Electric fence charger?

hippygirl · #1 05/25/12, 04:22 PM

I'll preface this by saying I know absolutely NOTHING about electric fencing...

I went to Lowe's today to get one of those t-post pounder-things (setting 7' posts by myself...a shop hammer and a ladder ain't gonna work!) and noticed this...

Shop Fi-Shock 10 Mile 1.2-Volt AC-Operated Pet Electric Fence Charger at Lowes.com

It's only $23 bucks.

I betcha it isn't strong enough for ANY livestock...am I right?

ET1 SS · #2 05/25/12, 06:43 PM

Probably not.

The minimum voltage for an electric fence is 5,000 volts. Good units use between 10,000 volts and 20,000 volts.

Zareba® 50 Mile AC Low Impedance Fence Charger in Long Box, Model A50LIL

That will curl your hair and your toes.

1.2 volts is nothing.

I can not feel 9 volts cross my skin, to test a 9 volt battery I use my wet tongue across the terminals. Low voltages require very sensitive wet tissue to feel [like a tongue].

Most people can place both hands on the terminals of a 12vdc car battery and not feel it. I do not feel 12volts on my skin.

1.2 volts is nothing. You could not feel it.

On the other hand 100,000 volts will knock you into next week.

Silvercreek Farmer · #3 05/25/12, 07:26 PM

No offense ET1, but the the Lowes description is wrong. I think the 1.2 volts should be 120 volts, as in the power supply, not the output. I have one of those type chargers and it will make your arm numb and hurt at the same time, and very effective on animals. The continous output is actually better for training stubborn animals, because they will get it if they touch it at all, no chance of them getting lucky and touching in between pulses of a larger pulsing type charger. The tradeoff is that the charger will not tolerate ANY grounding at all, just a few weeds will short it out, and the ten acre rating is WAY overstated. Just for kicks I hooked mine up to one line of my 4 acre pasture, the charge was minimal and would never deter an animal. At best, I would say the charger might power 1-2 acres. It would probably work well for keeping animals off of a woven wire fence if the hot wire was high enough to stay out of the weeds. I used mine to keep hogs from rubbing on a rickety pallet fence around a 25'x25' pen, and to keep goats from rubbing/jumping a little 24 inch fence over a 100' run, it worked great! They are sold primarily for suburban yards with dogs that jump the fence or get into the garden, usually only takes one or two good jolts before a dog gets religion!

artificer · #4 05/25/12, 07:35 PM

However its powered, the following line in the specs tells all:
Power Output in Joules 0.25

This is the amount of power it delivers to the wire. It will keep in the dog, but not most animals. Sheep have lots of wool, and will not even feel it. Cattle will shrug it off, and still go through the fence.

My guess is the 1.2 volt output should be 1.2K volt, or 1,200 volt output.

Fencers are a product that you get what you pay for. If its only $23, you can guess that its not that strong/good. For cattle, you should be looking around $100 for a good fencer. More is better. Look at the joule ratings of the unti's you're interested in. You want at least 1 joule, depending on the type of animal you want to contain. Sheep with a long fence demand a higher rating with multiple hot/ground wires. Other animals need less.

Michael

FarmerRob · #5 05/25/12, 08:07 PM

The only power number that matters on a fence charger is the joules released or in this case Power Output in Joules. 1/4 of a joule won't do much at all. You could probably grab that with your hand and hang on for a while. I know that opinions vary, but I think anything less than 6 joules output is to weak. I just upgraded to a 9 joule output charger and got a GREAT deal on it.
Amazon.com: Parmak Super Energizer 4 Low Impedance 110/120 Volt 50 Mile Range Electric Fence Controller SE4: Patio, Lawn & Garden
$129.99 plus free shipping.
When Bambi comes snooping around my garden or predators sniffing around MY chickens, etc. I like to make a strong impression so I put out the NOT WELCOME mat for them. One touch of a wet nose to my hot wires and that is usually the last I see or hear from them.
If you decide to go with electric (and there is really no substitute), be sure to get the proper amount of ground rods, and install them in soil you can keep moist, so that you complete the circuit. A good rule of thumb is three feet of ground rod in the ground for each joule output. Depending on how much area you are protecting you might get by will less.

