You young guys and your fancy post-driving machines make this old man envious. Only machine we had on the farm (for "planting" fence posts) was a 3-point mounted , PTO-driven post auger.
Great video, I have seen 9 wire on fence and it is not fun to fix at all. I have never used the stuff you put on and cannot wait to try it. That is the poster child of what a H brace should look like.
Oh man that is a glorious machine. Here in argentina we mostly still do it by shoveling with one of em vertical shovels, then putting in the post and slowly filling up the hole around it by hammering in the dirt so that it's all compacted and firm. Tough work when you gotta do hundreds of metres
Why is 9 gage wire wrong for bracing with? Is it because it's low-tensile, or "stretchier"? I would have thought that the thicker wire takes longer to rust, and can also hold more load when double wrapped. Thanks! Great video!
Im getting ready to fence 500 acres and havent done fencing in 20 years as we are just moving back to the country. I came across your video and have a bunch of questions as I want to build my fence right. I am deff going to give you guys a call, but in the mean time what size corner posts are you using? I was planning to use 8" but it looks like you go bigger?
My preference is an angle stay, i find they hold better in softer country but each to thier own. The one thing i didnt like about your stay was the gripple. Would it not be better to use a triplex for long term no worries? Ps i do agree with the knipex cutters. Knipex and ezi pull are all i use.
Box braces and angle stays each have their place. th-cam.com/video/WrU6cMGkunQ/w-d-xo.html Like them or not, Gripples are a great solution for many problems on a fence line, especially for the DIY customer and high volume contractors. I do enjoy tying knots, I must not be familiar with the triplex you speak of? The only triplex I know of is for electric service. Thanks for watching!
Hope to keep seeing new videos. Do you have any advice on using steel posts for braces? I've only used wood and thinking about steel on next project. Outfit nearby sells new 2 5/8". Based on price, it would be more economical than buying wood posts as I have previously.
We've been filming pipe braces all week, so if you can hold out another day or two, I'll get the first one up. Pipe is certainly more economical in oil country, and even in our wet climate, galvanized pipe is very cost competitive with wood posts. Like my ol' buddy Andy in Texas says, "Wood is outdated".
The short answer is, yes, a longer strut generally has more holding power, but there is more to it. To get a brace that won't fail, you'll need all the ingredients. Long strainer set deep, appropriate strut and brace post, and all of it assembled correctly. What the longer strut really does is lessen the angle of the brace wire, which prevents the strainer heave associated with steep brace wire angle, which in turn causes a lifting force when combined with the line wire tension. This is also why the strut should be set at 2/3 or so of the total height of the fence. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for answering. You’re tips and tricks are the most helpful . Some of these other self proclaimed experts know less than I do. Some videos even put out by name brand fencing manufacturers. I’m in central Kentucky so I hope to buy some materials from you later in 2019. Thanks again
Hi Cheri. I suppose the economic advantages that Southern Yellow Pine has over Waratah posts would be shipping cost and availability. In many parts of the US, (I'm assuming that your are in OZ?) timber is readily available, and fairly inexpensive. We do use quite a bit of galvanized pipe, and drill stem for posts. The cost of galvanized pipe posts is very similar to a good treated wood post, which is why we see more and more of our business go that way. A cheap timber post is just that......Cheap. We do stock AWPA certified timber posts, as well as class III galvanized pipe in several sizes. Thanks for your question, and for watching!
The figure 8 is nice to keep brace wires out of the net wire, and is a must with hot wire. With the modern methods we use to tension a brace wire, like ratchet strainers or Gripples, it wouldn't be necessary. But, when you tension with chain strainers and tie or crimp, you would typically not do a figure 8, but you would pull the brace wires together in the middle to pull the last bit of slack out, and that will create a figure 8 pattern. Thanks Jonathon.
You should have let the pins stick OUT a couple of inches on each side of the vertical posts at the horizontial cross member then you could have let the diagional wire wraps rest on the exposed pins ! This would BE MUCH stronger than using staples , they get loose over time as the wood ages !
joe doakes Pretty tough to beat 30 cents a piece, and non-Galvanized steel will corrode out in treated timber. We stay focused on quality here, not a cheap alternative that will end up costing time and money in a future repair. Thanks!
Overkill on post size and length of brace. 8’ length on brace with 5’6” height Post is more than enough. Brace wire design is fine other than a wire strainer is more reliable. I use heavy duty post hole diggers. Use river sand to pack into hole around post instead of using removed dirt. It will keep post nice and tight in droughts or heavy rain.
