Guest Post by Rick Hoffman
High Tensile wire is regarded as the most significant improvement in farm fencing since the introduction of barbed wire in 1874. While relatively new in the US, it has been used to effectively control cattle, sheep and other livestock on ranches in other countries for over 50 years. It has now become the preferred choice for agricultural fencing in the USA.
Agricultural fencing is made from either low carbon wire or high tensile wire.
Low carbon wire is made from steel rod with carbon content of approximately 0.10%. This type of wire is easy to work with and fairly forgiving. However it is prone to elongation – stretching and sagging. And its strength is low when compared to high tensile wire.
High tensile wire is made with higher carbon steel. The carbon content of this wire is approximately 0.28%. This increased carbon content significantly increases the wire’s strength and reduces elongation. This allows the use of a smaller diameter high tensile wire versus a thicker low carbon wire.
There are many advantages to high tensile wire fence
- Lower overall costs due to smaller diameter wire and fewer posts used
- High tensile wire can be installed using fewer fence posts than low carbon fence
- High tensile: post spacing up to 16.5 feet vs low carbon: post spacing 8 to 10 feet
- Stronger – about twice the strength as low carbon wire for effectively controlling any type of livestock: horses, hogs, cattle, deer, sheep, goat, etc.
- Lighter weight means easier handling during installation
- High tensile fences remain tight for years – even if a tree falls on a high tensile fence, it will spring back to shape once the tree is removed
- Very low maintenance
- Longer life – 40 plus years if properly maintained
- Can be easily electrified
- More secure
- Looks neater
- Much safer for livestock than barbed wire
- Class 3 galvanizing is standard
With high tensile wire, you can build a longer lasting, low maintenance fence for nearly half the price of a conventional low carbon fence.
High Tensile wire fence = high performance and long life!
This article originally appeared on LouisPage.com and is reprinted with permission.
