Solar Fencers

Jay Liedman · Sep 10, 2018

This is off topic, but still relates to farming. Does anyone have any experience with solar powered fencers, such as those made by Zareba? I have a remote pasture that it is difficult to get good electricity to, and wonder if the solar powered fencers are any good?

kcm.MN · Sep 10, 2018

Should work fine, but winter snow might cause problems.

I've heard of folks angling their panel so that snow can fall/melt off. Others will even install a larger panel to gather more light during Winter.

Donald Lehman · Sep 10, 2018

Ive got one. used it years ago. If you get plenty of sunlight it worked okay. If you get a lot of cloudy days, performance drops accordingly. Newer ones may work better. Then again, they my not. It was certainly better than no fencer at all.

MJMJ · Sep 10, 2018

Solar chargers are basically 12v chargers with the panel and battery as part of the charger. You can get better consistency with a 12v charger, a battery and a solar panel from Harbor Freight. Probably depends what you're keeping in.

Hay hay hay · Sep 10, 2018

I have 3 working right now. I do not use the integrated models, I make my own with a 12v charger, decent sized car battery, small solar panel(mounted on a board) and a solar panel controller. They will run for months and months.

I use the exact same system but with a larger solar panel to power the LED lights in a remote barn with no 110 electric service.

I buy the panels and controllers on ebay. Fence Panels are $25 or less, Controllers are about $20. The solar keeps the batteries charged so the batteries last longer.

JD Seller · Sep 10, 2018

For the cost of a good solar powered fence charger that will not work well in the short days of winter, buy a 12 volt fence charger and two deep cycle marine batteries.

I have one in use that way. The deep cycle batteries will last 2-3 weeks and be HOT. Then just switch batteries and charge the one back up on 110. I switch them every two weeks so they are still working. The longer the fence the shorter time the battery will have charge.

hydro70guy · Sep 10, 2018

They work OK especially with livestock already trained for a fencer. Definitely do not like weeds. I like the battery ones a litle better, just build a box to hold fencer and battery and hand from fence.

john *.?-!.* cub owner · Sep 10, 2018

My Uncle Bob and I have shared one for 10 or so years, switching it back and forth between us as needed. The only maintenance it has required is a $25 battery every 4 to 6 years. We have never had a problem with it not keeping fence energized in extended periods of weak or no sun unless the battery was getting old. The fencer is 15 to 20 years old, possibly older. Uncle Bob now lives further away, and I need one full time now, so I just bought a new Red Snapper, ($130) but it is too soon to know how it will do. The 6 volt ones which I have been using cost less, varying for $60 to $130, but do not have as hot a spark as the 12 volt ones, but the 12 volt ones range from $150 to $300+ depending on what yo want.

Dave H (MI) · Sep 10, 2018

I have two that I installed last Spring. They are the Patriot models sold at Rural King and were not what I would call expensive. One is on our vegetable garden out at the farmhouse. This is adjacent to the orchard and deer traffic is heavy. I have seen flattened areas in the grass where deer have bedded down only 50 feet from the garden. Not one time has a deer been in the garden to date but I did find the wire messed up a little one morning where they tried. The second unit is on a small pasture occupied by 7 Nigerian dwarf goats. They walked right thru it for several days. Problem was that ANY vegetation touching the lower wire saps the charge and renders the unit less effective. So we took a weed whip around and after that only one stubborn young goat kept getting out. He has since gotten a couple shocks on sensitive areas and stays in the pen. So I would say they work pretty good given you keep the wires clear of things that might cause shorts AND I would recommend you train the animals to know what the wire means before you trust them to a solar unit AND use a tester each AM on the wire. My 2 cents.

TomA in CA · Sep 10, 2018

I just use a 12v charger and car battery, 15 watt solar panel needs no charge controller.

retired farmer · Sep 10, 2018

We use StaFix chargers. Hooked to a battery which is hooked to a small solar panel. Sort of expensive but they work.

Texasmark1 · Sep 10, 2018

Neighbor bought a $140 one at TSC. Seems to be working. 14 ga. wire is still intact and the bovines are on the side they belong. You are supposed to stick them out in the sun and let them charge up before usage.

aFORDable · Sep 10, 2018

I've used a Zareba for horses and it did its job just fine. Horses were use to an electric fence.

Leroy · Sep 10, 2018

Personaly I know nothing about them. Did not exist when I had animals. That said a Amish friend I know has one on his barn and seems to be doing him good. And for him it had to be a simple hookup.

NY 986 · Sep 10, 2018

Unless you have been out of the animal business well over 25 years ago they were around. The Parmak that was sold when I was at Central Tractor back during the 1990's used a battery for the solar panel to maintain as obviously overnight there was no sunlight. Guys would buy spare batteries and rotate them bringing the down battery back to the farmstead to charge. Also, as others have said there were battery type chargers that used a marine deep cycle battery and again rotated down batteries back to the garage to charge.

