Electric fencing - no electricity

[Lots of Gift Bags]

Just weighing up my options as I now have an escape artist on the yard who is breaking all my fence posts and ruining my lovely track. I have a solar energiser but it doesn't deliver much of a hit and especially not at this time of year, there's just not enough day/sunlight to cope with it. Some solar panels work on daylight but I think this one works on sun.
Anyway, do I fork out for another one, or would a traditional separate battery and energiser be better? How long does the battery last before needing to be recharged, and do they give a good shock, enough to discourage a stubborn mare?

Ideas and information welcome!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I have a portable kit which I use for trec which I got from Farmcare, it comes with all the posts and tape etc which you wouldn’t need but the 9volt battery bit is really good and it gives quite a zap if touched. They do separate 12volt leisure batteries for around £100 which would deliver a bit more umph. Company is really good to buy from, quick and great customer service, they might be able to help.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

We use a 12v battery for our electric fence (four strands, along about half a mile or so of fence) and usually need to recharge it once a week. We put the bottom strand 18" from ground level, and then space the rest of the strands at 10" to 12" apart, to dissuade the small mare pony from ducking through. Another 10" to 12" above all of that is a strand of broad tape for visibility, and to dissuade the roan from hopping over. There's no electric in this strand. The horse next door has a habit of breaking plastic fence posts, so we've switched to using wooden posts and plastic connectors instead.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

When I need mine on, I hook up the CP250 unit and use a 12v leisure battery. (Battery designed to run flat). Depending on earthing and weather, the battery will last 7 to 12 days before coming home to be charged. I'll pop on a std car battery for a couple of days in between (never let car batteries drain completely as it buggers them up).
Leisure batteries can be bought from the likes of Halfrauds and often cheaper at motor factors.

 

[GoldenWillow]

I've got solar energiser that also has an internal battery as a back up that I've needed to charge once in the last six months, I am expecting to have to charge it more regularly through the next few months though. I also have a energiser run from a leisure battery that I charge once a fortnight, neither run very long fences though. Both put out a decent zap as I need this for the shetland as he will walk through fences if they are not powerful enough, it's enough to make me swear through a thick glove as I rediscovered this morning.

The solar energiser was more expensive than the energiser and leisure battery together. I'm not sure if I would buy another solar energiser although it's easier not having to regularly bring batteries home to charge.

 

[PapaverFollis]

We run ours off a leisure battery. Ground spike well in. We've probably got far too much distance on the fencing for the official reach of the energiser but it still gives a good whack. Battery seems to last a while too.

 

[Breagha]

I use a shockrite energiser and a lorry battery which holds its charge for weeks, we always have spares to put onto it when it dies. (OH HGV mechanic).

 

[PurBee]

The amp hours of a battery will determine how long it lasts. I use 12v 14 amp hours lightweight Sealed lead acid mobility scooter batteries on very long lines and charge weekly. They’re really good, small, lightweight batteries. I got fed up of hauling heavy 12v car batteries across fields!

I personally wouldnt rely on solar in my very cloudy climate.

Check around your fencing that its not touching tree trunks, or thick branches hanging over it, as this can earth the line and cause a battery to run down fast.

Also check your joins of your fence line. I knot many and have a volt tester that tells me whether my knot is transmitting strong power or not - it all depends on how many wires of the line you manage to get in good contact from one line to another. You can get metal connectors to ensure good connectivity.

 

[Carrottom]

I find a 12v leisure battery does about 1.5 km of tape for about 6 weeks before needing charging provided there isn't vegetation touching the tape. Grass and nettles grew up one part in the summer which reduced the battery life to 2 weeks!

 

[Gloi]

We used a couple of old car batteries swapping them when one needed charging.

 

[Nasicus]

I like this one:
https://www.electric-fence.co.uk/po...-9-12v-battery-powered-incl-55ah-battery.html

I've just had my second one of these sets delivered, and they are fantastic value for money. It comes in stronger versions too, but this version gives a good crack, as my backside can confirm. It's both Solar and 9v/12v (although you can purchase it without the solar panel if desired, but at that price, why would you!). My first I've had since March, and have only had to replace the battery once so far, the second battery is still going strong despite being borrowed by a friend for a few months whose fencing isn't the most insulated (read: lots of vegetation and questionable joins in the tape). Does a grand job of keeping loan companion in, who will merrily walk through anything that doesn't give a good spank.

 

[J&S]

I have a hotline fire drake solar powered fencer. It does many many metres and gives a great zap even to a woolly long maned pony. I need to re charge the internal battery every few weeks in the winter, darker, months but it goes all spring/summer /Autumn on its own energy. It was an expensive present!

