electric fence

[am1too]

I am condiering putting one up.

I am having a difficult time with the different chargers and manufacturers.

So I turn here for some thought provoking discussion.

What do you like dislike or know about various chargers?

I will most definately will get a low impedance charger.

[rambler]

The ratings on them are not real world.... When they say it is a 50 mile fencer, that means it becomes worthless on that amount of wire. If you think the fencer you are buying is really cheap and a good bargin, its actually just really cheap and can maybe be useful for throwing at a cow......

Paul

[am1too]

The 3 local ones available are Gallager, pacmor, and Zareba.

I am considering a soloar model. I am thinking buying a 50 miler to do 10 acres with 2 maybe 3 strands.

I just do not understand the difference between models and manufacturers.

[RJMAcres]

I have 2 Parmacs and love em.
Have had 0 problems with either in 5 years.

[Allen W]

I have one of these ParMac battery chargers and have been pleased with it. It is supposed to be the same charger as the 12 volt solar charger, http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...2-00b0d0204ae5

[sammyd]

I don't get too worked up about brands when shopping for fencers, we usually buy the cheapest one we can get at Fleet Farm. As long as we don't run miles of fence and keep the fence clear they seem to work quite well.
Our current one is over 5 years old and still ticking away well enough that it kept 2 bulls and a cow confined till we shipped them last fall.

[Bearfootfarm]

Par Mak is the best for the money, and it's American made.

Don't use "solar" unless it's your ONLY option, since it will not be a very strong charger compared to any that plug in.

[plowjockey]

Rate chargers by money.

Buy the most powerful one you can afford. You'll want a strong shock - always, despite weeds, snow drifts, etc.

Many hate Zareba chargers, but we have the "50 mile" model (on 4 acres) that worked fine for 7 years now, keeping things, both in and out.

[am1too]

Originally Posted by RJMAcres

I have 2 Parmacs and love em.
Have had 0 problems with either in 5 years.

What models?

[am1too]

Originally Posted by plowjockey

Rate chargers by money.

Buy the most powerful one you can afford. You'll want a strong shock - always, despite weeds, snow drifts, etc.

Many hate Zareba chargers, but we have the "50 mile" model (on 4 acres) that worked fine for 7 years now, keeping things, both in and out.

Is it a solar or hard wire unit?

[Otter]

Count me in as a Zareba hater. We got the little 5 mile solar one to run ONE short section of electronet - it was a joke.
So then we tried it to run 2 strands around our 60x60 foor garden fence = Fail. You got the teeniest zap.
Now - this was not my first go round with an electric fence, or even with that size of solar charger. And we tried everything, we grounded it different ways, we tried different wires, you name it, we tried it, the thing is just a $129 doorstop.

It gave a decent zap in a corral that was a 30 foot circle and that was it. Any longer distance and you could grab the wire and hold on and laugh at the tickle. And the battery never held a charge worth crap. Customer service - apparently their job is to laugh all the way to the bank and that's about it.
Never again.

[Bearfootfarm]

We got the little 5 mile solar one to run ONE short section of electronet - it was a joke.
So then we tried it to run 2 strands around our 60x60 foor garden fence = Fail. You got the teeniest zap.

That's not a "brand" problem.
The solar chargers are all extremely LOW powered

I have one Zareba that's worked fine for many years, but it's one of the strongest they make, and more expensive than the Par Mak

Bigger is always better with fence chargers.

If you MUST use a solar, get a 12 volt model

You can get "reconditioned" Par Maks at a cheaper price, and they still come with a warranty:
http://parmakusa.com/
Parker-McCrory Mfg. Co.
2000 Forest Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64108
Toll-Free: 1 (800) 662-1038
Phone: (816) 221-2000 Fax: (816) 221-9879
Phones are answered M-F 7:30am - 4:00pm CST

[foxtrapper]

A solar charger is a battery charger, which is a comparatively weak charger when contrasted with an a/c powered charger. Solar panels may well keep the battery up if you live in a good sunny location. Here, we can be cloudy for several days on end, which almost invariably causes the battery to dead. Most folk I know who have had a solar charger have had one, and then replaced it with a plug in type for both consistent charging and higher power.

No one ever complains about too strong a charger, but many complain about having bought too weak a charger.

Zareba is a cheap brand, frequently sold by TSC. They do work. They don't seem to last well beyond a few years. Having gone through several myself, I've gotten tired of repeatedly replacing them.

Parmak is a classic old name. These chargers seem to live on a fence post, doing their thing, for decades on end, without maintenance. Not cheap, nor the most powerful, but they seem to be tanks.

[Bret4207]

I've probably owned 40 chargers over 30 years. You get what you pay for. I'm lucky that I have a repair place close by. He services all makes. Every year I bring in 2 or 3 Zarebas. Some he can fix, some he can't. He sells Parmak and International. He says the solar ones are mostly low powered junk. I know my 5 mile TSC Zareba solar will work okay on cows on decent grass for short runs of 100 yards or so. But mostly you get what you pay for. They aren't cheap, the good ones. It's real hard to plunk down $3-400.00 but it's probably worth it.

[CarolT]

I have to take my Parmak SE-4 back for repair again today. It's not even 3 years old, may not even be 2. I love the way it shocks when it works, and my animals really respect it and stay in when it's on, but I have it grounded correctly and it's not even storming when it goes out Working one minute, either a red dot or 0.0 on the readout the next. I took it for repair 2 weeks ago and it's out again. I don't need to have it going out like that and, of course, warranty is only a year

[lakeportfarms]

ParMak has been the best for us. Zareba is nothing but a problem for us.

The previous poster may have had issues with their ParMak, but when the digital readout says 0.0 then you know you have a problem. The Zareba just keeps clicking and blinking away, and unless you test the fence or the animals find out and escape you never know it isn't working.

It's extremely important to keep your charger well protected from the elements, they're not made to sit outdoors or even have a hint of weather get at them. Put them in a weatherproof enclosure and they'll hold up much better. I set ours up in a small shed, facing toward the outside with a clear plexiglass window so I can walk by and see that they're working.

We have 2 of the 50 mile chargers on separate lines of high tensile, one of which is on a computer UPS battery backup so it will keep going for a while if there is a power outage. I don't like the solar chargers and would avoid them if you can.

[plowjockey]

Originally Posted by am1too

Is it a solar or hard wire unit?

It's a 120v ac model

[Otter]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

That's not a "brand" problem.
The solar chargers are all extremely LOW powered

No, it's a brand problem. I've use a 5 mile solar of other brands for that sort of very small, temporary use and been happy with them - that's why we bought it, because we'd used the same size before, and didn't think there's be THAT much difference between brands.
I don't think it's asking too much for something that advertises itself as a 5 mile charger to power 300 feet of wire with no grass or weeds.

[chronic66]

I vote for parmak. Bought new in 2001, after much use, still going strong. At the moment it is charging a fence circleing 100 acres. My soninlaw has used them all and told me that was the best.

[dcrichmond]

What do you think about this one? I am thinking of buying it. Good price with lots of "kick".

http://www.amazon.com/Parmak-Energiz...=I4VVJ43S9GROK