Gap width into field

Blue Power

Blue Power

Well-Known Member
What gap width do you find is wide enough for an entrance into a field off a 5m wide public road? The type of machinery using the gap will be mostly silage gear and slurry tankers.

The gap will be at the corner of a field so if I use a single gate it can be opened flush with a hedge. I was looking at gates today and the max standard heavy duty gate I can buy is 20ft. I don't think this is wide enough and was thinking 24ft.

I will build block piers for the entrance.
 
Blue Power said:
What gap width do you find is wide enough for an entrance into a field off a 5m wide public road? The type of machinery using the gap will be mostly silage gear and slurry tankers.

The gap will be at the corner of a field so if I use a single gate it can be opened flush with a hedge. I was looking at gates today and the max standard heavy duty gate I can buy is 20ft. I don't think this is wide enough and was thinking 24ft.

I will build block piers for the entrance.
Click to expand...
I’m using two 14 ft gates in a similar situation with a removable post in the middle, can get out of a 28ft gap with the bale trailer comfortably now.
 
Blue Power said:
What gap width do you find is wide enough for an entrance into a field off a 5m wide public road? The type of machinery using the gap will be mostly silage gear and slurry tankers.

The gap will be at the corner of a field so if I use a single gate it can be opened flush with a hedge. I was looking at gates today and the max standard heavy duty gate I can buy is 20ft. I don't think this is wide enough and was thinking 24ft.



I will build block piers for the entrance.
Click to expand...

Decide what width is needed then add 15ft to it.

The last two I’ve done have been a pair of 20ft gates each time.
 
I'd suggest a little under 25ft gap. 14ft gate and 10ft gate with post in the middle.

If a 14ft gate is not wide enough to get into, increase it to 16ft but make sure your piers are strong enough.

Anymore than a 15ft gate and do not use H irons for your piers.
 
nashmach said:
I'd suggest a little under 25ft gap. 14ft gate and 10ft gate with post in the middle.

If a 14ft gate is not wide enough to get into, increase it to 16ft but make sure your piers are strong enough.

Anymore than a 15ft gate and do not use H irons for your piers.
Click to expand...

So 25ft plus my extra 15ft above = 40ft :lol:

Good strong piers and you’re sorted.

Ive yet to hear a driver say that a gap is too wide.
 
CORK said:
So 25ft plus my extra 15ft above = 40ft :lol:

Good strong piers and you’re sorted.

Ive yet to hear a driver say that a gap is too wide.
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The dumping is bad enough outside that 25ft gap as it is without encouraging more with a 40ft gap :curse:
 
denis086 said:
Your drivers haven’t tried to get out of a field with a herd of over friendly cattle in said field trying to follow them out!
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Fair point!!
Animal free zone here but I’ve plenty of memories of them!
 
MF30 said:
I’m using two 14 ft gates in a similar situation with a removable post in the middle, can get out of a 28ft gap with the bale trailer comfortably now.
Click to expand...

Forgot about a bale trailer that's probably the longest trailer to go in.

I want to avoid double gates if possible. Mostly because when the mower, rake harvester etc goes in one of the gates will have to be closed for the first round or two.

A manufacturer told me that the longest gate he would feel comfortable making (without a support wheel, which it won't have) is 24ft.
 
nashmach said:
I'd suggest a little under 25ft gap. 14ft gate and 10ft gate with post in the middle.

If a 14ft gate is not wide enough to get into, increase it to 16ft but make sure your piers are strong enough.

Anymore than a 15ft gate and do not use H irons for your piers.
Click to expand...

The entrance is beside a neighbours house so to keep them on side I said I would build block piers plaster and paint them. I willl fill the centre of the pier with concrete and hang the gate off this one.
 
Blue Power said:
Forgot about a bale trailer that's probably the longest trailer to go in.

I want to avoid double gates if possible. Mostly because when the mower, rake harvester etc goes in one of the gates will have to be closed for the first round or two.

A manufacturer told me that the longest gate he would feel comfortable making (without a support wheel, which it won't have) is 24ft.
Click to expand...
I'd make wrap around hinges which would make sure that both gates would fold around into the hedge so no headland obstruction.
 
nashmach said:
I'd suggest a little under 25ft gap. 14ft gate and 10ft gate with post in the middle.

If a 14ft gate is not wide enough to get into, increase it to 16ft but make sure your piers are strong enough.

Anymore than a 15ft gate and do not use H irons for your piers.
Click to expand...

How could you sleep at night with a setup like that:scared:

2 x 12 ft gates for that gap!
 
I have all double gates off the road. Most lads here are saying about two gates the same size. I done different and put in a16ft and then maybe a 8ft of 9ft or 10ft. The reason was if I am going in with just a fertilser spreader or sprayer it’s only a matter of opening the 16ft and I don’t have to open the second gate and remove the pier and I still have loads of room to swing in. When it comes to trailers or combine then I open the two. My gates are hung on the inside of the ditch on round piers so the gates can open flush with the inside of the hedge so they are out of the way. Also means if they were left open on a windy day they physically can’t swing out onto the road the way they are hung
 
Judging from some of the suggestions here, I'd say just knock the whole road front ditch
Joking aside, I would be going with @Danielk suggestion, a 16 and a 9 or something like that
If lads cant get in a 25ft gap with ease, I dont know how they are managing on narrow country crossroads,T junctions etc.
To be extra safe, I would put H irons into the pillar foundations and fill the lot with concrete (you could weld the hangers to the H Irons at building stage)
I wouldnt fancy a very long single gate tbh, it is bound to sag, and would be a heavy gate to be lifting to close etc.
 
