# T-Posts vs 4x4



## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

What would be best with woven wire, I can get treated 4x4 for about the same price as the cost of new t post from family friend. I would have to rent an auger for 4x4, though. I was just wanting to get some opinions on what would make the best fence. I will be using 6x6 for corners with braces. Thanks!


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

You have to be VERY careful when buying treated 4x4's. Some places have decent ones for posts ,but mostly they buy the poor ones so they can be price competitive! I would use as many t posts as possible and the best quality wood posts I could find for the corners.


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

If you are going to use wood, round posts 4"x6 1/2' will do a much better job than a 4x4. They won't warp as bad either. Whole lots easier and faster to drive t posts.

A line post is made to hold up the wire or hold it down. It can be either a t post or wood. If you are going to have animals pushing or rubbing the wire you need at least a wood post *maybe* every 7th or 8th post. That is up to you. Corners need to be H braces (double H braces on longer runs) Corners and braces should hold ALL the tension. The lines just hold up the wire and keep it spaced properly. If you staple wire to a line post or tie a metal clip to a line t post the wire should be able to slide freely at the staple or tie to give the wire some "give" and movement if an animal hits the wire and the fence is not damaged.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Maybe there is a better option. You ever consider native wood? There are 4 species I know of that are used for fencing.Black locust,osage,cedar and katalpa.By far I prefer locust. I'm looking at a fence we put up using locust posts in 1964. Yes they are weak now but they are still there.That's a long time.Osage would even be better but finding something straight would be a chore. In 1992 I had a survey done and took a dead cedar only about 4" dia. and put it in the ground to mark a survey stake.It is still there.Katalpa is less known but will last a long time.
I think if I were putting up fence today I would use black locust because it is the best easily available of all and will last a long time. For the sake of time,I would run the line fence with "T" posts with locust about every 4th post.
There are lots of options to consider but keeping animals in is a must. I wouldn't skimp on fencing.

Wade


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## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

Well, I was thinking that the 4x4 is the way to go but then when I think about the amount of holes to auger out I am 2nd guessing it. haha. I just want to make sure that the t post will make a good solid fence that will last. Thanks everyone!


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Square posts do not hold well in the ground. The sides are straight and you only have 4" to hold. Round will wedge itself. Only time I use square post is a board fence where everything interties and helps hold each other straight. No do not use 4"x4"s. A 6' heavy (133) post driven 2' in the ground, holds better, round wood posts need to be set 3' deep so needs to be 7' tall....James


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## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

So, I will change to rounds for my corners. What about the t posts compared to the 4x4 as line posts? Thanks James!


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

Auger LOL, a good pair of hole diggers is all you need.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

M5farm said:


> Auger LOL, a good pair of hole diggers is all you need.


Nice too if you have a pair of operators.


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## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

Check with your utility company used poles can be had free for the hauling here I believe you have a backhoe so set the biggest diameter poles you can get for corners 6 ft deep and nail a 2 ft treated dead man on the bottom ft of each one before you plant them . pack all the old field stones you can find around the bottom and tamp the dirt back in. Make ---- sure it is where you want it the first time cause you would have to dig it back out you can't pull them . We set 12x12 treated railroad bridgegirders for a feedlot fence 10 years ago 6 ft in the ground and you can't budge them a 6 ft t post every 10-12 ft is fine for cows as long as the wire is tight treated square posts don't last well . I prefer blackjack creosote treated utility poles oil well pipe or hedge /Osage orange posts . the oil well pipe posts are nice because you can just push them in with a loader or excavator


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

Ya'll should consider PB's fencing advice as "wisdom of pure gold".

I have seen treated rounds fail in less than a decade. It may have been an installation mistake, and not a fault of the post. Do pressure treated posts come in "grades of pressure"?


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

Awnry Abe said:


> Ya'll should consider PB's fencing advice as "wisdom of pure gold".
> 
> I have seen treated rounds fail in less than a decade. It may have been an installation mistake, and not a fault of the post. Do pressure treated posts come in "grades of pressure"?


Thank you Abe, I have a few miles of experience. I don't know about the grades of treated rounds but most I have seen stayed in and in good shape 20-25 yrs. I saw some 20 yr old, 2"pencil creosote posts that were like new. Looked like they had just been put in the ground. 

I have seen a few treated posts go bad before their time, but not many.
As far as the treatment, they should be for "below grade". Some "penta treated" posts have done pretty well too. I don't think there are and variations in pressure treated post treatment. Some might just get treated a little better than others. Just stay away from "landscape timbers" for below grade use.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I can buy good telephone pressure treated Douglas Fir round posts and bad pine dip treated round posts here. Also some of the green Douglas Fir dip treated are not too bad. Some "treated" posts are veneer cores barely colored and start rotting today. I put a 5" round post about every 10 steel posts on flat ground, straight run. I like a good 7-8" corner post, Buy the one with the most taper, 8' long and bury it 3 1/2'. Brace posts are 5-6"-7' long. All my fences are 4' tall, taller would be all 8' wood posts and 6 1/2' Heavy duty (133) steel....James


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

Look at the growth rings on a lot of the posts and 4x4's on the market. They are very wide spaced which means they were grown very fast and are not dense to begin with. Same as trying to use a light soft wood to make rafters, you can do it but sometimes it doesn't turn out well. The best ''treatment''' in the world can not overcome a bad post. If you can sort thru a couple of bundels you could pick the best, you wouldn't go to a big box lumberyard and buy there 2x4 studs without sorting out the warped,crooked,and knotty ones.


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

I have not bought a wood post on my place in 15 years. We had a hog farm here years ago so their were a lot of 1/2 acre and 1 acre pens. I remove the wire and pull and stack the post. I fenced out an acre for my son back in November and I repurposed old post for it. some of these post are 30+ years old and 1 out of 10 shows its age. corners are 8" round and line posts are 3" to 4" . Good quality post are hard to find now days and if you do they are expensive.


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## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

3 inch oil well pipe is $10 for 8 ft cut posts utility poles are free here , lots of hedge and cedar here to cut for posts too . Good posts are out there you just have to get them and sometimes think outside the box'store'


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## blessingsfarms (May 15, 2014)

We use 6" round for corner, gate and brace posts, 4" round
for stretching areas. 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 8' for other perimeter 
post with 1 x6 4 rail. Inside t post and wire.
We wanted the first appearance to be appealling do to
hopes of stock sells , cheese , eggs ect.
Local saw mill sells rough sawn white oak at .34 a ft. and
we found a young fellow who tears 8' pallets apart and sells
3 1/2 for 1.75 ea. I coat 3 ft. and taped top with copper coat.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

blessingsfarms said:


> We use 6" round for corner, gate and brace posts, 4" round
> for stretching areas. 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 8' for other perimeter
> post with 1 x6 4 rail. Inside t post and wire.
> We wanted the first appearance to be appealling do to
> ...



Whow! That's a great price for white oak. Most people around here are charging $.35 a foot just to cut your own lumber.If you have future projects you should jump all over that with every extra penny you can find 'cause it won't stay at that price!


Wade


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