Stock & Noble
Plastic fence posts - What are the different types available for horse fencing in Australia and New Zealand?
- BY Tripti Kakkar
Fence posts play a critical role in realising your vision of a dream equine property. The right fence posts ensure your horse fencing stays strong and stable. They elevate the aesthetics of your property and improve operational effectiveness along with making everyday management smoother.
If you’ve already researched different types of fence posts, learnt their pros and cons and chosen to go ahead with the plastic fence posts, then keep reading.
At Stock & Noble, we provide the finest fencing solutions to high-end horse properties across Australia and New Zealand. Each horse fencing product in our portfolio is chosen based on its proven success and safety on a global scale.
We are an exclusive supplier of Hogan posts and based on our expertise and experience in creating safe and beautiful equine properties, we will share some key insights and detailed information on different plastic fence posts available in the market.
- Co-Extruded PVC Fence Posts
- Hollow Plastic Fence Posts
- Solid Plastic Fence Posts
- Wood/Plastic Combination Fence Posts
In the end, you will be well-informed to choose the best line/intermediate posts for your horse property.
What are composite plastic fence posts?
Composite plastic fence posts are a popular alternative to traditional wood and metal posts. They are made from a combination of plastic materials, making them extremely durable and resistant to rot, moisture, and termites.
Most composite plastic fence posts are long-lasting, cost-effective and highly practical and eco-friendly fencing solutions.
Key Features of Composite Fence Posts
- All composite fence posts that we are aware of are UV stable. In the case of black fence posts, the carbon colouring makes them UV Stable. In white, the UV stabilising coating is added separately.
- Typically an Equine fence post is around 120m in width and between 2.1 to 2.4 metres in overall length. The suppliers can provide you with different lengths, based on your requirement.
- Most composite fence posts don’t require any painting or staining and are more eco-friendly than traditional options.
- Some plastic fence posts tend to bow slightly in the sun, which might affect your fencing line’s aesthetics overall.
Here are the four most popular composite plastic fence posts available across Australia and New Zealand.
Plastic fence posts Type#1 -Extruded PVC Fence Posts
These PVC fence posts are round in shape, hollow from inside and are made from virgin-grade materials.
Average Life Expectancy: More than 30 years
Manufactured in: China
Cost of each PVC Fence post with 120 mm diameter: $45 – $60
Pros of PVC Fence Posts
Maintain their straight shape
The PVC fence posts are stiffer than the hollow plastic fence, thus they tend to bend less and look straight despite the heat of the sun.
Easier to install
Thanks to their stiff character PVC fence posts ram in a lot better while installing as compared to hollow plastic fence posts.
Cons of PVC Fence Posts
Not sustainable
PVC Fence Posts are made from new plastic and not recycled materials. Hence they are less eco-friendly than other options.
Not cost-effective
These fence posts are also the most expensive option in the category.
Plastic fence posts Type#2 – Hollow Plastic Fence Posts
The hollow plastic fence posts are also round in shape, with similar specifications to Co-Extruded PVC posts. The biggest point of difference is that these are made completely of recycled materials.
Average Life Expectancy: More than 30 years
Manufactured in: Australia
Cost of each Hogan post with a 120 mm diameter: $38.50 – $43.00
Pros of Hollow Plastic Fence Posts
Value with quality
The hollow plastic fence posts are a good quality, practical and cost-effective fencing solution with a versatile application. Whether you choose Horseerail that needs to be attached via a bracket or Border Line Sighter Wire which can be run through the centre of the posts, hollow plastic fence posts are ideal for all types of horse fencing.
Eco-friendly
Made from recycled plastic, they are good for the planet and support the movement of sustainability.
Durable
Hollow plastic fence posts are typically only manufactured using hard plastics and not soft plastics which increases their durability during installation and once installed.
Cons of Hollow plastic fence posts
Bow in the sun
Hollow plastic fence posts are not as stiff as PVC or Solid plastic fence posts. They tend to bow in the sun. This won’t impact the strength or stability of the horse fencing overall but can affect the aesthetics. In our experience, once the fence is all complete the bowing reduces as the fencing rail/wire helps hold the post straight.
