Swing Gate Motors
Power Options
All our motors can have 240V or low voltage power run out to the gate or can be Solar Powered unless otherwise specified. See: Power Options for Gate Motors
Good Value for Money
Below is a list of what we consider to be the best value for money sliding gate motors available in Australia for different size gates and different applications that can be trusted to give years of reliable service based on decades of experience installing them. If you buy from us you're not just getting a tried and proven motor that will give you years of reliable service, you're getting decades of experience installing them too.
What Each Motor is priced with:
Two remote controls, extra remote controls can be added as needed.
Pricing includes GST but not installation. See below for installation price guide.
To learn more about installing swing gate motors see: How to Install Swing Gate Motors
Replacing old motors that are no longer working
If your old swing gate motor(s) are no longer working and you'd like them replaced them we can help with this see here
Dace Dura-Swing Articulated Arm Motor for Single Gate to *4.5mRobust Durable Articulated Arm Gate Operator for Single Swing Gates to 4.5m Wide. Open in about 12-14s. No gate stops required. No custom brackets needed for posts more than 200mm wide or Pedestal Mount. Needs at least 800mm behind open gate. Will work with gate hinges up to 150mm from back of post.from $810.00READ MORE
Dace Dura-Swing Articulated Arm Motor for Double Gates to *9mRobust Durable Articulated Arm Operator for Double Swing gates to 9m wide (4.5m per side). Open in about 12-14s. No gate stops required. No custom brackets needed for posts more than 200mm wide or Pedestal Mount. Needs at least 800mm behind the open gate. Will work with gate hinges up to 150mm from the back of the posts.from $1200.00 READ MORE
Centsys Vantage 500 Piston Worm Encoder Motor for Single Swing Gates to *5.6mA powerful, accurate and very versatile operator for single swing gates that will work where others won't such as: when there is only 160mm behind the open gate, the gate is set up to 180mm from the bacl of a post or the gate opens up to 140degs angle. Opening time 12s-18s, no hard stops required.from $1606.95READ MORE
Centsys Vantage 500 Piston Worm Encoder Motor for Double Swing Gates to *11.2mA powerful, accurate and very versatile operator for double swing gates that will work where others won't such as: when there is only 160mm behind an open gate, the gate is set up to 180mm from the back of a post or the gate opens up to 140 degs angle. Opening time 12s-18s, no hard stops required.from $2577.00READ MORE
Motors for Larger Gates
We have larger motors than the ones listed above. please contact us for a quote depending on application.
*Maximum gate width rating depends on style of gate
Swing gate motors have a 'maximum gate width' rating, which applies to light weight gates with vertical tubing or wire mesh that lets wind blow through. This rating is for one leaf so is per side for double swing gates. If your gate has slats, timber palings, metal sheeting or has a wide opening angle then the maximum width will be less
READ MORE about choosing the correct swing gate motor size
If a Gate has rising hinges then the weight of the gate also needs to be considered
READ MORE about motors for gates with rising hinges
Choosing Mounting Brackets for Worm Drive Motors (Linear Arms)
The brackets for fitting linear swing gate motors to a post generally need to be custom made depending on the size of post, opening angle etc... To make things easier we have included various bracket designs for common layouts of gates and posts or we can make them for you so they can just bolt on and work nicely.
The amount of use a swing gate motor gets is also important a normal household gate will only get a few uses a day so need only have a motor rated for "Residential" use where as a gated community sharing one gate could be used 100's of times a day so a much more durable motor is needed rated for "Commerical" use. Very large gates that gate a lot of use are rated for "Industrial" use.
READ MORE about the life expectancy of Swing Gate Motors
Good Value for Money
Below is a list of what we consider to be the most affordable swing gate motors available in Australia that can be trusted to give years of reliable service based on decades of experience installing them.
What Each Motor Includes
Pricing includes GST, each motor comes with two remote controls, extra remote controls can be added. Installation is Extra and only available in Brisbane Australia.
**Cost of Installation
Installing a double swing linear gate operator is typically around $600 including two motors and control unit if you already have power at your gate and a low voltage cable across your driveway. If its a single motor with a control unit then this is around $400 + $150 for an electric lock so works out about the same as a double.
