Mighty Mule Gate Opener

[blueriver]

I have had mine for 3 years ...Problem free, no issues until this morning.

I hit the remote from the cab of the tractor and it opened about 2 feet and stopped, I hit it again and nothing. I thought well its been raining like a week and no sun so I quess the solar charger is not keeping up.

After testing eveything thats not the problem, I called the 800# was told that the Rev. Counter Board was shot ... I ordered one for $29 will let you know if thats the problem.

In the meantime, I will have to get out of the tractor or the truck and open that darn thing by hand ..... we sure get spoiled!!

 

[jinman]

Ours had a reset button for overloads. It would sometimes stop in the middle of the swing and only need to have the reset button pressed or maybe it was a circuit breaker. We never had any problem with the circuit or having to replace boards. The times when the system needed resetting the most were when it was windy or when it was cold. Oh yes, it seemed to happen more on cloudy and drissly days when the battery was weak.

Another thing that can cause problems is sticking buttons on the remote control. The controller trys to change directions too fast and draws too much current.

 

[blueriver]

Jinman ... where was that located? I looked all ovet this 350 model and never did find a reset ..

 

[firemanpat2910]

www.mightymule.com | Mighty Mule | Automatic Gate Openers | DIY Gate Openers | Do It Yourself | Mighty Mule Brand of DIY Automatic Gate Openers has downloadable parts, intruction and trouble shooting. Their offices are 2 blocks from mine.

 

[blueriver]

Thanks thats the site I went to and then called and got there advise ... Darn 2 blocks from you ... shouold have asked you first!!

 

[jinman]

Jinman ... where was that located? I looked all ovet this 350 model and never did find a reset ..

Actually, the opener belonged to my wife. It was installed on a gate at her previous address before we were married. I don't ever recall doing anything but turning the opener on/off and replacing a blown fuse. As I think about it, I think "reset" may have been turning the system off and back on. The opener was a much older model when they were called GTO Pro, before they started calling them Mighty Mule. I believe the obstruction sensor would shut the system down rather than reverse the gate, and if the obstruction sensor was set too high, the fuse would blow and you'd have to replace it. I replaced lots of broken parts on the actuator while we were dating, but I never had to replace anything but the battery inside the control box. I do know that a low battery can cause the gate to operate erratically. I found a battery online for around $24 once and it made everything work much better.

I'm including photos of the gate and how the actuator would self-destruct due to not having shock mounts when operating a very heavy gate. My fix with springs behind the gate bracket worked very well with no failures in 5 years.

 

[PBinWA]

I've had a MM500 for the last 2 years. Other than when I accidentally fried the controller board a few weeks ago (totally my fault) it has been pretty good. I have the automatic lock add-on and it can get iced up in the winter which causes a fuse to blow so I have to remember disable the lock so it just closes but doesn't lock when it gets really cold and icy out.

If you have a well balanced gate and everything is lined up properly I see no reason why they won't work for you. I think if you slap one on a farm gate with poorly aligned hinges then you are going to run into problems.

 

[blueriver]

I've had a MM500 for the last 2 years. Other than when I accidentally fried the controller board a few weeks ago (totally my fault) it has been pretty good. I have the automatic lock add-on and it can get iced up in the winter which causes a fuse to blow so I have to remember disable the lock so it just closes but doesn't lock when it gets really cold and icy out.

If you have a well balanced gate and everything is lined up properly I see no reason why they won't work for you. I think if you slap one on a farm gate with poorly aligned hinges then you are going to run into problems.

I have had the 350 for 3 years and problem free. The Mfg says its the Rev Counter board and am waiting for it to be delivered. Everything else checks 100% ... the battery, the solar panel. Also replaced all the batteries in the Wireless keypad and the transmitters.

Turning it on and off does reset it ... only to have a small amount of push and pull ... its now on the shop bench tore down waiting for the part.

 

[blueriver]

Back in business ... the Rev Counter Board cost $29.95 came by UPS today and all is well ... once again opening with the remote and the Key Pad. Was a simple fix and not complicated.

