Funny thing about that long arm opener that you prefer, the site which is apparently the factory, does not have a contact area, and the only other site which mentions them is a real scam site. I’d love to give them some sales but without web access it looks like I’ll be going with someone else. I can’t just drive down to their shop and pick one up. As you seem to know them, you might mention this. Thanks. Great video 👍
They also don't make their own control boards, don't meet UL safety standards, don't have lightning protection, a 7 day timer, a built in radio receiver that uses long range, rolling code technology and lots of other things. Jack uses these for one reason. He makes the most money on them and Nice / Apollo told him to quit selling their actuator with his own control board that he used to have made just for him.
Jack knows what he is talking about!!!! I bought a Ghost Controls single to open my 18 foot tube gate which weighed 178 pounds, but it would not do it!!!! After replacing it with another Ghost Controls system it still did not work - cheap stuff and will only work with very light and short gates. (don't waste your money - take Jack's advice!!!! ) American Armor long arm openers are the ONLY way to go!!!!! I wish I had seen Jack's video first as it would have saved me time and money!!! Thank you Jack - you are a genius!!!!
I bought an American Armor gate operator and love it! Money well spent! Built right and like a tank. Looks good,, works good and I am expecting years of good service out of it. You won’t be sorry about your purchase of an American Armory gate operator.
@@jgren4048 This is the installer/authorize dealer I used to do mine. 210-215-2099. His name is Kenny Byrom. He installs American Armor gate systems. He does welding / plasma cutting gates / etc. I am very happy with mine. He is very good at his job and fair pricing. ( facebook.com/byromcustommetal/ )
I've been selling and installing gate operators for 21 years. I, too, began with US Automatic and migrated to Apollo. Then ditched them when you could burn up their boards by just mentioning lightning. BFT, (not BTF) has never been worth the effort required to toss them off of a bridge. They're the same garbage, essentially, as Nice (who, unfortunately, also purchased HySecurity). Same country, same junk. Some of you guys mentioning Ghost Controls should know they are simply reheated GTO (Mighty Mule). The Liftmaster is the only linear actuator system I've used for about 12 years or more. They are 24 volt instead of 12 (with the exception of their solar version), the batteries are included (the others aren't), they come with radio receiver and UL325 required safeties included (the others don't), they have lockable manual disconnects built into arms (the others don't) and the mounting geometry for the rear bracket is 7.5 x 7.5 inches (not 4 to 5). All my brackets are welded once bolted so they never move and I've seen them swinging 20 foot gates (way outside parameter). I have very little call outs for the LA400 systems I've installed.
You should check out Maximum Controls gate operators. Even their solar lineup is 24 volts with 18amp/h batteries instead of 7 amp/h, it has amazing circuit board and their arm is made out of stainless steel. Started by the same guy that started Elite
GTO does make a bracket that pushes the openers out 12”. I installed a GTO Pro with the extended bracket and have used the opener for over 10 yrs now. But it’s time to replace it, and American Armor is not really available, soooo???
All these swing gate openers have the same flaw: no protection against snow and ice that sticks on the tubes that then blocks it from sliding. This expert should look around more and find the type that has protection against this common problem in colder climates.
I've been servicing and installing automatic gate systems for 21 years. In my experience, 99% of all gate problems are the result of bad installation. Most installers never open the installation manual. Good information in there. Each automation system is designed with a specific set of design criteria in mind. Of course there is the price point, but there is the weight and length too. None of the operators shown in this video should be used with a privacy gate, or solid surface gate. Wind load can be considerable, and a strong wind can destroy any one of those. The Liftmaster LA400 he mentions is a great system, if installed on a gate with the limitations in the installation manual in mind. It seems that whomever installed that LA400 laying there did not read the installation manual. According to the manual, that rear pivot point is supposed to be set 7" back from the gate hinge pivot point, and 7" into the property from the hinge pivot point. I rarely see this done. And it looks like the weld failed, which is not the problem of the LA400 system. It's just bad welding by the installer. Most of these systems are not DIY systems. Even the ones that claim to be DIY. Get yourself an experienced installer who understands the differences of many systems, and can install a system for you that meets your needs. Even a poorly installed gate system can work well for a few years. Then problems begin to become apparent. and your cheap installer is nowhere to be found.
Hello Rentaissanceman, We are experiencing problems with our Centurion Swing Arm Gate Opener. Constantly have to get people out to set the limits, so I paid attention on what they do and did it my self a few times now, it only works for a short time, then the limits goes haywire again. Could the constant load shedding in SA have an effect? We replaced the battery yesterday, set the limits and this morning had to unhook the piston again to work manually. It has been working just fine until recently, then it just began giving problems. Could it be time for retirement, not sure how old the swing arm is. If the "brain" is not working properly it should either work or not work, is there something I can do to see why the limits keeps on losing its memory? Kind regards. Jaco
@@jacovorster8193 Up front, I will admit I have no experience with the Centurion operator you mention. That said, most of the equipment available shares similar properties. However, I do need more information. You must have some idea how old the system is. Manufacturers usually put a label somewhere on their systems, often times inside the control box, and if the date is not explicitly shown, it can be part of the serial number and may be easily recognized. You should certainly not be having the constant resetting of the limits you describe. As I said; most problems are caused by poor installations, AND uneducated service technicians. Most service technicians do not understand how to troubleshoot, and would rather say your system has failed and offer to sell you one they understand better, rather than admit they do not know what they are doing. I am happy to help, but this will get involved. I have not looked into how to direct message from within RU-vid, but if you know how, send me some pictures of your system, and I will try to assist. I need to go to work now, but I will return.