Installing a cable across the driveway for the second motor is generally around $100 depending how its done and how wide the driveway is. Installing mains power to your gate depends on a whole lot lot of factors depending on weather you're getting a new driveway done, in which case the cable can be installed much easier before concrete is poured, if mains power is to be installed after then it could be $500 or more. Normally for established properties its more economic to install low voltage rather than 240V mains power to the gate, which is around $200 to $300 including installing the transformer box and low voltage cable in conduit just below the surface.
If you'd prefer to go solar then its around $100 to install a solar panel including the solar cable to the control box or operator and the same again for an extra battery box.
The Nice and King motors can have low voltage power installed without a battery where as the Centsys and Dace Motors have a built in battery so the low voltage power is a trickle charge. All these can be solar powered. Some Industrial motors have no low voltage power options.
Installing two sets of safety photocells for a swing gate requires installing cable across the driveway and along each side of the driveway as well as installing posts just past where the gate opens to fit one set of photocells too so is generally around $500 + 2 x sets of photocells ... read more about photocells
What do most Swing Gate Motors have in Common?
- Most come with 2x key ring remote controls with two to four buttons. Extras can be bought.
- All swing gate motors have a keyed manual release in case of power failure the gate can be opened manually.
- All swing gate operators have the option to work with 240V Power at the gate either by plugging it into a power point or by hard wiring it to 240V mains power.
- Most of our motors have the option of low voltage power, solar power and battery backup options.
- All our motors have a 24 month Warranty.
- Option of Auto-close after a time delay (photocell recommended)
- Option of Open only or Condominium Mode, necessary if a gate is being shared by many, so if two vehicles approach a gate at the same time and both are using a remote control, rather than have one start to open the gate and the other ending up closing it, if both can only open it then there is no confusion. The gate will auto-close.
- Optional Photocell to prevent gate closing on a vehicle.
- Option of Pedestrian Entry.
- Can be used for outward opening gates.
What do Swing Gate Motors NOT have in Common?
Remote controls from one brand of swing gate operator are generally not compatible with another brand nor are they compatible with garage door motors although if you stick with the same brand they could be but this isn't guaranteed because some brands have different remote controls for different models or have improved them over time and the old ones won't work with the new.
Not all swing gate motors have the option of low voltage power at the gate or can be Solar Powered.
Swing gate motors come in different configurations for different applications ... READ MORE
Importance of Speed of the motor
If you are in a quiet street and can sit and wait for a gate to open without causing a problem for traffic then the time a gate takes to open doesn't matter. But if you're on a busy street and waiting for the gate to open will hold up traffic, then firstly you want to be able to start opening the gate before you get to it so want good remote control range and secondly you want it opening quickly so you can drive straight in.
Also when there is a lot of people sharing a gate there will be certain people that will try to get through the gate before it is fully open and could hit the gate with their vehicle by mistake in the process (we've seen it happen many a time), so the faster the gate opens the less likely this will happen.
If a motor has a fast maximum speed it should also have a soft start and stop to reduce wear and tear.
Difference between open worm drive, piston worm drive and articulated arm
Articulated arm motors are the easiest to install because they have their control board built in so there's no need to install a separate control box and don't need mounting brackets made up to fit the gate, although they're not so good on gate posts less than 150mm wide and require lots of space behind an open gate so are no good if the gate is opening up against a fence or wall. Worm drives are better suited to narrow gate posts and gates that open against a fence or wall with the piston worm drive being the most versatile .. READ MORE
Gate Opening Times
Generally motors that run slower take longer to open but can handle larger gates than a motor with the same power but runs faster. Some motors have variable speed control so will still handle a larger gate with the speed set lower but this is not as effectively as a motor with the same power that is geared to open slower. An opening time of 15 to 20 seconds is typical, with slower motors being up to 40 seconds and faster 10 seconds. Some motors can be made to run faster with less pull force ie. geared higher by setting the post mounting bracket so the motor is closer to the gate hinge ... READ MORE
Difference between 240V and Low Voltage Motors
240V single phase motors are generally cheaper to buy but you do need 240V mains power at your gate that can be expensive to install whereas a 12V or 24V motor is more expensive to buy but can have a low voltage power supply or solar so is normally cheaper in the end. Another advantage of low voltage motors is they tend to run cooler than 240V so are more suitable when a gate gets a lot of use, they tend to be more compact physically, have better obstruction detection, can run faster because their speed can be controlled more effectively and have the option of battery backup.
