hi can you tell me what is the best buy on electric fence tester, i am fed up touching the fence to see if it's working. we have been having a few problems with the fence.
electric fence tester
- Thread starter rita2paul
- Start date
LOL you are brave!!! I can tell you I've had bad luck with the Dare Five-O-Lite tester...it was junk. Zareba makes good products.
cbass422407
In the Brooder
Any low cost multimeter will work. Usually a good tool to have around the house anyway for checking electrical outlets, fixtures, etc. Home Depot or Lowe’s would probably be your best bet.
I use this one.......but they can be hard to find.
https://parmakusa.com/product/professional-digital-fence-tester/
I think I got mine off Amazon.
The digital readouts are more expensive, but are better than the type with a series of lights. Most of those max out at around 7,000 volts.
The digital testers run up to as high as 17,000 volts or more. If it matters.
The poor man's version is to simply use an insulated screwdriver. You hold the insulated part, then hold the shaft of the screwdriver to a steel post or other grounded item and the tip near the fence. If the fence is hot, you will get / see a spark jump across as the tip nears the fence. That will tell you if the fence is hot and working, but not how hot.
BTW, you want a min of 5,000 volts. Mine are cranked up to 13,000+.
Ouch.
https://parmakusa.com/product/professional-digital-fence-tester/
I think I got mine off Amazon.
The digital readouts are more expensive, but are better than the type with a series of lights. Most of those max out at around 7,000 volts.
The digital testers run up to as high as 17,000 volts or more. If it matters.
The poor man's version is to simply use an insulated screwdriver. You hold the insulated part, then hold the shaft of the screwdriver to a steel post or other grounded item and the tip near the fence. If the fence is hot, you will get / see a spark jump across as the tip nears the fence. That will tell you if the fence is hot and working, but not how hot.
BTW, you want a min of 5,000 volts. Mine are cranked up to 13,000+.
Ouch.
Interesting observation from using voltmeters.
Instructions for some fencers suggest pounding in multiple ground rods, all several feet deep and some will even pour water on them. They say all that is needed to establish a "good" ground.
Then an animal (or you) standing on the ground touches the fence to complete the circuit and gets shocked. Curious than the animal does not need to be connected to a ground rod pounded several feet into wet soil. Only standing upon it. Their feet only touching the ground.
The voltmeter uses a small rod not much larger than a 3 inch nail......and that a good enough conductor to register 13,000 volts?
My point is when setting up your fence, do make sure you establish a good reliable ground, but don't go all crazy about it. Enough is......well enough. If you are getting a good reading on your voltmeter, you have enough.
Instructions for some fencers suggest pounding in multiple ground rods, all several feet deep and some will even pour water on them. They say all that is needed to establish a "good" ground.
Then an animal (or you) standing on the ground touches the fence to complete the circuit and gets shocked. Curious than the animal does not need to be connected to a ground rod pounded several feet into wet soil. Only standing upon it. Their feet only touching the ground.
The voltmeter uses a small rod not much larger than a 3 inch nail......and that a good enough conductor to register 13,000 volts?
My point is when setting up your fence, do make sure you establish a good reliable ground, but don't go all crazy about it. Enough is......well enough. If you are getting a good reading on your voltmeter, you have enough.
- Thread starter
- #6
brilliant, lots of great advice.
JMotuzick
Songster
Been using the 5 light tester since I was 5 and grandpa had me putting a fence around the corn to keep the raccoons out. Still have his in my hen house used it the other day.
The ground in my current set up uses the fence as the ground and the hot wire is 2-6” on the outside. Actually caught a squirrel in there.... he didn’t make it.
The ground in my current set up uses the fence as the ground and the hot wire is 2-6” on the outside. Actually caught a squirrel in there.... he didn’t make it.
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