Draw wire is used to pull electrical cable through empty conduit. You push the wire through, fasten the cables to the end, and pull the cables back through. The draw wire comes out with that pull. It does not stay in the conduit. Galvanized wire and black hard drawn wire are both used for this. A usual size is 1.6 mm in a 2 kg or 5 kg coil. Black hard drawn wire is stiff enough to push through.

What is the difference between hard drawn and annealed wire?

Hard drawn wire is left as drawn, so it is stiff and strong. Annealed wire is heated after drawing, so it is soft and bends easily. Use hard drawn where the wire must hold its shape, and annealed for tying.

Is black wire the same as annealed wire?

No. Black means the wire has no zinc coating. Black wire can be hard drawn or annealed, and we supply both.

What wire is used to tie rebar?

Soft wire. Our wire ties come in black annealed or galvanized, 1.25 mm, 1.6 mm, and 2 mm, or a custom diameter from 1 mm to 2 mm, and 85 mm to 500 mm long, 1,000 ties per bundle.

Is binding wire the same as fencing wire?

No. Binding wire is soft, for tying and winding. Fencing wire is the tensioned strand on the fence line.

Should I use light or heavy galvanized wire?

Heavy galvanized has a thicker zinc coat, so it lasts longer outdoors. Choose it for wet or coastal areas.

Hard drawn vs annealed vs galvanized wire | South Africa

Hard drawn wire

Hard drawn wire is left as it comes off the drawing dies. Drawing work-hardens the steel, so the wire is stiff and strong and holds its shape. It is used for straight and cut lengths, manufacturing, construction, and draw wire.

We supply black hard drawn wire from 1.6 mm to 8 mm, in coil or straight and cut from 500 mm to 12,000 mm.

Annealed wire

Annealed wire is heated after drawing, which softens it. It bends and twists without snapping, so it is used for tying and binding.

We supply black annealed wire from 1.6 mm to 4 mm, in coil or straight and cut. Wire ties for rebar come in black annealed or galvanized, from 1 mm to 2 mm, 1,000 ties per bundle.

Black or galvanized

Black wire has no zinc coating. That is fine where the wire is covered, such as inside concrete, but black wire rusts outdoors. Galvanized wire has a zinc coat for outdoor use.

Galvanizing is a coating, not a hardness. Galvanized binding wire is soft, for tying droppers and Y-standards. Galvanized wire is the tensioned line on a fence, and it is also used as draw wire and for other work. Sizes start at 1.6 mm.

Light or heavy galvanized

Heavy galvanized wire has a thicker zinc coat than light galvanized, so it lasts longer outdoors. Choose heavy galvanized for wet or coastal areas. Galvanized wire and Veldspan come in both.

Need fencing wire for a fence? The fencing calculator works out how much wire, and the rest of the fence, from your measurements. Click Request a quote when you are done and it all goes into the quote.

Which wire for which job

Job	Wire
Tying rebar	Wire ties, black annealed or galvanized, 1.25 mm, 1.6 mm, and 2 mm
Concrete reinforcement and lance tubing	Straight and cut wire, from 2 mm, in piece bundles, weighted bundles, or pieces from 100
Manufacturing and construction	Black hard drawn wire, coil or straight and cut
Draw wire for electrical conduit	Galvanized wire or black hard drawn wire, often 1.6 mm in a 2 kg or 5 kg coil
General tying and binding	Black annealed wire, coil or straight and cut
Farm fence lines	Galvanized wire, light or heavy galvanized, around 2.24 mm
Tying droppers and Y-standards	Galvanized binding wire, 1.6 mm for droppers, 2 mm for Y-standards

Frequently asked questions

What is draw wire?: Draw wire is used to pull electrical cable through empty conduit. You push the wire through, fasten the cables to the end, and pull the cables back through. The draw wire comes out with that pull. It does not stay in the conduit. Galvanized wire and black hard drawn wire are both used for this. A usual size is 1.6 mm in a 2 kg or 5 kg coil. Black hard drawn wire is stiff enough to push through.
What is the difference between hard drawn and annealed wire?: Hard drawn wire is left as drawn, so it is stiff and strong. Annealed wire is heated after drawing, so it is soft and bends easily. Use hard drawn where the wire must hold its shape, and annealed for tying.
Is black wire the same as annealed wire?: No. Black means the wire has no zinc coating. Black wire can be hard drawn or annealed, and we supply both.
What wire is used to tie rebar?: Soft wire. Our wire ties come in black annealed or galvanized, 1.25 mm, 1.6 mm, and 2 mm, or a custom diameter from 1 mm to 2 mm, and 85 mm to 500 mm long, 1,000 ties per bundle.
Is binding wire the same as fencing wire?: No. Binding wire is soft, for tying and winding. Fencing wire is the tensioned strand on the fence line.
Should I use light or heavy galvanized wire?: Heavy galvanized has a thicker zinc coat, so it lasts longer outdoors. Choose it for wet or coastal areas.

Next steps

Rytz Industries, 74 Batoliet Rd, Henley on Klip, Meyerton, South Africa. Contact us.

Hard drawn, annealed, or galvanized wire?