Gate opener or gate motor: the same part
An automatic gate opener and an electric gate motor are two names for the unit that drives the gate. What you need depends first on how the gate moves, because sliding and swing gates use different openers, and then on how heavy and wide it is.
What the makers publish
| Gate | What the maker says | |
|---|---|---|
| Dominator NeoSlider 500 | Sliding | Home gates up to 500kg and 6m wide |
| Dominator NeoSlider 800 | Sliding | Home gates up to 800kg and 8m wide |
| Dominator Elite SGO-1 | Swing | DC motor, with smartphone control as an option |
| Merlin Slide 600 | Sliding | Its NZ pages give no weight limit, so ask |
| Merlin Swing L300, Swing A200 and Swing LR 500 | Swing | Its NZ pages give no weight limit, so ask |
What to weigh up
Start with the real weight of the gate. Solid steel and long spans add up quickly, and a motor working at the top of its rating has nothing in hand for wind or a wheel that has started to drag. Ask for the rating above your gate if it is close.
Then look at how the opener behaves. Dominator lists weather resistant covers, soft start and stop, and an auto close function on its gate openers. Auto close suits a gate that should never be left standing open, but ask how it works alongside safety beams.
Warranty differs by maker. Merlin says its gate openers carry a 3 year warranty, and the door specialist can tell you the cover on any other model they quote.
Wiring a gate opener
Any new circuit or hard wiring for a gate motor is a licensed electrician's work. The EWRB says only registered and licensed electrical workers can carry out or supervise that kind of work, and the Certificate of Compliance must reach you within 20 days of it being finished.
On Dominator's NeoSlider, the outlet has to be weatherproof, 240V and 10 amp, and sit within 1 metre of the opener's mounting point. Check where the nearest power is before you pick which side the motor goes on.
Controls and extras worth asking about
- A shared remote: Dominator's gate openers can run from the same remote as its garage door openers
- Keypad position: the NeoSlider manual says at least 1.5m high, out of children's reach
- Phone control: Merlin's myQ needs an internet gateway and monitored safety infrared beams on the gate
- Battery backup, for a gate that has to keep working through a power cut
- Safety beams, included in the quote from the start
Beams and children
Safety beams are an accessory on Dominator's sliding gate openers, but the NeoSlider manual strongly recommends them. Keep remotes and keypads away from children, and treat a moving gate the way you would a moving car: nobody plays near it.
What you can do, and what to leave
You can
- Work out what the gate is made of and measure it
- Check it moves easily by hand
- Find the nearest power outlet to the gateway
Leave to a door specialist
- Sizing and installing the opener
- Setting its travel limits
- Trenching and cabling for safety beams
- A new circuit or outlet, by a licensed electrician
What we would do
Ask the door specialist how they worked out the gate's weight. The NeoSlider 500 stops at 500kg and the 800 at 800kg, so a rough guess on a heavy steel gate can leave you with a motor running at its limit from day one.