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Both Rosbin and FenceFork offer options to farmers looking to cut down the time they spend at each T-post.

Austin Keating, Associate Editor, Prairie Farmer

October 18, 2019

1 Min Read
Rosbin drill bit and custom clip
TIMESAVER: The Rosbin drill bit and custom clip are one of the labor-saving options available to farmers when putting up fence. Another is the FenceFork.

Wrapping a clip to a T-post takes even the best farmers and ranchers upward of 20 seconds. If they’re using pliers, it takes even longer, racking up valuable time.

To cut that time down to eight seconds or less, farmers and ranchers can purchase custom clips from either Rosbin or FenceFork.

FenceFork sells what looks like a two-pronged fork, where users press a 15-cent clip against the T-post and insert the fork into two hooks that then wrap around the fence wire as the user pulls down.

Rosbin, on the other hand, can be fastened a second or two quicker, depending on the user. Effingham, Ill.,-based Rosbin sells a drill bit that twists a $1.39 custom clip, requiring two runs to get both hooks to wrap around the wire. It can be used on both barbed wire and stock fencing.

The way the clip automatically ejects out of the bit largely prevents a wrist-twisting kickback for users of the Rosbin, says Ajit Rose, inventor of the Rosbin.

He says he created the product through trial and error after talking with a friend in Tennessee who was complaining about how long it took to put up fence.

“He cuts his time by more than half now,” Rose says.

While the FenceFork itself can be bought on walmart.com for $17.50, the $30 Rosbin drill bit available on rosbin.com makes up for a higher cost by making the task less labor intensive. Packs of Rosbin’s clips are less messy than FenceFork’s $15 100-packs, but they’re also more expensive per clip.

About the Author(s)

Austin Keating

Associate Editor, Prairie Farmer

Austin Keating is the newest addition to the Farm Progress editorial team working as an associate editor for Prairie Farmer magazine. Austin was born and raised in Mattoon and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in journalism. Following graduation in 2016, he worked as a science writer and videographer for the university’s supercomputing center. In June 2018, Austin obtained a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, where he was the campus correspondent for Planet Forward and a Comer scholar.

Austin is passionate about distilling agricultural science as a service for readers and creating engaging content for viewers. During his time at UI, he won two best feature story awards from the student organization JAMS — Journalism Advertising and Media Students — as well as a best news story award.

Austin lives in Charleston. He can sometimes be found at his family’s restaurant the Alamo Steakhouse and Saloon in Mattoon, or on the Embarrass River kayaking. Austin is also a 3D printing and modeling hobbyist.

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