A Guide to Fencing Tools & Equipment

Here's a list of what you will need if you are building your own fence. Photo: Michael Srichter

If you want to put up and repair your own fences, you'll need to make sure you have the appropriate tools and equipment to do so.

Auger

You can get an auger as an attachment to your tractor, or get a petrol powered one. It's basically a long drill that you use to dig the post holes for your fence.

Claw Hammer

You can buy all the fancy fencing-specific tools in the world and you'll probably never use them as much as a basic claw hammer. Make sure you invest in a good quality one.

Crimping Tool and Crimp Sleeves

If you have fence wire that's broken you can use a crimping tool and crimp sleeves to repair the wire and splice fence wires together.

Gloves
You don't need specific fencing gloves, but they should be thick, and leather will protect your hands the best for fencing work.

Permanent Wire Strainers

Permanent wire strainers can be used to join two wires in the middle of a fence line. This method is not as strong as using crimp sleeves, but is easy to do.

Post Driver

You can get a post driver that attaches to your tractor, or get a manual one.

Saws

A circular saw will make trimming fence posts easy, but a manual saw comes in handy for any difficult angle cuts.

Spade
You don't necessarily need a specific fencing spade, although you can buy them. A fencing spade is shaped specifically for post holes, but unless you are digging a lot of postholes, your standard garden-shed spade should do the trick.

Staplers

Stapling is an important part of fence construction, and one that can determine its durability. It is therefore important to use good stapling gear. You can get staples and staplers specifically for fencing, and you can get staplers that use staplers or hog rings.

Tape Measure

Never start fencing without one. Or two. It can be handy to have a shorter and a longer tape measure.

Wire Cutters

Used for cutting high-tensile wires, it's a good idea to invest in a good-quality pair.

Wire Dispensers

It's important for fence wire to be dispensed uniformly to avoid damage. Fence dispensers help with this process.