Testing A Cattle Fencer

[Anonymous-0]

Can someone tell me how to test a cattle fencer with a multimeter. Volts, watts...?



Thank you,
Glenn F.

 

[beau5278]

I never tried it with a voltmeter,when I was a kid,my Grandfather always took a foot long piece of timothy or orchard grass and laid it on the fence while holding the other end,I could always tell how good it was working by how long he held on to it.

 

[onefarmer]

I just grab up a shovel and jump it from the wire to a metal post. How far and well it jumps is how good the fence is charged.

If it don't jump very far then time to go around the fence clearing off the trash.

 

[Uncle Ernie]

Hard to test the pulsing with a multi meter. An analog meter will show pulses as the needle sweeps but capturing a reading that means anything would be a trick.A digital would just show numbers scaling and not be of much use. An occiloscope would work.
On our farm we had a neon light tester that you grounded the lead and touched the probe to the fence. The brightness of the light would indicate the level of charge on the fence.

 

[thurlow]

No, but............local CO-OP or farm supply should have one (tester) for 10 bucks or less.

 

[loko17]

Tractor Supply was selling a multi neon bulb fence tester. Put probe into ground and touch tester to fence. By the number of neon bulbs that light up, the strength of the fence charger could be determined.

 

[Sam from WA]

you don"t need a fancy fence tester if ya have a couple neighbor kids! I had the neighbors kids out helping me a while ago, got all done and told the one to take the fence tester with him and go around to make sure it worked. Went all the way around and comes back and says "looks all good", grabbed onto the wire to get back over, and got bit pretty good because of it.
You don"t need a fancy fence tester, just a neighbor kid. But the problem with the kids is the a one time use only, they usually learn after one time.

 

[whizkidkyus]

Don't forget guys, that the electric fence chargers put out high voltage and just your everyday testers from Radio Shack and Walmart won't test that high of a voltage . And not to mention ,as said before, the pulsating of the voltage. Bust as the other guys said , the cheapest and easiest way is to just get a neon bulb tester available at and most farm , ag. store fairly cheaply.

Thanks ,
Whizkidkyus

 

[Billy Shafer]

Just pee on it. You will find out real quick if it is working. Trust me.

 

[schmuck]

If you are brave, you can rig up a piece of fence wire with some rubber hose and push it toward a fence post or similar object and if it jumps a decent gap (1/4" or better) then you know it's working fine. If you mess up somehow during this test, you'll know it works too, but it's not at all pleasant. Best bet is to buy the tester as already suggested.

 

[jeffcat]

Do like the cows do. They push one of the weaker ones into the fence. If she bellows it is hot! If it is not on they all get out! Pests!!!

 

[Gary in TX]

pi$$ on it

 

[GeneMO]

You pull off a grass stem a couple feet long, make sure you get a green one. Hold it in your hand and touch the fence. You'll get a tickle, but not bad.

Gene

 

[CNKS]

Plastic handled screw driver, from post to wire -- intensity of spark will tell you.

 

[kyplowboy]

Granddad used to use an old screwdriver and short it out to a metal post. If it left a burnt spot on screwdriver it was hot enough.

I have never used a regular voltmeter but I have a Gallagher smart fix and highly recomend one to any one with over half a mile of hot wire. It will tell you how many volts and amps are on the wire plus tell you which way the amps are going. Cuts down on a whole lot of walking when you know which way to go to look for the short.

Dave

 

[fixerupper]

The screwdriver method some of the guys recommended is about the quickest and best. The snap of the spark tells it all. Jim

 

[Anonymous-0]

Glen, you can take a long metal fencing bar, the kind you use to dig holes in rock, the heavy ones. Stab the pointed end of the bar in the ground a few inches, and then slowly lean the bar toward the wire, closer and closer, until a spark jumps. You can tell from the strength of the spark, and NO it WILL NOT shock you, I do this all the time. The electric will flow through the metal bar into the ground, and will not come up the metal bar after you, even if you are bare handed on the steel bar. This is because you are a poor ground compared to the bar directly in the dirt. Was taught this in the late 50s. Now I have one of the TSC little light dealies, but usually just grab the bar. Tom

 

[Anonymous-0]

Your multimeter will be junk. dont..

 

[Jerry (KS)]

That sounds like the voice of experience.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Get a special high voltage tester for it. premeir ! has them for about $60 new and you can sometimes find used Gallgher"s for around the same price or you can buy them new for $100+. I have fried digital voltmeter that I use to test it-ONCE!!

 

[MF165farmer]

I usually get a shovel an ground it an touch the the wire works for me

 

[Billy Shafer]

Yes it is. Standing in the mud barefooted. Just had to take a leak.Got started just has some girls came around the corner. I turned and hit the fence. The fence was working fine.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The smartest way is fellow who said to get an electric fence testor for a few dollars. I got mine at either Rural King or Tractor Supply. I had to put up an short run of electric fence because neighbor did not care if his cows got in my corn field.

 

[Charles Santhuff]

You can tell if your fence charger is working by using a burned out florescent light bulb. A four foot one works for me. Put one end of the bulb on the ground and other end to hot wire. Bulb will flash every time the charger activates. Good way to tell from a distance if the charger is working.

 

[greygoat]

Lick it !!!

 

[Pale Rider]

My father in law used to use a long piece of green grass and holding one end would touch the fence with the other end. He would slowly move the piece of grass closer and closer into the wire. His claim was that it would reach a point wherein you would feel it but it would not yet hurt you by virtue of the lessening resistance. I believe him when he said he did it and it worked, yet being an electrician I can't quite bring MYSELF to do it. I just can't get over the hurdle of knowing what it feels like to get shocked. I've always wondered about it though.

 

[Anonymous-0]

(quoted from post at 05:49:57 09/06/09) Can someone tell me how to test a cattle fencer with a multimeter. Volts, watts...?



Thank you,
Glenn F.

Ground should have some moisture in it to get a better reading... Stick the negative lead of the MM in the ground (or clip it to a bare spot on a metal post) hold the positive close to the fence with your left hand, watch the meter real close cause it'll prolly move quick, then touch the fence firmly with your right hand. Should get a good idea how well it works then....

Gallagher Smart Fix is the best 130 bucks you'll ever spend....

Dave