Gate Locking Ideas

[HawkinsHollow]

I am looking for a better solution for locking my gate than the old chain and padlock. My buddy has a cylinder welded to the gate for the padlock to go in. Keeps the crooks from using bolt cutters or angle grinder.
Something like this:
I was just wondering if anyone has easier/more innovative ideas. I come from the school of thought that the harder you make it for a thief the less likely you are to have them around. I KNOW I KNOW if a determined crook wants to get in they will. But I am not going to make it easy for them.

 

[snymat68]

 

[4570Man]

I’ve been wanting to design a better gate lock but I never have. A regular padlock is nearly useless and most of the other protected solutions are a wasp habitat. The best off the shelf solution I’ve seen is a hockey puck lock with the provided holders. My criteria for a good gate lock is a protected lock that can’t be accessed by a grinder or bolt cutters and no blind holes to stick your hands.

 

[oosik]

Yes. The gates going into various areas of the National Wildlife preserve, just across the county road, have similar locking situations. A foot long chunk of heavy wall metal pipe( 4" dia ) is welded to the vertical gate post. A heavy tongue, welded to the movable gate, slides into a slot cut in the pipe. You have to reach up inside the pipe to put a padlock on the tongue. A metal top is welded on the pipe. Inside the pipe is, more or less, weather proof.

Prevents - rifle shots or bolt cutters or hack saws. BUT watch out. The hornets, wasps & yellow jackets really like making big 'ol nests up inside those pipes also.

A cutting torch could do the job. But - there is NOTHING on the other side worth stealing. It's just a lot more open range land.

 

[oosik]

An interesting side note. All that effort to make a vandal proof gate. The fence going both ways from this gate is five strands of barbed wire. Easy to cut and on dead level ground. If you really want/need access - just cut the five strands of barbed wire. 38 years out here - never heard or seen anybody cut the fence to get into Turnbull NWR.

 

[drssg]

If you mean “better” as in more difficult to break through, then I don’t have any input.

I use a Mighty Mule opener on my gate, and I find it much more convenient than a padlock.

Anyone with a pair of pliers could remove the gate from the hinges, so it’s not that secure. I count on criminals being lazy. I want enough security to make them move on to the next place.

 

[MossRoad]

I am looking for a better solution for locking my gate than the old chain and padlock. My buddy has a cylinder welded to the gate for the padlock to go in. Keeps the crooks from using bolt cutters or angle grinder.
Something like this:View attachment 605069
I was just wondering if anyone has easier/more innovative ideas. I come from the school of thought that the harder you make it for a thief the less likely you are to have them around. I KNOW I KNOW if a determined crook wants to get in they will. But I am not going to make it easy for them.

I'd just grind off the tab. It's probably softer steel than the lock anyway. You're better off with obvious cameras and signage for deterrents. Now if you want something that looks more aesthetically pleasing than a chain and padlock, that's different.

 

[MossRoad]

For that matter, it's just fence pipe. A pipe cutter would make quick work of it, or a grinder on the tubing.

 

[4570Man]

For that matter, it's just fence pipe. A pipe cutter would make quick work of it, or a grinder on the tubing.

Or a sawzall. It’s obviously not a high security gate. But in my experience most thief’s don’t think outside the box and usually enter through entryways.

 

[chesternator]

+1 on the puck. In your implementation keep asking yourself what you would do if you lost the key and had to get in right away. This will point you to what a thief/determined individual would do so make it harder