@@jacovorster8193 Tell me the model of the centurion opener you are using. Perhaps I can access the owner's manual on-line and see if I can be of any help.
I have a Ghost Control TSS1 that's been running flawlessly for nearly 4 years. I use their "zombie lock" which latches the end of the gate to the opposing post. It's electrically operated so when the gate opens and closes, the lock releases. It bullet proof.
This guy is awesome a rip off guy wanted $1200 for repair. Jack is a Christian man spoke to me over phone. Guided me and suggested to replace battery. I did his suggestion and it works excellent.. God bless Hack and his family had to find a real business man these days.... please use this guy for all your gate opener needs...
American armor is the best? I bought a mm572 and with stall force wide open a 10mph wind will stop the gates. Could I get in touch with you somehow? I’d like to show you pictures of what I built. Thank you
I know and understand what you meant by quality going down when Nice takes over . Security is big here where I am and people rely on the motors for their security. We fit locks to the swing gates via relays to prevent criminals driving through them or crow baring them open .
When Apollo was bought by nice Rob Melenyzer the owner of American armor products stole apollos designs on the 1500 series with 636 board. Rob was at Apollo a long time and was a purchase manger/engineer as a purchase manger he started a company under a different owners nameto make the parts. when a contract was up for renewal Rob signed off on his “new vendors” invoice for parts at a higher rate. Rob was also sued by Nice for theft of intellectual property among other things. They settled in court. Rob changed the 1500 series just enough to gain a patent on it as an American armor, funny he uses Apollo control boxes when his vendor can’t keep up. Needless to say I bought into the American armor is the best. No it isn’t honestly all or our basic installs we use Apollo 1500 with 636, so many less service calls. Bad for our bottom line I guess but I’d rather have happy return customers.
I’m looking to buy a gate opener, I don’t have a big budget. I like the mighty mule they are expensive. I found some one eBay at a reasonable price. What do you think.
Don't do it,I work on gates for a living . Never heard good things about mighty mule or gto(same company. If your gate isn't wider than 9' or weighs less than 400 lbs,cant go wrong with bft,fairly cheap too
I inatall many different brands but always recommend liftmaster to my customers, depending on how heavy and wide your gate is, i'd go with RSL12 for lighter gates the rsl also comes with a battery so if you ever have a power outage you can still open and close your gate, and for bigger gates you can go with the SL 3000, this model comes with 1/2 hp and also 1hp for heavier gates
If you're worried about strength against force opening you should use a swing arm not an actuator. Lift master LA500 is the best and most reliable arm on the market. I do not work for them, I install and service all brands of gate openers. In my opinion any arm that doesn't have a manual release is junk
In the video he basically says the LiftMasters are short arm and very expensive. So, you're contradicting him, huh? I did notice that the American Armor prices weren't mentioned, and they aren't mentioned on the website either. They obviously aren't high-volume dealers or they would make it easier to get information (like pricing) even on the weekends. I sent them an email - we'll see.
@@larryb7047 sorry I just saw this reply. My personal opinion is the la500 is reliable, easy for a child to put into manual using a key if necessary, built in battery backup, integrated myQ that will work with your LM garage door opener also, a 3 button remote can work with both your LM garage doors and the gate opener without adding a receiver and more wiring, and liftmaster will warranty stuff quickly especially of you're close to one of their warehouses. The safety equipment installs easily and is very simple to troubleshoot. You can program transmitters without opening the control panel. The remotes are the best and most reliable when there is nearby interference. Their tech support is great, maybe max is better but LM is still way better than like mighty mule or some other less reliable system. Max makes great equipment but is more costly. Also in my opinion the la500 is the most appealing look of any gate opener actuating arm. I would put csw24ul operators in my own property tho
Do not listen to him, i ALWAYS recommend liftmaster to my customers! For lighter gates i install the LA400 and for heavier gates i inatall the LA500 Ive never had any of my customers call me with any issues and never had any complaints about any of the stuff that hes talking about, if you adjust the gate properly you shouldnt have any more than 1"-11/2" play at the closed position
So what exactly is wrong with magnetic limit switches. Every Apollo I have ever opened up suffers from extreme moisture damage inside. Never had a limit in one fail. All linear actuators really suck though. Articulating arm operators are preferred if there’s room
The length of the linear motor depends on the gate leaf so too long may not be of any advantage. Also the quality of the electronic controllers can Vary Considerably the BFT Brand shown in the video has the best features of all the brands shown and the motor has adjustable magnetic limits, so no moving mechanical limits
I disagree with an arm being "better" just because it has a longer frame and rear bracket. It actually to me points to a weakness because the operator needs more leverage to meet the specs its rated for and moves the gate slower.
That is absolutely not true. The farther away from the hinge you grab a gate, the easier it is to push and pull it. On the longer actuators you CAN short stroke them and it will make the gate faster. If you do that on the shorter ones he showed that are full of plastic gears, you will destroy them. They will not hold up.
You're not supposed to "short stroke" any operator. You're supposed to follow the installation specs. And there are plastic gears in nearly every actuator from GTO to Viking.
