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The Back Saver gate device

6K views 31 replies 22 participants last post by  Tony Harrell 
#1 ·
Does anyone use the "Back Saver" that was at Expo? It looks like a great investment for those heavy trailer gates and was just wondering if they really work as good as they look?
 
#6 ·
LAWNGODFATHER, you think your girlfriend can come help me with my gate??? Just kidding, haha, please dont send the boys (Tony and Gweed-Oh) after me. I will (when I get time) also do the set up per Mr. Eric's lovely web site. Much cheaper to biuld yourself, and probably much better construction too.
 
#8 ·
I bought the backsaver this year and can't imagine ever being without it. It saves your back and now I've got that much more energy to do things as lifting that gate really wore me down. Whether you make one or buy one already biult , you won't regret it . I don't even bend down to pick it up....I just kick it up with my toe. When I drop it down , I don't bend over either , I just unlock it ,push it down , and it will fall to the ground ever so gently.:p
 
#14 ·
Here is mine.

I trade services to a fabricator. He builds everything I need.

He used two 150lb Garage door springs. They come with the cable.

The pulleys he said he made them on a lathe.

We had one side done and it helped but went ahead and put them on both sides.

Now wth a little flick it goes up by its self.

My 9 yr old son thinks its the coolest thing that he can lift the gate.

Its amazing how much this helps. the gate gets heavy by the end of the day. Not to mention I had it reinforced this spring which added even more weight.

Wheel Tire Land vehicle Vehicle Automotive tire
 
#19 ·
We bought an EZ-Gate at the Louisville Lawn Expo and it's nice. I know all about how people have made their own but the show special price was better than my time to fabricate one. The owners kid (8-10 yrs. old) showed it to me and I was hooked. The install was ok but the directions could have been a little more informative. Bottom line - I can raise/lower the 4' gate on the trailer easily with one hand. Multiply that by the number of cuts/day, days cutting/week, and my back feels better already. It's a good product. Gee, I sound like an endorsee <G>
 
#22 ·
Yep, that is slick! Looks just like mine, but mine is just a little bigger, and I only have one. (causes the right corner to pull up just a little bit - about an inch). Did you say that your springs were two 150# springs? That seems like alot! My one spring, I thought, was rated at about 80#, but maybe I'm wrong. I know I can lift the gate with a flick of my toe though, and it comes right to daddy.:p I thought before of having one on each side, but just haven't had the need yet. Your pulley case looks just about like mine, too. Just welded steel? Nice!:) Sunrise, you were wondering about the pulleys, I got mine from a block and tackle pulley that I bought just for the pulley wheels. I wanted to make sure that the steel wheels weren't 2 piece, pressed together. I was afraid of them splitting. Also, I used coated cable, but this was kind of a waste, since the vinyl split where the cable runs over the one pulley.
 
#23 ·
runner,

Yes they are 150lbs garage door springs. Now part of the problem was that we could only put them so far foward(cause of the sides on my trailer). So the springs were not stretched very far to begin with.

We had on on and tried it but I still had to work. I figured if I was going to have a gate assist i wanted it to fly up.

Oh by the way the first time I lifted it (used to it being heavy) I almost got myself in the chin. MAN did that slam shut.
 
#26 ·
I built my own gate assist and found solid 2" diameter pulleys at Home Depot which are pulleys used on the bottom of sliding patio doors. They are perfect for this application. I also set my pulleys up a little bit differently so that they didn't stick up so far as the ez-gate does. I mounted the lower pulley about 3" behind and 1" lower than the higher pulley. I will try to post some pictures when I get a chance.......I really think my pulley arrangement is an improvement over the others I have seen, so I will try to get a picture out there for others to use.
 
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