5 Best Inline Stretchers For Temporary Fencing That Prevent Sagging Wires
Discover the top 5 inline stretchers for temporary fencing. These tools maintain optimal wire tension, effectively eliminating sag for a secure perimeter.
There’s nothing more frustrating than looking out at your pasture to see a sagging fence line. A droopy wire isn’t just an eyesore; it’s an open invitation for livestock to test their boundaries and for predators to sneak in. For temporary and electric fencing, maintaining proper tension is the difference between a secure enclosure and a constant headache.
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Why Wire Tension Matters for Temporary Fences
A taut fence wire is a powerful psychological barrier. Animals learn to respect the fence line, but a loose, floppy wire looks weak and feels less intimidating, encouraging a curious goat or cow to push through. Proper tension is your first line of defense.
For electric fences, the stakes are even higher. A sagging wire can easily touch tall, wet grass or fall to the ground, causing the entire fence line to short out. When that happens, your electric charger is useless, and your fence becomes nothing more than a flimsy string. Keeping the wire tight and off the ground ensures the electrical pulse remains strong and effective from one end to the other.
Properly tensioned fences also last longer and require less work over time. Constant sagging puts uneven stress on your posts and insulators, leading to premature failure. By using inline stretchers to maintain consistent tension, you prevent the recurring chore of walking the entire line and pulling wires by hand, saving you valuable time and effort.
How Inline Stretchers Keep Your Fences Taut
An inline stretcher, also called a tensioner or strainer, is a small mechanical device installed directly into your fence line. Its sole purpose is to add or remove slack from the wire, polywire, or tape with minimal effort. Think of it as a permanent winch built right into the fence.
Most stretchers work on a simple principle: a spool or bobbin that you turn with a handle, wrench, or even by hand. As you turn it, the device winds up the wire, pulling the line tight. A ratchet or locking mechanism prevents it from unwinding, holding the tension exactly where you set it. This allows for fine-tuned adjustments that are impossible to achieve by just pulling the wire by hand.
These are especially critical for temporary fencing. Unlike permanent fences with massive, deeply set corner posts designed to take all the strain, temporary systems rely on lighter posts. Inline stretchers allow you to distribute the tensioning points along the fence run, not just at the ends. This means you can easily tighten a section that sags after a storm or as the ground settles, without having to rebuild an entire corner assembly.
Gallagher Ratchet Strainer: The Proven Workhorse
Tighten and maintain your electric or farm fence easily with these 10 heavy-duty inline wire tensioners. The ratchet design simplifies wire adjustments for optimal fence performance.
When you need a reliable, no-nonsense tensioner that will last for years, the Gallagher Ratchet Strainer is a classic choice. It’s built from a solid, galvanized steel frame and a die-cast aluminum spool that resists corrosion. This isn’t a flimsy piece of plastic; it’s a tool designed to handle the high strain of permanent high-tensile wire but works just as well for heavy-duty polywire and rope.
The design is brilliantly simple. You thread the wire through the spool, and use a separate handle tool to crank the ratchet, tightening the line with significant mechanical advantage. The ratchet clicks with each turn, securely locking the tension in place. Because the handle is a separate tool, there are fewer parts on the strainer itself to break or get clogged with mud.
The main consideration here is that you do need the specific handle to operate it, which is one more thing to keep track of. However, its durability makes it a "buy it once" investment. For long runs of wire or semi-permanent paddocks where reliability is paramount, the Gallagher is the standard-bearer. It’s overkill for light-duty garden fencing, but for containing livestock, it provides peace of mind.
Zareba Poly-Tape Tensioner for Wide Tapes
Fencing with poly-tape presents a unique challenge. Standard round-spool tensioners are designed for wire and will twist, bunch, and eventually fray the flat weave of poly-tape. This not only weakens the tape but also reduces its visibility, which is one of the primary reasons for using it, especially with horses.
The Zareba Poly-Tape Tensioner is designed specifically to solve this problem. Instead of a spool, it uses a clamp-and-pull mechanism that grips the flat surface of the tape. This allows you to pull the tape tight without creasing or damaging the delicate conductive filaments woven into it. It maintains the tape’s flat profile, ensuring it remains visible and effective.
