Gate Post

[Hardrock40]

Built 2 gate post for a 14' farm gate with an electric opener.
4" Schedule 40 steel pipe with weld on caps, the caps are schedule 40 from the link Chad provided ( King Metals) Thanks.

The gate was breaking the screw in hinge pins, its has a lot of pressure on the hinges.

So I have a quick question. What diameter hole would be best for setting the main post in concrete? It will be three feet deep.

[wroughtnharv]

Built 2 gate post for a 14' farm gate with an electric opener.
4" Schedule 40 steel pipe with weld on caps, the caps are schedule 40 from the link Chad provided ( King Metals) Thanks.

The gate was breaking the screw in hinge pins, its has a lot of pressure on the hinges.

So I have a quick question. What diameter hole would be best for setting the main post in concrete? It will be three feet deep.

I have a tendency to overbuild according to some people. But I have a saying about gate post holes. "you only regret digging it too deep one time."

Walk gates are four feet deep and one foot across.

Small drive gates are six to eight feet deep, twelve to sixteen inch holes.

Automated big gates, three hundred pound plus/ fourteen feet or more, two foot diameter by ten plus feet deep.

There's nothing worse than having to go back and redo a hinge post because you went cheap up front.

[Hardrock40]

Thanks for being up front there wroughtnharv.

This gate I would guess is 150lbs to 200lbs max as I can pick it up and move it around but not far.

Looks like from your post I need to go a few more feet down. This would be just a minor fix of adding another piece of pipe to the bottom.

Three feet seems a bit shallow too me also, thats why I needed some good advise.

Thanks.

[Jim-TX]

Going deeper will give you more strength than going bigger. Follow Harv's advise, he's well experienced.

[davinci2010]

Have you thought about installing a helper wheel on the end of the gate opposite the hinges? Seems like it might take some of the strain off the hinges and support post. Also takes some of the sag out as things wear in over the years.

[admweld]

Don,t you guys put the post in the hole then pour concrete around it to anchor it like say 3/4 the depth of the hole?