PRODUCTS: DEER FENCE FASTENERS AND TOOLS U-nails |
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Fence staples, also known as U-nails (items 17-01 and 17-02) have the body of a nail bent into the shape of a “U” and pointed on both ends. They serve to attach deer fence (both polypropylene and metal hexagrid) to trees and wood posts. We offer two varieties. As a general rule, the longer 2-inch ones (item 17-01) are used to attach deer fencing to trees with medium to thick bark. The shorter 1.25-inch ones (item 17-02) are good for use on thin-barked trees like maples, and also for attaching deer fence to wood posts, houses, or existing wooden fences. Figure on using about five U-nails per tree or post. For more information see Deer Fence Installation: Attaching Deer Fence to Trees and Wooden Deer Fence Posts. Zip-Lock Ties and Puller-Cutters We offer two kinds of zip-lock ties, both black. One is of heavy-duty nylon with a UV barrier, while the other is made of stainless steel. 
Our smallest nylon ties (item 17-03) have a 40-pound breaking strength and are not recommended for deer fencing, being better suited to dog fencing and other tasks. The heavier nylon ties (items 17-04 and 17-06) have a breaking strength of 120 pounds, come in both 8-inch and 14-inch lengths, and are suitable for attaching deer fencing to metal posts. Use 8-inch ties (about 5 per post) for attaching polypropylene or metal hexagrid deer fencing to angle-iron posts or T-posts. Use 14-inch ties (6 or 7 per post) for attaching deer fencing to round posts, being sure to run one or two of them under the brace band bolt at the top of the post. 
A puller-cutter (item 17-08) is useful for making these nylon ties tight on round posts. 
The problem with all these nylon ties is their expected life of 5 to 6 years, which creates a need for periodic replacement. This can be avoided by using stainless steel zip-lock ties (items 17-11 and 17-12), which are more expensive, but which can be expected to last the life of your fence. Since a 500-foot deer fence with round posts needs only about 200 zip-lock ties for post attachment, these steel ties’ longevity makes them quite attractive. Use the 8-inchers (about 5 per post) for attaching deer fence to angle-iron posts and T-posts, and use the 14-inchers (6 or 7 per post) for attaching deer fence to round posts. These ties are not recommended for attaching one section of deer fencing to another or for attaching deer fencing to monofilament line because they can only be closed into a small circle and will not close completely. 
While the puller-cutter used with these steel ties (item 17-13) will save a significant amount of installation time, it is not an absolute necessity, because the ties can be manually tightened, and with a little difficulty the tails of the fastened ties can be removed with tin snips. Hog-Ringers and Hog-Ring Staples 
Either hog-ring (circular) staples or nylon zip-lock ties (not stainless steel ones) can be used to attach a monofilament line to deer fencing. But applying a zip-tie every foot (with metal hexagrid fencing) or one every foot and a half (with polypropylene fencing) is time-consuming, and the ties will need to be replaced in 5 or 6 years. A better solution for fences with significant length (say over 300 feet if metal hexagrid is used or over 500 feet if polypropylene is used) is to get a hog-ring stapler and galvanized hog ring staples that generally last the life of the fence. We know of two hog-ringers for this job. One of them (item 17-14) is less expensive than the other and its staples (item 17-15) come in packs of only 200, so it is well-suited to working on short fences. The other, made by Stanley Tools (item 17-09) costs a bit more and uses staples (item 17-10) that are a bargain but that only come in packs of 2500; so it is better-suited to applications involving longer fences. |
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McGregor Fence Co. 508-888-8305