Gate opener

[jinman]

Been looking at the Mighty Mule FM500 is says it has Soft Start/Soft Stop.
(so I wont have to make a damper I hope)

Cool! That's a far better product than our old GTO Pro. I think you are on the right track. Be sure to get plenty of remote controls to go with it. We keep one in all of our cars and have others we carry when on the tractor or on a UTV/ATV. You can put up a keypad, but extra remotes are our preferred way to easily open/close the gate.

 

[meadowlarkponds]

I agree the 500 is the way to go....but if you ever need technical help, be prepared for very long waits on the phone.

If you have cows/calves, you might want to protect the external wiring, especially the wiring to the receiver. Something in that is irrestible to calves.

 

[firefighter9208]

I have a Mighty Mule 500. Check with JT Gate Operators: GTO/PRO SW2002XL Dual Swing Gate Opener out of Florida. They had the best price and free shipping when I bought mine. You can get extra transmitters from them for $24.00 .

My MM 500 has worked well, but I have had a time with the electronic lock. My gate is mounted on on an 8" wood post that is braced and concreted in the ground. For some reason when the weather changes the post "moves" in the ground just enough that the lock sticks. It's like the gate moves up and down on a horizontal axis. I can adjust the lock and it will work ok for a few weeks and then the weather will change and I have to adjust again.

I can shake the post and it doesn't move, but the ground moves just enough to change the alignment.

The next time I buy an opener I will go with a pro series. The MM500 sometimes has trouble overcoming the wind and I only have it mounted on a tube gate that is 12' long. I don't know if it could handle a 16' wire panel gate in a strong wind.

I have a 12 volt marine deep cycle battery that sits on the ground by the gate. I only have to charge it once a month. I was going to buy the solar panel, but the guy at JT Gate Openers told me that most people just run them off a trolling motor battery.

Chris

 

[Redbug]

I have an Apollo gate opener with a 30' cantilever gate, (20' opening). The 5' high chain link gate opens on rollers. It weighs around 300 pounds, (I think). I have 2 solar panels hooked to a battery controller, (which keeps you from over charging the battery), and deep cycle battery. I mounted the antenna on top of one of the main posts for better coverage. I have used this gate for about 15 years. Sometimes I swap the battery out with a spare during long periods of overcast skies. Just grease the fittings a couple times a year, and battery maintaince now and again, and check the solar panel voltages occasionally. Never had a problem with it. I always wondered about getting hit with lightning, but it never has been affected, even with several trees being hit nearby.

After having an automatic gate...which keeps out the uninvited rif-raf, helps keep the place secure, and the dogs happy inside, I could not live without one. It has made a world of difference. A closed gate makes a statement to the outside world. And...if someone knowingly goes past the gate uninvited, past the dogs, then they are probably up to no good and can visit the end of my gun...Ain't America Great!!