TB175Black Gate Closer

I read the previous reviews and was weary of this product, BUT it was easy to install and, as of 3-4 days, works perfectly. This is IF you are looking for a self-closing gate mechanism that also soft closes. It also has a hold-open function at 90 degrees. YES, the instructions are fairly crummy, and my box that the product came in was literally ripped open. Despite that, I have yet to find a well built product like this that functions as needed (self-close AND soft close) that wasn't $200. Note: just measure 8.75 inches and install the little gate holding mechanism, and then install the arm like 2-3 mms into your post and it should work fine. I was even able to tweak BOTH the soft-close and self-close speeds. As someone who reads a lot of reviews before purchasing, I thought it was worth writing this one so others are able to successfully buy this product. That said, Amazon should maybe get the reseller to clean up their packaging issues.

The Lockey USA Gate Closer is a fabulous product. Feels, looks and weighs-in heavy-duty and its functionality match its looks. Our aluminum side entry gates already had strong spring auto-closing (read: slamming) hinges and after weeks searching I have found slowwww-closing nirvana. These completely and micrometrically eliminate the every-day slamming of our doors by service personnel. Direct drilling and fastening onto the aluminum posts provided solid installation and the Lockey’s perform admirably. We installed two of the Lockey Gate Closers - one in each gate left and right openings. Including reading through the instructions (not the best) and the installation, the first Lockey took about 40 minutes for complete install — including the fine tuning of the pressure shock’s closing to match our spring hinges and actually lock the gate shut. The 2nd unit took 15 min to install, was a breeze. The very wide range of tweaking you can accomplish with the gas shock should satisfy any gate requirements whether they be very strong push to seal the gate shut or, if you don’t have a lock, a very slow and quite close to shut the gate very gently. The Good > Works fantastically and can be tweaked to virtually any required closing speed and force > Heavy-duty looks, feel and weight; Heavy-duty functionality > Very fast and easy installation provided you read the instructions to avoid unsightly hole drilling > At just over $40 each, they are a bargain. Even if corroding after 2 or 3 years (read below), I will replace with the same units The Bad > Instructions are lacking with pictures that are almost undecipherable > Maybe - These units are entirely made in power-coated steel and we are directly by the ocean. Time will tell how they hold up

It has a strong spring and strong damping, so it works well in the wind. It can be adjusted with a strong kick for stubborn latches, or very soft for light latches. The base plate mounts close to the edge, so you really need to drive screws in at an angle to get the meat of the post. The second row of screws falls right in the crack if you have a 2x hinge post, so again, substitute some long screws driven at an angle. Instructions are not that great, but it is pretty simple. It just needs to be aligned with the hinge and the gate should be flush to the hinge post, or close enough for a few washers to make up.

I live in an area with gusty wind at times and have replaced the gate latch bar more than once after it got bent when a gust slammed the gate shut. I wanted something that would close the gate in normal operation, but prevent it from slamming shut. I didn't want a simple gate stop since at full speed the gate is going to batter itself slamming into the stop at full speed. This device regulates the closing speed and prevents the gate from slamming shut. One thing they mention in the instructions is you'll need an external stop in the open direction to prevent the gate from opening more than 90 degrees. Until I installed it the reason wasn't clear to me. Now it is. Imagine the gate opening nicely on its hinges, with the hinge on this device also allowing its arm to rotate on the bracket. At some point the arm on this device hits its hinge, and at that point you've transitioned from a smoothly rotating connection to one locked rigid by contact. At that point all the momentum of the gate transfers into the device bracket which tries to tear itself off the post. Not good. You want a stop. In my yard I placed a heavy decorative rock to keep the gate from opening too far. If you are planning on installing this on a wooden gate then I recommend getting longer screws. Get the longest screws that will fit inside your post. The screws that come with the device are short and totally inadequate for the load. Also an impact driver is better than a drill/driver since the impact driver allows you to drive the screw in easily without damaging the screw head and without having to predrill a pilot hole. This device doesn't regulate the gate opening speed. That may be by design so it doesn't take much force to open the gate, but I wish it could also regulate the opening speed so a gust doesn't fling the gate open if it is unlatched.