If your brace holds 1348-12 with a top and bottom line, your wire isn't tight. We just proved it, again, to a group of contractors last week. I know that your first thought is going to be "My wire is plenty tight!"....but it really isn't, and you can't wish physics away. I do agree that an XT1 is more reliable than a Gripple, but this video is a tutorial for our Gripple customers. Thanks for watching!
@Matthew Kiser since your comment is a couple of years old, I don't expect you to see this. I'm old... and old school. Personal opinion is that, when it comes to corner posts and brace posts, there is no such thing as too large a diameter or too deep a depth. Nor a "too long" of a brace. And again, just an opinion, but using sand instead of dirt is asking for failure and eventual post movement. No, I don't expect you to agree with this old farmer.😁
@@willhorting5317 sand doesn’t shrink or expand when wet or dry. Clay based soils do, which causes loosening of post. With an H brace and diagonal tension wire (12 1/2 ga doubled with wire strainer) the vertical post are not going anywhere. Just ensure the diagonal brace wire is attached at the bottom of end post and just above horizontal brace post on opposite vertical post.
Farm Fence Solutions LLC they are very popular in Ireland made by Michael and joe Brennan s company I have been to their modern factory several times and they started in a small farm workshop is their any machine available in America now that’s better than a vector
Claetus Woodroofe I liked the Vector alright, but found the EVO machines from Protech to be much more efficient with better customer service. The Protech tractor mount knockers are awfully nice as well. Don’t think I could ever do without slew again!
Farm Fence Solutions LLC I never had a slew but sounds handy when I started out I didn’t even have a side shift the life of a vector mast is 3 years if fencing every day and greasing it weekly but metal fatigue splits the inner moving part which isn’t a problem to me as we live not far from the factory compared to you do you know what’s the lifespan of your current machines mast
@@claetuswoodroofe4164 We are seeing a much longer life out of the Protech masts. We had the same problems with the old Vector Model 4 on the track base...It was an ongoing welding project, but I think we did finally get it cured on the last rebuild. I did manage to warp it ever so slightly, and it took several days to get it dialed back in where the cap wouldn't bind on the way up. I think there is a give and take with post knockers, and we can go past the point of an efficient machine once we make it hit so hard that it destroys itself. They are both really good post drivers, but I've really settled in to loving the Protech setup. I started with a three point center mast H beam style driver without any hydraulic tilt. Thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I got my first drop weight style with side slide and back shift! Slew adds a whole new dimension.
I doubt any one looking on youtube for advise on building a fence has got one of these post setters. If you spent that kind of $$$ this is probably not your first fence build. Thanks any way
Awwwe. Thanks so much for your insightful wisdom. I particularly enjoyed the part where you did absolutely nothing to justify your comment, or lend any productive information to the conversation. Nice work Eric! You win the prize for the day!! Keep up the good work!
@@farmfencesolutionsllc Why not just take a concrete silo stave ( about 3 ft. long 1 ft. wide and 2 inches thick. Dig out in front " the pull side of the post " dig down just deep enough to insert the silo stave just below the surface of the ground. Lay it perpendicular ( but flat ) against the post. This will allow much more force to be applied to the post with out pulling it over. Basically like using a thin rope compared to a thick rope. You can do away with all the bracing !!!! Also when installing the brace post put it in at a slight angle so when the wires are tightened the post will straighten itself.
Those staples aren't worth a Damn , they'll get loose and pull OUT after a year or so ! Why don't you drill another hole , and install an 6 inch steel rod for your diagional brace wire to anchor too on top and bottom ?
Way too much work....and materials ! Just take a concrete silo stave ( about 3 ft. long 1 ft. wide and 2 inches thick. Dig out in front ( the pull side of the post ) dig down just deep enough to insert the silo stave just below the surface of the ground. Lay it perpendicular ( but flat ) to the post. This will allow much more force to be applied to the post with out pulling it over. Basically like using a thin rope compared to a thick rope. You can do away with all the bracing !!!! Also when installing the brace post put it in at a slight angle so when the wires are tightened the post will straighten itself.
I'm glad that works for you. Breast blocks are great when used in addition to proper bracing. 1348-12 with one strand of plain wire and one strand of 14 gauge HT barbed was installed on these braces. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6,000 pounds of constant strain in each direction on that corner, so your method is a no go my friend. Now, if you're so confident, go make us a video to watch that demonstrates your way, and I'll gladly watch it.
