Mainline Tension

[SeanD]

I splurged and bought myself a gripple tensioner tool. It has a setting for the lbs of tension. I usually get the line tight then wince and look away as I crank it even tighter. Now that I can actually measure the tension, what's a typical HT wire for mainline usually set at?

Sean

[Bricklayer]

I used the gripple tool this past fall putting up #9 HT mainline wire. I borrowed it from a friend. I set the tool As high as it would go. Then kept going till I thought it was tight enough. My theory was once it felt scary and made the twinging and twanging sounds it was tight enough. Then with side tying it got rediculous tight.
Does your tool have the stubby handles or the longer handles?
I had the one with the longer handles. Worked awesome. I'm going to buy one next year.

[SeanD]

Probably the stubby. The handles are about 12" long from the mechanism to the end of the grips.

[VT_K9]

We bought the longer handle one, with out the weight setting. I have put enough tension on the line to cause a gripple to fail. It took a few tries, but I make the line tight until you hear the infamous twang. It sure beats using a come-a-long and the wire puller. We use a fence lag with insulator for the anchor point (no more going around a tree). I drill a 5/16" hole, screw the lag in, and install the fixed end of the 9 gauge around the insulator and tie it off. Then at the other end I use another fence lag and a gripple. Done. I have not had to make repairs in the last two years, but it would likely require two gripples and done. It works for us.

Mike

[Greg MacWilliam]

We have the commercial gripple tool and pull the 9 ga wire as tight as we can pull the handles

[blissville maples]

Try a chain grab before you put the gripple in. Used to work for a high tensile fence company and the chain grabs will apply much more tension. Also when tight as can be with gripple or strainer ratchet system, pull the line back with spare tubing or wire to a brace or tree this will make it super tight....

[Potters3]

I have been using the gripple tool for a few years now, both new install and repairs of broken wire, very easy yes 2 gripples each end and a short piece of wire to get back together. Love it. can get much tighter then with a wire ratchet requiring fewer side ties. And I kept having ratchets break under the strain (pain in the butt to replace a ratchet.

[blissville maples]

What style ratchets have you seen break?? Huh ive Never seen it happen even on the farms with livestock, usually the wire will break first. Kiwi makes the ones I'm accustomed to, I've seen a style with a sqaure piece attached to the barrel that you turn, whereas the others turn by teeth and I think are much stronger. The chain grab would also work well if the wire broke and needed to pull the ends back together. However if your not using high tensile it will keep stretching, very rarely does high tensile break unless it has been kinked, even the 12.5 ga. The 9 ga is literally unbreakable- I don't think there is a device that would stretch the 9ga tight enough to break it,high tensile wire that is....just a thought

[Haynes Forest Products]

Some ratchets are better that others. I like to ones with the square ends they seem to stay in alignment better. I also bought the tightener that engages the axel and ratchet teeth for a better controlled pull. I would say the word break isn't accurate it is more a pulling apart if you don't get the wire to spool on straight.

[Chris_In_Vermont]

We use lags and the spring bail tensioners. Never seen a tensioner break. The wire we attach to the anchors, yes. The wire itself, yes. Sometimes it's at a splice in the wire coil where they weld two ends, or if it accidentally gets kinked putting it up. Usually due to abuse (trying to pull 3\8" cable into place with a 12.5 gauge high tensile guide wire attached to two 6x6's comes to mind :lol: )