I am looking at some inexpensive field fence for a new pasture, Bekaert brand, which comes with a horizontal wire connector called a Gripple connector. I haven't put in fence in several years and have always joined rolls by tying them off. Time consuming but dependable.
They are advertising these connectors as just as strong and dependable as tying off but I hate to put up a fence and have it come apart in a few years. The tightening tool is around $70.
Just wondering if anyone here with fence-building experience has used the Gripple connectors and had any problems. Thanks in advance.

I sell both the common, low carbon field fence and the high tensile Stay Tuff. I have seen high tensile effectively use gripples.

Personally, I tie off like it's been done for generations, even high tensile.

Sometimes, new ways of doing things aren't necessarily better than traditional methods.

Thanks. This stuff is high tensile and I have been concerned about it breaking while tying off as I haven't used it before.

staytuff.com has a video on splicing. Again, I've seen it done and it seemed to work fine. But, as you mentioned, the tool is expensive.

I know my salesman doesn't like it but I still use the old ways. Just reluctant to change.

Between splicing low carbon field fence or high tensile, I would use the gripples on high tensile. I don't think the gripples or tools for traditional field fence are that reliable.

Where are you I located? Perhaps I can give you some business.

Bandera

Gripple makes a huge variety of connectors. We've used hundreds of thousands of them for installing light fixtures. There are some that you have screws that you tighten for a very secure connection and there are others that are not very secure and we've had light fixtures fall from the ceiling after installation when they were exposed to vibration from an overhead crane which for us is our worst nightmare due to the dangers it poses for those working in the facility. So some of their connectors I'd be very comfortable with lasting for a long time and others not so much.

High tensile, eh?

I installed a brand new high tensile horse fence with all the associated methods and tighteners and I may never install barbed wire ever again. So much better and easier to work with.

For mine, I had to use these:

http://www.rammfence.com/fence/horse-fencing-accessories/electric-fence-accessories/connectors-and-tensioners/wire-link

Like a Chinese finger trap. Work like a dream and they don't require tools. Not sure about your high tensile fence diameter but for me, these were required.

We used to stock and sell them. Never had anything g but negative feedback.

We don't sell them anymore. But we sell the heck out of wire twisting keys.

So there you go.