Driveway Gate Openers / solid panel gates

[Uncle Freddy]

hello all ...not exactly a garage-specific question, but I have custom designed, built and installed my own dual driveway gates, they are 8 ft in length each, and 175 lbs each in weight, they swing smooth, level & solid ...looking for a opener system for them, preferably solar ...any assist / info appreciated, THANKS

 

[dcg9381]

I've done gates with Mighty-Mule swing openers. Do not recommend (after replacing pretty much every component multiple times).

Solar is dead easy. Many of these systems are 12V powered. My gate was pretty remote and I ended up setting up a 50W solar panel and a deep-cycle 12V Group 24 battery. Make sure your charge controller has a low-voltage disconnect so it's not possible totally discharge batteries... (note, my setup powered other things, so in most cases a 20W panel and smaller battery is more than enough)

 

[Uncle Freddy]

thanks Doug, my issue, and I never realized it when designing, building and installing my gorgeous solid panel driveway gates: they are "solid panel" and I have come to find out that most gate opener companies will not sell you anything for solid panels, as there has to be some level of wind mitigation or the wind can push / move the gates to open ....I just hung up with Mighty Mule, and they told me "not for solid panel gates" ....I was hoping to find entire DIY system, and there are a ton out there, but I'm now finding out they will not sell you for solid panel gates dual swing gates ....hhhmmmm ?? ...some company has to make something for solid panel driveway gates ......?????

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Don't tell them they are solid panel.

 

[senlow]

Don't tell them they are solid panel.

Bad idea. This is a recipe for failure. Wind loads are significant on solid panels.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Bad idea. This is a recipe for failure. Wind loads are significant on solid panels.

You're probably right. FWIW, we lived in two houses in the UK years ago and both had very large solid steel gates hinged on brick walls. Both of those operators were in-ground units and basically not visible above the ground. No idea what brand, etc.

 

[Uncle Freddy]

well, not telling them the are solid panel = recipe for long-term disaster if the opening actuators are not heavy duty enough .....to senlow: too late, they are designed, custom built and fully installed (my me)....and not coming down or off ....also, have pulses out to a few solid panel driveway gate builders / installers, who do some pretty big & ornate dual swing full solid panel driveway gates, about what they use for openers .....more to come, thanks guys

 

[senlow]

Bad idea. This is a recipe for failure. Wind loads are significant on solid panels.

Allow me to clarify. I did not say that it's a bad idea to build gates with solid panels. I'm sure that it's a bad idea to conceal the fact that the gates have solid panels. The operator design must take wind loads into account.

 

[Uncle Freddy]

senlow: CLARIFIED, thank you ....it will be immense bummer if I have to leave our driveway gates as manual opening & closing only ....got one of these guys I pulsed get back to me and rec a Liftmaster that can open / close & hold gates closed up to 1600 lbs each (mine are 175 lbs each) but there is a review on the Liftmaster site for that actuator stating "works great, until you get heavy winds" ....and the guy posting that review does not have solid panel gates ....more research to do ....

 

[matt_i]

Easy and strong is an air cylinder. But getting the air to the job and controlling it takes more work.

 

[Bobthetractor]

You definately don't want a typical system with solid gates. Youtube can give you some ideas. The security providers like Mullholand are cool but I priced one for fun and it was over $20k. If you built those gates you might have fun fabricating your own system with a dc motor and chain.

FWIW, I've got a mighty mule that's lasted me over ten years now. Solar was always an issue so I ran low voltage and corrected that. Then ants would get attracted so I stuck moth balls in it and solved that. That said, my neighbor has a GTOPRO (basically the same thing but "professionally" installed and it seems to be broken at least twice a year.

 

[StormcrowAz]

I did this same thing and went with the Ghost Controls system, dual swing openers.

I ended up removing the wooden slats in between the metal bars, the wind resistance was too much for those little swing arm motors. From what I remember seeing of the similar Liftmaster systems, I wouldn't expect too much more out of them, even though they might be a bit more heavy-duty and expensive. The base-mounted systems might be different, but I don't have any experience with those.


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[Uncle Freddy]

adding 5th post so I can upload link to pics go my gates ...

 

[Uncle Freddy]

here's my gates

 

[Toolfool]

Invisible

 

[MileHighRover]

Not sure you're going to find a residential gate opener for those gates. Will need to go commercial, which means $$$.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

A pair of these looks like it could work. They have a SWB model for high winds. Not cheap by any means though.

https://www.gatedepot.com/faac-s800h-hydraulic-24v-swing-gate-operator#

 

[uscarry45]

Is their a way that you could have mounted two openers on each side of the gate?

I did this same thing and went with the Ghost Controls system, dual swing openers.

I ended up removing the wooden slats in between the metal bars, the wind resistance was too much for those little swing arm motors. From what I remember seeing of the similar Liftmaster systems, I wouldn't expect too much more out of them, even though they might be a bit more heavy-duty and expensive. The base-mounted systems might be different, but I don't have any experience with those.


Before
20190210_121748


After
20190330_132945