I need some fence advice

[Welshman]

I have two pastures that are fenced with five runs of high tensile wire that are in need of repair. I bought some tools and supplies from TSC and spliced a couple of breaks. My questions deal with tensioning the wire. What is the best way to "pre-tension" the wire before using the tensioning tool? The tool has a range of about 24" and I don't seem to have enough hands or strength to get the wire fairly taught before ratcheting the tool. Also, once I get it tight enough, do I cut it and treat it as a splice? I've had a couple of ideas, but it occured to me that the brain trust on TBN may save me some aggravation. I have a tendancy to reinvent the wheel...., and sometimes it isn't round.
Thanks.

 

[whistlepig]

I would pretension it with a tractor. Tractors are very good for stretching wire and fence.

 

[grsthegreat]

Yes you stretch it as tight as it wil go, use a cheater bar if necessary. then you splice the two parts together. After you release the tension, it will sag. So the tighter you can pretension it the tighter the final product will be.

Also, if your trying to tension it against a weaker post, i too use the tractor to tension against so as not to upset the post

 

[whistlepig]

Yes you stretch it as tight as it wil go, use a cheater bar if necessary. then you splice the two parts together. After you release the tension, it will sag. So the tighter you can pretension it the tighter the final product will be.

Also, if your trying to tension it against a weaker post, i too use the tractor to tension against so as not to upset the post

Good point. Must have a solid post with braces to stretch it to.

 

[two_bit_score]

I would pretension it with a tractor. Tractors are very good for stretching wire and fence.

I use the tractor as an anchor and pull the wire with a come along and a ring puller. If you use two ring pullers you can pull the wire toward itself and join it under tension.

Those littl mechanical pullers are ok in some cases but they can have a tendency to bend under a little pressure and I just never have trusted them.

Stay-Tuff has a really good puller. They are designed to be used two together and to pull the wire toward the splice point using a come along without damaging the wire.

 

[Billac]

Hope I'm not missing something here.
Why aren't you using the tensioners designed for the purpose-the ones that stay on the fence.
If you are having to repair breaks in the wire in less than 50 years then you have way too much tension.Just get the sag out don't torque it like a banjo string.
After using high tensile wire for 30 years the only broken wires i have had are the ones I over tightened many years ago.
Always make solid ends and only use the very best materials.Best & cheapest fence available.A lot easier to keep in your climate compared to here in Alberta

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't have any personal experience, and have just done some reading on high tensile wire. From what I've read, you do not want to stretch it or make it too tight. The reason for using high tensile wire is that it has a bounce to it once it's installed. Get it snug tight so it's straight, but not under any pressure or you will stretch it out.

Does it stretch out and what do you do when that happens? I don't know, and never thought about asking that one. Why is it loose? Did it just break? or was it hit so hard by something that it stretched to the point of breaking?

Before putting any time and money into it, I would look up a company that makes and sells high tensile wire and ask them about it. Kencove is a place that sends me brochures all the time, but I've never dealt with them. I might. Their prices seem good and they have a ton of information on their website and brochures, but I'm not ready to buy just yet.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[SandburRanch]

Just get the slack out and it'll be plenty tight this winter at 0° F.

 

[rockinmywaypa]

I agree about using the tighteners that are meant for the job. Gallagher are my choice, you don't have to cut the wire and I made my own handle by welding a broken rachet center to a bit of round rod. I don't know about your climate but here I drop all the wires onto the ground before winter since the snow is going to do it anyway and the spools make it pretty easy to do that if it has been left sufficiently loose to start with.

 

[Welshman]

Thanks all, for the advice. When I read the first responses about tightening with the tractor, I assumed that I hadn't described my situation clearly enough. We bought this place 3 1/2 years ago, although I've just moved in full time a few weeks ago. The previous owner had horses, and thus the pastures and fences. It was forclosed upon, and then was vacant for about six months. There had been vandalism to a number of things, and for all I know, that's why the fence wire was broken. I didn't examine the break to see if it may have been cut.
When I repaired the first break, I wasn't trying to really crank on it, I didn't see any reason for that, I was just having a hard time getting it what I thought was "reasonably tight". It didn't seem to slacken, however, after I released the tool. I really haven't noticed the wire or fence changing much over the winters, but I'll pay more attention this year.
I had looked at what I believe you are describing as permanently installed tensioners (which the existing fence does not have). Since I wasn't sure if tensioning was going to be a regular maintenance item, I didn't buy any, but it sounds as if they are a good idea, both for maintenance and, if there is another break, to "pre-tension".

 

[Runner]

I read this thread with great interest because I have quite a bit of fencing to deal with as well. Irritatingly enough, it's not to keep animals in, but to keep the neighbor's animals OUT. The fence is mine and is there mainly because the previous owner of my property did have horses.

As a complete fence newbie, I really haven't found a good way to mend breaks and to re-tension the wires when they get slack.

Could one of the experts provide some advice on the best items to use for patching and tensioning, and provide pictures of what these things look like?

 

[SandburRanch]

I read this thread with great interest because I have quite a bit of fencing to deal with as well. Irritatingly enough, it's not to keep animals in, but to keep the neighbor's animals OUT. The fence is mine and is there mainly because the previous owner of my property did have horses.

As a complete fence newbie, I really haven't found a good way to mend breaks and to re-tension the wires when they get slack.

