fence posts, wood or concreat?

[sharpener]

I too would go for concrete straight off. Otherwise a few years down the line you will be buying "Concrete fence post repair spurs"
Screenshot 2024-11-29 at 09-27-36 Concrete Fence Post Repair Spur 4024.png
and it would have been much easier to put concrete in first.
However I have to admit that cheapo concrete posts aren't indestructible, some of our 30-year old ones have started to spall as the reinforcing has rusted. They are still doing the job, though.

I'd agree. I always use concrete.

saying that I did about 500m of fencing here and used treated timber and it started falling down within 7 years. Timber is not what it used to be and treatment has little effect. Timber was ok many many years ago as was creosote and would last a long time. So called 'creosote' is not what it used to be even if you get the industrial stuff. The only exception is what they seem to be able to use for telegraph and electricity poles.

+ 1 to all that.

I replaced a fence with material bought from Jacksons Fencing guaranteed for 20 years which I thought would see me out. Posts rotted at ground level after 6 years and they were very difficult about replacing under warranty. Their proprietary Jak-cure wood treatment seems no good, nothing much is any more since Tanalising was banned (it worked bc it contains copper arsenate, the copper kills fungi and the arsenic wood-boring insects).

Having hired an (expensive) Stihl power auger the first time I bought a Draper manual auger and it takes longer but makes good neat holes, much better and quicker than digging and you use less concrete. The shove-holer type of spade are difficult to use because of all the play in the joints.

Neighbour is now replacing his fence on the opposite side of us using concrete posts and gravel boards, it doesn't look as good when new but will soon weather and I know it will last. Previous ppl were always doing temporary repairs.

[NoraBatty]

I vote metal.
If i can add an option.
Just as strong and long lasting as concrete but liftable with 1 hand and about the same price as a concrete one.

[Tinbum]

I vote metal.
If i can add an option.
Just as strong and long lasting as concrete but liftable with 1 hand and about the same price as a concrete one.

yes if galvanised.

[knighty]

looks like I'll be using concrete posts then!

I've no problem leaving the wood fence itself up off the ground, hopefully that'll make it last longer, might soak in creosote too, if I have time... tho I'd probably have to buy it in 205litre drums :-o

for me the fence is pretty much on the other side of a forest, at the narrowest point there's 100ft of old dense trees, but for my neighbour it's right up against his grass, so needs to look decent for him (haven't even met him yet)

might be able to get setup then when there's a quiet day at work have some guys come over to help and work through it quick, probably have to carry the posts a few hundred feet which I don;t fancy on my own

with posts every 6ft I'll be looking at 140 posts, might go to 8ft spacing, 100 posts

[knighty]

I vote metal.
If i can add an option.
Just as strong and long lasting as concrete but liftable with 1 hand and about the same price as a concrete one.

I hadn't thought of that... do they really last as long as concrete?

[knighty]

If it’s goats you can forget standard fences, it would be quicker, easier and more effective to put in electric fence. Goats are fabulous and intelligent and great escapees fences with feather cladding will be butted off the horizontals in short order.

Are you buying goats or hiring in someone else’s?

You might also contemplate smaller stockades that you can move fortnightly as the goats work through the undergrowth.

Moxi

We were planning to buy some, figure it'll take them a long time to clear it all, there's a good acre of dense brambles 2ft tall and they're trying to expand out

I've been thinking through how to remove it all, and goats seam like the best idea, plus there's plenty of other stuff for them to eat around the place

guess I could fix an electric fence along the back of the new fence?

I was thinking about fencing them in with the bit I really want cleared first, but thought I'd let them run lose and see how they do, happy enough for them to roam around wherever they like

I need to look into it a lot more before we get some - I know someone who kept goats and used them to clear places, they did a really good job, might ask him to come have a look :-)

[NoraBatty]

I vote metal.
If i can add an option.
Just as strong and long lasting as concrete but liftable with 1 hand and about the same price as a concrete one.

I hadn't thought of that... do they really last as long as concrete?

Durapost ones which we have used come with a 25yr guarantee, which is about the same as concrete posts are expected to last.

Ive seen plenty of concrete posts fail and start spalling after 10 years due to batch differences, which arent really present in metal ones, so we were happy to go with metal in our last house, ehich were 15 yrs old when we moved out and still perfect.
We will eventually replace out fence here with metal, when the wooden ones rot.

[AE-NMidlands]

I've been thinking through how to remove it all, and goats seem like the best idea, plus there's plenty of other stuff for them to eat around the place

when we moved in here the garden had been neglected and was a bramble patch. My dad and I tamed it by one trampling back pulling with a rake, the other following snipping off every stem at ground level with secateurs so that we created a roll the width of the garden which we burned.

Then hand-dug it bit by bit taking out all the roots to add to the next fire...

[Ken]

I have some farm field type fences. What it boils down to is the quality and cost of the post. Not all wood posts or concrete posts are equal. Poor quality ones rot at ground and concrete the steel blows. Concrete ones need to be smooth on the outside indicating that they are compacted and less likely to allow ingress of water and air to the steel. The wood need to be oak or something like opapi if you want it to outlast you but next best would be kiln dried pressure treated wood.

Of course always possible to use stud concrete posts as i have on my garden posts. This has the advantage of handleable posts but also the wood posts can be more accurately positioned before bolting up.

However the job has to considered in the round and this solution is to drive the post with a driver into soft winter ground but does require a Mc. but the job will be done in a day.

Having lived with this conundrum for yrs and seen many fence styles on my country walks i am now of the opinion that angle steel is the best solution. These can be easily driven in and clearly strong. Dont really need to be galvanised because steel only rusts so much and then the rust self protects. I would not use wood panel fencing as it is expensive and will need replacing one day, i would choose wire.

Cheap elecric fencing is more than up to the job of contaning animals if that is the objective

[MrPablo]

I went in the opposite direction to most on this thread, replacing blown concrete posts with wooden ones.
My reasoning was 1 man install, ease of feather edge installation and looks.
I did take care to have a decent haunch on the concrete, hopefully it'll last a good long while.