3-phase motors on the other hand with a purpose built variable frequency inverter that can run from either 240V mains or a battery is the ultimate in high torque at all speeds and endurance as these motors are industrial grade and have all the benefits of the low voltage motor with a few of their own.
Maintenance
Articulated arm operators need very little mechanical maintenance, same goes for open worm drives so long as they are installed in the middle of the gate rather than down near the ground where they can have dust or dirt splashed up into their drive mechanism. Piston worm drives need a small amount of maintenance, the amount depends on how much dust or dirt the environment it is in deposits on it. Basically any build up on the drive tube just needs to be cleaned off with a clean rag and a small squirt of a penetrating oil such as WD-40 is all that is needed particularly if the gate starts to get a little slow or start making squeaking noises.
If an Operator runs from a battery or has a battery backup then the battery will need to be replaced every 3 to 5 years with the exception of some battery backups that use Lithium Ion Batteries that will last a lot longer. For operators that run off a battery if the gate starts to run slow, stop short or reverse when it shouldn't then the battery may need replacing. To test battery backups simply turn the power off the operator then open and close the gate to see how well it works.
Are Cheap Chinese Operators any Good?
They may be but then on the other hand maybe not. We hear a lot of horror stories about people that have bought them and have had nothing but problems or they just stop working for no reason but then if they did't have problems we're not going to hear about them are we?
We have tried them and found generally they are rated for gates much larger than they can handle, that is a Chinese swing gate operator may be rated for a gate 5m wide, where in reality its only good for a gate 3m wide. Chinese operators are normally copies of models designed by other companies and they don't always get every part correct, which then breaks after a short time in use. Their quality control is also lacking so if wanting to buy Chinese Operators better off to get them from an importer that tests the product for Australian conditions, quality controls them here and stocks parts.
What makes a motor last longer?
If a swing gate motor is close to its maximum width of gate it won't last as long as if its way under, so the larger the motor used the longer it will last basically. The quality of components such as the electronic control board, electric motor, gearing and final drive also play a strong part in making a motor last longer.
If the electronic circuit board uses components that are rated way higher than needed then it will last longer as they are much less likely to blow in extreme conditions.
The quality of components in the electric motor and how well it is engineered can effect how long it lasts too as well as the design itself, if the motor isn't very efficient and tends to get hot if used a lot even for a short period then this can cause issues that deteriorate over time and cause the motor to stop working pre-maturely.
Oil filled gear boxes tend to last a lot longer than ones that have just a small amount of grease on the gears. Also the materials the gearing itself is made of and how well they are engineered makes a large difference. You may think steel gears are the best but these are noisy and if not engineered or lubricated properly can fail just as fast as anything else.
The best way to know how longer a motor will last is to look at its track record, if the brand and model is known to have a long life span and has been around long enough to have a track record then generally this is a good buy.
To replace an old motor that is no longer working
It's best to match your old motor with a new one as close as you can so you don't have to change cabling ie. if your old motor plugged in at the gate, order a new motor that plugs in too, if it is solar powered you may not need to replace the solar panel if its the same voltage and wattage required by the replacement motor.
What causes reliability issues?
A gate motor that is of poor design can give constant problems in some circumstances but work fine in others. Poor design can result in such things as being effected by interference from other wireless equipment causing the gate to open by itself or other issues with the way it works like poor remote control range, just not responding to the remote control sometimes and stopping part way when it shouldn't.
The way a motor is installed also plays a strong factor in reliability, so if you're installing it yourself you need good clear instructions. Common mistakes is using too smaller post or installing the post near a tree with large roots so as time goes by the post is push over causing the gate to contact the driveway preventing it from moving. Also with linear motors if the post mounting bracket for the motor doesn't have the correct offset the motor can be subject to extreme forces causing it to fail prematurely.
Differences in Open and Close Limit Sensing
Most swing gate motors use end stops either on the gate or built into the motor to determine the open and close limits and either a time base or built in encoder (motor rotation counter) for the electronic control unit to determine how far the motor has travelled so it can slow down near the end of travel for a soft stop and to determine whether it has hit an obstruction or an end stop. When installed the gate is put through a learning cycle that learns how long it takes or distance travelled to open and close.
Some motors use micro switches to set the open and close limits, which don't need hard stops but are fiddly to set up and don't allow the motor to push against a hard stop to take up any slop out of the hinges.