These tensioners are typically made of durable, UV-resistant plastic. While not as robust as a metal ratchet strainer, they are perfectly suited for their intended purpose. They are ideal for rotational grazing systems for horses or other animals where visibility is key. Don’t try to use one on high-tensile wire, but for any poly-tape up to two inches wide, it’s the right tool for the job.
Strainrite XT1: Heavy-Duty Tensioning Power
If you’re dealing with long fence runs or high-tensile wire, you need more power than a standard strainer can provide. The Strainrite XT1 is a heavy-duty option engineered for high-strain applications. It features a smooth, robust gear system that provides a significant mechanical advantage, allowing you to get your wires banjo-string tight with less effort.
The build quality is immediately apparent. These are made with high-quality, corrosion-resistant materials designed to withstand the immense forces involved in tensioning wire over hundreds of feet. The design ensures that you can apply that force without stripping the gears or breaking the unit—a common failure point on cheaper alternatives when pushed to their limit.
This is the tensioner you choose for perimeter fences or long pasture divisions. While it works perfectly well on polywire or rope, its real strength is in managing steel wire. If your temporary fence is more of a "semi-permanent" installation that will be up for several seasons, investing in a few Strainrites will pay dividends in fence integrity and reduced maintenance.
Dare In-Line Strainer: Simple, Tool-Free Use
For true temporary fencing, like setting up a paddock for a few days of rotational grazing, convenience is king. Fumbling for a special tool when you’re moving a fence line every 48 hours is a hassle. The Dare In-Line Strainer shines in these scenarios, with many models featuring a wing-nut or integrated handle design for tool-free tensioning.
The mechanism is straightforward: you feed the polywire or rope through, and simply turn the wing-nut by hand to take up the slack. It doesn’t provide the same immense tensioning power as a geared ratchet, but it doesn’t need to. For a 150-foot run of polybraid, hand-tightening is more than enough to keep the line from sagging and ensure a good electrical connection.
The major advantage is speed and simplicity. You can adjust tension on the fly, with just your hands, anywhere in the field. This makes them perfect for managing interior paddocks, strip grazing, or any situation where the fence is moved frequently. The tradeoff is lower tensioning strength, making them unsuitable for boundary fences or containing more determined livestock without a very hot charge.
Fi-Shock In-Line Tensioners: A Value Pack Pick
Sometimes, the job just requires a lot of tensioners without breaking the bank. Whether you’re fencing a large garden to keep deer out or setting up multiple small paddocks for chickens or sheep, the cost can add up quickly. Fi-Shock In-Line Tensioners are often sold in multi-packs, offering a functional and economical solution for light-to-medium duty jobs.
These are typically made of high-density, UV-stabilized plastic and are surprisingly effective for polywire, poly-rope, and smaller gauge steel wire. They work on a simple ratchet-and-spool principle and are often tightened with a standard wrench or pliers. They get the job done without the premium cost of heavy-duty, all-metal alternatives.
The tradeoff is longevity. The plastic components can become brittle after several years of intense sun exposure, and they won’t handle the strain of a very long run of heavy wire. But that’s not their purpose. For interior fences, temporary setups, and applications where extreme tension isn’t required, they provide excellent value and make it affordable to put a tensioner wherever one is needed.
Proper Installation for a Sag-Free Fence Line
An inline stretcher is a powerful tool, but it can’t compensate for a weak foundation. Your most important components are still your corner and end posts. Ensure they are well-set and properly braced before you even think about applying tension, or you’ll just end up pulling your posts over.
For best results, install inline stretchers in the middle of a long run of fence. This allows you to pull slack from both directions, resulting in more even tension along the entire wire. For very long runs (over 500 feet), consider adding a tensioner roughly every 250-300 feet. When tightening, aim for "taut," not "titanium." Overtightening can snap wires, break insulators, and put unnecessary strain on your posts. The wire should be tight enough that it doesn’t sag more than a few inches between posts.
Finally, make walking your fence lines a regular habit, especially after heavy wind, snow, or a fallen tree limb. A quick check allows you to spot a sagging section early. With an inline stretcher already in place, fixing it is a 30-second job with a handle or wrench, turning a potentially major repair into a minor, routine adjustment.
Ultimately, the right inline stretcher is a small investment that protects the time, money, and effort you’ve put into your fencing. By choosing the correct tool for your specific wire or tape and installing it properly, you transform a sagging, unreliable fence into a secure, effective barrier. That means less time fixing problems and more time enjoying your farm.
