Automating your property’s gate entrance is a great way to keep your land safe and make entering and exiting easier than ever. Choosing to automate your gate leaves you with a variety of options that are each suited to specific gate setups, so it’s important to be aware of exactly what you should be looking for. The automatic gate openers industry is full of swing gate operator systems that come in every shape, size, and capability.

Swinging Gates and Sliding Gates

Your property’s gate will open and close in one of two ways: swinging or sliding. Swing gates are more common and are appropriate for smaller-scale property entrances, while gates that extend and retract by sliding are typically suited for larger, more industrial entryways. However, both of these gate types can be found on any property, so knowing which way your gate opens is important for any property owner.

At Ghost Controls®, we offer only swing gate openers, meaning our products will not work on slide gates of any kind. Ghost Controls® products are built with convenience and easy installation in mind, which is why our gate openers are compatible with swing gates.

Tube Gates

The most basic gate for property entrances in less-residential areas is a tube gate. Tube gates are perfect for use on farmland or any rural enclosure, and have reliable outdoor functionality without the need for a privacy barrier.

Our Ghost Controls® TSS1, TSS1XP, TDS2, and TDS2XP gate opener kits are perfect for tube gates, coming with special tube gate brackets included in the box for ease of installation. Tube gate automation is slightly different from decorative or decorative gate automation due to the mounting method that is used for the gate bars.

Decorative Gates

Decorative gates are used in more residential or industrial areas, providing a mixture of privacy and security for properties in many different areas. These types of driveway single swing gates require a more direct mounting setup.

Ghost Controls® offers our DTP1 and DEP2 decorative Style gate opener kits to help with your installation. Mounting these gate opener arms typically requires more hole drilling to attach the arm to the center of your gate, but with our decorative gate kits you can be sure that the process won’t be too difficult and will last you as long as you need.

In addition to the D-series of gate openers, Ghost Controls® has several other variants of gate openers that can suit the needs of decorative gates. If your gate has columns on either side of the entrance and you need extra clearance from your operator arm, our Manor Series HDP1 and HDP2 Single and Dual Gate Opener Kits will give you what you need. These types of gates are found on many residential and commercial properties alike.

Our LSM1 Ghost Pro series of gate openers replace the plastic housing along the gate operator arm with a stronger, more durable metal housing for heavier-duty decorative setups.

Column Mounted Gates

Lastly, column mounted gates make for convenient and safe entryways to your property, all while improving curb appeal. Automatic gate openers for column mounted gates are often similar to that of decorative electric driveway gates due to the similarity in form and functionality between the two. However, column mounted gates are sometimes more strongly designed and are more likely to require heavy duty setups.

Common choices for automating column mounted gates include our DTP1 and DEP2 remote gate openers, which are designed not only for decorative use, but for residential and commercial use as a whole; this makes them an easy choice for simple column mounted entryways.

Similar to decorative-style gates, many column mounted gates will require a gate opener to be mounted on columns. The Manor Series HDP1 and HDP2 Gate Opener Kits give the extra clearance and durability that can be used for many column mounted gates too.

General Considerations

Overall, the way you automate your gate depends on your specific setup, and because no two locations are the same, you’ll need to consider every detail to find the kit that is right for you. Ghost Controls® will provide you with a swing gate opener that is guaranteed to satisfy all of your gate automation needs. We know just how important it is to get your setup right, which is why we offer a free Build A Kit Quiz on our website, which you can find here.

If you’re in need of a specialty kit and would like more information on your specific needs, you can access our Contact Form For Assistance Building Specialty Kits, which will put you in contact with our trustworthy technical support team.

Looking to learn more about Ghost Controls® solar gate openers and gate opener accessories? 

Ghost Controls offers a wide array of reliable driveway swing gate openers, including chain link gate openers. For years, customers have asked for an alternative for slow, unreliable, and noisy operators. At Ghost Controls we have worked hard with innovations in Noise Reduction, Speed, and Reliability on our heavy duty electric gate openers. Additionally, we provide all of our customers with the opportunity to share our love of solar powered renewable energy by converting their systems into a solar automatic gate opener. Using a solar operator is a great way to go off the grid and provide your system with endless clean energy for your remote gate opener.

Speed, and Reliability:

• Quiet – motor noise is accurately correlated to quality in the mechanical and electronic design. All our openers have a maintenance free gear box and motor. They were designed for smooth, quiet operation regardless of the age and cycles of the battery powered gate opener.
• Fast – Our mechanical design and new radio frequency offer superior range offering a greater level of convenience for customers.
• Invincible (Limited Life-Time Warranty) – The motor is one of the most critical components to ensure reliability and longevity. We back our proprietary gear motors with a limited lifetime warranty. No other product in the market can make this claim.

GHOST CONTROLS® single and double swing gate openers are designed and manufactured with pride, delivering the highest quality product and customer support in the industry. We believe in our products with our limited lifetime warranty on each solar compatible dual or single gate opener*. Our corporate philosophy is; steadfast commitment to our customers, culture, products, and people.

*Limited lifetime warranty on motor and gear assembly.