USAutomatic 020320 Sentry 300 Commercial Grade Automatic Gate Opener

I researched automatic gate operators quiet extensively. The only one I knew I did not want for sure was a GTO. (more on that later) I still could not decide. So I called a local dealer who sold and installed gate operators. He recommended USAutomatic . Why, "made in the US, better warranty, excellent support, commercial grade, low power usage, and a satisfied customer list". I trusted his professional opinion and bought the USAutomatic Sentry 300 S. After installing the operator and using it for a couple of weeks I am very satisfied. It works smooth, was easy to install, easy to setup, I get a 30% tax credit on the cost, and a decent warranty. I am very impressed with this Operator. My first gate operator was a GTO Mighty Mule 500. Mainly because it was the only brand and best model available in retail stores in my area. It was about $450.00 plus another battery $30.00 (because the power drain was so high) and another remote $30.00. Over $500.00. I got it installed and it sounded like it was going to strip a gear ever tine it was opened. To my amazement It lasted about 3yrs on a 200lb 14 foot residential gate that was used an average of 4 times a day. When it did strip a gear (the warranty was expired) I could not buy the gears. I could buy replacement arm for $275.00. Comparing a GTO Mighty Mule 500 Gate Opener to USAutomatic Sentry 300 S would be like comparing oak to mdf . You get what you pay for. I now have a mighty mule 500 gate operator for sale if anyone needs parts or a trot line weight. UPDATE:4/9/12 I have had this opener for about a year & a half now. The only problem I have had was when I tried to push snow with it in one of the rare snow storms we have in Texas. I had to unplug the battery and let it reset, and clear the snow from its path. It has not give me any more problems. I use the remote from the house (about 300 feet) it works every time in one location, but from the drive or another location in th house it is hit or miss. I think it might be an interference or frequency problem. Overall I still give it five stars.

I was a little apprehensive about taking this DIY project on, especially since the existing gates were badly installed and I really did not want to have to rip out the gate posts and install new ones. However, I was able to replace the two 5' chain link gates with a single 10' meshed farm gate and shimmed it so that the gate itself was completely level (the post was a bit off kilter). Yes, it would have been better to set a new gate post, but I figured that was going to be a huge amount of effort (the old gate post was set at the end of a concrete kneewall. Installation of the gate opener went without a hitch (I did view the CD and read the installation instructions twice before proceeding). The manual was good and in less than 2hrs it was all up and running. Adjustment was easy. The gate opens very consistently (within an inch) and the remotes have a long range (I can click the opener at the start of the driveway which is some 250' from the inner driveway gate. It has been operating flawlessly for a week and given the quality of construction I expect it should run for some time. I did get a silicon sealant to ensure the control panel was well sealed (I have had issues before with ants getting into control units like that). I am glad I opted for a neighbor's advice to avoid an inexpensive unit and thereby avoid the problems he had (he gave up trying to install it and finally paid a gate company to fix it). Assuming it continues to operate well into the future, I will rate this as a very fine purchase. UPDATE: the range of the remote is quite surprising: I can consistently open and close the gate from the corner of my property which lies over 600' away from the Control box on the gate. And this is not direct line of sight either - at least 200' of the property is covered with oak trees and small shrubs! I especially like the fact that I can sit at my desk inside the house, some 150' from the control box (again going through trees and three walls of the house) and still reliably open and close the gate (which is useful since this is an inside gate, and I have a driveway sensor at the outer entrance which gives me plenty of time to see who is coming and open the gate for them). The driveway gate itself continues to operate flawlessly without a single hiccough - in fact I purchased another remote and also got the wireless keypad and plan to tie in a remote relay so that I can open and close the gate over the internet. 2nd update: has worked flawlessly now for 4+ years. 3rd update: worked flawlessly for 5+ years now. When AC power failed during recent ICEmageddon, the gate was one of the few things that continued to work on battery power. 4th update: 8 years, still working flawlessly, did have to clean corrosion on battery terminals, but original battery still seems ok (probably need to replace it soon though). 5th update, 10+ years: Removed Wasps nest in controller😳 and installed a new battery and now working as well as ever 🙂.