The Fence Post
The fence post is nothing to write about, right? Wrong! There are so many different types of posts we can’t possibly cover them all, but i am going to try!
T-Post:
Lets start with our most commom post the T-post the most Common post is a 5.5 1.33 post but what does that mean? that means that the post is 5.5 feet long and 1.33 pounds per foot. this is your run of the mill post. but when used on a 4-foot-tall fence they are only in the ground about 14 to 16 inches or burred to the top of the spade. this works unless the ground is soft, or the fence is more than 4 feet. Unless the ground is super hard and stable this is not enough post in the ground and the post will lean as soon as the fence gets rubbed on. a low-price fence contractor will use the shortest and lightest post that he can find to save a few cents per post and will use 1.25 light duty posts, this poses a problem as the post are very easily bent or broken therefore no longer safely containing livestock. Our standard post is a 6 plus foot 1.33 post meaning we have more post deeper in the ground so that your fence will not lean. in addition to longer t-post, we also add a pipe or wood line post every 6th post to add that extra strength to your new fence. we have all seen a fence that is full of weeds that is leaning to the east because the wind pushed it over. in our experience the extra post length and pipe posts go a long way to keep your fence standing up.
Pipe Post:
have really become common in the last decade as nearly permanent solution for fence braces. in our dry climate used drill pipe makes an excellent long-lasting choice. the price is comparable to wood posts and will last a very long time traditionally sold in 31-foot lengths it can be hard or dangerous to haul Stillwater Fencing has made significant investment to be able to haul long pipe safely. One reason I invested in a long 37-foot trailer is when hauling pipe on a short trailer I was in constant fear of being rear ended and having a pipe go through a windshield and hurting or worse the occupant of the vehicle. a long trailer prevents this and the pipe does not stick off the back at all. After the pipe is purchased and to the yard it is unloaded and processed into the various size posts that i need, mostly 8- and 10-foot pipes. this is a heavy and time-consuming process that we go thru to get you the best fence. I typically use 2 7/8 pipe and 4 inch pipe with a .20 and .45 inch wall thickness respectively. Pipe has the advantage of compact yet strong fence material, you can haul a mile wire of pipe line post on a heavy-duty pickup with room for wire and T-post. the same number of wood post would require a trailer. in wetter climates such as the Midwest and east coast where oil-field pipe is not available we recommend a galvanized pipe post very similar to a chain-link post. The galvanized post, more expensive as it is, is also a great option if you want a fence that your grandkids will not need to replace.
wood posts:
wood posts are the best-looking post at the trade of longevity and strength. the options in wood post are railroad ties, Rot resistant wood post such and cedar or hedge, or treated posts. at Stillwater Fencing we believe that Railroad ties were pulled from service for a reason, they were starting to lose strength and no longer fit for they intended purpose, also known as they are starting to rot, hanging a fence off a post that is starting to rot in my mind is not a good use of funds so we do not install them. The logistics of getting a load of hedge post brought in is a deal breaker as they are very heavy and awkward to haul meaning a project would take multiple semi loads of hedge post, or one pickup load of steel. Cedar is available locally but the cost of harvesting them and posting them in the ground makes a commercial post seem cheaper. We have used several types of treated post in the past and have settled on using a true CCA treated post, preferably southern yellow pine. these posts are packed in easy-to-handle Skids and bundles so they store excellent and haul good. we bring our post in from Texas if the project allows giving us the Best post available. We do not use Farm Store post and they are mass produced as cheaply as possible. if i put my post next to the farm store post you can see the difference. we choose the cca treat post as we strive for the best and cca treat is the best.
We always recommend post for the longest service life and for us on our climate this means steel, one advantage that steel has that we have not mentioned is steel in naturally fire resistant and if the fence in not in a huge fuel area such as timber or cedar bushes a metal fence will continue to protect your livestock after a fire burns thru, obviously no fence can handle a hot forest fire put a prairie fire on the plains of the grass has been grazed off as it should be keeping your cows contained will be the least of your worries when recovering from a fire. we hope you never experience a fire but if you do we hope all your fence lines are clear of big fuels and your posts are metal.