Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living The best wood fenceposts?

That?

Locust

hedge/aka Osage orange

Red Cedar cut at the right time will last as long as anything else. Of course, not all cedar is created equal. The best posts come from cedar that’s growing in rocky and dry ground

The ones that are already planted.

Many years ago, I wound up burning a big stack of Osage orange fence posts that were probably well over 50 years old, had been at least partially in the ground for decades, and were still solid as can be. In fact, the reason I wound up burning them was that they were too hard to drive a nail or fence staple into so i wasn't sure how could use them. Parts of me still wishes I'd kept them and figured something out; but they were HARD!

maybe a little known fact for some hedge post will never rot they will just keep shrinking and cracking up until they disappear. they are absolutely the reason short steeples were invented

My pasture was built with hedge post and I’m sure they are every bit 100 years old
Also my barn is built on hedge posts
And being under cover they look incredibly good and not weathered like a Line post would be
Same with my dads barn it was built in 1915 and those posts will last another 100 years easy

Be nice to buy the Dirkes creosote posts again.

I am 73 years old, I remember going in and out of a certain gate here on the farm when I was just a small child. The two cedar king posts that were either side of that opening are still there. They would have to be at least 65 years old, and are probably much older than that.

the best wood posts around here are steel because they can be drilled into rock and withstand the occasional fire.

Bet that burned pile of posts would have been great for woodworking projects.

At my folks old home that my father built in the mid forties, there are locust post near the barn that are still about the same as when I left home in 64. I went back for my father's funeral aboutv 7 years ago and they were still standjng. No one used Osage.

In eastern MT, I have cedar, actually Juniper, posts in the line that are probably 80 to100 years old, some I'm sure set by my grandpa. Damn sure older than my fencing days which started with my dad in 1968 or so. When one needs replacing its usually a 5.5' 1.33# t post that goes in right next to the old post. Fewer and fewer of those old cedars in the line, but enough to provide character. I carry short staples for repairs on them as they are pretty hard, and often wire fasten the top two wires when repairing in lieu of a staple.

Stell posts are alright, in soft ground they will bend over.

Chuckle...we don't get that much rain. In my country, steel lasts forever. But 50 miles away, there's some alkali ground that rusts steel posts out in about 10 years.

Yes soft ground here steel posts need to be longer or they may load up with weeds and wind blows lt low enough for livestock to finish the job.

Went with a friend to pick up posts and got a gas powered post pounder, haven't seen it run yet.

The hedge posts are crooked! We have a few concretes too.

I believe those had a round metal tag stapled on to one end, with a big D on it. I presume the chemicals used to treat those posts are not allowed these days.

I think you're right Dale.

Hard to beat locust posts.