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You are in your car, ready to go for a long drive and you reach your gate and alas! It is closed. You now need to get down from your car, open your gate, drive the car out of your house and again come back to close the gates. Boring and frustrating, isn’t it?
Well, of course, it is. It takes out all the fun and excitement of a sudden drive and also wastes time when you are in a hurry. And this is precisely why electric gate openers were made – to automatize the process to save time and energy.
The electric gate openers for driveways are a savior in the present times. They are no more just a convenience; they are a necessity, and you really cannot do without them. With automatic gate openers, you no longer need to hire a security guard or a gateman, every time you need to enter or leave your house.
Due to their huge demand, electric gate openers residential are now manufactured by several well-known brands in the market. They come in different types, sizes, weights, and budgets as well.
To find out the best electric gate opener, you have to consider a lot of factors, including those mentioned above. You need to gather information regarding the charging procedures, how frequently can they be operated, etc.
For your ease, short reviews of top 3 best performing electric gate openers are given below:
The very first product that deserves mention in the electric gate opener reviews is the ALEKO AC1400 Electric Sliding Gate Opener for Sliding Gates. If you own a sliding gate, then this is inevitably one amongst the best sliding electric gate openers that you can buy at a very low cost and use for a long time to come.
The chassis is made of steel which is why the opener can support weights up to 1400 lbs and gates as long as 50 feet. However, the opener itself is very light and can be used for DIY projects as one person can comfortably install it single-handedly. The exteriors of the opener are covered with corrosion resistant material, ensuring that the opener can withstand long periods of regular use.
It has a high-performance motor and a long chain along with two sensors and a high base. It automatically stops and returns to its original position if an obstruction is encountered while closing the gates.
If you own a commercial property and want a long-lasting, heavy-duty gate opener to protect your property, then choose the US Automatic Sentry 300 S Commercial Grade Automatic Gate Opener that is quite known in the market to be the ideal swing gate opener for commercial properties. It can operate swing gates that are up to 20 feet long without unnecessary complications such as intricate wiring, etc. That is the very reason why the Sentry 300 can be installed within an hour with extreme ease.
The Sentry 300 is the perfect choice if you would like to go DIY with the project. Moreover, being a solar-powered swing gate opener, you can conveniently use it to save on your bills and be eco-friendly as well. Not only that, it has a good capacity to store solar energy as well, so that, even if the sun is on a holiday, you really needn’t bother about it.
However, it is important to mention that the Sentry 300 is not solely solar operated. It has a DC battery (12 V) that can be charged via a built-in transformer. The solar charging is totally optional and is actually valuable if you are remotely located. Since the closing time is not actually dependent on the weight of the gate, it is also good as a single slide gate opener.
The top 3 electric gate opener reviews will not be complete without mentioning the US Automatic Sentry 300D Commercial Grade Automatic Gate Opener that is another great option as an electric gate opener ideal for commercial properties. It is intended for swing gates and at 25.8 lbs, it is relatively light. It is a perfect match for the Sentry 300S and thus, it is ideal that you use the 300S with it.
The opener can be used with dual gates that are up to 20 feet long. Not only that, being equipped with a 50-foot long cable, the gate opener can be used for ornamental iron gates as well that are 12 feet or less in length. The Sentry 300D is also suitable for gates that are paneled with wood. It comes with the complete automatic gate opener kits that make installation and use very simple. However, it must be kept in mind that this product can only be used as secondary electric gate openers for driveways along with the 300S.
A lot of thought has to be given before you can actually choose the perfect gate opener for your driveway. A number of factors come into the play when you consider buying gate opener. These factors ultimately decide which opener will be the right one for your purpose.
The very first factor that comes into consideration is the type of gate opener. Is it a sliding gate opener or a swinging one? For each type of electric gate openers, there are a number of products on the market. If you have not already installed a gate opener, then you have to choose the gate type according to the space available or the way you want the gates to function, like open partially, etc.
Each electric gate opener has its fixed horsepower and a maximum weight threshold for the gates that it can open. So, before choosing the opener, you need to find out the exact weight of your gate and how much power will it require for a gate opener to open it with ease.
If you have a sliding gate, then the time taken for the slide is important in choosing the gate opener. In the case of swinging gates, single swing or double swing determine the gate opener that would suit you the most.
While electric-powered gate openers are the most common types, yet they will not be of much use to you, if you live in a region where electric supply isn’t very reliable or rare. In such cases, you need to choose solar powered automatic gate openers that can operate with no issue, even if the electricity fails.
The best would be to choose a gate opener that has both solar and electric as the mode of charging. That would be convenient and save money too.
The frequency of use of the gate opener will determine the one that you should buy. For houses or commercial properties that require the gates to be opened many times a day, it is best to buy one that is high on performance and can resist wear and tear better.
You must ensure that the gate opener that you buy has safety features like stop and reverse in case an obstruction is met, infrared photo beams, auto close, loop detectors, etc.
Once you have chosen and bought the right gate opener for your driveway, it is time to get it installed. You can call in a professional service to do the job for you but if you are a DIY person, then you may undertake the task yourself too.
Proper installation of the opener is essential to ensure that your gates open normally and no hazards are caused. Thus, if you are planning to complete the job on your own, it is vital that you study the installation guide that most manufacturers will offer along with the gate openers. The guide usually comes in the form of a video and if you can follow the steps carefully, one by one, the electric gate opener can be installed perfectly and be operational.
The major steps that are involved in the installation of electric gate openers are as follows:
Electric gate openers are one of the most commonly used convenience appliances. They are reasonably priced and can suit different gate types, size, weights, etc. All that needs to be done on your part is choosing a best electric gate opener that matches all your requirements and getting it properly installed. Then you can benefit from the facility of automatic opening gates at your property, whether that be your house or a commercial property that you own.