The BEST Electric fence reel? || Polybraid side by side comparison

My thoughts on the top 3 polybraid electric fence reels out there.
Gallagher, O'Briens, and Taragate. With turbo wire, tarabraid 9 strand, and powerflex super 6 wire.
The Taragate unboxing video here --- • || UNBOXING Taragate G...
A look at the O'Brien Reel and Powerflex polybraid electric wire, and Gallagher pigtail step in posts here --- • Cell Grazing for Begin...
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[@lauraburandt2655]

Started with O’Brien and moving over to Gallagher reels as we need more/or they need replaced. Powerflex Super 9 polybraid. (Kencove 9strand braid as a runner-up option) 4.5” fiber rods with Kiwitech double-wedge clips. This is what we’ve found to work very well for us! Sourcing from American Grazing Lands and Kencove.

[@johnandlindameyer3134]

I like the Gallagher reels the best. The plastic catch has never been an issue, never had one break yet. I have the "standard" 1/4 mile reel (not the wide one you have in the video) with 9 strand Powerflex braid on it, and if I roll it with just a little tension on the braid and fill it really full, I can get nearly a half mile on it... but I don't like to have them that full generally... too heavy, and if you fill the reel that full, you run the risk of it running off the side skirts. As far as the wire guides, I LIKE that the plastic hook can pull into the Gallagher guide... it kind of "seats" into the guide, which then helps to keep the wire intact when bouncing across the pasture. I'd never get away with leaving the hook dangling like you showing on your reels. I always, AUTOMATICALLY pull the hook into the guide on purpose, and if it isn't in there, I'll almost always end up with a mess. Pretty difficult to actually get it pulled in far enough that it would ever come right through, especially if you have a reel half full of polybraid. I'd say that the Gallagher hook is designed specifically for doing this even, the way it works. I've used my Gallagher's right through the winter (Minnesota) without any freezing problems, other than the wire itself can get water in the "roll of braid", and THAT can freeze together a bit (it's never been a problem though), but the reel itself has never had an issue, even though that was a concern of mine before I went through the cold with them. Rolling up braid that's heavy with ice can get interesting... and it'll fill your reel so you don't have room even for a quarter mile pretty fast! I've never had ANYTHING break or fail on them... but if you hang ANY of them on the back end of your Honda (like you're doing in this video) you'll melt the polybraid AND THE REEL with your exhaust! I had to throw away a whole roll of braid, and "almost" ruined the reel too! The Gallagher Ring Top posts are nice and well designed, and durable. I give them a strong thumbs up for the design, and if you're considering between a "pigtail or the Gallagher Ring Top", I'd take the Ring Top hands down... more $$$ though. However, while they are "better" than a pigtail and are very well made, they're still too bulky for my preference, and they still get "tangled" and take up a lot of space. I prefer to use "naked" GeoTek 3/8" fiberglass rods, and they're WAY cheaper. I just wrap the polybraid around it once and go on... Because they're just a straight rod (no bulky, tangling insulators or step ins at all then, so they stack together just like pencils) I can carry enough to build a quarter mile of fence in a 2" PVC "quiver", and they're SIGNIFICANTLY LIGHTER to carry than ANY with a metal rod... never rust either, and both the pigtails and the Ring Tops will rust. I very highly recommend the Gallagher reels, Powerflex 9 strand polybraid, and the GeoTek 3/8" rods for temporary electric fencing.

[@TheJakeRobinson]

I appreciate your feedback - where can GeoTek 3/8" rods be sourced from? what length do you use... do you also have a post driver and how did you construct it?

[@ExcellenceInAgriculture]

Thank you both for your comments! Sorry for the slow reply. Lot's of good info! I enjoy hearing what works, doesn't work for everyone. I'm really loving my O'briens reels after going through last winter bale grazing. I don't own a Gallagher reel (yet) so I can't give as much of an opinion on them, just first impressions in the video. Naked rods simply do NOT work out here in this country, maybe after a good rain you can get them in the ground, but once our ground gets dry it's like solid rock. I've gone through and sharpened all my metal posts just so I have a chance to get them in the ground. I've seen videos of people putting up fence just jabbing the post in the ground one handed from the seat of the 4 wheeler and I'm jealous! That just isn't possible where I live. Again thanks for watching and for the comments! Jon

[@elijahearnest4888]

We currently use the geotek posts and timeless step-ins. The geotek's are super nimble, quick to push in and easy to catch/hook wire. But after a year or so the plastic clips start to weaken and shatter. Especially when running rambunctious calves or steers. If someone were to invent a step-in post that you can replace the clips on.... That would be the ticket. Used to have posts like that at work. Super dense fiberglass that never deteriorated. And you could put adjustable clips on them that would slide up and down the post. Tightened up with a tiny wedge. They were slick

[@GriffenNaif]

Thanks. Liked and Subscribed

[@MichaelYuhas]

I am leaning toward the Taragate reels for my plan use but don't like the cost of their reel stands which are galvanized rods. I want to use T-Posts for points where the reels will hang. Any advice or videos on this? I like the SupaReel T Post Brackets from Premier1 but it's for their reels which are not geared. So my dilemma is to mount the Taragate to the SupraReel Brackest. Thanks for the video.

[@ExcellenceInAgriculture]

I have a system for hanging reels, in the process of making and editing a video for that. I am really hating the taragate reels, they just keep breaking down on me!

[@katiebreen636]

What kind are those orange top t-posts shown in ur truck?

[@ExcellenceInAgriculture]

Those are Gallagher pigtail step in posts, I really like them. They’re a lot better than the white pigtail posts and work better for us than the O’Briens posts. Thanks for asking!

[@katiebreen636]

U say the orange Gallagher are better then the same pigtail white (heavy duty?) Gallagher posts?

[@ExcellenceInAgriculture]

@@katiebreen636 I haven’t tried those, I would think they would be good. I was referring to the cheap white ones most local hardware stores carry.

[@nybergsgarage]

I'd like to see a coyote try to eat the wire when it IS electrified...

[@ExcellenceInAgriculture]

You're so cruel

[@nybergsgarage]

@@ExcellenceInAgriculture hee hee hee.