Can we talk about using T-posts on residential jobs

I keep seeing guys throw T-posts on 4-foot backyard fences around here in St. Louis and it drives me nuts. Set a few of those next to a good 6-gauge chain link terminal and the difference in stability is night and day after a rainy season. I pulled one job where the T-posts were already leaning 3 months in and the client was ready to sue. Have you all had better luck with them or am I the only one who sticks to round posts for anything under 6 foot?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan_kim17d ago

like @max_schmidt77 said, t-posts are for field fence not chain link, my neighbor used them for a garden trellis and they fell over in a week.

max_schmidt7717d ago

Hang on, T-posts aren't actually meant for chain link at all, they're really for field fence or welded wire if you're just doing a quick pasture job. You're right that the stability is garbage on those in residential work though, especially with any kind of clay soil like we have around here. A good round post with concrete is way better for holding up against the wind and kids leaning on it. I think the guys using them just don't want to dig a proper hole, but that shortcut always comes back to bite you.

shane_wilson17d ago

Oh man, I gotta push back just a little bit on one thing there. T-posts actually do get used for chain link all the time in commercial and industrial settings, just not the way most homeowners do it. I've seen plenty of jobs where they set T-posts every 10 feet with line clamps and it holds up fine for years as long as you've got decent soil and you drive them deep enough. The real issue is that most people only sink them like 18 inches when they really need to be 24 to 30 inches down to get any kind of stability, especially in clay. And yeah, nobody wants to hear this but the truth is T-posts work okay for temporary chain link on flat ground, but once you add any slope or heavy wind load they're just not built for that kind of tension.