Best fence stretcher?

Pack Rat · #1 05/09/14, 10:00 AM

Two problems:

Once upon a time, I had an old cam style 'wire grip' that came with my uncles' fence 4:1 rope fence stretcher, which grabbed a wire like it was welded on. Unfortunately I lost it traveling to or through a field a couple years ago, and it hasn't found it's way back. I got a "Tuf-tug" cam style grip to replace it, and it doesn't work on smooth wire at all. I now use a pair of vice grips as a stop to hold the hook of the fence stretcher, but it still isn't as good as the old cam grip. Does anyone know where I can find a good one that actually works for about a half ton of pull?

Second, I've been trying to install woven wire fence over ground that isn't exactly flat, and while I can get about half of the length tight over the top of a knob, the part on the lower end is still pretty floppy. I've got a come-a-long on the top wire, and the rope fence stretcher on the 3rd wire down, both hooked on the back of the tractor, and still can't seem to get the fence tight enough through the sag. Any suggestions?

BTW, dug an end post hole about 30" deep, 10" diam, that ended up with 30 1/4" of water in it, flowing about 3 gal/hr. This is about 200' away and 4' above the creek further down the hill. Good thing it hasn't rained in 4 days.

**Shrek** · #2 05/09/14, 10:33 AM

I have always stretched fence fabric and strands with a ratchet come along or tow cable and my pick up.

Allen W · #3 05/09/14, 11:12 AM

Here's what I've had good luck with http://catalog.mooremaker.com/viewPr...item_id=393339 don't know where mine is at right now though, was looking for it the other day.

Pack Rat · #4 05/09/14, 12:23 PM

Shrek, the anchor or puller isn't really the problem. If i could get a pickup into (and out of) the field, I'd be happy to use one too, but it isn't worth tearing up the 3 acres of pasture that double as upland swamp this time of year to do so. As an ogre, you probably appreciate that too. The unanswered question is what do you use to hook the fence wire to whatever you pull it with and from? I don't imagine looping a hank of barb wire through a tow strap would do much for either.

Allen, that looks to be one good piece for end of wire pulls, but how would you use it at a place not at the end of a wire? I've seen one with a gap in the ring to put wire through, but it doesn't look strong enough to handle a substantial pull without spreading or breaking the ring. Anyone have any experience with that type?

kycrawler · #5 05/09/14, 03:28 PM

I have the eyebolt with the slotted ring type bought at orschelins. On a Missouri trip when I left a can lock fence grab at home they work great and I will never go back I have used them to stretch high tensile and 15.5 gauge barb

eggman · #6 05/09/14, 04:48 PM

For woven wire I use 2 2x4 and a come along. Bolt the 2x4"s onto the fence, put log chain about 1/3 of the way up and 1/3 down from top then use come along.

doingitmyself · #7 05/09/14, 04:50 PM

Pardon me if im not understanding your problem but IF I'm am understanding it correctly this is what i would do to solve the saggy woven fencing. I would terminate the fence section where it started to sag. Then do a ternimination brace. I would then skew the fencing at the terminal post and continue fencing with a new fence section. If the grade warrants it skew the new section on the terminal post to match the grade until the grade levels out, then terminate again and brace. Start a new fence section and continue. I hope i understood your issue correctly and you understand my idea as well.

To pull woven fencing i wrap the end of the fence around a post and secure it to itself and run an eyebolt are 4 inches for each end to which a chain is attached to my come along and is attached to the center.

Good luck!!! sorry if i misunderstood your post.

Ozarks Tom · #8 05/09/14, 05:45 PM

For woven wire I use 2 2x4s, bolted together through the fence. A chain top to bottom of the 2x4. To allow for slight grade changes, move the puller up or down on the chain, to get the uneven pull you need for overall tightness.

maddy · #9 05/09/14, 07:50 PM

Around here, they weave a metal rod (usually a T-post or piece of rebar) through the end of the fence roll, then attach a chain to each end of the rod.

Allen W · #10 05/09/14, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pack Rat

Allen, that looks to be one good piece for end of wire pulls, but how would you use it at a place not at the end of a wire? I've seen one with a gap in the ring to put wire through, but it doesn't look strong enough to handle a substantial pull without spreading or breaking the ring. Anyone have any experience with that type?

The only one of the mooremaker wire pulls I know of being broke was being used to stretch cable with a four wheel drive pick up and they replaced it with no problems.

For pulling broke wires together one of theese lovely tools is often used. http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...2-00b0d0204ae5

Pack Rat · #11 05/10/14, 12:41 AM

Thanks for the info, DoingIt. Yes, I believe we both understand each other. Cut and splice to braced posts would seem to be the "best" answer for severe changes in grade, but this isn't that bad. The change in elevation from bottom post to the top of the 'knob' is about 6', over a 200' run. I've done that sort of run with field fence with no problem, but this isn't 6x6 field fence (in a 330' roll), it's 2x4x4' high "horse fence", so only a 200' roll. It runs heavy between posts (every 10', but maybe should be every 8'), seems to be very resistant to racking, and it HAS to be tight to keep the sags to a minimum and critters contained. It has 13 horizontal wires, so allowing 200 lbs of pull for each = 2600# total, allowing I can get enough grip on enough wires to apply that much. I've done a lot of other types of fencing over the years, but this is the toughest I've ever had to put up.

I believe I figured out what caused the problem: when I started at the bottom post, the fence was laying down, bottom toward the posts, and in spite of pulling the top up hard, wrapping it around the end post and tying it back to itself, the bottom was still fastened shorter by a tad. By the time I got the whole of it standing up, it left some 'extra' in the top of the fence at the bottom of the grade. I figure I can get it snugged up by unstapleing and pulling from the lower end of the fence run then re-fastening at the terminal post. It will just have to wait for a dryer spell to do so.

