When I was a jackeroo after leaving school, one of the first things I learnt was how to tie knots in wire. There were a few different knots, but the main ones I still use today were the figure 8, two loops, and tying off a strainer. Since then gripples were invented in 1988 by a Welshman by the name of Hugh Facey. I can’t deny gripples are brilliant, but they are also expensive (depending on how you value your labour) and I find the modern gripples slip more than the old ones did (maybe that’s just me longing for the good old days).
I first bought a set of fencing pliers when I was 16. That was a long, long time ago. Although I have lost a few pairs, I do still have my original Maun pliers. There is all sorts of equipment available on eBay, and much of it is rubbish. Imagine I have had pliers for over 40 years and they still work well. As a minimum I suggest top quality pliers and top quality wire strainers. Bolt cutters are also essential for cutting high tensile wire, but I have found cheap bolt cutters work fine.
I also have my original Hayes Wire strainers and they are the best. Mine have long lost the spring which suits me. There are cheap Chinese copies available, but why risk using them? Wire straining is potentially dangerous, so using the best possible equipment is essential.
If you are handling plain wire, you also need a wire spinner. These can range from home made to commercial models. It is virtually impossible to handle plain wire without a spinner. We only have horse on the farm now, and I prefer plain wire electric fences everywhere.
Maun side cutting fencing pliersHayes wire strainers still made in New ZealandSteel post driverGallager spinner.
There are a lot of other tools, of course, and they can be accumulated over time. A post hole shovel and crow bar come to mind.
Some people love to travel. Rome, Paris, Rio. I am pretty happy just staying home on the farm, but if I do travel whether in Australia or overseas, I like to go to rural areas, visiting farms, horse events or sheep dog events. One of my favourite pastimes though wherever I go is to check out farm fences. In my younger days I did a fair bit of contract fencing and of course I have done all the fencing on our home farm.
The most essential element of every fence is the end assembly. I have always used standard box end assemblies, but I am amazed at how many variations there are. What I find particularly interesting is how they vary according to the region they are in. I am biased I guess, and always do a traditional box assembly as below, using treated pine posts. The fashion in my district now tends to be to have the rail, about half way down (or more) and I can’t for the life of me understand why. The brace wires actually pull around the strut. See the photo below. They are popping up like mushrooms as fencing contractors copy each other. I would like to see come engineering computations on them, as I am convinced a traditional box is the most stable.
Standard box end assemblyDiagonal strut
Diagonal struts were common years ago when people cut their own posts. They would cut a hole in the strainer, then fit a pointed end of the strut post into the strainer. The diagonal strut was usually long (10′ or more) as shorter struts would act as a catapult and lift the strainer out of the ground.
There are many prefabricated options today, and they are increasingly common, although they are expensive. End assemblies are the most important part of any fence. If a strainer fails, the fence fails.
This is an interesting article I found that includes some thoughts on end assemblies.
