Fence gate on a hille question

[secuono]

I also turn the top pin down so the gate can't be lifted up and off.
Like this picture.

 

[misfitmorgan]

A hint for installing the mounting pin hinges - install one extra one in the middle , but upside down so that when an animal tries to stick their head through the gate frame bars it then can't lift the gate off the hinges. Another tip that I use on my ranch is to install the 16' or longer or even 2 -8' gates that slide along the fence on opposite sides of the opening ) gate on rollers so that it slides along the side of the fence to open.

We only use two but we always install the top one facing down and the bottom one facing up....then that sucker isnt coming off.

Like the post above mine shows... thats what i get for not reading to the end first.

 

[farmerjan]

There is one big down side to installing the top pin down. The hinge part will wear after awhile and then it will slide. Then you are constantly knocking it back up to meet the pin to keep it in place. I like the suggestion of putting a "third hinge pin" to prevent it getting taken off the hinges. Also, after years of dealing with cattle, we want to be able to lift a gate off the hinges quickly if there is any kind of emergency so do not put the top pin down anymore. Actually we have come up with an easy way to take care of making it hard for an animal to take the gate off the hinges and still make it easy for us to remove if needed. Put both pins up. we nail a short piece of 2x4 or something to the post a few inches above the pin but not interferring with putting the gate hinge on the pin. Then add another 2x2 or 2x4 above it on a nail driven partway in so it turns...like a turn knob on a cabinet. It stays in place when the gate pin is there, can't lift the gate up off the pin easily, but can quickly be turned sideways and the gate lifted off the pin. It really does work pretty good and there is no added cost.
The PINS ARE DESIGNED TO HOLD THE GATE UP, so it is defeating the purpose to have all the weight of the gate on one pin and the top one only holding it in place. We also like to have 2 gates and use 10 ft gates mostly now so that you can open one to drive smaller stuff through, open both for bigger pieces of equipment, and for bad weather it gives you some "wiggle room" if the ground is muddy, icey. slippery. Plus there is less weight and less stress on the gate post if you use 2 smaller gates as opposed to one big gate. You can then put the pins in and position the gates to best acomondate the ground slope better with less stress and weight on each one. You always want more gate than you think you will need.....ALWAYS

 

[misfitmorgan]

There is one big down side to installing the top pin down. The hinge part will wear after awhile and then it will slide. Then you are constantly knocking it back up to meet the pin to keep it in place.

I have never seen the slipping your referring too. Maybe if it was put up wrong?

The PINS ARE DESIGNED TO HOLD THE GATE UP, so it is defeating the purpose to have all the weight of the gate on one pin and the top one only holding it in place.

Maybe thats the type you buy, im not sure. The ones we have used in the past came as a set and gave instructions to put the top pin facing down so i dont think the kind we used were designed to be a specific way because there was no "top" and "bottom" markings on them.

 

[farmerjan]

If you have heavy gates, and we use alot of bull gates that are heavier than the ones you buy at TSC and the neighborhood co-op; they will eventually have the top hinge on the gate slowly work its way down and will have to be pushed back up. Doesn't matter how tight you put it on the gate. We use some of these gates many times a day and they will eventually slide. No there isn't a top or bottom pin, but if you use a heavier gate and it sits on the bottom pin and swings all the time, the pin will at sometime just snap and then you have to take the whole thing out and put a new one in. I hope you don't ever get in a place where you need to get the gate off the hinges in a hurry and don't have a pliers etc. to undo the top hinge. The instructions to put the top hinge down is to help discourage people from just lifting the gate up or an animal taking it off, but it doesn't take into account that some people want something to last forever and that there are times when getting the gate off the hinge quickly is imperative. After over 40 years of farming, we have learned a few tricks and what is practical for us. Several of the old timers around here that have run cattle for years have told us some tricks of the trade and we have seen first hand why they have done things the way they do.

 

[Bossroo]

I have never seen the slipping your referring too. Maybe if it was put up wrong?



