6 Best Fence Stretcher Tools For Tightening Woven Wire Old Farmers Swear By
Discover 6 farmer-approved fence stretchers for woven wire. Our guide reviews top tools for durability, leverage, and achieving a perfectly taut fence.
A sagging fence line is more than an eyesore; it’s a busted gate waiting to happen. For keeping livestock in and predators out, a taut woven wire fence is your first line of defense. That’s where a reliable fence stretcher becomes one of the most valuable tools in your barn.
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Why a Good Fence Stretcher is Non-Negotiable
A loose fence is a useless fence. It’s an open invitation for a curious cow to lean, a determined goat to push, and a hungry coyote to wiggle under. Without proper tension, woven wire loses its structural integrity, becoming little more than a suggestion.
The real cost of a poorly tensioned fence goes beyond a simple escape. A tight fence sheds snow and resists falling branches, while a loose one collects debris and collapses under weight. Trying to pull it tight with a tractor or a team of people is a classic mistake. This approach guarantees uneven tension, which can bend posts, snap wires, and create dangerous situations.
A proper fence stretcher allows one person to do the job of three, but with more control and far more safety. It applies steady, even pressure across the entire height of the wire, ensuring every horizontal strand carries its share of the load. This isn’t about industrial efficiency; it’s about protecting your investment in animals and making your hard work last for decades.
Dutton-Lainson Goldenrod: The Classic Choice
If you walk into a multi-generational farmer’s barn, you’ll likely find a Goldenrod stretcher hanging on the wall. This tool is the standard for a reason. It’s a purpose-built implement designed specifically for one job: pulling woven wire fence perfectly straight and tight.
The genius of the Goldenrod lies in its design. It features a long, heavy-duty clamp bar that grips the fence from the top wire to the bottom. This ensures you’re pulling the entire section as a single unit, preventing the buckling or "smiling" that happens when you pull from just one point. The ratchet mechanism provides a slow, controlled pull, allowing you to gradually apply tension until you hear that perfect "hum" when you pluck a wire.
This is your go-to tool for installing new fence lines or re-stretching an entire section. It’s not a quick-fix tool for a small sag. Think of it as an investment. It’s heavier and more cumbersome than a simple come-along, but for the crucial job of setting up a new perimeter, nothing beats its ability to deliver a uniformly tensioned fence that will stand strong for years.
Maasdam Pow’R Pull for Heavy-Duty Fencing
Sometimes, you need more than finesse; you need brute force. The Maasdam Pow’R Pull is essentially a come-along built for serious work. While not a dedicated fence tool, its high pulling capacity and robust construction make it a favorite for tackling heavy-gauge wire, like horse fence or bull wire, especially over challenging terrain.
You’ll use the Maasdam in conjunction with a stretcher bar—either a purpose-made one or a stout 2×4 bolted to the fence—to distribute the pulling force. Its real advantage is raw power. When you’re trying to pull a 330-foot roll of fencing up a gentle slope, the Maasdam has the muscle to get the job done without straining. The high-quality components and notch-at-a-time let-down provide a level of safety and control you don’t get with cheaper alternatives.
The immense power is also its biggest risk. It is incredibly easy to over-tension a fence with a tool this strong, which can snap wires or even break a corner post brace. It requires a careful hand and a good feel for proper tension. It’s a versatile powerhouse, but it demands respect.
SpeeCo Come-Along: A Reliable, Versatile Tool
The SpeeCo come-along is the farm’s jack-of-all-trades. It’s the tool you grab to pull a calf, drag a log off a trail, or get a mower unstuck from the mud. It also happens to be a perfectly adequate fence stretcher for many common situations on a hobby farm.
Like the more powerful Maasdam, you’ll need to pair it with a stretcher bar to get an even pull on woven wire. Its lower weight rating makes it ideal for standard field fence and shorter runs of 100 feet or less. It provides enough power to get the fence tight without the high risk of over-tensioning that comes with heavy-duty pullers. It’s the right tool for the job when "good enough" is truly good enough.
Is it the absolute best tool for installing a new fence? Probably not. A dedicated tool like the Goldenrod will give you a more professional result. But its sheer versatility means it’s often the tool you already own and know how to use. For a farmer managing limited resources, a high-quality come-along can capably handle the majority of your fencing needs.