 

[J_J]

The first gate opener I had was a Mighty Mule, but lightening got it. Ordered a new board, abound $120, and it never did work after that.

 

[jinman]

Back in business ... the Rev Counter Board cost $29.95 came by UPS today and all is well ... once again opening with the remote and the Key Pad. Was a simple fix and not complicated.

Outstanding! It's nice to know that they diagnosed your problem correctly over the phone and got you the right part. That's darn good service in my book.

 

[blueriver]

Outstanding! It's nice to know that they diagnosed your problem correctly over the phone and got you the right part. That's darn good service in my book.

You got that right!! When it came today and as I was installing it I kept thinking "Ya whats the chances this is really the problem"

The oustanding part is, the young lady who diagnosed it was very knowledgable ... she asked the questions, I answered yes or no and she flat out said its the Rev Counter Board !!

 

[ultrarunner]

Bought my 2nd replacement Mighty Mule opener last November... first one lasted 5 years and found it would not be cost effective to repair.

Came home last week and the opener looked like it was doing the hula as it opened the gate... I called mighty mule and was told abuse is not covered under the warranty and that type of oscillation is only caused if the gate was forced.

I suppose it could have been forced... no way to know.

Anyone have a similar problem?

 

[jinman]

Came home last week and the opener looked like it was doing the hula as it opened the gate...

Put a grass skirt on it and call it good.:laughing: I would love to see a video of that. I have to admit that your choice of simile makes it easy to picture what was happening.:thumbsup:

We had a GTO Pro opener that's the same as a MM. The end that attaches to the gatepost disentegrated from repeated shock loading on an overweight gate. I think these little openers take a lot of abuse. I was able to rebuild the opener with just $50 of repair parts as I remember.

EDIT: Good grief! I must be getting old. I just repeated myself in this thread. Sheesh!

 

[Soundguy]

Back in business ... the Rev Counter Board cost $29.95 came by UPS today and all is well ... once again opening with the remote and the Key Pad. Was a simple fix and not complicated.

must be nice.. I had one for about 3ys.. it did the same.. called them and they said I had to send the darn thing in and the cost to repair would be about 50$ cheaper than a new one.. I just bought the new one and got a spare transmitter .. too bad the person who helped me on the phone wasn't mor einto helping me diagnose the problem instead of just telling me to send it in for repair..

soundguy

 

[ultrarunner]

must be nice.. I had one for about 3ys.. it did the same.. called them and they said I had to send the darn thing in and the cost to repair would be about 50$ cheaper than a new one.. I just bought the new one and got a spare transmitter .. too bad the person who helped me on the phone wasn't mor einto helping me diagnose the problem instead of just telling me to send it in for repair..

soundguy

MM gave me the option of sending it in for a $180 flat repair fee, including return shipping... so my cost would have been the $180 plus outbound freight.

No phone coverage at the gate location... so it does get a little frustrating, in my experience having to make several calls with the wait time to get a question answered...

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. that was near the # I got.. by the time postage is calculated.. it's real close to the price of a new one... which gives you a new xmitter and new drivetrain.. not just a repair..

soundguy

 

[Stimw]

I have a double gate opener from Harbor Freight that cost a little over $300. It has been working great for over 5 years. My only problem was not the openers fault. I had problems with the remote and kept pushing the buttons and screwed up the codes. I found out from a friend that because Jacksonville had the STUPID BOWL (super bowl) that the feds were jamming radio signals during the game time.
The gate instructions are loosely translated from Italian (where the opener is made) and I am not 12 years old so I can't figure out the programing. I use the key to open when coming or going and have a push button in the house next to my kitchen window so I can see if someone is at the gate.
I have two 12' cattle gates on the opener and it is only rated for 8' solid gates. It will stop if it meets resistance, can be set up so one opens in and one opens out, has a flashing light when operating and has a lot of other features that I don't use.