Automatic gate openers

[Almer Fudd]

Does anyone have any experience with these automatic gate openers like Mighty Mule?
I cemented some very heavy 8 foot steel pipe into the ground and hung 2 very light 8 foot Behlen gates on my front driveway.
I'm considering putting an automatic opener on these gates.

My house is about 185 feet away from the gates so I could trench in some wire or use a solar charger and battery.
I looked at the Mighty Mule and it looked a little cheap (lots of plastic gears).

I could replace the 2 gates with one 16 ft. gate if necessary (the posts are plenty solid).
Any experiences would be welcomed.

Thanks

[Phill]

I have the mighty mule on a heavy 16' gate, I made my own hinges out of axle spindles with sealed bearings that are greasable. I also mounted the ram in double shear on both sides as the slack from single shear wrecked one gear set in the first ram (over 2 years).

I have it set up with the solar charger and dual batterys, it is about 400' from my house. the wireless opener from the house is kinda useless, the automatic lock works when its not below freezing.... the magnetic gate opener for in your yard works great. On super windy days it takes a beating, but in 4 years all I have replaced is one ram.

all in all, I like it, it works but expect to fiddle with it every now and then.

[Whiskey Wish]

I am interested in this topic as well. Are there any other brands out there? And does anybody have plans for a home built unit?
I argue with myself that I am just too lazy to get out and open or close the gate when I leave/arrive but the simple fact is if you don't close the gate you wasted your money putting it up.
I do know that not having a gate cost me a brand new Husky chain saw.

Keep Your Powder Dry,
Dave.

[I-Love-Eyes]

We also have the mighty mule opener on two gates side by side. they are the heavy stock gates and it works fairly well. the only drawback with solar is that unless you put on a fairly large panel, the gates don't have enough juice in the winter--summer is ok.
We finally ended up running and extension cord for power till we can bury a cable.
The hydraulic part works fine but we did have some breakage on the plastic casing--which doesnot really interfere with operation but does let in moisture so we wrapped the broken plastic part with --what else--duck tape. I really like how easy the opener pairs with the sky link button in my pickup--and means no opener floating around loose.

The most important thing is to make sure that everything is perfectly level--gates and the locking mechanism especially. If it's not, the locking mechanism will probably give you grief.

As for other brands, my husband did all the research before we purchased the mighty mule one and he thinks this one is best but thats only his opinion and probably depends on your application.

One other thing--if you have lighter gate that the heavy steel ones we used, the gates will probably be easier(faster) to open as there is less resistance.

Our gate is about 200 feet from house and the opener works fine if you point it directly at the receiver.

[rhuntley12]

Anywhere near Calgary can one buy these or atleast look at them?

[BallCoeff.435]

I dunno about those hinge-type gate things.

If you are going to the expense of installing security, you should be thorough about it. It's not too hard for anyone under the age of 60 to just hop a 5-foot fence and scoop up a chainsaw left lying around, whether or not the driveway is gated.

Gated communities I've seen had at least an 8-foot tough-to-climb fence all around the property, motion-lighting & sensors, and a seriously heavy 6 to 8-foot gate that can't be rammed without substantial damage to a vehicle. That gate will slide sideways back and forth, riding on centering rails and v-rollers. The main structural members would be railroad rails welded to highway impact guards. Both ends of the gate when closed are seated in a seriously anchored concrete and steel structure. The gate gets pulled back and forth with a long motorcycle chain driven by cogs mounted on a 120VAC 1-ph motor with appropriate limit switches.

Anything else is really just cosmetics like plastic rocks or excessive gaudy roof hipping, or is for dog and kid control.

[Almer Fudd]

I don't think most thieves are going to bust thru any gates nor are they going to park at the road and walk in to steal.
They will drive into the yard pretending to be lost and if nobody answers the door they will help themselves. If there is a closed/locked gate they will just go to the next likely looking yard.

Who sells the Mighty Mule and how much are they?

[Phill]

Got mine at peavy mart in HighRiver 3 years ago, it was all special order, I completely forget what the prices were, but I'm sure its changed anyways.

