Long Offset Insulators

Electric fencing with offset insulators

A typical electric fence uses long insulators, sometimes called offset insulators, to support one or more electrified wires on either side of the fence. These long insulators prevent animals from brushing against or leaning on the fence, helping to extend its lifespan.

There is a wide range of long insulators available, suitable for retrofitting onto existing non-electric fences, wooden posts, steel posts, or a combination of fencing types, including barbed wire and chain link. Below, you can find our recommended offset electric fence setups for cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and horses, after selecting the appropriate long insulators for your fence.

If you wish to secure an existing or brand-new non-electric fence, retrofitting long insulators is a practical and simple solution.

Types of Offset fence insulators

There are some different types of long Offset electric fence insulators, such as Live tip offsets, Ring top offsets and Wire offsets. these insulators are ideal as permanent insulators. 

Live tip offsets

Live tips are one of the various choices for offsets. By deterring animals from rubbing against the offset, the electrified end safeguards the offset. Live tip offsets can be post installed on steel or wood posts. By discouraging livestock from rubbing up against them, the electrified tip lessens damage to the long insulator or posts.

Ring top offsets

For wood post fences, a side mount ring top offset is a popular choice. It offers total flexibility for the offset wire positioning. High tension spring wire that has been galvanised is used to make ring top offsets. The top or side of wooden posts are stapled with this offset. There are additional variations with double ends.

Wire offsets

Traditional fences are further protected by offset wire mounts. This safeguards your fence investment and increases the fence's lifespan. Galvanized high tension spring wire is used to make wire offsets, which twist onto pre-existing fence wires.

Choosing Offset insulators

By securing these long insulators with electrified wire on one or both sides of a fence, the lifespan of a conventional fence can be extended by several years. Electric Fence Online recommends installing a single offset wire at approximately two-thirds of the height of the target animal.

When sheep and cattle share the same area, it is preferable to use two offset wires—one positioned for sheep and the other for cattle. However, both animals can be effectively contained using a single wire set at roughly three-quarters of the height of a sheep.

Before installation, inspect the existing fence carefully. Any frayed or knotted wires should be repaired or replaced, as loose non-electric wires may inadvertently short the electrified offset wire. Replace the weakest wires, and, where possible, reinforce the remaining ones to ensure a safe and effective fence.

Tips for using Offset fence insulators

Use of soft wire for the fence wire and the offset insulators is the most typical mistake. The fence wire should always be made of high tensile wire, and the offset brackets should only be made of spring steel wire. In order to avoid being tangled in the wire of the old fence and shorting out, the bracket needs to be able to spring back into position after contact.

The use of brackets that are too short, causing the live wire to remain too close to the fence it is attached to, is the second most typical error. The live wire should be supported by brackets 150–300mm away from the existing fence.

The live wire's location and height are also crucial. It should be fastened at a height that is two-thirds that of the animal to be restrained. On the same fence, two offset wires can be put and are frequently done. A wire is positioned at 750mm on one side to corral livestock and at 200mm on the other to deter predators.

Even though offset fence is easy to use, it still needs to be considered a system. One shortcut or one component of low quality might render the fence useless.

Offset Fence Set Up

• Cattle (7-14m): 700-900mm offset bracket height
• Pigs, Sheep, Goats (7-14m): 500mm offset bracket height
• Horses (7-14m): 1000mm offset bracket height