Electric fence corner insulator

TheRanger · Apr 26, 2024

Have a permanent electric fence that I've just upgraded from plastic wire to HT steel wire. One of the corners is done with a plastic corner insulator similar to the following photo.

When finished I stupidly wound the plastic wire up under tension through the corner insulator and it seems to have damaged/worn it internally and will need replaced. Having tensioned the whole fence, and with this insulator typically being right in the middle, is there any type of corner insulator I can use with HT 2mm wire that doesn't need to be threaded through the entire fence line?

TheRanger · Apr 26, 2024

Would something like that work? doesn't look as if it would stay in place very well that way round.

Humble Village Farmer · Apr 26, 2024

Can't you just use another bit of wire to tie it on?

Poorbuthappy · Apr 26, 2024

Cut the wire and reconnect?

steveR · Apr 26, 2024

TheRanger said:
Have a permanent electric fence that I've just upgraded from plastic wire to HT steel wire. One of the corners is done with a plastic corner insulator similar to the following photo.

View attachment 1178405
When finished I stupidly wound the plastic wire up under tension through the corner insulator and it seems to have damaged/worn it internally and will need replaced. Having tensioned the whole fence, and with this insulator typically being right in the middle, is there any type of corner insulator I can use with HT 2mm wire that doesn't need to be threaded through the entire fence line?

For conventional steel or polywire, I cut a slot in the insulator to allow the wire to slip through. I undoubtedly weakens the insulator, but is fine. Not sure how good that would work with HT...?

steveR · Apr 26, 2024

Snug Insulator HotStop I20

High grade permanent electric fencing insulator. Particularly useful with Electric fence wires in permanent perimeter electric fences.

www.agrisellex.co.uk

Poorbuthappy · Apr 26, 2024

steveR said:
For conventional steel or polywire, I cut a slot in the insulator to allow the wire to slip through. I undoubtedly weakens the insulator, but is fine. Not sure how good that would work with HT...?

Thinking about it, there are some brands of that style insulator that have a slot already cut in them.

Poorbuthappy · Apr 26, 2024

Here you go

https://www.griggsagri.co.uk/gallagher-rappa-slotted-end-strain-insulator-images.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoa2xBhACEiwA1sb1BC5smXb4iWoBTdxQX1fYTnUtP0VnFxKIhQP3POyQ2SjyxP1L9ye4JBoCuaAQAvD_BwE

Edit: Doesn't say so there, but on the Rappa website, £10 odd is for a pack of 10

milkloss · Apr 26, 2024

I’d try to find a ceramic insulator for that job. Any tension on the fence will go through plastic like a cheese wire. We use old power pole insulators….. the ceramic bobbin is held in a Clevis with a bolt through: take out bolt, put wire round bobbin, put bolt through bobbin and tension.

a bit like this

Humble Village Farmer · Apr 26, 2024

Poorbuthappy said:
Thinking about it, there are some brands of that style insulator that have a slot already cut in them.

Not as strong though...

neilo · Apr 26, 2024

TheRanger said:
Would something like that work? doesn't look as if it would stay in place very well that way round.

View attachment 1178406

Looks like a recipe for shorting between the live wire and the retaining wire. There can't be much gap between them?

I was going to post a link to the RAPPA slotted insulators, but @Poorbuthappy beat me to it. That's what I use for polywire sheep fencing on corners.

Welderloon · Apr 26, 2024

Piece of wire shrouded by a piece of garden hose like proper poor hillbilly farmers

Bury the Trash · Apr 26, 2024

porcelain strain insulators are better than plastic.

Suffolk Serf · Apr 26, 2024

Rappa slotted end/corner insulator.
or cut a slot in one that you have.
might be an idea to use a cable tie to prevent the wire popping out of the slot.

Bury the Trash · Apr 26, 2024

or these they won t shatter made from pc not nylon wont allow wire to cut in ...

the answers are all out there just got to look....

Bury the Trash · Apr 26, 2024

just got to watch pulling up 2mm as it cuts more l;ike a cheese wire than like 2.5 or 3 obvs. thicker wire

easy to cut it somewhere tidy rethread through the insulator and put in a gripple or a crimp is the answer to your prob. gripple ideal for retensioning of course.

Poorbuthappy · Apr 26, 2024

Humble Village Farmer said:
Not as strong though...

Those Rappa ones are very strong.
Electric wire shouldn't be pulled tight enough to be cutting through them.

TheRanger · Apr 26, 2024

Wasn't wanting to cut it and add another gripple, but think I'll just do that and put a proper porcelain insulator in, thanks all.

Dry Rot · Apr 26, 2024

I was thinking about this question today as I was doing my own. It's not really a good idea to attach with a single insulator at a corner as the wire will resist sliding round the corner. Better to cut and tie off both sides to it's own insulator and tensioner. So, yes, double the cost and double the work -- but twice as good.

(That's assuming permanent).

Bury the Trash · Apr 26, 2024

Poorbuthappy said:
Electric wire shouldn't be pulled tight enough to be cutting through them.

no it doesnt need to be as highly strung because the electric does the work repelling the animal not tensioin resistance, better to pull up modestly when building the fence line , then later take out any droop ,gripples are ideal for this, and they wont break because theres less strain involved than ordinary fence tensioning .
,

Electric fence corner insulator

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