Leroy · Sep 10, 2018

The dairy heard left on election day of 1980. So I think that is more than the 25 years.

hermit · Sep 10, 2018

Back years ago, I tried a couple different ones, but finally was very happy for years with a Parmak 12V solar charger. I can't say for sure how many years I used it, but I would say at least 15, and all I did was replace the battery one time. It was still working fine when I got rid of the cows, around 7 years ago. I don't have any recent experience.

Hay hay hay · Sep 10, 2018

Leroy, you got in advice on how to use a slide rule?

Farmaller · Sep 10, 2018

I've had a Zareba ten miler for many yrs, and it's been good, only replaced battery couple times, and I bought a Patriot ten miler about two yrs ago and I like it even better, and Patriot cost less than the Zareba

mmidlam · Sep 10, 2018

I bought a Cyclops 12 volt 6 joule fencer that is used with a Harbor freight 100 watt solar system....Seems to works as good as a 100 mile plug in Zabera. Shocks though weeds.

Russ from MN · Sep 10, 2018

The beekeepers in N MN use them to keep the bears from destroying their beehives.

dcarp · Sep 10, 2018

Had 2 Zarebas, they both quit working after lightening hit about 100 yes away. Replaced them with the 2 Parmarks, that was 6 years ago. I've replaced 1 battery in that time. All of these are the solar power ones.

tomNE · Sep 10, 2018

make sure to get a 12v. deep cell battery with a solar charger is the ticket around here.

Stroby · Sep 11, 2018

I have two Parmak's both are 6 volt and work great. Replaced a battery in one, but other than that, all is well. Pricey, but better quality than the zareba.

Bret4207 · Sep 11, 2018

(quoted from post at 22:46:24 09/10/18) I bought a Cyclops 12 volt 6 joule fencer that is used with a Harbor freight 100 watt solar system....Seems to works as good as a 100 mile plug in Zabera. Shocks though weeds.

Cyclops is way beyond anything you can get at TSC or the local farm store. $$$$ That's a big part of why it works for you. I'm jealous!

Bret4207 · Sep 11, 2018

Zareba pretty much bottom of the line. My experience with several of them isn't real great. I ended up with a 12v deep cycle batt and a Parmak 12v charger. Cyclops probably makes the best charger and I believe they have a solar set up available. Intellishock is also supposed to have a decent one. Of course they key is training your stock to electric and making sure they have something to eat behind the fence. Nothing is going to keep a hungry animal in.

LarryH · Sep 11, 2018

we work on all brands and after you leave parmak and zareba your sunk bottom of barrel is Gallagher and I have 40 yrs experience--so I am talking to repair cost and warranty etc

oldproudvet · Sep 11, 2018

I have 3 Speedrite (by Tru-Test) www.speedrite.com that I've used for over 15 years. 3 different sizes, all work well. They run off 12V deep cycle batteries. I have a couple of small solar panels I stand up next to them and it gives me lots of service. W/O the solar panels, a battery will last 3 to 4 weeks, at which point I pick it up with the wheeler, drop another in place and charge it up. These are automotive/marine sized batteries. Very reliable, very hot, keep my calves in line, no matter where they are. I believe they're made in New Zealand for grazing farmers. Very popular here in Minnesota available at farm stores ( not box stores, they sell the Zareba brand which is pure trash. Service on these is excellent. I had one quit because of lightning on the wire. At least I think so, since half a dozen plastic T post insulators were melted. It was rebuilt by their service dept, in a couple of weeks for half the cost of a new unit. Very, very satisfied with them. I run a 60 cow + calf grass fed beef herd, utilizing Red Devon cattle.

T in NE · Sep 11, 2018

Parmak are (or used to be at least) pretty good. Sta-fix has a 12 volt one with a bunch of settings, pulse fast, pulse slow, pulse slower at night, must be 6 settings. Hook it to a group 31 irrigation battery and solar panel, and it'll run from April through November. It will knock you off the 4 wheeler when it's dry enough out, that you can work on the live parmak- powered fence from the bike.

Oldtimer makes a pretty good fencer, too. I'm not brave enough to grab the fence. I've had them jump a quarter inch gap from fence pliers to T post.

The big Gallagher is ok, but for best results, hook it to a car battery. But it won't jump a gap like the old-timer or parmak.

Face the panel south for maximum sunlight especially in winter, regardless of brand.

Fred Werring · Sep 11, 2018

Here's a link to one I put together a few years ago...been working 5 years now.

It's got plenty of battery storage, and plenty of solar charging. Been keeping the battery charged just fine in the winter. And the 12v fencer has a little more oomph than the solar chargers I was looking at.

The problem I had with the lower end solar chargers, not enough battery/charging capability...they were fine as long as you had perfectly clean fences.

But in the spring when the grass/weeds were lush and touching the fence, the battery would drain and you had no fencer.

Fred
Solar fencer

gotmyfarm! · Sep 12, 2018

Have the bigger (rated for 30 miles of fence, I think) Parmak one from Fleet Farm. Bought it last year. Works great. Have 3 pastures, about 6-7 acres all together, and even in the winter in N. WI, it works all day and all night, clouds don't matter either. Grasses can grow up and touch the fence and that doesn't matter either, still works. Got zapped the other day and it was a zinger!

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