electric fence

[keh]

I extended an electric fence so I could hook up the 2 strands, one waist level one a few inches off the ground to keep deer and raccons out of the garden. I ran the fence across two gates and want to bury the wire at the gates so I can drive tractors across the wire. Unhooking the wire at a gate gets old. I conferred with another guy who has done this and he said he had trouble with the underground wire breaking if he just buried it so he buried it in plastic conduit. He advised burying it at least a foot deep so tractors would not break the pipe too. I don't know if I can handle digging it by hand or not. Anybody else have experience with this?

KEH

 

[old]

It might be easier if you instead of went down went up. Get a couple pipes say 12-15 foot long and the put them in the ground and run the wire over head.
Hobby farm

 

[Davis In SC]

We used to bury the wire inside of a piece of garden hose, buried 6 or 8 inches deep, at gate crossings.

 

[McFarmer]

Just get some good 12ga. insulated wire and lay it on the ground. Or cover it up with a couple inches of soil if you're looking for work.

 

[Brokenwrench]

I have done like Davis has mentioned. Get some good heavy insulated wire and use garden hose as your conduit. That way you don`t have to go very deep. If you want to get real fancy, you can pump both ends full of silicone or caulking to keep moisture from traveling down the hose. It is nice to not have to monkey with opening and closing the electric at the gate.

 

[keh]

Thought about going high, but I need 10 feet clearance and there are appearance issues at one gate.

Garden hose good idea, would flex when tractor went over it.
KEH

 

[Anonymous-0]

Go to your fence supplier they should have some underground wire just bury it about 8 inches deep have done this under several drives, roads and gates. Works great some of them been there 10 years no problems.

Clint

 

[Allan in NE]

Why not just get one of those $2 insulated hook handles? Drop the wire and drive across it.

Allan

 

[keh]

Hope your hay situation has improved, Allan. Yeah, I have the hook system on another gate. Don't like to take time to hook and unhook.

Another problem with going high is I have tree issues at 2 of the gates. I just spent some time with a Chinese backhoe and that may cause me to rethink the whole thing. That red clay is HARD.

KEH

 

[Jerry/MT]

If you need to bury wire to go under a gate, etc., you'll need something with really good insulation. Romex is only good for about 600V and most chargers are in the 4-6 KV range or higher. I always run mine through some poly pipe to allow mw to remove or replace it if I have to.

 

[Anonymous-0]

what about one of those drive through gates that swing out of the way as you drive the tractor through i know ive seen them set up for electric fence wire.just a thought

 

[rustyfarmall]

I have been using the romex for several years now to run from the fencer which is inside the building, to the outside, where it is connected to the fence wire. No problems.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I put a heavier fence wire about 2or 3 inches above ground with heavy duty insulators and a spring on each end tied to fence posts to keep tension on the wire and drive across it and it pops right back up. You can adjust the height of the wire to your needs. We've done this for years. Saves alot of getting on and off tractors.

 

[Walt Davies]

go to any place that handles electric fencing and ask for the insulated wire made for direct burial it comes in a large roll or by the ft. and will not leak even on the best systems.
Walt

 

[TimS in Mo]

I run electric across several gates, I use the wire designed for it from the farm supply store, its about 3/8 total diameter with a 12 gauge conductor in it.

I generally just go out after a good rain, use a flat spade, cut a slot in the ground and stuff the wire down a few inches in the ground from one side of the gate or the other. Then stomp the slit closed over the wire.

I have driven a lot of tractors and equipment over those wires and haven't had a break yet.

 

[TimS in Mo]

I run electric across several gates, I use the wire designed for it from the farm supply store, its about 3/8 total diameter with a 12 gauge conductor in it.

I generally just go out after a good rain, use a flat spade, cut a slot in the ground and stuff the wire down a few inches in the ground from one side of the gate or the other. Then stomp the slit closed over the wire.

I have driven a lot of tractors and equipment over those wires and haven't had a break yet.

 

[TimS in Mo]

I run electric across several gates, I use the wire designed for it from the farm supply store, its about 3/8 total diameter with a 12 gauge conductor in it.

I generally just go out after a good rain, use a flat spade, cut a slot in the ground and stuff the wire down a few inches in the ground from one side of the gate or the other. Then stomp the slit closed over the wire.

I have driven a lot of tractors and equipment over those wires and haven't had a break yet.

 

[TimS in Mo]

I run electric across several gates, I use the wire designed for it from the farm supply store, its about 3/8 total diameter with a 12 gauge conductor in it.

I generally just go out after a good rain, use a flat spade, cut a slot in the ground and stuff the wire down a few inches in the ground from one side of the gate or the other. Then stomp the slit closed over the wire.

I have driven a lot of tractors and equipment over those wires and haven't had a break yet.

 

[TimS in Mo]

I run electric across several gates, I use the wire designed for it from the farm supply store, its about 3/8 total diameter with a 12 gauge conductor in it.

I generally just go out after a good rain, use a flat spade, cut a slot in the ground and stuff the wire down a few inches in the ground from one side of the gate or the other. Then stomp the slit closed over the wire.

I have driven a lot of tractors and equipment over those wires and haven't had a break yet.

 

[TimS in Mo]

I run electric across several gates, I use the wire designed for it from the farm supply store, its about 3/8 total diameter with a 12 gauge conductor in it.

I generally just go out after a good rain, use a flat spade, cut a slot in the ground and stuff the wire down a few inches in the ground from one side of the gate or the other. Then stomp the slit closed over the wire.

I have driven a lot of tractors and equipment over those wires and haven't had a break yet.

 

[TimS in Mo]

Whoops, sorry for multi post.

 

[keh]

Thanks for everyone's advice. Very helpful.

KEH