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SHERLOTRONICS buying guide
SHERLOTRONICS questions
How do I choose the right gate motor? +
Match the motor to the gate type (sliding or swing), the gate mass in kilograms and the expected cycles per day. An underrated motor overheats and fails early on a busy driveway. Steep driveways and heavy timber gates both push you up a size.
Will the gate open during load shedding? +
Most modern motors run from a battery that the mains keeps charged, so the gate keeps working for a number of cycles during an outage. How many depends on battery condition and gate weight. Where outages are long, a larger battery or a solar charging kit is the usual fix.
Are safety beams compulsory? +
Safety beams stop the gate closing on a person, a pet or a vehicle, and no automated gate should run without them. They are standard practice for a compliant installation and are the cheapest part of the system by a wide margin.
Can I keep my old remotes? +
Sometimes. It depends on whether the new receiver supports the frequency and code type of the existing remotes, and rolling-code remotes usually cannot be cloned. A multi-channel receiver can often be added so old and new remotes work together.
How often does a gate motor need servicing? +
Once a year for a domestic gate, more often for a complex or estate gate. Service means checking the battery, the rack and pinion or arms, the limit settings, the safety beams and the gate itself, since most motor failures start as a mechanical problem with the gate.