you to follow the wires natural path. The t-posts are just to help the wire follow the ground contours.

 

[moloss]

to recap, I have the telephone poles in but I have rethought the whole H bracing....I think it will be a good idea to use the H bracing....I'll start at the bottom and work up.......did y'all use a come along, I was thinking of using one and mounting it to the FEL so I can easily adjust the height.....anyone tried that? thanks again for all of y'alls suggestions

 

[Jimbrown]

I pull all my wire with the FEL. I put a pipe across it and put the roll of wire on the pipe and then back along the fence untill I get to the end. The wire just rolls of the roll. I then pinch the wire to the bucket with vise grips and slowly back the tractor untill i get the wire tight. Nail it down, cut wire ,and wrap. One person can string wire easy this way. Just gotta be carful you can pull it too tight. Course I never done that. A hydrostatic works best for this. When pulling long runs of wire there is a tendency to over pull it. The wire is usually plenty tight even if it is still touching the ground in places.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I pull the bottom wire between the corner posts and then drive the T posts using the bottom wire as my guide. After the posts are in I work my way to the top with the rest of the strands.

I stretch wire using a long crowbar, I kind of lean into the crowbar with my hip to hold tension and I have my hands free to drive the steeples. It's hard to explain but it works well for short runs.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Hmmmm, we always start at the top and work down. That's so we're not fighting the wire we're installing with the wire already done.

I've found I can't pull as tight with a tractor as I can with a come a long. In fact I've found pulling against a truck or tractor sideways with the cable jack I can pull the vehicle sideways tightening wire.

We always use braces. Even when I've set telephone poles six to seven foot deep in our clay we have to have braces if we want the fence to stay tight.

 

[marimus]

You should always work top down, as the top wire places the most strain on the end assembly (think longest lever). If you work bottom up, the lower wires will be taught when you do them, and saggy when you finish

What I like to do is pull the top wire tight with my ratcheting chain strainer, and then let it back down. You now have a dead straight line on the ground to follow when putting in your steel posts. Then strain it back up, and tie off the wires.

I have done literally miles of fencing this way, and it is the fastest method I have encountered, with the best end results.

 

[rtimgray]

I think whether you start at the bottom and work up or the top and work down, it all depends on if your corner/starting posts are solid or not. If you have them braced well and they are solid and will stay straight up, then starting at the bottom or top is just a matter of personal preference.

The top strand definately places more strain on the post, but the next to top will place a lot of stress as well. If your posts are not solid, then it won't matter which place you start - you'll still end up with saggy fences.

I used the tractor as an anchor and pull with a come-a-long to get the fence tight. I always set the corner/brace posts, run the wire between 'em, tighten, then drive the steel posts.

I say use whatever method has worked well for you in the past and go with it!

 

[4720 OWNER]

I love wire strainers for keeping tension. One end to the post and the wire gets ratcheted by the other end. That way can change the tension is something happens in the future. There is a special wrench for winding the wire in. I also vote for the H braces as well.

If you do not have time to do it right the first time, what makes you think you will have more time to do it the 2nd or 3rd time?

 

[mjarrels]

NEVER us HP to pull barbwire or your next thread will be under the Safety forum!

mark

 

[tjkadar]

We use telephone poles for our fencing. Trust me, brace your telephone poles. If possible, I like to run all four or five strands of wire at the same time. That means you need to have four rolls of wire on a four-set spinning jenny or some other type of device to spool out the wire. When you get to the end, clamp the wire off (We used a home made wooden clamp. It allowed us to clamp all four wires at one time), put the initial tension on it, tighten it up with a come along hooked to an immovable object and your wooden clamp. Tie off the ends and you're done.

Inline strainers can be a very, very good thing too.

 

[moloss]

could anyone post pics of there H braces? or even any work in progress pics? thanks again for all of y'alls help......Chris.

 

[turnkey4099]

Thread pretty well covered it. One caution. When stretching long distances over uneven ground: Stretch the wire tight and then tack it loosely in proper position at the top and bottom of any rise/dip before fastening it tight at the end. It is easy to have it too tight to lift up or push down if you fasten it solid at the end first. Not unusual to have to let off a bit of tension before you can get it properly positioned on intermediate posts.

Harry K

 

[EastTexFrank]

Most university ag websites have a section on how to properly measure and run barbed wire fence. The University of Georgia has a good one.

There are as many ways to run fence as there are people who do it. I've run lots and lots of it and here are some of the things I have found out over the years.

1. ALWAYS brace the corners and put in braced stretching posts in long runs or changes in elevation.

2. Always start with the bottom wire. I know some people start at the top and work down but for safety reasons don't do it. If you start at the top, as you work your way down, your face, shoulder and arms are always close to the wire you have already strung and sooner or later, it's going to bite you. It also makes it easier to clip the wire to the T-posts as you are not working through the already strung wire.

3. Never use a tractor & FEL as your only means of tightening the wire. Sooner or later you're going to overstretch and break it and you better be ready to duck and pray. I attach a come-along to the FEL and the wire to the come-along. I use the tractor to take the initial slack out of the wire and position it at the required height and finish tightening it with the come-along.

4. I beat the first T-post in until there is 44" of stick-up for 4 strand. (It'll vary depending on whether you are running 4, 5 or 6 strand fence) I usually mark a stick at the height of the top of the T-post driver when the first post is at 44". That way you only have to measure once. You just beat the rest of the posts in to the mark on the stick and they will all be at 44".

5. Use either the bottom wire or a string stretched between the brace posts as your straight line for driving the T-posts.

6. I start my bottom wire 12" above the ground and subsequent wires 10" apart. That leaves 2" of T-post above the top wire for a 4 strand fence. For a 5 strand fence beat the posts in to 44", put the bottom wire 10" above the ground and subsequent wires 8" apart.

7. Never be tempted to run barbed wire around a corner post and keep on going. You might be able to do that with high tensile, barbless wire but not barbed wire. You'll never get it stretched properly because the barbs hang up on the corner post and it'll come back to haunt you.

If you use properly brace corner posts and braced stretching posts you won't have to worry about them twisting and the wire slacking off. Properly braced corner posts and stretching posts are the foundation of your whole fence, don't skimp. It's better to take the time to do it correctly once rather than having to go back and redo it again and again.

I really recommend that you check out the U of G website on how to run fence. The description and diagrams will explain it all. Hope this has helped.

 

[weldingisfun]

could anyone post pics of there H braces? or even any work in progress pics? thanks again for all of y'alls help......Chris.

Take a look at this. It may help.
Tractor Supply Company - Install a High Tensile Fence

 

[moloss]

I really appreciate the info....Chris.