Gate Handles: Insulated Spring Handles for Every Fence Conductor

Gate Handles: Safely Through the Live Fence

Gate handles turn a simple row of conductor into a gateway in your electric fence. The handle is insulated, so you can hold it without getting a shock, and you hook it into a gate handle insulator on the post. Many models have a built in spring that keeps the conductor under tension and gives way when an animal runs into it. That keeps the gateway taut while letting you open it in a moment.

Choosing the Right Gate Handle

The key is the connection on the handle. For wide polytape you need a clamp plate that grips the tape across its full width and passes the current on cleanly. Polywire and polyrope, on the other hand, are fixed to an eyelet, a rope clamp or a Litzclip connector. Then there is the hook: a large, open hook lets you hang the handle quickly, while a tighter hook sits more securely when animals crowd the gate. Handles with stainless steel parts do not rust and keep their conductivity for many years.

How to Build a Gateway With a Gate Handle

On one side you connect the conductor firmly to the fence, and on the other side a gate handle insulator holds the handle. Each row of conductor needs its own handle. To keep the fence beyond the gateway live while it is open, lay an underground cable beneath the opening. Bright handles in red, green or blue are not just a matter of taste either: you will find them quickly at dusk and in long grass.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a gate handle have a spring?
The spring keeps the conductor in the gateway taut and makes up for it stretching in warm weather and shrinking in the cold. If an animal runs into the conductor, it gives way and so protects the handle, insulator and post.

Will I get a shock from the gate handle?
No, as long as the handle is undamaged. A cracked or brittle handle should be replaced straight away, because the insulation is then no longer safe.

Can I use a tape gate handle with polywire?
With a Litzclip connector that works, but a pure tape clamp will not hold thin polywire securely. For good contact, it is best to choose the handle that matches your conductor.