A sliding gate is an affordable and accessible way to improve the appearance and security of your property. As opposed to a swinging gate, a sliding gate requires less clearance for cars and you don’t need to worry about it hitting rocks or trees as it opens, as it slides along the existing track. Slide gates, due to their mechanisms, allow you to use a much longer gate. This could be useful if you have larger vehicles or a wider driveway and still want the entire path accessible. But which sliding gate kit is the right one for your property? That question depends on the factors of gate size and weight, frequency of use, and the gate’s location and power source.
How Much Power?
The weight and size of the gate are some of the most important things to consider, as you likely want your gate to open completely across the driveway or entrance to your property. If you have not yet installed the fencing, know that a sliding gate must be 50% longer than the driveway opening you want to create. If the driveway you want to secure is 10 feet, your gate will need to be 15. Once taking this into consideration, you can choose the right gate for you and move onto picking your automatic sliding gate kit!
If you have your gate picked out and ready to be installed, you just need to pick the motor that can handle it. This is why knowing the size and weight of your gate is so important: automatic gate openers are often classified based on their size and strength, and you must pick one that can handle your hardware. Residential and light commercial gates generally use ½ to 1 horsepower motors, but these can still have variations of size and strength between them. Eagle’s main slide gate models, the Eagle I, Eagle 1000, and Eagle 2000 all serve different purposes and meet different needs.
The Eagle I is the first and smallest sliding gate operator created by Eagle Operators. It is made for residential use only and boasts the following specifications:
- operates gates up to 18’ and 300 pounds
- nickel-plated chain and ½ HP motor
- 12” per second travel
The Eagle 1000 straddles the line and can be used both for residential spaces and smaller commercial properties with less frequent usage:
- operates gates up to 27’ and 600 pounds
- nickel-plated chain and ½ HP motor
- 12” per second travel
The Eagle 2000 is for larger properties and driveways with more frequent gate use:
- operates gates up to 45’ and 1000 pounds (2500 pounds for APT 1 HP motor)
- nickel-plated chain and choice of ½ or 1 HP motor
- 12” per second travel
When it comes to size, weight, and power, the specifications are very clear. If your gate is under 300 pounds and 18’, you can go for the Eagle I and still benefit from the same quality and engineering as their larger commercial and industrial models. If your gate is larger than 600 pounds or is used frequently by a large workforce or client base, the Eagle 2000 is clearly the best choice, possibly with the upgraded 1 HP motor!
Keep these size and weight parameters in mind as you further consider your needs for a sliding gate opener, as there are more choices to make before picking your perfect kit.
Specifications
Control Features
When you know roughly what size of sliding gate kit your property requires, you can start to look closer at which features will make it the perfect fit. Eagle has two types of control boards used in their sliding gate operators: the AC mini control boards and their feature-packed diamond control board. The Eagle I comes with the AC mini control board which allows you to customize your open/close timer, change the orientation of your gate to right or left, and change your keypad inputs. You can purchase it direct at Eagle Operators Eagle I.
The Eagle 1000 and 2000 models all come equipped with Eagle’s Diamond Control Board which allows you to set an open/close delay, apply anti-tailgating, enable partial open, and utilize an open/close timer. If you need a larger gate opener, you will automatically be equipped with the Diamond Control Board. The AC mini control board is sufficient for most home use, but if you really want to customize your driveway gate, consider upgrading to the Eagle 1000 for residential use and benefit from the extended 7 year warranty too!
Fail-safes & Extras
Whether you’ve picked the Eagle 1000 or 2000, you still have a couple final decisions to make. First of all, both options allow you to select a traditional model with AC power supply or choose a DC model that runs completely off of a battery backup. If you opt for the DC power, you may have more choices available to you about where to position your gate as you do not need access to the electrical grid. In addition, these model come with an auto power save mode and you’d never need to worry about power outages.
If you stick with traditional AC power, both models also allow you to pick between multiple different fail-safes. The typical fail-safe or FSC includes the same safety controls as the Eagle I, with a crank-to-open feature in case of power failure in your area. This keeps your gate safe and operational even in the case of a city-wide outage. However, Eagle’s newest innovation is the Foot Release or FR model of gate operator, which allows the used to press a foot pedal that allows the gate to be pushed open by hand. This foot pedal also includes a lock you can secure in case of single-person use. Simply lock the foot pedal in place and push the gate open yourself. Of course, these features are available only to the owner of the gate as they are locked away within the gate operator module. The Foot Release model of the Eagle 1000 and 2000 is available on their website.
You have to pick a sliding gate kit that is appropriate to the size of your gate and property, but once you have that figured out there are so many options for you to customize. Evaluate which safety features you prefer and how much control you want over your gate, and the choice is made very simple for you. Check out https://eagleoperators.com/ to see more specifications and view all of your sliding gate kit specification options.