Maybe thats the type you buy, im not sure. The ones we have used in the past came as a set and gave instructions to put the top pin facing down so i dont think the kind we used were designed to be a specific way because there was no "top" and "bottom" markings on them.

Hmmm! I guess that the manufacturer hasn't heard of gravity and it's effect on slipage . When you distribute the weight of the gate at two points instead of only on the bottom pin it has a lesser chance of slipping down. Another method to solve the animals lifting the gate off it's hinges is to put in self tapping screws into and through the hinge strap and into the gate .

 

[Bruce]

Not sure how the bottom pin can slide down, isn't it bolted into/through (depending on the style) the hinge side post? Or are we talking about pins that clamp to a round metal post?

 

[misfitmorgan]

If you have heavy gates, and we use alot of bull gates that are heavier than the ones you buy at TSC and the neighborhood co-op; they will eventually have the top hinge on the gate slowly work its way down and will have to be pushed back up. Doesn't matter how tight you put it on the gate. We use some of these gates many times a day and they will eventually slide. No there isn't a top or bottom pin, but if you use a heavier gate and it sits on the bottom pin and swings all the time, the pin will at sometime just snap and then you have to take the whole thing out and put a new one in. I hope you don't ever get in a place where you need to get the gate off the hinges in a hurry and don't have a pliers etc. to undo the top hinge. The instructions to put the top hinge down is to help discourage people from just lifting the gate up or an animal taking it off, but it doesn't take into account that some people want something to last forever and that there are times when getting the gate off the hinge quickly is imperative. After over 40 years of farming, we have learned a few tricks and what is practical for us. Several of the old timers around here that have run cattle for years have told us some tricks of the trade and we have seen first hand why they have done things the way they do.

We dont use heavy gates because we dont have cattle. I've never seen them slip though even on heavy gates for cattle, also never seen them snap off, i have seen the gate loops rust and the gate fall off though. My Grandparents and Great Grandparents ran a dairy cattle farm for over 125years....i install gates the same way they did. I've never seen a problem so far and i never saw them need to replace the pins just the gates now and then. I can't think of a reason i would need to lift a gate up though...but i dont plane on having cows anytime soon if ever.

Hmmm! I guess that the manufacturer hasn't heard of gravity and it's effect on slipage . When you distribute the weight of the gate at two points instead of only on the bottom pin it has a lesser chance of slipping down. Another method to solve the animals lifting the gate off it's hinges is to put in self tapping screws into and through the hinge strap and into the gate .

Gravity holds things down last time i checked it doesnt make things slip up. The bottom pin holds the downward force and the top pin holds the shear force, this is a common practice and how many things are designed to work. Look at doors for instance many doors that only have two hinges will have the bottom hinge holding the doors weight and the top hinge holding the shear force. Meaning the top hinge is reversed from the bottom which is why old hinges that you can tap the pins out of generally have the pins facing each other.

Not sure how the bottom pin can slide down, isn't it bolted into/through (depending on the style) the hinge side post? Or are we talking about pins that clamp to a round metal post?

Yeah im not understanding how it could possibly slip anyplace. One pin go thru the post and faces up and the other goes thru the post and faces down so it holds the gate snugly. There is no place for it to slip too.

 

[greybeard]

In 40+ years, I've never had one 'slip', including bull gates and using 3 hinge pins complicates matters a bit if you get the center one even a little out of line with the top and bottom hinge on a gate that is used daily.
Bottom 90° hinge pin faces up--top 90° on the pin faces down.
I've seen too many mature cows and bulls flip a gate off it's pins if installed with both pins facing up Jan--they'll even do it with one of Preifert's or Sioux Steel's rough stock bull gates.
I can have any tube gate off it's hinge pins in under 5 minutes with a 9/16 or crescent wrench.

 

[Latestarter]

I'm pretty sure I've decided I'm going with double gates here... a 10 footer for main/typical vehicle traffic and a 6 footer for foot/animal traffic. Both can be opened for larger/longer vehicles (to maneuver through) if the need arises.