A fence stretcher pulls wire tight between braced end posts so the line runs straight with no sag. Most people use a hand tool: a stretcher bar, a come-along with a wire grip, or in-line ratchet strainers. A hitch-mounted fence stretcher puts a spool of wire in your ATV or UTV's 2 inch receiver, so you unroll along the line and use the machine to pull it tight. That's faster on a long run. It's also where people get hurt, because a machine can out-pull the wire and the braces without you feeling it. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources goes as far as saying never to tighten wire with a vehicle. If you use one anyway, set your braces first, stand clear, go slow, and stop as soon as the wire is tight and straight.
- Key Takeaways
- Why fix fence in the fall?
- What does a fence stretcher actually do?
- Why do the braces come before the stretch?
- Is it safe to stretch fence wire with an ATV or UTV?
- How tight should fence wire be?
- How does a hitch-mounted fence stretcher work?
- Where Herc fits
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Get the line tight before freeze-up
Key Takeaways
- The braces hold the tension, not the stretcher. Build or check them first.
- A machine can pull harder than wire and braces can take. That's the whole safety question.
- Stand behind the posts, not in line with the wire, and wear leather gloves and safety glasses.
- Tight and straight with no droop is the goal. Wire that hums when you hit it is too tight.
- A hitch-mounted stretcher needs a 2 inch receiver.
Why fix fence in the fall?
Spring fence work is a race against turnout. Fall fence work isn't, and that's reason enough.
Once the cattle come off pasture and the leaves are down, you can actually see the line, including the sag where a limb came down in July and the corner post that leans a little more every year.
And once the ground freezes, setting a new post gets a lot harder. Anything that needs digging should happen before that. The stretching can follow on the next decent day.
What does a fence stretcher actually do?
It gives you something to pull the wire with and something to hold it while you tie off. The tools vary a lot.
For barbed and smooth wire, the common hand tools are a come-along or wire stretcher with a grip that bites the wire, and in-line ratchet strainers that stay in the fence so you can re-tension later. Woven field fence takes a stretcher bar clamped across the whole roll so every strand pulls evenly. All of them do the same job. You anchor to something solid, pull, and fasten the wire at the end post before you let go.
A hitch-mounted unit does two jobs. It carries the spool on the machine so you can pay wire out along the line instead of rolling it by hand, then it lets the machine do the pulling. On a quarter mile of new barbed wire, not having to walk a spool down the line is most of the appeal.
Searching "fence stretcher" turns up mostly hand tools, and that's fair. For a single broken strand or a short repair, a hand stretcher is the right tool. The machine earns its keep on long runs and new wire.
Why do the braces come before the stretch?
The wire pulls on the end posts constantly, and an unbraced post loses that fight.
University of Wisconsin-Extension's guide to fence bracing puts it plainly: the constant pull of a fence can pull a post over. Their standard H-brace is the end or corner post, a second brace post 8 to 10 feet down the line, a horizontal brace between them, and a tightened brace wire. Going a little longer than 8 feet adds strength. Taller, multi-wire fences may need a double H.
The same guide gives a useful stopping point for tightening the brace wire itself: stop when the top of the end or corner post starts to get pushed back. Keep that picture in your head. It's the same thing you're watching for when you stretch the line wires.
If your corners are old, check them before you hang new wire. A brace post that rocks when you push it will rock a lot more with a few hundred feet of tight wire on it.
Is it safe to stretch fence wire with an ATV or UTV?
We'd rather answer this straight than skip it.
The UC Agriculture and Natural Resources fence safety note says never to use vehicles, ATVs included, to tighten wire or fence. The reason is simple. With a hand stretcher, you feel the wire come tight in your arms. With a machine, you don't. A few extra feet of throttle can snap a strand, pull a staple, or drag an end post out of the ground, and you won't feel any of it until it happens.
When a strand breaks under tension, it whips back along the line. That's the injury.
We build a stretcher that uses the machine, so here's how we'd run it. If your fence or your ground says hand tools, use hand tools.
- Braces first, every time. The machine will find a weak corner faster than you will.
- Go slow. Lowest gear, smallest throttle, short pulls.
- Watch the end post. If the top starts moving, stop.
- Stop as soon as the wire is tight and straight. The last bit of tension is where wire breaks.
- Nobody stands in line with the wire, and nobody stands between the machine and the post.
The UC note also says to stand on the far side of the posts when tightening wire, so a post sits between you and a strand that breaks. Wear leather gloves, safety glasses, long pants, and real boots. Take extra care cutting wire that's under tension.
How tight should fence wire be?
You want it tight and straight with no droop between posts, but not so tight that it hums. That's how a custom fence builder put it to Beef Magazine: if the wire vibrates when you hit it, like when you're driving staples into a brace post, it's too tight and liable to break. With new barbed wire, take out most of the stretch but not all of it.
High-tensile fence is its own system, with its own tensioners and its own numbers from the wire maker. Follow those.
How does a hitch-mounted fence stretcher work?
On the Herc Outdoors Fence Stretcher, a main hitch member slides into a 2 inch receiver and a spool holder rack bolts on top. You run an axle through the wire spool, set the axle into the incline plates on each side, and close the slotted stop gates to lock the wire in place. From there you run the wire along the fence line, and the built-in stretcher lets you pull it tight with the ATV or UTV. You don't need a separate hand tool.
It assembles with ordinary hand tools and the bolts in the kit. The whole unit is 39 pounds, 28 by 25 by 8 inches, so it's not a big thing to pull out of the receiver when you're done.
Our own assembly sheet ends with three words: use with caution. Take that seriously.
A 2 inch receiver is the requirement. Some ATVs come with a 1 1/4 inch receiver, so check yours. If you're not sure what you have, our UTV hitch guide covers receiver sizes. And if you're also clearing the fence line, the ATV chainsaw mount guide covers getting the saw out there in one piece.
Where Herc fits
The Fence Stretcher is one of those products almost nobody else makes, because it's a farm tool first. It carries the spool and does the pull from the same receiver that runs the rest of your attachments, which is the idea behind our guide to setting up an ATV or UTV for real work. Herc gear is designed, welded, and assembled in Pine City, Minnesota, by Product Fabricators, and it comes with a 30 day try it policy and a 2 year warranty, with free U.S. shipping on orders over $100. It doesn't replace good braces or good judgment. Nothing does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need a hand stretcher?
For long runs of new wire, the Herc Fence Stretcher is built to do the pull without one. For splicing a single broken strand or tightening a short section, a hand stretcher is still the easier tool and worth keeping in the machine.
Will it fit my ATV?
It fits a 2 inch receiver on an ATV or UTV. Some ATVs have a 1 1/4 inch receiver instead, which won't take it. Check before you order, or call and ask.
Can I stretch woven field fence with it?
The stretcher holds wire on a spool, which is how barbed and smooth wire come. Woven fence is normally stretched with a bar clamped across the whole roll. Call the shop before you plan a woven fence job around it.
How do I know when to stop pulling?
When the wire is tight and straight with no droop, or when the end post starts to move, whichever comes first. If the wire hums when you tap it, you've gone too far.
Get the line tight before freeze-up
Walk the fence this week. Mark the corners that need work and the runs that need new wire. Fix the braces first, then stretch on a dry day with somebody who knows to stay behind the posts.
The Fence Stretcher is built in Pine City and backed by the 30 day try it policy. If you're not sure it fits your machine or your fence, call the shop at (651) 674-0007 and we'll walk through it with you.
