 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, PAGE 9 What Makes the Best Electric Fence Posts? Just about any kind of post can be used for electric deer fence; and since deer fence people are creative, one finds an array of available heights, diameters, and forms. Basically, electric deer fence posts are defined by their materials-generally metal, wood, plastic, or fiberglass. Much of the labor to set up electric deer fences involves the posts—so if your fence is permanent and you already have one kind of reasonably satisfactory electric fence post in the ground, by all means stick with it. If you have a choice, the best type of post for most electric deer fences is the coated fiberglass post. Its coating prevents fiberglass splinters—an annoyance for bare hands—and also helps keep the post in service up to 30 years. Beyond that, a thin fiberglass post is economical, costing less than wood or metal. And since fiberglass is an insulator, no amount of contact with an electric fence wire or polyconductor can neutralize the system. The major drawback of this post is its flexibility, something that can be overcome by limiting the thinner (3/8" and 1/2") posts to portions of the electric fence that are running straight, and by using metal or wooden posts at bends, ends, gates, and corners. Another type of post we offer is the plastic four-foot step-in post. This is well-suited to electric deer fences that are temporary. Like the fiberglass post, it is very economical. It is also an insulator (it even has its own hangers, and so needs no separate insulators). But its best feature is the ease with which it can be set in, pulled up, and relocated. So it is a blessing for those who need to install long runs of temporary electric fence and then move or remove them in a hurry. Sideways stress makes step-in posts sway sharply at gates, ends, and corners. However, such stresses can be countered by means of tent pegs (product 09-105). This can even be done at gate approaches by staking not the gate posts but the next posts over, terminating the conductor there, and then using an additional short run of conductor to reach the gate, all of which reduces the the incoming sideways stress upon the gate to nil. This same tendency to sway makes step-in posts a less substantial barrier to deer—one more likely to require periodic maintenance in response to actions by people, storms, or animals. And they are less durable than many alternatives, sometimes needing replacement in as little as three or four years. For these reasons, they are best used in temporary or short-term electric fences, where their easy mobility is a decided asset. The studded galvanized steel T-post, a long-established mainstay of farm fencing, offers another alternative. This post is both convenient and durable. And it provides strong support for an electric fence whenever the fence goes around a bend, navigates a corner, or reaches an end point. The T-posts that we stock weigh 1.25 or 1.33 pounds per foot and come equipped with anchor plates that increase their stability. |