weed burner fence chargers

[okiemom]

Is fi-shock the only company that makes these anymore? I am putting my fencing into pastures and need to make them into paddocks with the temp fencing. the permenant fencing is growing weeds/grass too fast to keep up and shorting out badly. The goats that are with the cows are fast and need more power in a charger that most animals.

What charger do you like?

We seem to be able to go through one charger a year. Is this normal? They just don't seem to last. that is another reason I was going w/ the continuous output charger as they are much less. Having to replace a 120=$200 charger every year gets annoying.

I am put a surge protecter (like for the computer) on the line but it back fed when the fence was hit by lightning. Any way to combat this?

[agmantoo]

Man has never invented anything electrical that can tolerate a lightning hit. I use ParMak chargers as they warrant there best chargers for larger pastures for two years. A weed burner charger is obsolete and will not deliver the output through trash as good as a newer low impedence design. The ParMak SE4 is a good less expensive unit priced attractively here.
http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/...2&area=fencing

[genebo]

Around here, lightning comes in on the power lines, which are on poles, not underground.

I use a Parmak Magnum 12 U.O. battery powered charger, fed by a 12v marine battery which is kept charged by a 45w solar kit. It isn't connected to the power lines, so avoids all the surges that come on the power lines.

Harbor Freight has the 45w solar kit on sale for $159.99.

I have the grounds that are recommended and have a "Lightning Constrictor" lightning suppressor in the line close to the charger. It hooks to a copper coated ground rod.

About every 1/4 mile along the top wire of the fence, I have an ordinary lightning arrester, the cheap kind. It hooks to a ground rod, too. It has a thin strip like a fuse in it that will burn out if lightning strikes the fence.

I can't remember exactly how old my fence charger is: 4 years old, I guess. I used to replace circuit boards in my chargers all the time before I went to the battery operated one.

Now I've probably jinxed this one.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[topside1]

I run the charger that Agman mentioned. Great charger, using it on about 16 acres, 5 strands of 14ga. wire. I mainly own goats and have never had an escape. Cattle as you may know are much easier to keep in. The charger is fuse protected and I also run a lighting arrester as Genebo mentioned...Happy with mine and would buy another.
Topside

[Bret4207]

No charger will keep up with heavy weed growth. Either mow the line or spray it. No other way to fix it.

[Dieselrider]

We are going to use a propane torch this year for the grass under the fence lines. I'll hold judgment on how good or poor it does until further in the season. I have tested it on a small section and it seems to have good burn down at first. You can get these torches through Harbor freight for about $30.00 Hoping for less weed whacking and no chemicals.

[Cheryl aka JM]

We just put up our fence~ still working on it really. Using the Parmak SE4 and it REALLY packs a shock! (wow~ don't touch the fence wondering how hot it is....its HOT). We put a lightening arrestor on it too. Friday night we had our first bad storm since we started this project. I unplugged the charger because I did not have a surge protector on it yet. Got up Saturday~ plugged it in and the lightening arrestor was sparking. According to my neighbor my fence probably got hit by lightening and the arrestor did it's job and now had to be replaced. Sure glad the lightening arrestor was the first thing we put on that fence!

[topside1]

Cheryl, I un-plug mine whenever heavy weather is on the horizon...Of course if I remember, most of the time I do....Love the SE-4

[topside1]

Often damage is caused by the high voltage running up your grounding rods to your charger. Hard to protect from that, the little 2 amp fuse does blow and protects the box...Had mine for 4 years and popped one fuse during a storm...Topside