Electric / Automatic Gate Opener 101 ** : eBay Guides

I have been in the access control and gate opener industry for twenty two years and never before have I seen such a collection of garbage than what is being sold today. The poor economy over the last few years has driven many to make do with less and buying a gate opener direct and then installing it yourself is a great way to save money if you don't throw it away on a piece of junk. Get educated on what you are buying! Gate openers are more complex and require more knowledge to purchase than most people think. I am a distributor and wholesale to the public but the manufacturers I represent frown on the auction type, where anyone can sell anything and there are no guarantees of the non criminal original of the product. The first thing I hear is "but my gate swings so easily, I can push it with one finger". Well I would hope so otherwise it needs new hinges or some other type of repair work. Think of your gate as a lever (your gate opener does). The longer the lever (regardless of how light it is) the more leverage your gate exerts on the mechanical and motorized parts of your gate opener. PLASTIC IS NOT A SUFFICIENT MATERIAL for these parts. Plastic dry rots, becomes brittle in cooler weather and is not strong enough to counter the leveraging forces your gate will exert on it. How can you avoid buying an opener with plastic parts? Ask the seller how much the motorized arm mechanism WEIGHS. Weight is one litmus test for motorized gate opener arms. If it weighs less than 15 lbs, it contains A LOT of plastic parts. Good quality operator arms use STEEL or STAINLESS STEEL gears and drive parts to LEVERAGE a gate back and forth. Steel parts weigh more (and yes they cost a little more too) but will last many times longer (giving you what you really bought the opener for - longevity and reliability). Quality motorized arms with steel parts weight AT LEAST 25 lbs or more. Also, SPEED is an important litmus test. If the opener says it will open a 16' gate but takes 20 seconds to do it, then it is because the plastic parts are using a lower gear ratio to move a larger gate at a slower speed. High quality openers with steel parts can easily move a 16' (and 650lbs!!) gate to 90 degrees in under 13 or 14 seconds. Third, find out of the manufacturer sells replacement internal components for your mechanism. The cheap, plastic arms are considered "disposable" by the manufacturers and they don't sell parts to repair units that may have been hit or forced. Other things to look for are: UL Listings/ETL listings. Also a control box large enough to accomodate a regular size car battery (if the operator runs off of 12vdc and has battery backup) and other accessories such as a loop detectors, chargers, a UL approved electrical outlet, etc.... Here's an idea for you, if you plan to use decorative lights on your front fence line or in your yard at Christmas, we have seen people install an extra radio receiver and relay to activate those lights REMOTELY from the gate operator box. No more sloshing out in 40 degree rain to turn the lights on and off during the holidays!! A good size control box affords you the room for these kinds of options and can still be easily hidden behind landscaping or your fence line. If you do your homework, buy a good quality opener from someone who KNOWS THIS EQUIPMENT WELL, and make sure it is installed correctly, you will have an automated opening that you can depend and rely on for many years. The convenience and security aspects of this equipment not only make using your gated entrance easier, but also will actually improve your property value. Spending $300 or $400 more upfront on equipment you plan to use for many years is an investment that will actually save you thousands over the long run and provide the convenience and luxury you originally intended when you gated your property in the first place. Spending 30% more on something that is 300% better is a great buy! Sidenote: Top quality manufacturers want you to be able to buy their equipment at reasonable prices, but are VERY concerned about improper installation for SAFETY concerns and also b/c improper installation gives the consumer a poor view of their product. UL and ETL safety equipment guidelines came into the industry as the result of injuries and even DEATHS caused by improper and unsafe installations. Unless you are proficient at the installation of this type of equipment, I recommend a qualified installer properly install your gate automation system. FINAL NOTE: Many manufactures no longer will honor warranties on equipment sold through non authorized dealers or sources. Many of these non authorized dealers are buying from other sources and then using ebay and similar outlets to dump this equipment on the market with very low markups and do not have any technical knowledge of the equipment. Tech support in my industry separates the professionals from the trunk slammers. I highly recommend checking with the manufacturer to see if your seller is authorized because if not, THERE IS NO WARRANTY. There is also now an ever increasing black market of stolen "Used" gate openers that are also being sold like this. If you would like more info email me and I would be happy to give recommendation and answer questions, but am no longer allowed to sell via the auction formats as discussed earlier. Consumers have great choices on the internet today, but cheapest is not usually best! There are many high quality gate openers but there is also a lot of junk. DO YOUR RESEARCH AND BUY THIS EQUIPMENT FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS IT WELL, you will be dollars ahead and have a much higher quality system by using this advice.