@@farmfencesolutionsllc Yes......I plan to do just that ! But at the moment there is still snow on the ground and frost too ! That will have to wait. And of course......If using my method it hold that tension ! If I can pull on the corner post with a tractor and snap the post off.......Im not sure what forces are at work. But That is true . Many old style " concrete " post still exist in this area.... All of them are still standing straight. They all used the same general method.... as you call them ( breast blocks ) ....Only this method is much simpler ! Your post has maybe only 10 inches pulling against the soil......where as..... using the breast block there is as much as you desire. With a silo stave its about 3 feet wide. Thats more then three times of that 10 inches to pull against !
We don't "just HAPPEN to sell" anything. We only sell products that we use in our own fence contracting business. Gripples simply make the job a little easier and cheaper for folks that don't want to use a ratchet strainer or outdated 9 gauge low carbon brace wire. I can't speak for your forefathers, but mine did the best they could with what they had to work with....No different than me.
It is truly good to see a man taking his braces seriously. It truly is the most important part of the fence. Without a brace you have a headache.
You young guys and your fancy post-driving machines make this old man envious. Only machine we had on the farm (for "planting" fence posts) was a 3-point mounted , PTO-driven post auger.
Seems like a really relaxing task. No noises around you at all. 😌
Found out my problem. Most of my braces are too short. Sounds like I need 10' brace post. Thanks for the tips.
Great video, I have seen 9 wire on fence and it is not fun to fix at all. I have never used the stuff you put on and cannot wait to try it. That is the poster child of what a H brace should look like.
New Zealand fencer by trade. Love your work. Keep. It up
This is the way I was trying to explain stoney ridges farm fence braces. Other than leaving out a tenionser, well done.
Banj Fam I think if the high tensile brace wire needs retensioned he can use the cripple tool and tighten it.
Oh man that is a glorious machine. Here in argentina we mostly still do it by shoveling with one of em vertical shovels, then putting in the post and slowly filling up the hole around it by hammering in the dirt so that it's all compacted and firm. Tough work when you gotta do hundreds of metres
We can ship one right down to you my friend! th-cam.com/video/jdR6maH-Vrk/w-d-xo.html
Why is 9 gage wire wrong for bracing with? Is it because it's low-tensile, or "stretchier"? I would have thought that the thicker wire takes longer to rust, and can also hold more load when double wrapped. Thanks! Great video!
Im getting ready to fence 500 acres and havent done fencing in 20 years as we are just moving back to the country. I came across your video and have a bunch of questions as I want to build my fence right. I am deff going to give you guys a call, but in the mean time what size corner posts are you using? I was planning to use 8" but it looks like you go bigger?
Bigger is usually better. I can't remember off hand, but those were probably 8-9"x10'. Give us a shout anytime!
*6 years later the post was finally knocked in.
It actually took 9 and a half years, but we edited heavily. Thanks for watching!
@@farmfencesolutionsllc I saw that, it looked like magic... ;)
Nice day to be fencing. Sky is stealing the show.
My preference is an angle stay, i find they hold better in softer country but each to thier own. The one thing i didnt like about your stay was the gripple. Would it not be better to use a triplex for long term no worries? Ps i do agree with the knipex cutters. Knipex and ezi pull are all i use.
Box braces and angle stays each have their place. th-cam.com/video/WrU6cMGkunQ/w-d-xo.html Like them or not, Gripples are a great solution for many problems on a fence line, especially for the DIY customer and high volume contractors. I do enjoy tying knots, I must not be familiar with the triplex you speak of? The only triplex I know of is for electric service. Thanks for watching!
@@farmfencesolutionsllc When should you use box and angle stays? It doesn't state that in the link. Cheers
Hope to keep seeing new videos. Do you have any advice on using steel posts for braces? I've only used wood and thinking about steel on next project. Outfit nearby sells new 2 5/8". Based on price, it would be more economical than buying wood posts as I have previously.
We've been filming pipe braces all week, so if you can hold out another day or two, I'll get the first one up. Pipe is certainly more economical in oil country, and even in our wet climate, galvanized pipe is very cost competitive with wood posts. Like my ol' buddy Andy in Texas says, "Wood is outdated".
Thanks for your videos. Could you explain the strut length and how that works? Will a longer strut have more holding strength?
