Zareba ESP5M-Z Solar Powered Low Impedance Electric Fence Charger - 5 Mile Lightning Electric Fence Energizer, Contain Animals and Keep Out Predators,Black

I noticed there were a ton of negative reviews on Zareba products but I didn't have the luxury of time so I took a chance. I'm glad I did.At first I thought I had screwed up because I couldn't get consistent performance out of the fence. Sometimes you could touch it for a moment and nothing would happen. Sometimes you'd get a small shock, sometimes you'd get blasted. I figured something was wrong with the unit. Actually, I have this one and the 2 mile Solar unit and both were doing the same thing. So I thought, "Well, that's what you get for rushing into it without doing the proper research."But I'm a math/science guy and I thought, "I can't honestly say I know for a fact that these units are defective without testing them. So I bought a $29 fence tester. Thank God I did!Turns out these units send a pulse of electricity every one or two seconds. I'm not sure of the timing. But I had figured it would be an open circuit that would blast you the moment you touched it. Not true. You can often times touch the fence for a moment or two and nothing will happen if you're in between pulses. But if you touch it at the right time you'll be blasted.So the tester helped me understand how these units work.The second thing it helped me do was diagnose a bad ground. The tester will tell you how many volts you're getting with each shock. You test it at the unit itself and then test to fence to see how much you are losing. With a clean fence and a pretty good ground I was getting about 9,000 volts out of both units at the fence. I was getting 12,000 volts testing the unit itself. Those were the best numbers I could get. But trust me....9,000 volts is a solid shock. Take your shoes off and stand barefoot on the ground and touch that fence. You'll jump two feet in the air.So if you're working with electric fences for the first time, make sure of two things:1) Get a tester that's built specifically for electric fences. Not only will you use it to diagnose a bad ground during installation, but you can test the fence regularly to see if it's getting grounded out by weeds. You'll see the voltage start to drop. When it gets below 8,000 I clear the fence again and it goes back up around 9,000.2) You need an awesome ground. I don't even know you and I can't see your setup but I can tell you right now the problem is your ground. It's really about the only problem you can have with such a simple setup like this. If the unit works then all you need is a good ground and you're ready to go. Make sure you have a minimum of two (preferably three) long ground rods installed as per the instructions - about 10 feet apart.There are a lot of bad reviews on these fencing units and I know from experience that most of the time the unit is fine. The installation wasn't done properly and the fence wasn't properly tested.

Okay, so I bought this Solar Fence Charger to keep my two equine miscreants, Blaze and Jasmine, from conducting their daily escape and garden-raid missions. And boy, has it been working wonders!Let me set the scene for you - imagine two horses, so crafty and cunning they'd put Houdini to shame. Every day, I would find them gallivanting around my beloved azalea bushes, tossing those flowery victims left and right. But thanks to this marvel of modern technology, my dynamic duo now stays firmly behind the line of scrimmage. So, let's all take a moment of silence for the tragic, almost-daily demise of my azaleas... that has now been averted.But wait! This fence charger has proven it's worth more than just its primary function! One night, under a full moon (because such incidents always occur under a full moon), I was convinced we were being visited by extraterrestrial life. There was this peculiar glow from my backyard, and I, being an avid X-files fan, was convinced this was it - First Contact.Turns out, it was just the solar-powered charger, fully juiced up and glowing like a kid who found the hidden stash of Halloween candy. That might disappoint some, but not me. I now sleep easy, knowing not only are Blaze and Jasmine kept in check, but any would-be extraterrestrial invaders will think twice before trying to tamper with my alien-deterring, glow-in-the-dark beacon.Oh, and let's not forget my mother-in-law. She came for a visit once and without knowing what this device was, touched the fence. Safe to say, she's been on her best behavior ever since and she now religiously brings oven mitts for each visit.So, all in all, this Solar Electric Fence Charger has not only been great for Blaze and Jasmine but also my garden, my peace of mind, and my relationship with my mother-in-law. Five glowing, solar-powered stars!

This solar powered version of an electrified fence controller saved me a whole bunch of outdoor wiring. So far, I’m very pleased.I’m using it only to power a fence around a large bed of sweet william - which is beautiful when if flowers but comprises a major nuisance when its burrs appear in late summer and my poodles get anywhere close.What a MESS!So this fence - only 18” high - keeps my poodles out of the bed and free of burrs. It’s less than 100 yards around so it’s “over powered” - but it works fine.I have a NW-facing exposure where the fence is set up and, so far, the sun or bright sky seems adequate to keep the battery charged as needed.I have a Zareba-powered fence protecting a large hosta bed from the deer and a very small one just for an impressive display of petunias on a pedestal in my front patio. The deer no longer get anywhere near it. Previously, it was routinely devastated.

I forgot to write a positive review about these great fence chargers. The first one I bought was faulty and stopped working shortly after I installed it. Zareba center replacement immediately and the charger has worked so well I bought more of them and have been delighted. This is definitely my go-to brand of chargers now.