Kevingr · #6 05/25/12, 08:26 PM

From a Joule perspective I have no idea what my fencer puts out, but it's 18,500 volts, it hurts. It keeps the horses in. I had one before this one that put out 9,000 volts, the horses would walk right through it.

topside1 · #7 05/25/12, 08:41 PM

Don't waste $23, ParMak 4 is what you are shopping for....don't test it yourself, let your livestock show you how it works...Topside

ozark_jewels · #8 05/25/12, 08:42 PM

I wouldn't consider it. I use an 8 output joule charger. It makes my goats listen and my dairy bulls stay in even if a cow across the fence is in heat. I love my charger.

hippygirl · #9 05/25/12, 10:13 PM

Thanks for the replies...I figured it would be too weak for anything.

Plowpoint · #10 05/26/12, 05:30 AM

I would forget about the electric fence anyway. In my experience, you are just better off putting up woven wire fencing and forgetting about it.

The initial cost is high, but deducted over 30 years;the price gets really reduced. It is the only thing that will keep my sheep in since I have woolies.

Bret4207 · #11 05/27/12, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerRob

The only power number that matters on a fence charger is the joules released or in this case Power Output in Joules. 1/4 of a joule won't do much at all. You could probably grab that with your hand and hang on for a while. I know that opinions vary, but I think anything less than 6 joules output is to weak. I just upgraded to a 9 joule output charger and got a GREAT deal on it.
Amazon.com: Parmak Super Energizer 4 Low Impedance 110/120 Volt 50 Mile Range Electric Fence Controller SE4: Patio, Lawn & Garden
$129.99 plus free shipping.
When Bambi comes snooping around my garden or predators sniffing around MY chickens, etc. I like to make a strong impression so I put out the NOT WELCOME mat for them. One touch of a wet nose to my hot wires and that is usually the last I see or hear from them.
If you decide to go with electric (and there is really no substitute), be sure to get the proper amount of ground rods, and install them in soil you can keep moist, so that you complete the circuit. A good rule of thumb is three feet of ground rod in the ground for each joule output. Depending on how much area you are protecting you might get by will less.

Rob, that charger is a 6.3 J per the description. I would offer a modifier to your ground rod idea- the smaller the charger, the more important your grounding is. They say the minimum for any charger is 3, 8 foot ground rods at least 10 feet apart, connected by proper copper cable and fitting's. I've never been able to afford all that, but the more grounding, the better!

**highlands** · #12 05/27/12, 11:31 AM

I would suggest the strongest AC charger you can afford along with good surge suppression on both the fence and power sides as well as excellent grounding. I recommend a minimum of 2 joules and preferably 6 joules. We have some 15 joule chargers.

Cheers,

-Walter Jeffries
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
ButcherShop | Sugar Mountain Farm

lazyBum · #13 05/27/12, 03:48 PM

I don't know how many joules it is. But dad got one at my uncles estate sale that will strike a half inch arc. You can hear the pop a couple hundred feet away when one of the cows get into it. They definitely respect it, they don't try to reach far over or under the hot wire.

mary,tx · #14 05/28/12, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvercreek Farmer

The continous output is actually better for training stubborn animals, because they will get it if they touch it at all, no chance of them getting lucky and touching in between pulses of a larger pulsing type charger.

One of my earliest memories is of being stuck to an electric fence that a neighbor had put on continuous charge. My mom and Granny were working in the garden and I wandered over and grabbed the electric fence with both hands, and could not let go. I was a toddler at the time, maybe two years old. My Granny knocked me off the fence with a wooden handle, and my dad had harsh words that evening with the neighbor.

Electric fences should ALWAYS be pulsing!!!!!!