MightyMule Gate Openers - Good or Bad?

[PBinWA]

First is to start looking for gates that have an inoperable operator hanging on them.

What's an "inoperable operator"? Sounds like a "nonworking worker"?

Are there any other options other than MightyMule? Basically, I have the 16 gauge wire for trickle charging the battery already run so I need a battery driven gate opener. Mighty Mule looks reasonable and is available at my local farm store but I am open to suggestions.

 

[heehaw]

Are there any other options other than MightyMule? Basically, I have the 16 gauge wire for trickle charging the battery already run so I need a battery driven gate opener. Mighty Mule looks reasonable and is available at my local farm store but I am open to suggestions.

there was an operator on ebay for @ $260 buy it now price: supposedly it compares to the model 1000 that MM puts out? they had a bunch of them to sell: and for an extra $10 they will upgrade the receiver so it works with the MM remotes. i haven't checked i a day or two, but i bet they are still on there.
heehaw

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto on the gate post. The first installation I did on mine ( before the wife hit it the first time.. the gate opener actually would make the 6/7-8' post swivel inthe hole.

I pulle dit out and sunk 3 12" spikes halk way into it, and then dropped it back into the ground with a bigger hole and put in about 350# of concrete with it to stabilize it.. etc..

those linear actuators produce lots of torque...

Soundguy

What I tell everyone who is thinking about doing their own gate operator is two things. First is to start looking for gates that have an inoperable operator hanging on them. Second is that the hinge post and hinges are more important than the operator.

 

[Cottonhawk]

My gate openers are hard wired and work real well.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

What's an "inoperable operator"? Sounds like a "nonworking worker"?

Are there any other options other than MightyMule? Basically, I have the 16 gauge wire for trickle charging the battery already run so I need a battery driven gate opener. Mighty Mule looks reasonable and is available at my local farm store but I am open to suggestions.

I occasionally install an operator on a gate I build. I won't do it on someone else's gate. Since I'm in the gate business I have an eye for gates. Instinctively I'll see a gate when someone else will be looking at the girl on the bicycle. The Mule or GTO operators are hanging on gates everywhere, inoperable, not working if you will.

I won't get into how I feel about them. I will mention that GTO and King Metals offered a one day seminar on the installation of the GTO products to installers. If you spent the whole day you received a seven hundred and fifty dollar gate operator for free for attending.

I attended.

I never applied for the free operator. It's kind of like Harbor Freight. I have one about twenty miles from the house. I visited once and didn't buy anything. I have friends who think the sun and moon hang out at Harbor Freight. Just like I have friends who've had good luck with the Mule/GTO operators. They have different needs than I do. I have to provide an installation that will be durable and not need constant attention. Not unlike why I buy my tools at American Tool instead of HF.

A friend the other day asked where he could get a decent operator cheap. I copied out the page from King Metals on GTO operators and gave it to him. He could save about five hundred off of what it costs me to get something that looks similar but that I've had good luck with. He'll install and he'll maintain and he's handy. With price as his biggest criteria, it's a match.

 

[LoneCowboy]

bad
works for a few years, then stops working
I can point to 20 around here or so that are all wrapped open and disconnected because they stop working (including mine!)

great idea, poorly executed.

 

[ourplace_Tn]

To the best of my knowledge we have had ours for 10 years with minimal problems. I ran 500 feet of wire to keep battery charged.

 

[MississippiMan]

had one with a 16 foot gate for about 6 years. it was great with no problems other than sometimes re-leveling the gate. it started cutting itself on and off at will. made lots of clicking noises. then died. a guy gave it to me so i had no complaints.

 

[firemanpat2910]

There are a ton of GTO and MM openers around here. Maybe because they are located 1/2 a mile from my office I hope they are not the best on the market. I have helped install and/or repair several of them. They can have some agravating issues. nothing like having the gate open like its suppused to the closing into the mirror on your brand new f250

 

[PBinWA]

I guess for a battery powered system that should get 5 years out of it the price is right. If I have to replace a MM350 every five years that isn't too big of a deal. The price and ease of installation is good.

I guess my biggest worry is that I would go through all the expense and hassle (big expense and big hassle) to install a hard wired opener and it would only last 5 years too.

Considering, I'm fairly handy and can fix it myself I'm not seeing enough negatives about the MM or GTO being posted here. I'm not overly concerned about having to fiddle with things to get them working right or occasionally walking out and opening the gate manually. It won't get used that much.

I'm still curious that there aren't any other "high-end" brands that are solar/battery driven.