 

[HBB]

Solar powered energisers are unreliable and a waste of money when it comes to keeping horses in their paddocks. A 12v leisure battery and a decent energiser with as high a joules output as you can find will keep them from going through the fence.

 

[Sprig]

Making sure you earth your fence properly is key. Use as big an earth spike as you can or link a few smaller ones together.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I used to use a Hotline Falcon energiser & had it connected to a 12v 110amp leisure battery. The energiser would do up to 12 miles of electric tape & it delivered a real kick. A quality energiser & a decent leisure battery (not car battery) really do a great job but, as has been mentioned, you must have a good earth. I used a meter long galvanised 1" x 1" angle iron earthing rod. To make the earth even better drive it in deep & when the grounds dries oput empty a bucket of water around the earthing spike, this increases the conductivity. Buy a electric fence tester to check that all parts of the fence are powered up, they are relatively cheap. Also check your battery every week to ensure it is fully charged. Put a waterproof box over the battery to keep it dry.

As to how long the battery lasts for before going flat, you can't really say there are too many variables. How long each day is the fence turned on for? What is the amps of the battery?

Battery fences are more reliable than solar energisers specially at this time of year when days are short, here is less sunshine so your system will struggle to maintain charge.

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Get the proper connector thingies for joining tape. Tying a knot in it tends to cause a power drop the other side.

 

[maya2008]

Our fence has a good zap. I bought good quality tape, with connectors. Also a proper connector to the fence. Best zap we have ever had from a battery powered fence!

 

[PapaverFollis]

On of our battery powered fences had another livery coming back to the yard crying, saying our fence "must be faulty" as it had "put (her) on (her) back".... she has no reason to be touching our fence so that was a mystery but at least I knew our fence was good!

 

[Regandal]

I’ve got a diy setup using a leisure battery and a solar panel. Still got a fair belt in it, as I frequently discover. It’s ran for months now, sheer bliss not having to charge batteries.

 

[Lamehorses]

I've got an old car battery & standard energiser with solar panel attached. Hasn't needed any attention for well over a year, I do periodically check the battery

 

[Supertrooper]

My leisure battery used to last six weeks but only on one line of fence

I had a fence tester that beeped when you went near fence to show if it was working

 

[Carrottom]

I’ve got a diy setup using a leisure battery and a solar panel. Still got a fair belt in it, as I frequently discover. It’s ran for months now, sheer bliss not having to charge batteries.

Do you just put the solar panel clips onto the battery terminals and then the Energizer ones on top?

 

[Nasicus]

Oooh, I've done the separate solar panel thing too, it worked an absolute treat in the summer for the Hotline Gemini I have.
@Carrottom That's pretty much what I do. If there's space on the battery terminals, I'll clip all directly to the terminal.

Also, to echo what others have said, high quality, good conductivity, low resistance tape/rope makes a HELL of a difference. Like night and day when I bit the bullet and made the switch to better stuff.

 

[Regandal]

Do you just put the solar panel clips onto the battery terminals and then the Energizer ones on top?

I struggle to lift the battery, even to move it a few feet. So I put it in a shopping trolley from Aldi. My battery has 2 posts on each side but I have in the past put the clips on the same post. Edit to add that the solar panel is fixed onto the handle using cable ties.

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

Some great info here, thanks everyone.
Really stupid question - can the leisure batteries be stored outside or do they need to be protected from the elements?

 

[Carrottom]

Mine are kept outside, I always charge them immediately I change them over so they are stored fully charged.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Some great info here, thanks everyone.
Really stupid question - can the leisure batteries be stored outside or do they need to be protected from the elements?

I sit mine on an old milk crate, it has an old plastic bin lid over it and a tyre to weigh that down.
The only reason it's off the ground is that its easier to lift into barrow to take back to car.

 

[Mrs B]

I have one of these:
https://www.fanevalleystores.com/ca...c-Shepherd-0-05-Joule-Battery-Fencer-ESB15-08

It runs on 2x regular 'D' batteries and gives a pretty hefty belt! I buy a set of batteries - so about 4 quid - every 6 or 7 weeks but my first unit worked really well for 5 years (until it ran out of batteries one day and I couldn't get any until the next ... and Sir went through the fence that night and trod on the unit as he did so ... )

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

I sit mine on an old milk crate, it has an old plastic bin lid over it and a tyre to weigh that down.
The only reason it's off the ground is that its easier to lift into barrow to take back to car.

Ok, so they do need to be protected.
Really cross with myself as I ordered a battery and energiser far too quickly then saw the link on here to the Voss all in ones that were half the price, they're weatherproof as well, so I think I'll have to send my order back and get the Voss instead.

 

[GoldenWillow]

I have two leisure batteries, one in use and one at home either charging or on charge. The one in use is outside with no protection the home one is kept inside. It is best to avoid extremes of temperature but not always doable.