How big of a wire gauge for a gate opener?

[4570Man]

our problem here is water needs a minimum of 48", 60" preferred for frost protection. sprinklers have to be blown out for winter or they will be destroyed. conduit covered wire 18", direct buried 24" coverage. most areas a ditchwitch wont go below 8"/... believe me ive tried. a mini excavator and 12" bucket is the only way to get down 18-24" in our crappy soil.

Lucky for us the frost line isn’t that deep. I don’t like it but 12” deep lines won’t freeze here. If it was running water lines would be a very expensive process with blasting or hammering. Have you tried a ride on trencher vs a walk behind? I’ve done some pretty crap digging with a ride on. I’ve seen a lot of add on circuits usually done by homeowners that’s the same as laying on top of the ground. I was looking at an unrelated job a couple weeks ago and there was an electric circuit to a shed that they’d broke with a lawnmower.

 

[grsthegreat]

Lucky for us the frost line isn稚 that deep. I don稚 like it but 12 deep lines won稚 freeze here. If it was running water lines would be a very expensive process with blasting or hammering. Have you tried a ride on trencher vs a walk behind? I致e done some pretty crap digging with a ride on. I致e seen a lot of add on circuits usually done by homeowners that痴 the same as laying on top of the ground. I was looking at an unrelated job a couple weeks ago and there was an electric circuit to a shed that they壇 broke with a lawnmower.

. they dont rent ride on models up here. they have tracked trenchers, but there stand behind with rock teeth. they still suck. i used one to do my sprinklers, and was lucky to get down 8". at least the track machines dont jump up and bust you in chest when they hit a rock like the old 3 wheel ones did. I just did a redo of an old electrical system here on the lake in Coeur d Alene. some nimrod ran a 2" conduit about 1/2 way to house, ran #8 aluminum feeders thru it, put them direct bury after they ran out of conduit, about 8" underground, then went back into conduit when they left ground to power cabin. they were hooked up to a 150 amp breaker on mail panel and into a 200 amp panel on cabin. the contractor added an 80 amp electric instant hot water heater and could not understand why breaker kept tripping. building had electric stove, elect oven, electric heat and now elect insta hot run on a #8 aluminum feeder about 120 feet from house. i cant believe it ever ran. wire insulation was all falling apart and bloated from over heating. this is one of the reasons that Idaho will no longer allow a homeowner to do ANY underground wiring work, even on their own homes. if you run a subfeeder and dont pull a permit, oh well. but if you want it permitted, homeowner cant do it. insurance companies up here have also started to not pay on claims on jobs without permits.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve never even used a walk behind trencher but I came to the conclusion real quick that they’d be almost worthless. I’ve got a fairly small ride on that still weighs 5000 pounds and has a 45 hp diesel and it’s barley adequate. Twice the power and weight wouldn’t be bad. There’s no way a 1000 pound machine powered by a 9hp Honda is going to do anything.

 

[grsthegreat]

I’ve never even used a walk behind trencher but I came to the conclusion real quick that they’d be almost worthless. I’ve got a fairly small ride on that still weighs 5000 pounds and has a 45 hp diesel and it’s barley adequate. Twice the power and weight wouldn’t be bad. There’s no way a 1000 pound machine powered by a 9hp Honda is going to do anything.

my brother offered me a free skid steer with trencher a few years back, all i needed to do was go to Calif to get it. i ended up not doing it and told him to sell it. i really didnt want another piece of equipment, and really didnt need a skid steer. i personally dont like the way they destroy the ground using them (this was a tired model). also, the trencher would probably get me into more trouble than it was worth. i would probably take on more trenching jobs, and tear up more sprinkler and underground systems than i do now.

that, and i really did want to retire. i really have to stop looking at equipment. i almost bought a bucket truck 2 years ago. a great, low hours diesel rig with onboard generator, hydraulic stabilizers, the whole package. guy wanted 10K for it. tested it, ran great. all ready to purchase then i called my insurance company. do you have any idea what it costs to insure a bucket truck. it would add $2,000 per year to my policy. and require re certification of the rig annually (not sure what that costs). never mind.

now days i just say, thats nce, but im retired. i dont need it. but then again, i sure could have used that bucket truck when i painted my house this summer.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve got a bucket truck. A medium duty truck with a 45’ boom. My insurance company charges me $380 a year.

 

[grsthegreat]

I’ve got a bucket truck. A medium duty truck with a 45’ boom. My insurance company charges me $380 a year.

have no idea why mine wanted so much. The guy selling it was a painter, and he was selling it due to insurance costs. Its not the truck insurance, it was my liability/contractor insurance i was referring too, sorry

 

[quicksandfarmer]

There aren稚 any opener specs. The customer doesn稚 have one. And I値l give them the option on wire. If they want 1 gauge I値l run that. If they opt to go with the much cheaper 10 or 12 gauge and it doesn稚 work that痴 on them not me. Especially since I didn稚 pick and install the opener.

What's the difference between 12 and 10 over 150 feet? Fifty bucks? Although if it's in conduit it's not a big deal to switch it out.

You could also lay the conduit and come back when they've made up their mind and run the wires.

 

[4570Man]

What's the difference between 12 and 10 over 150 feet? Fifty bucks? Although if it's in conduit it's not a big deal to switch it out.

You could also lay the conduit and come back when they've made up their mind and run the wires.

It’s not a lot of difference. And to sum up this thread thread the customer ended up having the person that built the shed do the work.

 

[Grumpycat]

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.

These guys? Highest Quality Gate Openers and Gate Accessories | Elite Gates

 

[Grumpycat]

There aren稚 any opener specs. The customer doesn稚 have one. And I値l give them the option on wire. If they want 1 gauge I値l run that. If they opt to go with the much cheaper 10 or 12 gauge and it doesn稚 work that痴 on them not me. Especially since I didn稚 pick and install the opener.

Get the opener specs, quit guessing based on wishful thinking. Tales of "cheap" openers failing, repetitively, may very will be due to under voltage from too small of a wire.