People tension net fencing with all sorts of things, some use star pickets or clamp wooden boards together using bolts. Others use GRIPPLEs alone. The device most contractors use to tension net fencing wire is the wedge clamp.

The problem – With wedge clamps

Wedge clamps often slip and are difficult to get on and off the wire. As you hit one wedge in, the others tend to pop out.  But if the wedges are hit hard, you can cut the wire, if you’re not careful you can hit yourself.

And if a wedge gets stuck, they can be difficult to get off the wire. As a result, most contractors need to replace their boards every 12 to 18 months as the wedges ware from repeated use.

Wireman Strainer Boards

By contrast Wireman clamps are made for speed and reliability using high tensile Abrasion Resistant steel where it matters.

The three Wireman clamping systems are - the East Ender, the West Ender and the Viceman strainer boards.

East Ender and West Ender boards - The difference

Both the East and West Ender Systems are intended for use on traditional agricultural netting wire where the vertical wires are more than 10 cm or 4 inches apart.

The beauty of both the East and West Ender Systems is you can work from just one side of the fence. Each wire is gripped individually you can easily adjust the board to suit the ground you’re on or pull up a single loose wire if needed. And very little tension is lost when taking the boards off the wire as only a small bend is put in the wire. Which is very helpful on short strains

The only difference between the East and West ender Systems is that the West Ender has pull pin operated sliders to adjust the grippers. The East Ender uses quick links for the line adjustment so, it takes longer disconnecting and re-attaching the grippers to suit the line wire spacing of different netting.

For a Fencing Contractor straining different types of wire on a regular basis, the West Ender is quick to set up and has rubber directors that keep the grippers positioned to go on the wire quickly. If you’re always straining the same type of wire however, the East-Ender works just as well and is lighter in weight overall.

West ender boards can be linked together or extended with the use of a joiner. The Eastender can be extended by overlapping the boards.

West Ender Strainer Boards

The West Ender strainer board design is a result of several years of making individual wire strainer boards and listening to the feedback from fencing contractors, who are looking for reliable tools that get the job done fast.

The great benefit to the contractor of the West Ender System is the ability to change gripper positioning fast to suit different line wire spacings. They are quick to use because you don't need tools to put them on the wire or assemble and adjust them. As a result, no time is wasted looking for hammers or wedges lost in the grass.

Made from 4mm thick 40mm square hollow section, they are tough as nails and quick to set up. West Enders use a pull pin system for assembly and adjustment. You can turn a one-metre-high strainer board into a 2-metre board for in seconds. And with a 2-metre kit you can do everything from gut straining 8 line to pulling up 16 line exclusion fencing, without needing another board.

East Ender Strainer Boards

Provide all the benefits of individual wire gripping capability on an easy-to-use versatile setup. East Ender Strainer Boards are perfect if you are always using the same type of wire on your own property. 

Manufactured from High Tensile steel, multiple boards can simply be bolted together to create boards up to 2-metres in height. 

Viceman Strainer Boards

As general-purpose tensioner, the Viceman can be used on any type of Wire. They are designed however, for use on tight fabricated netting wire such as horse or equine mesh which is also known as no climb wire (in the USA). But the Viceman also work well on rabbit wire or chicken mash that’s too tight to be gripped individually.

The great thing about the Viceman is, (like all Wireman clamps) they only put as much tension on the wire as you put onto the board, so you can’t cut the wire. And they only put a small kink in the wire, so you don’t lose tension when you take them off.

The Viceman goes on and comes off the wire safely, because (like all Wireman strainer boards) no hammer is needed. And they are fast - you can get a Viceman clamp on or of the wire in under 10 seconds.

How to use a Viceman

To use a Viceman; put your wire over the base board. Then take the clamp board and (with the banana shaped arms pointing down in the opposite direction to the way you are tensioning the Wire). Locate it over the lugs on the base board and pull the clamp board forward to seat it on the lugs. You then flip the clamp board in the opposite direction. Push the heads of the arms through holes in the wire and hook them into the openings in the base board. The Springs will keep them in place.

To stop the Viceman moving before you tension the Wire, push the arms forward so the latch on the arms falls into place, then pull the arms back toward the roller bar to lock it in place.

You can then strain the wire as you normally would.

The pivoting feet of the Viceman get out of the way to help when removing the base board from between the wire and a post stay.  For wire up to 1450mm high, there is a 1/2 metre extension. And with a joiner kit they can be linked together for wire up to 1950mm in height.

Overview

In summary, the East and West Ender boards are only intended for ag netting wire with the West Ender being quicker to assemble and adjust. The Viceman works on all types of wire including tight mesh.

The ability to use the same equipment on different wire heights means you can do a wider range of jobs carrying less gear. Saving time using good equipment adds up fast. If you’re doing five strains a day and you save 10 minutes a strain, that’s nearly an hour a day saved.

A big focus on time saving

Few fencing contractors have room on the back of the truck for tools that are not in regular use, and they know full well going back to a job or having to get spare parts for a tool when your miles from town is a complete waste of time and money.

At Wireman and we do all we can to produce the best tools available, because most of the money in a fence is time. Our products may have a higher price point than other products on the market, but when that results in a user saving an hour a day in time, Wireman strainer boards pay for themselves very quickly.

Fence Faster, Earn more with Wireman tools.

If you have any questions, you would like answered give us a call or send us an email to sales@wireman.com.au.