Star Pickets vs Timber Posts — When to Use Each

It's one of the classic debates in rural fencing: star pickets or timber posts? The short answer is you'll probably use both on most properties — they each have their strengths. Here's when to use which.

STAR PICKETS: THE WORKHORSE

Star pickets (Y-posts) are the backbone of most rural fencing in Australia. They're quick to install, relatively cheap, and when you use decent ones (like our 2.1kg/m heavy-duty pickets), they perform well across a huge range of applications.

Best for:

• Long boundary runs where you need hundreds of intermediate posts
• Standard stock fencing with hinged joint mesh
• Internal paddock divisions
• Anywhere speed of installation matters
• Flat to gently rolling country

Advantages:

• Fast installation — drive them in with a post driver, no digging required
• Cheap per unit ($8-$13 depending on size)
• Lightweight and easy to transport in bulk
• Won't rot (though they will eventually rust)
• Easy to remove and re-use if you move a fence line
• Recyclable at end of life

Limitations:

• Can't handle high tension loads (they're intermediate posts, not strainers)
• Bend under sustained lateral pressure
• Not suitable for gate posts
• Less aesthetic than timber in visible areas
• Can injure stock if they're exposed (cap the tops in horse paddocks)

TIMBER POSTS: THE ANCHOR

Timber posts are essential wherever you need structural strength — at the ends of fence runs, at corners, and at gates. They're also the better choice in certain specific applications.

Best for:

• Strainer assemblies (end posts, corner posts)
• Gate posts (high load, constant use)
• Yard fencing (where stock pressure is extreme)
• Horse paddocks (safer for horses, better looking)
• Homestead and roadside fencing (aesthetics matter)
• Properties where the "look" of the fence is important

Advantages:

• Can handle high tension loads when properly braced
• More rigid — better for post-and-rail configurations
• Safer for horses (smooth surface, visible)
• Look good — especially treated pine or hardwood
• Can be used as strainer posts with wire stapled directly to them

Limitations:

• Slower to install (need to dig or bore holes)
• More expensive per unit
• Heavy to transport
• Will rot eventually, even when treated (CCA H4/H5 rated posts last 15-25 years in ground)
• Termites can attack them in some areas

THE COMBINATION APPROACH

Most well-built fences use both. Here's a typical setup:

Timber strainer assemblies at each end, corner, gate, and every 200-300m along the run. These anchor the fence and handle all the tension.

Star pickets as intermediate posts between the strainers, spaced at 5-7m depending on terrain and stock type. These hold the mesh at the correct height and prevent stock from pushing through between the anchor points.

This gives you the structural strength of timber where it matters and the cost-effectiveness of steel everywhere else. A kilometre of fence with strainer assemblies every 250m needs about 8 timber posts but 200 star pickets. Trying to do that with all timber would be enormously expensive and slow.

COST COMPARISON

For a 1km fence run:

Star pickets (200 at 5m spacing, 180cm, $8.40 each): $1,680

Timber posts (200 at 5m spacing, 150mm treated pine): $6,000+

The maths speaks for itself on long runs. Star pickets for intermediate posts, timber for structural positions.

WHAT ABOUT STEEL PIPE POSTS?

Some properties use steel pipe (RHS or round pipe) for posts. These are essentially a middle ground — stronger than star pickets, won't rot like timber, but more expensive and harder to install than either. They're common in yards, stockyards, and permanent infrastructure but less common for boundary fencing due to cost.

THE VERDICT

Use timber where you need strength and structure (strainers, gates, yards). Use star pickets everywhere else. And when you're buying star pickets, make sure they're up to the job — our 2.1kg/m heavy-duty pickets give you 13% more steel than the standard 1.86kg/m, which means they perform closer to timber posts without the cost.

Pop into Outback Fencing Supplies and we'll help you work out the right mix of timber and steel for your fencing project. We're at 76 Astill Drive, Orange — give us a call on 0434 093 077.