Could one of the experts provide some advice on the best items to use for patching and tensioning, and provide pictures of what these things look like?

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I can tell you how I was taught as a kid and pictures will possibly come later if I can find my fence pliers, claw hammer and some No. 9 smooth wire (clothes line wire) and a broken fence. Hopefully someone can come up with pictures by searching so I don't have to find all that stuff.

Anyhow, the barb (Bob) wire is doubled back and twisted to make a loop (each broken end). Now that leaves a space to be filled between the loops. Place the smooth wire in one barb wire loop, double it back and twist it. Run the appropriate length of No. 9 wire through the second barb wire loop, pull all slack possible and hook the smooth wire in the claws of the hammer. Now by rotating the hammer just right (nearly impossible to explain) begin wrapping the No. 9 wire around the hammer neck (that portion just behind the face). The leverage of the handle length and the 3/4 inch diameter of that portion of the hammer head gives a tremendous mechanical advantage to re-stretch the wire. When it gets tight enough the hammer is moved in the direction that bends the smooth wire back over the barb wire loop holding the tension that was gained and finally that wire is wrapped around the barb wire via the hammer. Quick and cheap.

 

[crankshaft21]

I use a ratchet tidown strap to tighten wire. IF THERE IS A SPACE to fill in I just cut enough wire to complete the section. You can use more than one if it is necessary.

 

[whistlepig]

I read this thread with great interest because I have quite a bit of fencing to deal with as well. Irritatingly enough, it's not to keep animals in, but to keep the neighbor's animals OUT. The fence is mine and is there mainly because the previous owner of my property did have horses.

As a complete fence newbie, I really haven't found a good way to mend breaks and to re-tension the wires when they get slack.

Could one of the experts provide some advice on the best items to use for patching and tensioning, and provide pictures of what these things look like?

I can describe what I bought to do mine:

A fence tensioner from Tractor Supply.

A crimper from Tractor Supply.

Splice crimp clamps of the proper flavor. Lowes has the best selection of splice clamps.

Klien Linesman pliers.

Craftsman steeple tool.

I have never done high tensile. I have done a lot of cattle fence and here lately a lot of Red Brand No-Climb Horse fence. I limit my tugs to 200 feet. At the end of my tractor stretching tug there are two 7" treated posts set in concrete, braced with a 4" treated post between, and cross wired with #9 wire. Under stretching or over stretching is not an issue. By the time I get the No-Climb up and flat its already maxing out the corner posts. This is several hundred pounds of fence. This has stayed tight for four years now. Winter and summer.

 

[Billac]

Your repairs sound complex to me.Just slacken off the wire(high tensile wire of course)and tie a reef knot.It'll be strong & is simple.No tools required.
Get a fencing manual from Gallagher or PEL and you will find a whole bunch of "tricks of the trade".Good knots are easy to make with a little practice and will not compromise the electrical circuit .I suspect that using #9 wire to splice breaks will eventually short out & drive a guy nuts(been there)
I wish I could help more but it's hard to get from here to there lol.Good luck

 

[PossumHound]

Sandbur describes the way we did it when I was still working fence. I couldn't find any pictures of splices like this (some of those hits took me to malware sites- go figure?, but see what the Univ. of Florida says about building barbed wire fences (should apply to your high-tensile as well):

AN230/AN230: Livestock Fence Construction


PH

 

[Welshman]

Your repairs sound complex to me.Just slacken off the wire(high tensile wire of course)and tie a reef knot.It'll be strong & is simple.No tools required.

Wow Billac - I'm working with 12.5g high tensile and if you can tie a knot in this stuff without tools, I sure wouldn't want you to get a grip on me!
At any rate, I installed the in-line tesioners today, snugged things up, and am calling the chore done. Thanks all for the help.

 

[whistlepig]

Splices (Ferrules):Tractor Supply - Fence Splice Ferrule, 12 1/2 - 15 1/2 ga., Smooth/Woven customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings

Crimper:Wire Fence Splice Crimping Tool & Wire Cutter - 3609405 | Tractor Supply Company

Stretcher:Barbed Wire Stretcher - 3600312 | Tractor Supply Company

Lowes has better splices (ferrules). Lowes doesn't list them on their website. I have a pack of them and tried to trace the numbers on the pack back to the manufacturer but it was a dead end.

 

[Runner]

I must be doing something wrong. I've got the crimper and ferrules, but I can never get them to hold. After I make the splice, the wire just pulls apart when I put tension on it.

The only way I've been able to make a decent splice is to pull some slack with the tensioner, then splice in new wire by twisting it in to the old wire on each end. It works, but doesn't look very "workmanlike".

 

[whistlepig]

I must be doing something wrong. I've got the crimper and ferrules, but I can never get them to hold. After I make the splice, the wire just pulls apart when I put tension on it.

The only way I've been able to make a decent splice is to pull some slack with the tensioner, then splice in new wire by twisting it in to the old wire on each end. It works, but doesn't look very "workmanlike".

The steel ferrules from Tractor Supply simply wouldn't work for me. I bought the aluminum ferrules from Lowes and used two of these ferrules per splice. I have used these aluminum ferrules for splicing No-Climb horse fence and my #9 brace wire. These crimps are still very tight and strong after four years.