We know a good fence is a major investment in your property. While it's easy to see the advantages of fixed-knot fence over old-fashioned hinge joint fence, how do you decide between different brands of fixed-knot fencing?

• Wire gauge (diameter of the wire — the lower the number, the thicker the wire)
• Tensile strength of the wire (breaking strength)
• Thickness of galvanization — we use Class 3 only
• Quality of galvanized coating — consistency

• Wire gauge — Stay-Tuff uses 12.5 gauge wire for the horizontal and vertical woven wires, but exceeds industry standards in using heavier 12 gauge wire for the top and bottom wire line wires. This increases the breaking strength of the top and bottom wire on the fence by over 100lbs. These heavier wires also enable a stronger, tighter wrap where the vertical stay wire wraps around the top and bottom line wire.

• Number of vertical wires — Stay-Tuff fences are built with more vertical stay wires that other products on the market. Compare roll weights and you will see that Stay-Tuff's rolls are consistently heavier. More vertical stays means fewer expensive posts, reducing the overall cost of the fence.

• Depth of crimp — Stay-Tuff fencing has a shorter, deeper, and more defined crimp in the horizontal wires, making our fences able to spring back undamaged from animal or other impacts. The deeper crimp also allows the fencing to follow the contours of the land more closely.

Stay-Tuff	Other Brand	Stay-Tuff	Other Brand

• Tightness of the knots — Observe the height and width of the knots that lock the vertical and horizontal wires.
  
  Now look at the knot side on. Notice how the vertical wire bends slightly as it passes over the horizontal wire. This bend or "crimp" in the vertical wire provides the vertical resistance that stops the horizontal wire sliding up and down the vertical wire. A smaller tighter knot is more able to hold this important crimp in the vertical wire. All Stay-Tuff fences incorporate this smaller, tighter knot.

• Knot smoothness — The knots that lock the vertical and horizontal wires should be tightly formed with even "tails" that finish together at the side. These knots provide a safe barrier for your livestock.

• Line wire tension — As you unroll your fencing before stretching it, the line wires should be even and the fence should lie relatively flat on the ground. Unduly large humps indicate that the fence does not have even line-wire tension. This can cause problems when the fence is stretched because each of the line wires will not tighten evenly when the fence is pullled up.

• Roll size - Modern technology allows us to produce consistently smaller and tighter fence rolls, saving you money on freight costs.

Stay-Tuff recently achieved a World First in fixed-knot fencing: All of our fence rolls now come "Pre-Stripped". (Note: we can produce them without this feature if you request.) We leave 18" of line wire clear of all vertical stay wires at the start and end of each fence roll. This enables easier and quicker installation of the fence since there is no longer any need to strip the several vertical stay wires to get enough horizontal line wire to wrap around the end post.

This is a real time saver because it can take upward of 20 minutes per roll to strip the wires required. If the roll isn't going to be wrapped around an end post, you can simply cut-off this extra "free" wire.