[I-Love-Eyes]

purchased at Peaveymart and yes it usually special order

You can do a google search to view on line and my be cheaper to order on line with the better Canadian dollar.

[Jason Balesdent]

If you really want to put in an automatic gate, contact Command Gate at 1-866-229-0564, located in Innisfail. Been working for this guy all summer doing his installs and doing installs of the other systems on my own. You will pay a bit more for his systems, but compared to the Peavey mart ones its like comparing a Chevette to a Corvette, without the huge price difference. You can buy the sytem and install it yourself or have the company ( ME! ) come do it for you. Local company, local service and massively overbuilt for what you pay. Heavy duty Interstate deep cycle batteries, electric (not hydraulic) rams rated for 500 or 750 pounds depending on which ones you buy. Remote control rated for 1200 feet (no you probably wont get it but 0ver 500 for sure). Solar panels at 30 watt minimum. You get the idea. Plus he's a born and raised Albertan who will guarantee his gates to work at -40, try that with an opener designed in Florida.

[NCC]

I realize this thread is 6 years old.


With all of the thievery that's been occurring around Central AB I thought there may be many more gates going up and and therefore a great deal of updated information on automatic gates. I'm wondering if anyone can answer the following questions for me:

110v electric or solar: the guy who installed our Liftmaster cantilever gate said that if at all possible run 110 v power. I think they are all 12v systems so it is really just the charging system that is different.

Cantilever or swinging: I prefer the aesthetics of swinging. The Cantilever gate at work has been very reliable.

Remote control from the house: can I rig up a receiver close to the house (where the power for the gate will come from) and run a communication cable from there to the gate?

One large swinging gate or two short ones?

Cost to purchase?

Which brands are most reliable?

Install an exit loop or just use the remote/keypad to exit?

Does the installation of an automatic gate decrease insurance rates? Is your house/shop/barn considered "locked" if you have a locked gate?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[creeky]

Ranch we keep our horses at installed one because someone randomly and repeatedly stole fuel and tools. New gate system works great.


Last month, thieves cut out barbed wire two fence sections down, drove in and you guessed it-stole fuel and tools in the middle of the night.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by creeky

Ranch we keep our horses at installed one because someone randomly and repeatedly stole fuel and tools. New gate system works great.


Last month, thieves cut out barbed wire two fence sections down, drove in and you guessed it-stole fuel and tools in the middle of the night.

A good friend had issues with fuel being stolen, and he stopped the problem by switching the tanks around. The tank marked diesel was actually full of gasoline, and tank marked gasoline was actually diesel. He came home one night , and there was a car sitting next to the tank. Apparently it didn't run well on diesel.

[243 wild cat]

Originally Posted by Jason Balesdent

If you really want to put in an automatic gate, contact Command Gate at 1-866-229-0564, located in Innisfail. Been working for this guy all summer doing his installs and doing installs of the other systems on my own. You will pay a bit more for his systems, but compared to the Peavey mart ones its like comparing a Chevette to a Corvette, without the huge price difference. You can buy the sytem and install it yourself or have the company ( ME! ) come do it for you. Local company, local service and massively overbuilt for what you pay. Heavy duty Interstate deep cycle batteries, electric (not hydraulic) rams rated for 500 or 750 pounds depending on which ones you buy. Remote control rated for 1200 feet (no you probably wont get it but 0ver 500 for sure). Solar panels at 30 watt minimum. You get the idea. Plus he's a born and raised Albertan who will guarantee his gates to work at -40, try that with an opener designed in Florida.

Thanks for the info 👍

[traderal]

I'm on my third Peavey gate opener. Gave up on the locking gismo as with ground shifts you need to constantly adjust gate levels. Even with the Mighty Mule 16ft is max in windy conditions, I sometimes have to park the vehicle beside the gate to shield it from the wind so that it opens. The transmitters don't reach far enough, some of them you have to use beside the gate. Make sure the gates are high enough to clear snowdrifts in winter. At -40 degrees I get out and manually open the gate as the moving parts in the actuator are made of plastic and don't hold up too well.

[NCC]

Another bump for an old thread. I finally got my gates up and am now looking for an opener. If anyone has any first hand experience, please post the good and bad about your opener.