How big of a wire gauge for a gate opener?

[grsthegreat]

Sounds OK to me then. Some of the same people who would recommend going to huge cable for that installation are happy plugging their 15A saw into a 14GA 100 foot cord that plugs into and outlet that is already 50 feet from the breaker that feeds it.

Yup, see it alot. I had a friend of mine, an electrician by the way, use a home depot special 100 foot 16ga extension cord while drilling out a house simply because he didnt want to hassle pulling out his 12g contractor cord. Ended up Wrecking his Milwaukee hole hog. Overheated armature. He admitted he should have known better. Wouldnt have been an issue drilling a few holes, but for continuous use....nope. Same with a gate motor as it wont operate for long period of time. But i always run wires based on continuous use (except for duty cycle devices like welders). If someone is paying for an electrical job, i want to do it right. Overkill,possibly, but no one is going to complain to me about a burnt motor or tripping circuit. And what i see more times than not. People always want to tap off of a circuit to add something else later, be it a decretive fountain, landscaping lights, xmas displays, etc.

 

[TractorGuy]

I would encourage them to go with a traditional battery operated opener in case of a power outage. My system runs on a 12V lawn tractor battery that is kept charged with a 30watt solar panel. These components are so inexpensive I can't imagine burying wire to charge it. Using the charge controller that is built into the Mighty Mule panel the battery lasts 5 years. You can almost set your watch by it. The opener panel has an alarm to let you know when the battery is getting weak long before it is too weak to open the gates.

If you decide to go the wire method you will also want to consider the depth to bury the wire. You don't want 120V on any gauge so shallow that it might accidentally get dug into. IMO not only is the wire method not cost effective, it creates a tremendous risk.

For lights you might consider some regular stand alone solar charged units.
I just bought a pair that have great reviews from Amazon for less than $30.
Aootek 182 Led Solar outdoor motion sensor lights upgraded Solar Panel to 15.3 in2 and 3 modes(Security/ Permanent On all night/ Smart brightness control )with IP65 Waterproof with Wide Angle(2pack) - - Amazon.com

 

[grsthegreat]

I would encourage them to go with a traditional battery operated opener in case of a power outage. My system runs on a 12V lawn tractor battery that is kept charged with a 30watt solar panel. These components are so inexpensive I can't imagine burying wire to charge it. Using the charge controller that is built into the Mighty Mule panel the battery lasts 5 years. You can almost set your watch by it. The opener panel has an alarm to let you know when the battery is getting weak long before it is too weak to open the gates.

If you decide to go the wire method you will also want to consider the depth to bury the wire. You don't want 120V on any gauge so shallow that it might accidentally get dug into. IMO not only is the wire method not cost effective, it creates a tremendous risk.

Personally i hate the mighty mule system. Ive had to work on too many over the years. Im currently helping a person replace the dual gate mighty mule system on a 5 house private road. They have continuously replaced both master and slave controllers too many times. Were looking at installing a real gate opener by Elite controls. These also have battery power out backup power, but require 120 power.

 

[TractorGuy]

Personally i hate the mighty mule system. Ive had to work on too many over the years. Im currently helping a person replace the dual gate mighty mule system on a 5 house private road. They have continuously replaced both master and slave controllers too many times. Were looking at installing a real gate opener by Elite controls. These also have battery power out backup power, but require 120 power.

I'm on my third system.

My first was a FM350 for a single gate. It cost $250 from Tractor supply. Lightening popped the control panel on that one. I bought the same system for the same price to replace it. Had no problems with that one for several years and sold it for $175 when we switched to dual gates.

My current system is a FM502 dual gate system. The only trouble we have had with it is the slave gate intermittently opens slower than the main gate. It's a little annoying when it does that but I almost don't even notice any more. In hindsight I would have changed the supplied wire for that side with a little heavier gauge but I'm not sure that is the cause since it's intermittent. Both gates always open and close. I have had these for 5 years.

Mighty Mule customer service sucks but the openers are inexpensive and readily available at Tractor supply or the box stores.