Not to be critical of your efforts but a block built pier with anything bigger than 12' hanging from it is very weak.
Unless you're going to build it 3ft+ square. Or as @Mike suggests rsj first and build blocks around it , hangers coming off the rsj.
 
Aye, an RSJ is probably overkill when encased in concrete but easy enough to build with

I have some piers where I put long hangers on a 2 inch post, bent squares of rebar and some more rebar vertically.

Set the whole lot in a foundation and built a pier around it from 4 inch blocks. The pier is 22 inches square so no blocks to be cut, nice easy building.

Once built they were back filled with concrete. The blocks are really only a mould, but with pointed blockwork a reasonably decent looking one.

My rebar/post structure was cheaper than an rsj would be, but it was a fair effort to make and a bit of hassle to set them accurately in the foundations. An rsj would be a lot easier
 
I have an aversion to any type of pier made from blocks.

Firstly, unless they have been (tastefully) covered with stone then they don't look nice and secondly, unless they have steel running up through them - one touch and they snap and you are left with a heavy mess. If you are putting steel up through a block pier then I wonder what is the point of blocks in the first place.

Personally, I use galvanised steel piers - they are nice and slim and very strong. Not H-Irons as they can twist and wobble if under too much strain (and I don't like the look of them). The pier I would use will be galvanised - either round or square section.

In your case, I would twist the piers so that the gates will swing back against the hedges but not out across the road.

Get strong enough piers and you wont need a post in the middle - I have one pair of gates where I put a post in the middle and to be honest, its just a nuisance.

Galvanised steel piers will last forever and be slim enough not to look huge. You can paint them in due course if you don't like the bright silver look.

The worst of all that I've seen is hanging gates off wooden piers.........such a short term job.

The 20ft gates that I have here all came with cross members to prevent sagging. You probably don't need 2 x 20fts but I would certainly go with a pair of 15fts.

Others will have different views and that's fair enough too!
 
Yea I agree with cork above. The round galvanised piers are what I choose. Very strong and no flex. Hung on the inside so can’t swing out. We have two two entrances hanging on the granite piers too. We didn’t know if we should take them out and put in new galvanised ones or use them. We decided to use them. They well in out of the way so if anyone hits them they must be doing something serious wrong.

8C4D1CA7-3440-4976-B67D-702D75F19C2C.png 1E4F32C0-569B-445D-92C1-16280C390DCC.png
 
Claas Grass said:
I have a few gates to hang at the moment was going to go for the big/small gate but saw this https://www.odonovaneng.ie/product/inter-locking-gate-latch/ which I thought looked good, might just go for two the same size now.
Click to expand...

I think the problem with that system is you close the first gate and then you go and get the second gate and close it but by the time you come back the first gate has opened by itself again. They would need to be perfectly level and a calm day.
 
CORK said:
I have an aversion to any type of pier made from blocks.

Firstly, unless they have been (tastefully) covered with stone then they don't look nice and secondly, unless they have steel running up through them - one touch and they snap and you are left with a heavy mess. If you are putting steel up through a block pier then I wonder what is the point of blocks in the first place.

Personally, I use galvanised steel piers - they are nice and slim and very strong. Not H-Irons as they can twist and wobble if under too much strain (and I don't like the look of them). The pier I would use will be galvanised - either round or square section.

In your case, I would twist the piers so that the gates will swing back against the hedges but not out across the road.

Get strong enough piers and you wont need a post in the middle - I have one pair of gates where I put a post in the middle and to be honest, its just a nuisance.

Galvanised steel piers will last forever and be slim enough not to look huge. You can paint them in due course if you don't like the bright silver look.

The worst of all that I've seen is hanging gates off wooden piers.........such a short term job.

The 20ft gates that I have here all came with cross members to prevent sagging. You probably don't need 2 x 20fts but I would certainly go with a pair of 15fts.

Others will have different views and that's fair enough too!
Click to expand...

I have to please a neighbour because the field entrance will be practically joined to their entrance so an agreement was reached on block plastered piers. They wouldn't be too happy with H irons and I don't think I would be either.

The hanging pier will have steel in the centre embedded in the foundation and then filled with concrete. That should easily take a 24ft gate. Fingers crossed anyway.
 
Blue Power said:
I have to please a neighbour because the field entrance will be practically joined to their entrance so an agreement was reached on block plastered piers. They wouldn't be too happy with H irons and I don't think I would be either.

The hanging pier will have steel in the centre embedded in the foundation and then filled with concrete. That should easily take a 24ft gate. Fingers crossed anyway.
Click to expand...

I only copped the bit about your neighbour after I posted, that’s fair enough.
We’ll be looking for updates on your progress!!! :Thumbp2:
 
I was helping drill a buddy's new pillar for a gate he used the twin wall pipe filled with concrete and rebar seemed Like a good job
 
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