Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????  (Read 4926 times)

jaffab

  • Joined Sep 2019
T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« on: April 16, 2021, 08:59:29 am »
All,

This may look like a newbie question but.....

When we read books, blog posts, watch youtube videos.. its all about T-posts for fencing.     But the books/blogs/videos are generally American (not a conscious choice, its just there is more American content).

When I start looking around for prices, here in the UK its all wooden posts - which seem a lot harder to drive (and more expensive).

I can find suppliers of T-posts here in the uk, but they are the exception rather than the norm.

So, the question is, am I getting this wrong.    And why less t-posts in the UK?

They seem to inexpensive, and so much less work than wooden posts....

So for instance...

One of the few places we found selling T-posts was here....
https://www.electric-fence.co.uk/electric-fence/permanent-fence-posts/t-posts-and-accessories.html
100 t-posts = £765

When we look at wooden posts, 100 wooden posts (2.28m(All Round)Min.125mm Peeled Strainer Post (Jakcured)>) is coming in at £2k

What am I missing?

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2021, 09:51:35 am »
I guess most of us either build permanent stock fencing, for which you need the wooden posts and stock netting, no electric, or use electric fencing as a temporary measure in which case we use the removable electric fence posts.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2021, 12:55:09 pm »
A strainer is not a fence post, it's a big sturdy thing about 20 cm in diameter which is concreted in place and braced and takes the strain of tensioned wire fencing or wire mesh fencing.  You are comparing the price of them with electric fence posts.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

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jaffab

  • Joined Sep 2019
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2021, 01:16:09 pm »
Yes - good point.    It was a quick google.   
But, the point still remains, T-posts not being common (as far as I can tell) in the UK compared to the USA, and the wooden alternative still being more work/more expensive?

No?

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2021, 03:11:36 pm »
Are you wanting an electric fence?  Or a non-electric fence? 
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

jaffab

  • Joined Sep 2019
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2021, 04:25:55 pm »
Doing the planning on fencing at the moment.
For the pigs area - we are looking at 3 wire electric.   For everything else, non (although, wife and I currently disagreeing about top wire - electric v barbed).

oor wullie

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Strathnairn
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2021, 05:21:07 pm »
If you look at Clipex or Versalok you'll find metal posts for strained wire fencing.

I guess the reason most people use wooden posts is that's what has been done for decades and metal posts look 'different'.

I've never used metal posts but probably will next time I'm puting up a new fence as wooden ones tend to rot after a alarmingly short time.

landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2021, 06:41:28 pm »
Yes - good point.    It was a quick google.   
But, the point still remains, T-posts not being common (as far as I can tell) in the UK compared to the USA, and the wooden alternative still being more work/more expensive?

No?


You consider T- posts at @ £9 each to be cheap?? Compared to tanalised wood ones with a 25 year guarantee for @£3? :thinking:


Agreed they are easier to put in, but if you can get hold of someone with a machine to put the wooden ones in, they are not so difficult. Also you can run an electric wire/tape along the top which extends their life enormously.
I've used clipex and would not recommend it. The best metal posts I got are vineyard posts - new old stock for £1.50 each. They are galvanised posts that you can put in with a metal headed mallet - much easier than a sledgehanmmer, and they have convenient hooks about every couple of inches up the post. So once the stakes are in, all you have to do is hang your stock netting and barbed wire on it. Much quicker than staples. They are also much more substantial than T - posts.[size=78%]  [/size]
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

jaffab

  • Joined Sep 2019
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2021, 10:32:27 am »
You consider T- posts at @ £9 each to be cheap?? Compared to tanalised wood ones with a 25 year guarantee for @£3? :thinking:


Agreed they are easier to put in, but if you can get hold of someone with a machine to put the wooden ones in, they are not so difficult. Also you can run an electric wire/tape along the top which extends their life enormously.
I've used clipex and would not recommend it. The best metal posts I got are vineyard posts - new old stock for £1.50 each. They are galvanised posts that you can put in with a metal headed mallet - much easier than a sledgehanmmer, and they have convenient hooks about every couple of inches up the post. So once the stakes are in, all you have to do is hang your stock netting and barbed wire on it. Much quicker than staples. They are also much more substantial than T - posts.
[/quote]

So are you suggesting wooden posts, or Vineposts?

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #9 on: April 19, 2021, 09:06:28 pm »
You consider T- posts at @ £9 each to be cheap?? Compared to tanalised wood ones with a 25 year guarantee for @£3?


Where are you getting your £3 posts please?  I'm confused about whether this question should be directed at [member=196540]jaffab[/member] or at [member=6533]landroverroy[/member] - whatever, what size 25-yr guaranteed tantalised post can be bought for just £3 ??
« Last Edit: April 20, 2021, 01:58:10 am by arobwk »

honeyend

  • Joined Oct 2011
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2021, 02:10:00 pm »
I am replacing my very expensive wooden posts, top of the range, with Clipex, as they rot or break, they have only been in six years.I have electric fence and stock fence and Clipex is amazing, a one husband job, with a rammer even on clay. Nothing chews or leans on it.

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2021, 01:40:47 am »
Chuckling [member=23193]honeyend[/member] at the "one husband job" remark! 

naturelovingfarmer

  • Joined May 2021
  • Ohio River Valley
Re: T-posts in USA, wooden posts in the UK?????
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2021, 03:12:07 pm »
t-posts are not optimal for electric wire, they're actually made to support mesh fencing. You can put insulators on them to use them with electric wire, but they're designed for mesh.
Turn your problem into a solution. Learn new things. Adapt as you go. Plans should be fluid and subject to change. I start planning for things years in advance and by the time I do them they have usually changed radically.

"Fall down 7 times, stand up 8" ~Bodhidharma

 

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