I think I'm on my third battery so I'm just under 15 years with using Mighty Mule openers. $25 a pop for a battery every 5 years is nothing.

 

[grsthegreat]

I'm on my third system.

My first was a FM350 for a single gate. It cost $250 from Tractor supply. Lightening popped the control panel on that one. I bought the same system for the same price to replace it. Had no problems with that one for several years and sold it for $175 when we switched to dual gates.

My current system is a FM502 dual gate system. The only trouble we have had with it is the slave gate intermittently opens slower than the main gate. It's a little annoying when it does that but I almost don't even notice any more. In hindsight I would have changed the supplied wire for that side with a little heavier gauge but I'm not sure that is the cause since it's intermittent. Both gates always open and close. I have had these for 5 years.

Mighty Mule customer service sucks but the openers are inexpensive and readily available at Tractor supply or the box stores.

I think I'm on my third battery so I'm just under 15 years with using Mighty Mule openers. $25 a pop for a battery every 5 years is nothing.

the current system im looking at has 5 households using it. Too many cycles per day.

My 16 foot swing gate weighs about 500-600 pounds. I dont trust the mighty mule. I have been thinking of installing an elite opener myself. Actually already brought in power to it. Some day i may actually do it. I sure procastinate.

 

[4570Man]

I would encourage them to go with a traditional battery operated opener in case of a power outage. My system runs on a 12V lawn tractor battery that is kept charged with a 30watt solar panel. These components are so inexpensive I can't imagine burying wire to charge it. Using the charge controller that is built into the Mighty Mule panel the battery lasts 5 years. You can almost set your watch by it. The opener panel has an alarm to let you know when the battery is getting weak long before it is too weak to open the gates.

If you decide to go the wire method you will also want to consider the depth to bury the wire. You don't want 120V on any gauge so shallow that it might accidentally get dug into. IMO not only is the wire method not cost effective, it creates a tremendous risk.

For lights you might consider some regular stand alone solar charged units.
I just bought a pair that have great reviews from Amazon for less than $30.
Aootek 182 Led Solar outdoor motion sensor lights upgraded Solar Panel to 15.3 in2 and 3 modes(Security/ Permanent On all night/ Smart brightness control )with IP65 Waterproof with Wide Angle(2pack) - - Amazon.com

I would agree that a solar panel and a battery would probably be good enough and a lot cheaper. But they’re wanting a dusk to dawn light wired on the barn at the same time. If I get the job I’ll put my ditch witch to work. Depth isn’t a problem.

 

[Diggin It]

Do you know if this is a standard swing gate or some kind of ornate heavy iron rolling gate? That could make a big difference in power requirements.

 

[grsthegreat]

i have dug so many miles of wire tranches over the 30+ years as an electrician ... i have no idea how many miles worth. on my own property i have a chart showing where trenches are. most are actually 5' down as i dug 1 trench, installed water line, 2 feet of dirt, then conduits for electrical and phone and internet plus spare conduit. i have trenches all over the place....300 feet from house to shop, 300 feet from house to barn, 300 feet from shop to arena then arena lighting and outlets, another 200 feet between shop and carriage barn. then add in the wifes greenhouse and potting sheds needing power .... one if 50 feet from barn, the other is about 150 feet from main panel. plus landscape lighting all over the place, front entry planter and lighting, pipes across the road to an additional 10 acre parcel for the horses for hot wire fence and winter water heater. man i cant believe all the wire ive run over the past 24 years here. no wonder my back hurts.

i never bother with ditch witch. i have to use mini excavator due to rocks. ive never doug out any buried power lines on my place. i have hit them on other peoples jobs when the idiots placed their conduit 4" below the surface. i always install red alert tape within 4-6" of surface when backfilling. ALWAYS

 

[dragoneggs]

i always install red alert tape within 4-6" of surface when backfilling. ALWAYS

That is really great advice! I wish I would have done that on my property where I have installed wire and water lines. I think I will draw them in on my plot plan for the next owner.

 

[grsthegreat]

the tape works great...but i also own a underground wire locator if all else fails. pretty good at guessing depth with the machine also. very accurate locator but i sometimes pick up a transient signal