What’s better for fence posts – wood or metal tbar

fence

I have a nice post digger tool but my dad claims its cheaper and much easier to use metal bars. He has been using 3" (?) metal poles and pounding the ends into a sharp flat surface and then hammering them into the ground.

I have also seen pneumatic fence post drivers (such as http://www.rohrermfg.com/) which would make this work easy with t-bars.

In either case I would need to go 3' deep at least and I want to extend my existing fence, as well as support it (the previous owners did a terrible job and dug only a foot and a half down)

Is there any advantage to using wooden posts with concrete over the other methods?

Thanks

Best Answer

Well. It really depends what your application is. In general wood is more aesthetically pleasing whereby metal is generally more functional.

which posts are you thinking of here. because if its t-pieces i think that you want a mesh type fence If you are talking square or round tubing its a more substantial fence. Both would have different outcomes.

The considerations in my head:

  • How is your soil type: sandy soils will not hold any post too well. The advantage of metal is that you can re-enforce the pole with welded cross bars knocked into the ground at angles around the base then cemented.
  • Are there lots of fires? wooden posts will burn up in the event of a nice strong bush fire
  • What distance of fence? in the long run it would probably be more economical to go with the metal bars.
  • The Metal T-bars are made for fencing and have notches and holes so that your wire does not slide down or fall out.
  • If wood, will you go all wood - it makes little sense going wood if you have metal cross pieces
  • If you are thinking of metal tubing, then are you going to put end caps, and are you going to drill holes which will affect the durability of the structure (it will rust from the inside) - which means you will have to ensure that you have galvanized posts.
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