Barbed Wire
This may seem like a very boring subject after all wire is wire right? Wrong there are three common barb wire types. Commercial, low carbon 12.5 gauge, and high Tensile 14 gauge.
Commercial spec is what you see on top of chain link on the barb arms it is never very tight and rarely sees anything push on it. it is a commercial spec galvanization that is very thin: and a very low strength wire, as such it has no place in the farm fence world this wire is cheap for a reason and will require constant tensioning. the barbs are short and dull.
Low carbon wire is the wire that we have all used since the inception of wire fence 100 years ago or more. it is a continuous wound 2 12.5 gauge wires that have the barbs wrapped around one of them. (some even have bright painted red barbs and as much as i love red paint i hate that stuff the most) it has slightly thicker galvanization than the commercial wire. this wire typical has a tensile strength of around 36,000 psi and that works out to a breaking strength of around 1100 pounds. it also has about 15% elongation so a 100 foot stretch will have about 15 feet of stretch before it snaps. Many contractors to get this stretch out “kill the wire” or pull it until the weakest spot snaps splice it then put it up. The problem with this method is you are now dealing with wire that has been pulled to the weakest links breaking point. But What is the nest weakest spots breaking point? in my opinion this wire has been compromised. further this wire has no ability to absorb a impact or cold temperature and must be re-stretched after a significant impact or cold spell that has stretched the wire adding to the spring chores that need done.
The final type of wire We will mention is high tensile Class 3 Galvanized wire this wire will last the longest without rust because the coating is the thickest. This wire is in the neighborhood of 170,000 psi even a smaller diameter it is stronger. High tensile wire, this wire has 3% elongation rate and is wound in a reverse twist method this means that every few inches the wind switches directions this twist is the magical element that sets this wire apart from every other wire. when impacted this wire acts like a spring and the twists temporarily untwist and the wire is able to stretch. the magic happens when the stress is removed and the wire springs back to the original length and tension. now there are downsides to this wire that have cause some to dislike this wire, if you “kill it” you have ruined the wire and it will completely untwist and not absorb stretch then break, the other is there is a learning curve to tying this wire as regular twisting and loop or western union splices do not hold tension. it must be spliced with the proper high tensile knots. with this wire a double wrap on the braces does nothing but waste wire as the knot will hold all the tension without it. paired with our dry climate, good metal bracing, modern EZ twist post ties the better strength and coating this fence will last much longer with less maintenance. giving you the landowner a fence with a lower cost per year than any other wire. while also freeing your time for other projects or some family time.
in Summary when it comes to barb wire like everything, you get what you pay for if you want to keep your upfront cost as low as possible, but don’t want to factor in longevity and Maintenace cost and peace of mind then chose low carbon wire. if you are okay with a fence that cost a few percent more upfront but will last longer with less maintenance cost per year, resulting in a significantly cheaper fence when broken down in cost per year. high tensile wire is for you. We here at Stillwater fencing use exclusively high tensile wire, as we want to build you a fence that will save you time and money even if it cost more the first year.