The Hi-Lift Jack: An Old-School Powerhouse
The Hi-Lift jack is a legendary piece of equipment, and its use as a fence stretcher is a perfect example of farmer ingenuity. This tool isn’t just for lifting a truck; it’s a powerful and precise tool for pushing, pulling, and clamping. When set up correctly, it becomes one of the most effective fence stretchers you can use.
The method involves anchoring the base of the jack against a solid object, like your main corner post assembly or a securely parked vehicle. You then run a chain from the jack’s lifting mechanism to a stretcher bar on the fence. Every pump of the handle applies controlled, immense force, pulling the fence line tight with surprising precision.
The primary advantage of the Hi-Lift is its long pull distance and incredible power. You can tension a very long section of fence in one go. The main drawback is the setup; it’s a heavy, awkward tool to position and can be cumbersome for one person to manage. However, if you already own a Hi-Lift for your vehicle, you have a world-class fence stretcher at your disposal, ready to tackle the biggest fencing jobs on your property.
Gripple Torq Tool for Modern Wire Fencing
The Gripple system represents a newer way of thinking about wire tension. While it’s most famous for its use with high-tensile smooth wire, the concept is incredibly useful for maintaining and repairing woven wire fences as well. It’s less about the initial big pull and more about fine-tuning and long-term maintenance.
The system works with proprietary "Gripple" connectors that join or terminate wires. The Torq Tool is a ratcheting device that grips the tail end of the wire passing through the Gripple. With each squeeze of the handle, it pulls the wire tighter, and an integrated gauge tells you the exact tension you’ve applied. This level of precision is unmatched by any other method.
You wouldn’t use this to install a brand-new, 500-foot fence line. But for re-tensioning a single sagging top or bottom wire that’s lost its integrity, it’s a game-changer. It allows you to add tension exactly where it’s needed without disturbing the rest of the fence. It’s a specialized tool, but for targeted adjustments, it’s incredibly fast and effective.
Texas Fence Fixer for Quick Section Repairs
There are times when you don’t need to pull a whole fence line. You just need to fix that one low spot where a deer crashed through or a tree limb fell. For these surgical repairs, a tool like the Texas Fence Fixer is indispensable.
This brilliantly simple tool is designed to remove slack from a small section of wire. It has two sets of jaws that grab the wire on either side of the sag. You then use a wrench or socket to turn a lead screw, which smoothly draws the two jaws—and the wire—together. Once the slack is removed, you can cut out the excess and splice the wire permanently.
This is a repair tool, not an installation tool. Its value lies in its portability and speed. You can toss it in a five-gallon bucket with some fencing pliers and walk the line, fixing problem spots in minutes. It saves you the massive effort of setting up a come-along and stretcher bar for a job that only requires a few inches of tightening.
Choosing the Right Stretcher for Your Farm
The "best" fence stretcher is the one that best fits the job you’re doing right now. The needs for a brand-new perimeter fence are completely different from those for a quick patch job on an interior paddock. Thinking about the task first will always lead you to the right tool.
Your decision should be based on the scale and type of work you do most often. There is no single tool that excels at everything.
- For new, long runs of woven wire: A dedicated stretcher like the Dutton-Lainson Goldenrod provides the essential even pull.
- For heavy-duty jobs or tough terrain: A powerful puller like the Maasdam Pow’R Pull or the Hi-Lift Jack gives you the muscle required.
- For general-purpose use and occasional pulls: A standard SpeeCo Come-Along is a versatile, budget-friendly option you’ll use for more than just fencing.
- For precision tensioning and modern wire: The Gripple Torq Tool is perfect for dialing in specific strands.
- For fast, on-the-fly repairs: The Texas Fence Fixer is the tool you’ll be glad to have for quick fixes.
In reality, most established farms have more than one of these tools. A common combination is a heavy puller for installation and a smaller, faster tool for repairs. The goal is always a tight, safe, and effective fence. Choosing the right tool makes that goal easier, safer, and far less frustrating to achieve.
A well-maintained fence is a silent partner in your farm’s success, and the right stretcher is what keeps that partnership strong. Don’t fight sagging wire with brute force; work smart with a tool designed for the task. Your livestock, your property, and your back will thank you for it.
