I have been using Gallagher solar chargers on my temporary fences for strip grazing and rotational grazing. They seem to only last about a year and then they quit working and I have to send them in for repair. They normally fix them pretty cheap, but it's just a pain. I have three and two are down right now. I am interested in any opinions as to what the best solar charger was no object. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Fence charger opinions needed
- Thread starter Devin
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We have an old B75 that uses an external battery and a solar panel. We used it for 4 years or so as the only charger and charged a couple of miles of a mixture of 12.5 hi tensile and poly-wire. For the last 5 years we've used it here as a temporary for odd sections that aren;t near the 12.5 backbone and have run it on poly-wire. It took a direct hit once when it was about a year old, the store replaced a couple of componenets and it hasn;t missed a beat since.
A friend of mine has tried a stafix, he's on his 3rd one in less then a year, not sure of the model. I can;t rememebr which ones the dairy uses but they last about a year, green metal case is all I can recall about them.
A friend of mine has tried a stafix, he's on his 3rd one in less then a year, not sure of the model. I can;t rememebr which ones the dairy uses but they last about a year, green metal case is all I can recall about them.
IL Rancher
Well-known member
Never messed with the stayfix solar but we run stayfix Mains ones and have some going on 6 years now and running fine. We have had to fix one twice but besides that no trouble.. Some folks get llucky with things and others don't. My Gallagher batter one was a royal pain in the arse as have all the battery ones we have tried. Just don't seem to last well.. Hae been thinking about trying some solar ones again as the one pasture with no power.. Well, we need something for it.
I've even got one of the little stick in the ground jobs that uses either D cells or a regular battery. Never charged more then 1/2 mile with it, but it's never given me any problems. I know that if I forget to turn it off (once) it knocked me on my butt.
grannysoo
Well-known member
Never had a solar, but I've been running a stayfix electric for almost 3 years now. Up until that point, it was to replace a couple of cheap chargers a year.
Nice to have one that can be counted on for a change.
Nice to have one that can be counted on for a change.
Jim62
Well-known member
Par-mac
Susie David
Well-known member
Could be just me but I spend the few extra bucks and buy a higher Joule charger...like to see a blue spark from 1/4 mile..got me too, across the bridge of the nose..thought that I could move a wire in the calf pasture down a bit, squatted and moved the lower wire but the top one knocked me flat on my back.
We seperate the pastures with only two hot wires and it keeps them respectfull of the wire...the darn deer will bust a wire every so often but not often.
And that's my two bits worth...asked for or not. Dmc
We seperate the pastures with only two hot wires and it keeps them respectfull of the wire...the darn deer will bust a wire every so often but not often.
And that's my two bits worth...asked for or not. Dmc
Crowderfarms
Well-known member
Parmak model DF-SPL1. Solar gel cell, charges up to 25 miles of fence. Sell for about 175.00. They will hold a charge for upwards of 30 days with no Sun. Only down side is they take 5 days to fully charge, outside.
SF
Well-known member
I don't use the solars, but I have one batter powered gallagher B160 and I have two zareba b25 units from tractor supply. I like the zareba units the best. They give me the best performance, my batteries last longer, and they cost quite a bit less. I use a 12 volt marine battery. I change them every 2 to 3 weeks. Both companies tell you a battery will last for a month, you'd better keep your fence weed free and put the unit in battery save mode to get a month. I'm satisfied with the overall performance of all 3 units.
mack
Well-known member
Devin":2wv1xktq said:
Devin, which model solars do you have? Are the modules going bad or do you jus have to add a new battery every year and what area do you live in? The Gallaghers have always been a good charger and they actually have a human customer service department with guys in the field that can help. On another note the Gallaghers can be repaired much easier and quicker when someting does go wrong
