Best Fence Stretcher and Fence Pliers for Wire Fences
Fence pliers, stretchers, in-line strainers and crimp sleeves compared for woven, field and barbed wire, with the rolls and staples a 660 ft run takes.
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Woven, field and barbed wire fences only work when the wire is tight and the ends are tied off properly. That takes a few specialised tools: fence pliers to cut, staple and splice; a stretcher to pull the wire tight against a braced corner; in-line strainers to keep it tight over the seasons; and crimp sleeves to join wire without hand-tied knots.
Below, each tool is compared by the job it does and the spec to check, and the amounts come from our woven wire fence calculator and barbed wire calculator. No tool makes up for weak corners — an H-brace at every corner and gate is what holds the tension.
Compared by type
Pros and cons describe each type from its specifications. The product in each row is a current, well-rated option of that type on Amazon, refreshed twice a day — check the listing's specifications against the “check” line before you buy.
Fence pliers
Best for: Cutting wire, driving and pulling staples, and splicing
See options on AmazonCheck: Forged steel, a cutter that takes high-tensile wire and a hammer face
- One tool cuts, grips, hammers and pulls staples
- Pulls old staples without damaging the post
- Cheap and lasts for years
- Cheap versions dull fast on high-tensile wire
- Hammer face is small for driving many staples
- Hard on the hand over a long day
Fence stretcher (bar and come-along or chain grab)
Best for: Tensioning a full roll of woven or field fence against a corner brace
FENSMILE Electric Fence Wire Strainers, 10-Pack Inline Ratchet Tensioners$24.99Check price on AmazonCheck: Bar length matches the fence height and a ratchet or come-along rated for the pull
- Pulls the whole height of mesh evenly
- Gets woven wire tight enough to stay straight
- Reusable for every run
- Needs a solid anchor (tree, vehicle or dead-man post)
- Over-tightening flattens the tension crimps
- Heavy to carry along the line
In-line wire strainers (tensioners)
Best for: Barbed, high-tensile and electric wire that needs re-tightening
See options on AmazonCheck: Wire gauge range and a handle or ratchet that fits
- Re-tighten wire in seconds after winter or a tree fall
- Stay on the fence permanently
- Cheap per strand
- One needed per strand, per run
- Not for woven mesh as a whole
- Ratchets can rust if not galvanized
Crimp sleeves and crimping tool
Best for: Splicing broken wire and finishing ends neatly
See options on AmazonCheck: Sleeve size to suit your wire gauge and a crimper with matching notches
- Stronger and faster than hand-tied knots
- Neat, low-resistance joins on electric wire
- Easy to learn
- Sleeves must match the gauge exactly
- Crimping tool is one more purchase
- Hard to undo
Galvanized fence staples
Best for: Fixing wire to wood line and corner posts
See options on AmazonCheck: Length (1-1/2 in or longer for posts), galvanized finish and barbed shank
- Barbed shanks hold in wood far better than smooth
- Galvanized resists rust
- Cheap in bulk
- Driven too tight they pinch the wire and stop it tensioning
- Pull out of softwood posts over time
| Type | Current option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fence pliersBest for: Cutting wire, driving and pulling staples, and splicingCheck: Forged steel, a cutter that takes high-tensile wire and a hammer face | See options on Amazon |
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| Fence stretcher (bar and come-along or chain grab)Best for: Tensioning a full roll of woven or field fence against a corner braceCheck: Bar length matches the fence height and a ratchet or come-along rated for the pull | FENSMILE Electric Fence Wire Strainers, 10-Pack Inline Ratchet Tensioners$24.99Check price on Amazon |
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| In-line wire strainers (tensioners)Best for: Barbed, high-tensile and electric wire that needs re-tighteningCheck: Wire gauge range and a handle or ratchet that fits | See options on Amazon |
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| Crimp sleeves and crimping toolBest for: Splicing broken wire and finishing ends neatlyCheck: Sleeve size to suit your wire gauge and a crimper with matching notches | See options on Amazon |
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| Galvanized fence staplesBest for: Fixing wire to wood line and corner postsCheck: Length (1-1/2 in or longer for posts), galvanized finish and barbed shank | See options on Amazon |
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Prices as of Oct 3, 2026, 4:37 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
What a 660 ft wire fence takes
The examples use the woven wire fence calculator and the barbed wire calculator with line posts every 12 ft.
Worked example: 660 ft of woven wire with four corners and one barbed strand on top
- Woven wire: 2 rolls of 330 ft
- Line posts: 55; corner posts: 4; H-brace assemblies: 4 (8 brace posts)
- Staples on 8 line wires: about 485
- Barbed wire for one top strand: 1 roll of 1,320 ft
2 rolls of mesh tensioned in two pulls, 4 braced corners and about 485 staples — one stretcher and one pair of fence pliers do the whole job.
Worked example: The same 660 ft as a 4-strand barbed wire fence
- Wire: 4 strands × 660 ft = 2,640 ft → 2 rolls of 1,320 ft
- T-posts at 12 ft: 56
- One in-line strainer per strand per straight run
2 rolls, 56 posts and about four in-line strainers per straight run.
Which tool for which fence
| Fence | Essential tools | Nice to have |
|---|---|---|
| Woven or field fence | Fence pliers, stretcher bar with come-along, staples | Second come-along for long runs |
| Barbed wire | Fence pliers, wire unroller or spinning jenny, in-line strainers | Crimp sleeves for splices |
| High-tensile smooth wire | In-line strainers, crimp sleeves and crimper | Tension spring and indicator |
| Electric polywire or tape | Crimp-free connectors, strainers | Digital fence tester |
| Welded-wire garden fence | Fence pliers, staples or clips | Small stretcher for long sides |
Fencing a garden rather than a field? See the garden fence buying guide.
Safety notes
- Wear heavy leather gloves and eye protection: tensioned wire that slips or snaps whips back with great force.
- Stand to the side of the wire line while stretching, never in line with it, and release tension slowly.
- Barbed wire unrolls unpredictably — use an unroller or a bar through the roll and keep others clear.