GC GHOST CONTROLS Heavy-Duty Automatic Gate Opener Kit for Swing Gates with Long-Range Gate Opener Remote - Model TDS2

I bought this system to replace a mighty mule 362 dual gate system that had malfunctioned. The 362 gate arms are no longer available - so I really had no way to fix the old system and looked into what would be the best replacement at a reasonable price. I like that the Ghost Controls system has a lifetime warranty, and that they are made in the USA in Florida. The install took me about 4 hours, but it greatly helped that I was a bit knowledgeable having a prior dual opener system on this same gate, and was able to use the mounting plate from that gate. This definitely saved time. I like the design of the cover for the control box where it just slides on and off. I do find it odd that you have to drill your own mounting holes in the box but it does make sense to not provide extra unused holes for water or insect penetration. One odd thing is the installation manual indicates that page 18 shows "Tools required" for install, but when you go to that page, or any other page near it, there is no mention of any tools. I needed a power drill, tape measure, tiny screwdriver (they provide one), Phillips screwdriver, 3/8" ratchet set, set of drill bits (I believe I used 1/2" and 3/8"), pick-axe for the cable from the 2nd arm and some conduit. Note that if you are going to use the plug-in transformer instead of a solar panel to provide power, you will need to provide your own 16 gauge wire for it. This gate opener works faster than the mighty mule it replaced. The arms are also a little longer, necessitating me moving the arm mounting bracket forward about 10", but this also lets the system open the gate further rather than the 90 degrees that I was limited to with the old system. You must provide your own deep-cycle battery as the gate actually runs off the battery, and the transformer keeps the battery charged. This lets the gate still operate when the power goes out. The system does have a separately purchased option to enable internet/wifi access so you can open & close via an app, but I had already come up with a way on the old gate to do this with a wifi garage door switch from Meross and that ended up much cheaper than the price of the separate Ghost Controls unit. Overall the system seems robust and moves my gate smoothly. I am happy with the purchase.

Great quality! We've had this opener for 8 months now and it hasn't messed up even once. It is super durable and easy to use. It was easy to install ourselves and works like a dream. I feel very secure knowing that we have this product controlling entrance to our property. The speed of opening is good and you can program how long it stays open. We also purchase the vehicle sensor and it works beautifully. As soon as we get to the spot where the sensor is buried, the gate opens automatically. This makes exiting the property easy for ourselves and our guests.

Easy to install but mine wouldn't program the second gate. Call Ghost and they said I must have a bad circuit board. Sent me another one. Wrong one. Sent me another one and this one had other issues. Then I couldn't get them to on the phone or return my calls. All a bad sign so I read more of the reviews and thought it was time to send it back. I had another brand and it lasted for 15 yrs.

Not for the novice installer. My son installed this for me and he had no issues with the programing, not so sure I could have done it. Works like a champ. We bought because ot the reviews were mush higher than the competition and it had the "push" option which we needed as my gates swing out. They are very sturdy and the remote is awesome, we bought the option for bluetooth and my son can open the gate from Alaska. (I'm in Florida)

Very EZ install and the manual was written very well. Clear instructions and enough hardware for practically any install. I'm in my 70's and I installed this opener in one day. A younger person could probably install it in a couple hours. The hardest part in my driveway was cutting a ditch (then filling) across the concrete to install the conduit for the wiring for the far gate. The critical part is making sure that everything is square and level. Electrical hook-up is simple and instructions are clear. I give it 5-stars for now because it's only been in for 2-weeks. I will post if anything changes. *****UPDATE May 29, 2018****** Well, it's been almost 1 year since I installed this and my Ghost Gate Opener just quit. It has a full charge on the battery, fuses OK... the cylinders work when I operate them manually ("Jog" function) but the controls do not respond to any of my 3-remotes. The Customer Support page on their website does not work. I called and left a message and also sent them an email ([email protected]). I will update this review after this is resolved. *****UPDATE May 30, 2018****** Johnathan from Ghost Controls called me @ 8:AM PST (very considerate of time difference from Florida). He walked me through some simple trouble shooting and in 5 minutes the openers were working again. I don't think that anyone could ask for better customer service than that. I wish that I could give them a 6th star. *****Update March 2019***** Gate opener is still operating flawlessly. We use this gate a lot. Since that one issue (that was operator error) we have had zero issues. Thank you Ghost Controls. I just wish that the remotes weren't so darn expensive. *****Update August 2019***** I am now installing a set of these gate openers for my neighbor and the neighbor on the other side of me wants a set too. Mine have operated flawlessly now for over 2-years. ****Update February 2020***** Going on 3-years now and still working flawlessly.. Neighbor's install went perfectly and their's is working flawlessly too. ****Update June 2021**** Going on 5-years now and they still work flawlessly. I have now helped 2 neighbors install them on their gates. One was 2-years ago and the other was about 6 months ago. We are all very happy with our Ghost gate openers. My wife and I are in our late 70's now and we feel very safe with these gates. Because they are on their own solar/battery power, power outages have no effect on them.

Easy to install. Great videos online and written instructions. It works great!!!

Bought and installed TDS2, dual heavy duty openers. Install went well. They have good instructions and videos on their site. Systems work well but has compatibility issues with other remotes and Homelink as they use their own proprietary communication. They market this as a feature but reality is that it isn't even a rolling code system so no security or range benefit vs standard garage door/gate communications, just a PITA to deal with and additional spending to fix. Their support was subpar at best, long to respond and just put the blame on others and closed the ticket without even trying to understand what the issue is. In conclusion, a good buy as long as nothing goes wrong. I would have given 4 stars if their support was better.

Gate openers work well; system was easy to wire, easy to setup and operates as it should. Really like the low voltage power wire option, allows for much cheaper wire to be buried to provide power. A few items that need improvement; 1. The main gate opener needs a longer cable. We installed the control box approximately 2.5’ away from our openers and near the ground. Conduit was run from each opener and underground to the control box location. The wire on the main opener was approximately 2’ too short for our application, so I need to re-run the conduit and move the control box location. 2. The strain relief connectors for the wire inlets to the control box work great. However they didn’t include one for the power wire, and the zombie lock didn’t include one either. What’s the point in providing nice connectors for only some of the penetrations? 3. ALL OF THE HARDWARE IS METRIC! Just a pet peeve, but annoying to try and upgrade some items for cleaner fasteners. 4. Is it too much to ask to provide paper templates for the hardware to take most of the guesswork out of mounting the bracketry? I understand this isn’t the highest end opener, but also far from the budget option too. 5. Remote range could be longer, albeit a pretty minor inconvenience for having a remote operated gate.