Maybe it's just me and my version of "tight", but judging from the hook-ups I'm reading about here, I just don't see anything short of a good cam grip or eyebolt-and-ring grip on an individual wire being able to put enough pull in this kind of fence without slipping the vertical weaves right off the horizontal wires. Already done that with the Tuf-Tug grip on the knots with a couple hundred pounds of pull. I doubt if a dozen bolts through a set of oak 2x4s could get it tight enough to grip the vertical wire knots hard enough to keep them from sliding off of the smooth horizontal wires. I can see how it would work with field fence, but not this. I can make a 5' t-post or length of rebar into a horseshoe by hand. Put a chain on top and bottom of one and apply over a ton of pull?

Unless the fence wire ends were folded back hard, the verticals would peel off just as if they were greased, from top and bottom, right toward the middle. I've seen even folded wire straighten out under less force.

As is, I'm hoping to use crimp splices to attach the next section to this one to keep the loose ends to a minimum to avoid critter self inflicted injuries, so I'm right back to needing a really good "grip". Probably several of them.

I've got a several more rolls of this stuff to put up, so getting efficient at it with the right tools is the only option that makes sense.

I really do appreciate the replies. Thank you all.

haunted · #12 05/10/14, 12:10 PM

If you're using wooden posts with the field fencing you can--- "ahem"---pleat the bottom. Get the top stretched and fastened tight, then fold excess fence at the bottom over a short board and flatten the wire with a hammer. May take a little while. Then fasten to the wooden fence post with staples.

We always used a claw hammer to stretch barbed wire. Just put the wire through the claws, brace the hammer against the post and pull like you were pulling a nail. Works best with two people though. One to stretch the wire and one to drive the staple.

Pack Rat · #13 05/11/14, 07:27 AM

Just a quick update - I had to make a run down to civilisation yesterday, and in the ~200 mile RT, picked up a Speeco (made in china) wedge and ring grip. There were two on the rack, and one was obviously non-functional without some substantial machining to make the ring and wedge concentric enough to grab a wire smaller than 8AWG. I bought the other because if the split in the ring is placed over the bigger casting ridge on the wedge, it has tolerable gaps most of the way around.

In trying it out, it does not live up to expectations. The more pull applied, the faster it slips. I suspect that the shiny black powder coat on it contributes to the problem. I may do some grinding to get the wedge closer to round, then sand blast the works and hang it on the barn wall for a few months to get some good gripping rust on it. It might work better next year.

Meanwhile, the tool that works is "vice-grips" - the genuine made in USA ones.

To prove it, I made one wire an half inch longer than any of the rest, after the tension was released. If it weren't for my slow connection, I'd post a picture for proof.

Haunted, I learned that claw pull and a few other barbwire/hammer tricks in my youth from Unc. I've probably forgotten some of them because I haven't worked barb since he passed, and that is going on 20 years ago. Most places around here have gone Hi-tensile. Maybe that's why I now have higher expectations of "tight fence".

Kylefield · #14 05/11/14, 10:52 PM

It sounds like you need to shorten your pulls and maybe add an H brace at transition points.

If your tractor has a front end loader you can hook the chain to the loader and pivot the bucket up to tighten the wire.

o&itw · #15 05/13/14, 03:53 PM

To answer your original question. I lost my old cam grip also, and end up finding them on eBay. Actually, I ended up finding a good block and tackle set along with it and got it fairly cheap. That was a couple of years ago, but people are still auctioning off stuff they buy at farm sales. You may have to wait a few weeks untill you find exactly what you want. I think I found 5 or 6 the first time I looked, altough some of them were in sad shape.

This is a regular wire stretcher that they have on there right at the moment, similar to the cam lock: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1910-Buffalo...item27e3bd7698

doingitmyself · #16 05/14/14, 04:46 PM

Pack Rat yes that kind of wire fencing is tough. 2"x2"x4" has no stretch to it at all, that's the problem. I didn't realize that was what you were using. And in actuality we don't stretch the wire, but we do stretch the slack and little kinks out of the fence when stretching. Hey, good luck! Let us now how it turns out when your done??

unregistered41671 · #17 05/14/14, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doingitmyself

Pack Rat yes that kind of wire fencing is tough. 2"x2"x4" has no stretch to it at all, that's the problem. I didn't realize that was what you were using. And in actuality we don't stretch the wire, but we do stretch the slack and little kinks out of the fence when stretching. Hey, good luck! Let us now how it turns out when your done??

You should not stretch the " little kinks out of the fence when stretching".
Those kinks or wire crimps are only supposed to be pulled 1/2 way out. The other half should be left in order to give the fence some spring and not damage the wire when hit by an animal. They allow the wire to expand and contract.
http://www.redbrand.com/FAQ/FencePlanning.aspx
http://fencing.bekaert.com/en/Bekaer...d%20Fence.aspx

nc_mtn · #18 05/17/14, 07:50 PM

Just let my goats try to go through it, they do a good job here at stretching out wire

Cygnet · #19 05/19/14, 09:17 AM

My father does most of the fencing around here, and he swears by this brand:

http://www.gripple.com/us

Not cheap, but very well made.

When I did fencing at my place in Maricopa, though, I generally used a come-along to tighten fence. If needed, I pulled it with a quad or truck.

Got access to a quad? It won't tear the pasture up as much as a full sized vehicle and would make short work of tightening the fence.

For the gap at the bottom of the fence, our usual solution is a tractor bucket or two full of sharp gravel. (There is NO flat land in this part of the country.)