Sliding gate openers are commonly compared on kilogram capacity, form factor, and the type of limit switches used. While these are all important factors, there are several additional considerations that are equally critical to long-term performance and reliability.
Motor Wattage
Wattage is the true measure of a motor's capability and should be used as a primary comparison point — particularly when evaluating AC (240V) motors against other AC motors, or DC (24V) motors against other DC motors. It is important to note, however, that wattage should not be used to directly compare AC and DC motors against one another, as they operate on fundamentally different power classes.
Operating Speed
Once your gate is automated, waiting for it to open or close — particularly when pulling into your driveway — quickly becomes frustrating. Speed is therefore an important consideration. That said, not all gates are built to handle high speeds, and running a gate too fast can cause damage over time. Our Titan 2410 addresses this with a fully adjustable speed range of 30% to 100%, allowing the installer to dial in the right balance between performance and practicality each specific gate.
Insect Ingress
Insect ingress is the single biggest cause of sliding gate motor failure. Snails, spiders, lizards, and other small creatures can work their way into a motor housing and cause significant damage to the electronics inside. The Titan series addresses this with cable glands fitted to the base of the motor housing, creating a sealed entry point for all cables and substantially reducing the risk of ingress.
Control Board Quality
The second most common cause of gate motor failure is premature control board failure. As a general principle, bigger is better here — a motor rated for 800kg running a 400kg gate is well within its comfort zone, which translates directly to a longer service life for the electronics. For this reason, we generally advise against 400kg and 500kg capacity systems, as they tend to have weaker electronic designs that are prone to triggering overloads and, eventually, board failure.
Limit Switch Type
Limit switches tell the gate motor when it has reached the fully open or fully closed position. There are two common types: spring limits and magnetic limits.
Spring limits use microswitches, which are less susceptible to tolerance changes caused by seasonal temperature variation. They are set visually during installation, making them straightforward to configure, and individual microswitches are inexpensive and widely available if a replacement is ever needed.
Magnetic limits use reed switches, typically with additional associated circuitry. While they perform the same function, they are more sensitive to environmental changes and are generally proprietary components — meaning replacement parts must be sourced from the original manufacturer, which can increase both cost and repair time.
All of our gate operators use spring limits, chosen specifically for their ease of installation and cost-effective reparability.