Difficult to ram down
During installation on hard ground, the hollow plastic fence posts can tend to spring and bounce back. The Fencing Contractor can find it slow to ram down the post directly. The solution is to pre-drill and then ram the posts in. This method is typical with many fence posts and most professional contractors will have the correct machinery to install this way.
Plastic fence posts Type#3 – Solid Plastic Fence Posts
These fence posts are round and made of different kinds and types of recycled plastic materials. Some solid plastic fence posts have a sharp end at the bottom which helps installers while ramming the post into the ground.
Average Life Expectancy: More than 50 years
Manufactured in: Australia
Cost of each Solid plastic fence post with 120 mm diameter:
Pros of Solid Plastic Fence Post
Some suppliers offer matching strainer posts
Solid plastic fence posts are heavy, and some manufacturers supply strainer posts that can be used for your end and corner assemblies. So, instead of following the usual practice to use timber or steel for your strainer posts, with solid fence posts, you get the option to choose the same material for all your posts on the property. Thus, creating a consistent look.
Eco-friendly
Solid plastic fence posts are made of recycled plastic and have a long life so there is less need for replacement and subsequent wastage.
Cons of Solid Plastic Fence Posts
Not suited for all horse fences
It’s slow to drill holes through the Solid fence posts. So, if you choose horse fencing where the wire needs to go through the posts, then solid fence posts might not be the best option to choose.
Not made of the same recycled plastic
Since different kinds of plastic materials are used to build these posts, the look might not be as aesthetically pleasing as you may expect it to be. Also, since soft plastics are included in its built, this can introduce a weak point in the post. We have had clients tell us of the solid posts snapping off at ground level on impact however this appears to be a rare happening.
Plastic fence posts Type#4 – Wood/Plastic Combination Fence Posts
These fence posts are made of wood and wrapped in a layer of plastic. Timber adds strength and plastic protects the timber from rotting.
Also called WoodShield fence posts, they are available in different lengths and widths.
While all other fence posts come in a standard diameter of 120 millimetres, Woodhsield fence posts offer three size options of 83, 95 and 120 millimetres.
Limited Warranty Period: 10 years
Life Expectancy: 50 years
Manufactured in: Australia
Cost of each WoodShield Fence post with 120 mm diameter: $44 – $51
Pros of Wood/Plastic Combination Fence Posts
Do not bow in the sun
WoodShield fence posts have the strength of timber, and therefore heat doesn’t impact their shape or movement.
Functional and cost-effective
The availability of smaller diameters also brings down the cost of WoodShield fence posts. So, for horse owners who are on a low budget, a thinner fence post with an 83 mm diameter could be a useful low-cost option.
Easy to install
WoodShield fence posts have solid timber in the middle which is easy to ram down and faster to install as compared to hollow plastic fence posts.
Cons of Wood/Plastic Combination Fence Posts
Moisture can seep in
These fence posts are protected by a plastic covering; however, some property owners are still sceptical of moisture finding its way through timber and rotting posts from within.
Narrow posts might bring down the aesthetics
WoodShield fence posts with a smaller diameter are narrow and might not be able to create an ideal look for your dream equine property.
Which composite plastic fence post is right for my property?
You wanted to explore the option of using composite fence posts on your property and needed to learn all about the different types and their specifications. Now you know there are mainly 4 types of plastic fence posts, and what are their advantages and disadvantages.
While product details and cost are the main components that should be considered to decide, another factor that plays an important role is – the kind of horse fencing you are going to attach to the posts.
If you choose a fencing solution like Horserail that only needs to be attached to the posts, then any composite plastic fence post can go with it. However, if the post needs to be drilled through for something like EquiRope, then Solid Plastic fence post and Woodshield aren’t the best solutions for you.
A checklist to choosing the best fence post for your property can further prove helpful in your journey.
If you have any questions on Hogan posts, their longevity, availability, installation and maintenance, feel free to speak to one of our fencing experts. We will answer all your questions and guide you to create a signature equine property just the way you imagined.