The short answer is, yes, a longer strut generally has more holding power, but there is more to it. To get a brace that won't fail, you'll need all the ingredients. Long strainer set deep, appropriate strut and brace post, and all of it assembled correctly. What the longer strut really does is lessen the angle of the brace wire, which prevents the strainer heave associated with steep brace wire angle, which in turn causes a lifting force when combined with the line wire tension. This is also why the strut should be set at 2/3 or so of the total height of the fence. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for answering. You’re tips and tricks are the most helpful . Some of these other self proclaimed experts know less than I do. Some videos even put out by name brand fencing manufacturers. I’m in central Kentucky so I hope to buy some materials from you later in 2019. Thanks again
Guys, can't understand why you're not using Waratah steel posts? What's the economic advantage of using these timber posts?
Hi Cheri. I suppose the economic advantages that Southern Yellow Pine has over Waratah posts would be shipping cost and availability. In many parts of the US, (I'm assuming that your are in OZ?) timber is readily available, and fairly inexpensive. We do use quite a bit of galvanized pipe, and drill stem for posts. The cost of galvanized pipe posts is very similar to a good treated wood post, which is why we see more and more of our business go that way. A cheap timber post is just that......Cheap. We do stock AWPA certified timber posts, as well as class III galvanized pipe in several sizes. Thanks for your question, and for watching!
Is the figure 8 pattern in the brace wire just a personal preference or is there a specific reason for it? Thanks again
The figure 8 is nice to keep brace wires out of the net wire, and is a must with hot wire. With the modern methods we use to tension a brace wire, like ratchet strainers or Gripples, it wouldn't be necessary. But, when you tension with chain strainers and tie or crimp, you would typically not do a figure 8, but you would pull the brace wires together in the middle to pull the last bit of slack out, and that will create a figure 8 pattern. Thanks Jonathon.
Good video thanks !
I need to make something similar that can be bed mounted in a pickup
Check out Protech Machinery. 👍
I dont know where this is but that is big sky
for this type of fence and bracing can i use cedar posts? we are certified organic farm and cant use treated posts.
Yes sir. You can also use pipe.
Are the secondary brace posts the same size as the corner post?
FarmFencer We typically use a 6-7”x8’ for the brace post.
You should have let the pins stick OUT a couple of inches on each side of the vertical posts at the horizontial cross member then you could have let the diagional wire wraps rest on the exposed pins ! This would BE MUCH stronger than using staples , they get loose over time as the wood ages !
He did, and said as much.
Thank you so much!
use a new zealand ratchet they are adjustable and alot quicker to put in you always want something that is adjustable lol
what you trying to keep in t-rex/.
You can cheaply and easily make steel pins out of rebar...................
joe doakes Pretty tough to beat 30 cents a piece, and non-Galvanized steel will corrode out in treated timber. We stay focused on quality here, not a cheap alternative that will end up costing time and money in a future repair. Thanks!
Overkill on post size and length of brace. 8’ length on brace with 5’6” height Post is more than enough. Brace wire design is fine other than a wire strainer is more reliable. I use heavy duty post hole diggers. Use river sand to pack into hole around post instead of using removed dirt. It will keep post nice and tight in droughts or heavy rain.
If your brace holds 1348-12 with a top and bottom line, your wire isn't tight. We just proved it, again, to a group of contractors last week. I know that your first thought is going to be "My wire is plenty tight!"....but it really isn't, and you can't wish physics away. I do agree that an XT1 is more reliable than a Gripple, but this video is a tutorial for our Gripple customers. Thanks for watching!
@Matthew Kiser since your comment is a couple of years old, I don't expect you to see this. I'm old... and old school. Personal opinion is that, when it comes to corner posts and brace posts, there is no such thing as too large a diameter or too deep a depth. Nor a "too long" of a brace. And again, just an opinion, but using sand instead of dirt is asking for failure and eventual post movement. No, I don't expect you to agree with this old farmer.😁
@@willhorting5317 sand doesn’t shrink or expand when wet or dry. Clay based soils do, which causes loosening of post. With an H brace and diagonal tension wire (12 1/2 ga doubled with wire strainer) the vertical post are not going anywhere. Just ensure the diagonal brace wire is attached at the bottom of end post and just above horizontal brace post on opposite vertical post.
Is that a vector post driver
It is.
Farm Fence Solutions LLC they are very popular in Ireland made by Michael and joe Brennan s company I have been to their modern factory several times and they started in a small farm workshop is their any machine available in America now that’s better than a vector
Claetus Woodroofe I liked the Vector alright, but found the EVO machines from Protech to be much more efficient with better customer service. The Protech tractor mount knockers are awfully nice as well. Don’t think I could ever do without slew again!
