Is a 2-joule fence charger enough for cattle?

[TSYORK]

I have to purchase a new fence box in the next couple of days. TSC is about my only option around here, so I have went and priced them. They have one that is a 6-joule charger ( can't remember the voltage), and they have a 2-joule one. I'm fencing in less than 10 acres. The 2-joule price is about 75.00 bucks cheaper, but will it be enough to keep a few steers in, or should I bite the bullet and purchase the 6-joule one?

Thanks in advance,

[agmantoo]

Check this one out. These are decent units for the money. The company is great to work with should you have a problem. This unit is well protected by fuses. If you are in an area where there is lightning go ahead and buy some fuses. I got my fuses off ebay.
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...2-00b0d0204ae5

[TSYORK]

Agman,

Is this a pulsating type charger or does it deliever continuous current all the time? I love the 9 joule rating. The pricing is much better on this one, especially the joule rating. The 2-joule one at TSC was that price!

[Madsaw]

Man looking at the one in that link makes my teeth hurt. I would think its a pulse unit. Just go to the Parmak website and read up on it. On a 10 acre lot that would set you down if you touched it. Educate tehm young what 1 or 2 wires mean. They will never forget. If they know that 2 strands are hot the never push them. But, put them in a 6 strand lot and they got the fence ruined in months.
Bob

[Shagbarkmtcatle]

I recommend that as a good fencer, it sends out pulses. I have one on a 6 acre area and one on a 80 acre area. It works very well and they don't ground out easily.
The only other suggestion I recommend is to put a surge protector where you're plugging the unit in to your outlet. I 've had power surges where both the fuses were blown and the unit destroyed. I haven't experienced this anymore since I installed the surge protector.
Most Southern States should carry this fencer also. Or other farm supply catalogues like Jeffers.

[TSYORK]

I talked to a guy at Southern States this morning. He said since the Parmak boxes went with the digital output readings, they have been nothing but trouble. I don't want to purchase one that's going to be a hassle. He said they normally run well until the warranty is up then one of the digital boards goes out. He said he costs roughly $85.00 to fix one.

Has anyone else heard or experienced this?

[agmantoo]

Ditto on the surge protectors. Install the grounds as the site instructs also. If you want a really good unit the ParMak RM1 will knock your socks off and it has a 2 year warranty including lightning. Of course, the price is twice as much also. I use the ParkMak units only when having to pay full retail. I will buy other units at auction if they are cheap enough. I have in excess of 30 rolls (120,000 ft plus) of high tensile wire spread over 200+ acres and live in a lightning prone area so you can see the chargers are vulnerable to a strike.

[agmantoo]

I bought one of the first RM1 units ParMak put on the market. It did go out but they replaced it free of charge. As mentioned above, I get hit often with lightning. Man has never made anything to cope with a good hit. I have returned a charger to ParMak that was past warranty and they repaired it free. I actually consider the warranty months divided into the purchase price to be the cost of ownership. I can acknowledge that people like Gallegher, TSC, International with their over priced units and poor service are what caused me to search and find ParMak. ParMak even has a technician that you can call and talk with, which I have. I have a large herd and I live in a populated area and cannot afford to have my animals out! I will remain with ParMak until they cheapen their units or price themselves out of my market. I feel I am getting what I pay for when compared to the others!

[willow_girl]

Man looking at the one in that link makes my teeth hurt. I would think its a pulse unit. Just go to the Parmak website and read up on it. On a 10 acre lot that would set you down if you touched it. Educate tehm young what 1 or 2 wires mean. They will never forget. If they know that 2 strands are hot the never push them. But, put them in a 6 strand lot and they got the fence ruined in months.

Are you suggesting *not* putting in a strand to ground the fence?

I have 3 strands now, all hot (when I built my fence, the heifer was small, and I didn't want her sneaking through). I want to enlarge the pasture come spring, and was wondering whether I should turn the middle strand into a ground, or run a 4th (ground) strand. It still won't be very big -- I only have 4 acres total. Have a 5-mile charger on it right now. I do have two cows who test the fence with their whiskers, so it has to be hot!

My apologies to the OP for piggybacking onto his/her thread!

[TSYORK]

Originally Posted by willow_girl

My apologies to the OP for piggybacking onto his/her thread!

No apology necessary! We're all here to learn.

[Allen W]

willow girl a ground wire is most beneficial in dry weather and they need to be against it and the hotwire at the same time for it to work. So on a three wire fence the middle should be the ground.

[agmantoo]

If you are running a great distance then I would make the center hot. The more wire you attach to the fence the more load to the charger and the less the delivery at the end. If the bottom of the fence is near grass the greater the chance for it shorting to ground. Short animals are more prone to touch the two lower wires and tall animals the two upper wires. Either size animal will be touch the center hot and the upper or lower ground and they will also be standing on the ground so they should get a jolt. I am also in a lightning prone area. I feel that the hot to the charger is better shielded with the ground being above and below the direct connect to the chargers electronics. This is just my take on the subject and the way I do it.