Why Our 2.1KG/M Heavy-Duty Star Pickets Outperform the Industry Standard
Not all star pickets are created equal. Walk into most fencing suppliers and you'll find the standard 1.86kg per metre Y-post. It does the job — millions of them are in the ground across Australia. But at Outback Fencing Supplies, we stock something better: our 2.1kg/m heavy-duty star pickets. Here's why the difference matters.
THE NUMBERS
Standard picket: 1.86 kg per metre of steel
Our picket: 2.10 kg per metre of steel
Difference: 13% more steel per metre
That might not sound like much, but in a star picket's Y-profile, that extra 13% of steel translates directly into:
- Thicker flanges
- Greater cross-sectional area
- Higher bending resistance
- More weight in the ground (harder for stock to push over)
A standard 180cm picket at 1.86kg/m weighs about 3.35kg. Our 180cm picket at 2.1kg/m weighs about 3.78kg. Hold one of each and you can feel the difference immediately.
WHY IT MATTERS IN THE PADDOCK
Stock pressure: Cattle lean on fences. They scratch on pickets. Bulls push against them. A heavier picket with more steel resists this ongoing abuse better than a lighter one. Over 10-15 years, the standard pickets in high-pressure areas will be visibly bent. Ours hold up longer.
Roo impacts: Anyone in rural NSW knows that kangaroos and star pickets have an ongoing disagreement. A roo hitting a fence at speed puts enormous shock load on the nearest pickets. The thicker steel in our pickets absorbs more impact before deforming.
Wind load: On exposed ridgelines — and there are plenty of those around Orange and Bathurst — wind against mesh fencing creates constant lateral load on pickets. Heavier pickets resist this flex better.
Driving into hard ground: When you're bashing a picket into rocky clay with a manual post driver, the tip and shaft take punishment. Thicker steel means the picket is less likely to bend or mushroom at the top during driving.
Longevity: More steel means more material for corrosion to work through before the picket is structurally compromised. Even with the same coating, a thicker picket lasts longer.
THE COST COMPARISON
Our 165cm black bitumen pickets are $8.50 each. Our 180cm are $8.40. Standard pickets from other suppliers might be a dollar or two less per unit.
On a 1km fence at 5m spacing, that's 200 pickets. If you save $1.50 per picket going with the lighter option, you save $300 on the whole job. But if you're replacing bent pickets every few years, or your fence isn't holding stock properly because the pickets are flexing, that $300 saving evaporates fast.
We reckon spending a little more upfront for a picket that lasts the full life of your fence is the smarter play. Farmers and contractors who've used both consistently tell us the same thing.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
We hear it all the time from contractors across the Central West: once they've used the heavier pickets, they don't want to go back. The pickets drive better (the extra weight means you're not having to swing the driver as hard), they hold mesh better, and they stand straighter for longer.
One contractor who fences properties from Mudgee to Dubbo told us he was replacing 5-10% of standard pickets within 3 years of installation. Since switching to our 2.1kg/m pickets, that number dropped to virtually zero.
AVAILABLE SIZES
We carry the full range:
- 165cm black bitumen: $8.50
- 180cm black bitumen: $8.40
- 210cm black bitumen: $13.00
- 240cm black bitumen: $11.00
Galvanised options:
- 165cm: $10.00
- 180cm: $13.00
- 210cm: $10.00
- 240cm: $12.50
Plus our Jumbo pickets at 210cm — a massive 7.3kg each in bitumen ($20) or powder coated ($25). These are for when you need something seriously heavy-duty, like exclusion fence runs or high-pressure gateway areas.
It's a simple proposition: more steel per metre, better performance, longer life. Come see the difference for yourself at 76 Astill Drive, Orange. Once you feel the weight in your hands, you'll understand why our customers don't settle for standard.