I’m looking at placing several locking farm gates on my deer hunting property and looking for some install advice to improve long-term functional integrity. I plan to use 16’ gates on ATV trails and logging roads and double gates on Ag field egresses to allow for combine access. I see a lot of sagging gates; it could be the nature of the beast but wanted to limit it up front if possible. I see people adding wheels and turn buckle cantilever cables, etc. – it always looks cobbled on after the fact, to compensate for poor initial installation.

I planned to place 6” x 6” treated timbers cemented in below the frost line for hinge and locking points (is this over kill) ?
The bull gates are heavy duty but more weight hanging on the fulcrum point… might be overkill also?
Any preferred brands , Dura-Built , Tarter, etc.
Galvanized vs Painted
As always- input appreciated.

6”x6” is not nearly strong enough for large heavy gates. Either 10”+ hedge or black locust, or 6” diameter steel pipe. Steel is better if you can get it. Posts must be braced properly, and buried 4’. That being said, gates keep honest people honest. Instead of spending thousands on bull gates, hire guy with a welder to make up some pipe barriers. They’re lighter, cheaper, and more tamper resistant.

Edit: this is what I meant by gate barrier. Wouldn't have to be this heavy, just the idea. Heavy cable would be even easier and cheaper.

You will need ATLEAST an 8 in. post to hang gates from, and then it will need to be counter braced.

Gates don't sag, posts tilt. As others have said, it's all about the post.

8"steel pipe bollard 10' long, on some type of footing

I Wouldn't use cement in the hole with Green treated post, rots faster.

Use electric poles if you can or Steel pipe buried at 5'

The Gate hinges / hardware allow movement ...a Good set of wheels with well made attachments are not "cobbled or afterthoughts.

However
My best/ easiest to use over 20 yrs time zero maintenance is the 16' gate next to one of my buildings and that's because it has a Nice coated cable hooked on the hinge SideUo at 10 Feet coming down to the latched end. Cable adjuster tensioner hook. This Gate swings with no presson the hinges or minimal. If I was doing it all over with my gates they would all be set up That way
15' post 5' deep / cable attached at 10' up hinges side pulling up on latch side..

Don't believe me or others and want to come up with a Great new fix...go ahead. I hope you do but those two methods cable or wheels save in time and repairs.

Lock the Gate with a log chain or thick cable. The lock will be the weak point. Someone who wants to destroy or get in will. But Go heavy on the lock.

Don't forget to add a lock and chain on the hinge side of the gate, keeps them from taking it off the hinges and gaining entry.

steel or cement post

however as others have said nothing keeps people out only a reminder that they shouldn't go , much less expensive to go chain or even cable unless your trying to keep animals in


with battery powered angle grinders as good and as common as they are these days your best fence and gait is just a suggestion and inconvenience

As a coyote trapper who accesses through lots of farm gates I thought the whole point was to make opening and closing them as difficult as possible!

Good "H" brace at least 10 foot wide on both sides of the gap. If you dont have a 10ft crosspeice then make a double "H". No concrete. No big spike nailes. Nothing larger than 16 penny is required. Gates are my pet peeve.

your diagonal wire is going the wrong way to support the gate -- shoul have a double diagonal wire on this h brace. yes h braces are the way to go period -- at least in my clay muck.

You're right. It needs another wire. They probablt built it for the fence and then hung the gate without thinking..i would have notched my uprights for the horizontal and forgone drilling the upright and using spike nails.

me too.

If its a gate that's not used much attaching a rest for the opening side to sit on will also help with sag. Some type of H brace should be used even with steel posts, or an overhead to prevent sag. Wanna frustrate folks make a wire gate and make it tight enough that you need a cheater to open it then keep the cheater in your truck.

Cheaters are great but I've scuffed the bark of my knuckles enough that I might jump straight to a come-a-long.

Not engineering advice, but when you come up to a gate, especially an old rusty one, give it a couple swift kicks before you go to open it. Hornets and wasps love to make nests in the tubes

Unless you're trying to keep animals in I would save some money and just put up a sign. 90 percent of those we will go past a sign will either drive around the gate, cut the gate or the lock, or bust whichever they feel like to get in.

My experience is that people tend to treat private property that is left open to the public a lot better than posted or gated property they are trespassing on anyways. And they tend to treat property with just a sign that took no effort to drive past better than when they've had to tear the gate down. I guess they figure they've already done property damage to get in there, so if they get caught the owner isn't going to be any madder if they are tearing up his property and leaving trash around.