Looking for automatic gate opener

[3pedal]

I have a pretty basic swing gate, and a busted Mighty Mule opener. I need to get a new automatic opener, and and wondering if people have suggestions on what has worked for them. It needs to be solar, but I imagine most can do that these days.

 

[xtn]

Get a midget. Strap him to the gate such that his feet just barely touch the ground. Plant a shade tree in the right place. Now whenever the sun is up, the gate will open.

 

[JRobyn]

Absolutely love my Apollo, 1550. About 2-1/2 years and 2500 cycles now. NO problems.

 

[TnAndy]

OSCO brand here.....20 years, very few problems.

Whatever brand you go with, you'll have less trouble out of the "arm" type (picture your own arm....shoulder is the opener point, elbow is the linkage to the gate that pivots in the center like your arm, hand connects to the gate) openers than you will out of the linear actuator type (screw out shaft) like the Mule. I had a Genie linear actuator before the OSCO, and it was something broken all the time.

 

[Howling]

Get a midget. Strap him to the gate such that his feet just barely touch the ground. Plant a shade tree in the right place. Now whenever the sun is up, the gate will open.

Or the Truck Monkey

 

[TractorGuy]

I'm on my second Mighty Mule FM350 here. Lightening got the first one and I imagine it could take out any brand circuit board. I live in the town they are made in and it wasn't worth the price to let them fix it when I could get a whole new unit at TS for $250. I see they went up a little now but still 1/4 or less of the other two mentioned above.

 

[tractchores]

I use FAAC hydraulic openers for my gate. Very expensive, but the design life is 20+ years in commercial operation. They come in low voltage for solar. Expect to pay about 2k per.

 

[Stimw]

I had an opener from HF that worked great but it lost the codes and I could not get them back. (they don't sell them anymore)
I bought a Mighty Mule and it worked just past the warranty period.
I should have been suspicious when they had the disable instructions printed on it!
I have the double opener and to send it in for repair all I need to do is dig up my driveway because they were too cheap to put plugs on the operators.
If I weren't moving in the near future I would be looking for one that is NOT a toy!!

 

[3pedal]

Thanks for the feedback so far. Having gone through two mighty mules already, I don't think I will do a third. I think the hydraulic is a bit overkill for a farm gate.

Do the bending arm openers all work from a pedestal on the ground? That's all I've seen, and they way the previous owner setup the fence and gate there isn't room for that.

I like the idea of a Trunk Monkey, but so far, haven't found one on Amazon.

 

[3pedal]

Absolutely love my Apollo, 1550. About 2-1/2 years and 2500 cycles now. NO problems.

I have been looking at the 1550 a bit. Something I read said the control box has to be within 4 feet of the arm. Any idea if that can be extended? I need to place the the control box much farther away.