Choosing a good quality electric fence charger is the single most important thing you can do when building a electrical fence. With so many electrical fence chargers on the market today, it’s important to know what your options are.
When choosing your electric fence energizer it should be low-impedance, purchased from a reputable supplier and be able to be maintenance or have a warranty. The main problem with a low grade electric fence charger is the in ability to get parts for it. With brands like Zareba, Wasp, Patriot and Gallagher your sure to be able to get components that will add to the longevity of the charger. Also try and find a company that will provide insurance against lighting. Lightning protection will ensure that you will be able to have a reliable charger. No matter how good the quality of your electric fence charger…lighting will be the death of it.
Power is another important aspect when choosing a electric fence controller. The very first fence I built I did not take into consideration the vegetation growth and after the first winter we had to buy another charger due to the growth of the grass. For whatever reason the dew and grass would take away joules or volts. The electric fence charger we had was already working at full capacity providing a constant 5,000 volts. With the vegetation growth over the course of 3000 feet it was dropping considerably sometimes as low as 3,000 volts. Again…you can never have enough power at your disposal.
Consider going solar? I have yet to actually try a solar electric charger, but I have heard many great things about them. Some of the positives would be lower electricity bills, good for the environment and easy installation. The draw backs would be the suns reliability to charge the electric fence effectively, but they do store power, so depending on where you live this might not be a problem. Another drawback is the power supply…I have heard that the max voltage on some solar powered electric fence chargers is 8,000 volts. Under ideal situations this might be enough, but would like to see more power available. Probably the biggest drawback on these chargers is the upfront cost. A solar powered fence charger at a local tractor supply had a price tag of $600. Again, to each his own and if you’re feeling green…than go for it!
As for a place to buy your electric fence charger—I would recommend online. You have a very large variety of chargers at your fingertips. As much as I love shopping local, it’s just way cheaper to buy your charger through an inline retailer.