Fence chargers

[formenwhogrow]

Bought a fence charger less than two years ago, was a Zareba charger made in USA. The chargers rated for 100 mi of fence and has worked excellent. It quit working out of the blue last week, (no lightning, power surges, moisture, etc.) Sent it back to the fence supply company and they want $80 to repair it. The charger was a round $200 new. Its less than 2 yrs old mind you.
I had the old parmak charger plugged into the same outlet as the new one was for 25 years and it STILL puts 5-7kv in the fence. I just thought I would replace it with a newer one and use it as a spair. What i am getting at is I think an $80 bill is ridiculous. Doesn't anyone stand behind their products anyomore?

 

[schmuck]

I had to replace the "guts" in a Zareba fence charger last year, but lightning is what got mine. It was only about an $80 unit to begin with, and I think the repair kit was $60. Oh, well. $20 is $20 I guess and I can't blame them for the lightning.

 

[Wilsonfire]

Knock on wood I haven"t lost one yet. I use the plug in lightning suppressors sold by the charger manufacturer and keep a good ground moist. I live in a lightning and power surge prone area (Central Oklahoma). This is what works here.

 

[inkspot]

parmak was a good fencer i had a bushwacker but cant find them any where in local stores surplus center use to carry them but no longer have a retail store i have gone through 2 zarbera it is just a cost of having livestock i guess cheaper in the long run to get a new one just dont know what will go out on a repaired one beside shipping insurance etc bite the bullet
be glad they dont charge you to gert rid of it

 

[RodinNS]

I'm surprised you could get anyone to look at it, let alone for 80 bucks.

We've had a Gallagher M1500 for 20 years and an AlfaLaval (delaval) 10K for 10 years or so. No trouble with either one. Ever. Neither one was a 200 buck energizer tho... Not by a long shot.

I'd wonder if either lightning or a power surge got yours...

Rod

 

[RMinVa]

I started out in 1992 with Gallagher. Good box but to high $$$ for what it does. I tried Zareba and lightening has blown several off the wall. I run 4 chargers and have switched over to Cyclops Brute. Best lightening protection built in the charger that I"ve been able to find, will put out more voltage than the Gallagher 800 on loaded fence for $257. Had one take a direct lightening hit and was replaced under a 1 year warranty and turnaround was 3 days. Made in the USA too. Had two more get hot after warranty and repair was $47 &$49 to repair. Both those got hit the same night. We have lots of problems with lightening here.

 

[bc]

I had my zareba 100 miler quit last year during the winter for no reason and no lightning at the time except for possible latent damage like they find in computers.

Anyway, sent it in and spent the 80 plus bucks to fix it. They just replace a board in there. I had it apart and tried to test all the components for voltage, etc but couldn't figure out what went wrong.

In the meantime, I pulled an old 30 plus year old solid state charger out of the rust bucket in the corner of the barn (forget the name but found them on the internet(grey and white box with some red)). Knocked the rust off the terminals and around the inside and outside of the case. Finally figured out the plug had a fuse in it and the copper tabs in it were broken. Cut the plug in off and put on another one without fuse. It tests out at 5 to 7 kv just the same as the zareba. So now I have a spare.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I do many repairs for less than 10 bucks in my shop.Newer chargers are costing more to repair.A neighbor brings his Parmak charger every year for a shorted diode replacment.Costs him 5 bucks.Lightning strikes do plenty of damage.Zareba wont sell small parts,transformers are glued to the circuit board.A small part failure and you replace the guts.50 bucks every time you need repair.Parmak is headed the same way on new models.

 

[Anonymous-0]

No fuses will cook a 35 buck transformer or start a fire.New fused plugs cost 4 bucks.

 

[MGTPa]

You fellows ever hear of an old fence charger called Bull-Dog. Tough as nails. Got those little fuses in the plug. Has two glass domes on the front, one amber, the other one green. Looks like the front of a robots face when it is running. Green light stays on all the time and the amber one flicks on and off with each electric pulse. You can hear a little motor running a cam shaft that breaks the contact points with an audible click. Look inside and it is sheer simplicity. Been hanging on the inside barn wall for over 40 years. We have 116 acres and miles and miles of fence for beef cattle. That charger will knock your socks off.

 

[RodinNS]

You work cheap...
I doubt there's anyone around here that would muck with those things for less than 30 bucks an hour (and I doubt you'll get many to work for that either), never mind parts.
I'm fairly sure both I have are solid state components anyway so there isn't much you'd do in there short of replacing the board...
I've never priced parts for one but I'd guess that it's cheaper and quicker to just buy another than wait for a board.

Rod

 

[Case e]

only one fencer better that a zareba and that is everything else.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The Parmak SE4 has a small output board that costs 15.00.A new SE4 costs 200.00 plus 10.00 sales tax.Labor to change the board is 10 bucks in my shop.I can do the job while the customer waits most of the time.I keep the board in stock.Would you spend 220 bucks instead of 25 bucks.

 

[Anonymous-0]

My zabera 50 miler went out last year for no known reason. Place I bought it from asked the max $ I wanted to spend repairing it. I said $40. Guess what the bill was…$40. It sure worked good after the repair though.

Last night found out my zabera 15 miler no longer works. Maybe lightening? Now I have to send that one back for repair.

These things just don’t seem to hold up. How can you afford to constantly repair these things. Wish I had an old bull-dozer or similar.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Go to harbor freight, if you want a small solar charger, oh, and BUY THE REPLACEMENT PLAN. I have had several go bad, I just smile, and take it back and they replace it free!

 

[Dave from MN]

Meter Maid powerful, warrenty, simple, effective, still looks like the old style and works as good if not better

 

[RodinNS]

In that case, no... but I also wouldn't be changing the board every bloody year either. I'd do it about twice before it got fired in the can.
Again... fixing energizers is a foriegn concept to me. Never touched one and don't know anyone who has touched a Gallagher. It seems to be the 'others' that get blown around this area... the cheap type you speak of.

Rod

 

[Anonymous-0]

Whats the difference.My charger has had a few repairs in the last 30 years.Its keeps the cows in.My house is over 200 years old.It shelters me as well as a new house.My old Ford car is older than I am but its still useful.Lightning blows up all chargers,no matter what they cost.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Bushwackers and weedburner type fence chargers set grass and buildings afire.None had UL listing and no co. makes them now.

 

[wrbix]

I've gone through a Zareba unit about every 2 years for the past decade. The one that comes back from repair is kept as backup until the previously repaired one dies. Lightning seems not to be the cause. Seems I can discern a decrease in the volume of the clicking sound from the box as it's about to die. I'm getting sick and tired of $80 a pop plus shipping for this repair "service" on an obviously poorly engineered product. Does anyone have a clue what the usual "repair" that is done by their service "specialists"? Anything that I could replace myself?