Farm Fence Solutions LLC I never had a slew but sounds handy when I started out I didn’t even have a side shift the life of a vector mast is 3 years if fencing every day and greasing it weekly but metal fatigue splits the inner moving part which isn’t a problem to me as we live not far from the factory compared to you do you know what’s the lifespan of your current machines mast
@@claetuswoodroofe4164 We are seeing a much longer life out of the Protech masts. We had the same problems with the old Vector Model 4 on the track base...It was an ongoing welding project, but I think we did finally get it cured on the last rebuild. I did manage to warp it ever so slightly, and it took several days to get it dialed back in where the cap wouldn't bind on the way up. I think there is a give and take with post knockers, and we can go past the point of an efficient machine once we make it hit so hard that it destroys itself. They are both really good post drivers, but I've really settled in to loving the Protech setup. I started with a three point center mast H beam style driver without any hydraulic tilt. Thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I got my first drop weight style with side slide and back shift! Slew adds a whole new dimension.
I doubt any one looking on youtube for advise on building a fence has got one of these post setters. If you spent that kind of $$$ this is probably not your first fence build. Thanks any way
The device used to put the posts in the ground does nothing to change the physics of a brace assembly. Thanks for watching.
kinda looks like a CORNER brace
Is this to hold in elephants? My goodness...
Do you not concrete posts in?
No, we do not.
Well im sure if everyone had access to that machine more people would brace that way. But this is reality
There are plenty of right ways to do the job, some of which do not require a post driver.
You r just making the job slower and harder
Awwwe. Thanks so much for your insightful wisdom. I particularly enjoyed the part where you did absolutely nothing to justify your comment, or lend any productive information to the conversation. Nice work Eric! You win the prize for the day!! Keep up the good work!
@@farmfencesolutionsllc Why not just take a concrete silo stave ( about 3 ft. long 1 ft. wide and 2 inches thick. Dig out in front " the pull side of the post " dig down just deep enough to insert the silo stave just below the surface of the ground. Lay it perpendicular ( but flat ) against the post. This will allow much more force to be applied to the post with out pulling it over. Basically like using a thin rope compared to a thick rope. You can do away with all the bracing !!!! Also when installing the brace post put it in at a slight angle so when the wires are tightened the post will straighten itself.
Those staples aren't worth a Damn , they'll get loose and pull OUT after a year or so ! Why don't you drill another hole , and install an 6 inch steel rod for your diagional brace wire to anchor too on top and bottom ?
Maybe you need better staples, a lesson in driving them, or a hug?
Way too much work....and materials ! Just take a concrete silo stave ( about 3 ft. long 1 ft. wide and 2 inches thick. Dig out in front ( the pull side of the post ) dig down just deep enough to insert the silo stave just below the surface of the ground. Lay it perpendicular ( but flat ) to the post. This will allow much more force to be applied to the post with out pulling it over. Basically like using a thin rope compared to a thick rope. You can do away with all the bracing !!!! Also when installing the brace post put it in at a slight angle so when the wires are tightened the post will straighten itself.
I'm glad that works for you. Breast blocks are great when used in addition to proper bracing. 1348-12 with one strand of plain wire and one strand of 14 gauge HT barbed was installed on these braces. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6,000 pounds of constant strain in each direction on that corner, so your method is a no go my friend. Now, if you're so confident, go make us a video to watch that demonstrates your way, and I'll gladly watch it.
@@farmfencesolutionsllc Yes......I plan to do just that ! But at the moment there is still snow on the ground and frost too ! That will have to wait. And of course......If using my method it hold that tension ! If I can pull on the corner post with a tractor and snap the post off.......Im not sure what forces are at work. But That is true . Many old style " concrete " post still exist in this area.... All of them are still standing straight. They all used the same general method.... as you call them ( breast blocks ) ....Only this method is much simpler ! Your post has maybe only 10 inches pulling against the soil......where as..... using the breast block there is as much as you desire. With a silo stave its about 3 feet wide. Thats more then three times of that 10 inches to pull against !
Of course you can't build a good fence without those specific products...which they just HAPPEN to sell! Our forefathers were just screwed I guess...
We don't "just HAPPEN to sell" anything. We only sell products that we use in our own fence contracting business. Gripples simply make the job a little easier and cheaper for folks that don't want to use a ratchet strainer or outdated 9 gauge low carbon brace wire. I can't speak for your forefathers, but mine did the best they could with what they had to work with....No different than me.
@@farmfencesolutionsllc lol =D
Farm Fence Solutions LLC Ya great...while I have I'd like to tell you about an AMAZING new product I"m selling...
What's wrong with selling a product on youtube? Are you dumb or something?