--- title: "Automatic Gate Motor Selection Guide Kenya | Qyvea Limited" url: https://qyvea.co.ke/automatic-gate-motor-selection-guide-kenya description: "How to choose the right automatic gate motor in Kenya -- sliding vs swing, sizing by weight and length, duty cycle, and safety features to check." updated: 2026-10-09 --- > Markdown copy of https://qyvea.co.ke/automatic-gate-motor-selection-guide-kenya for AI assistants. Prices and stock change; check the live page. Gate Automation Guide # Automatic Gate Motor Selection Guide Qyvea Limited Resource Centre · Updated September 2026 Gate motor failures are usually a sizing problem, not a quality problem -- a decent motor pushed beyond its rated capacity wears out fast regardless of brand. This guide walks through choosing the right motor before you buy. ## Step 1: Sliding or swing? | | Sliding gate | Swing gate | | --- | --- | --- | | Space needed | Clear run alongside the boundary, no swing radius needed | Clear swing radius in front of (or behind) the gate | | Sloped driveways | Handles slopes better | Can struggle if the ground isn't level | | Heavier gates | Generally easier to motorise at higher weights | Works well for lighter to medium gates | | Appearance | Visible track and rollers | Can look more like a traditional gate, especially with an underground motor | ## Step 2: Weigh your actual gate Motor capacity is rated by weight and, for sliding gates, length. This is the single most important number -- not the brand, not the price. If you don't know your gate's weight, a rough estimate (steel gate dimensions and material) or the fabricator's specification is enough to get a safe motor size. As real examples from currently available motors: - A residential sliding gate up to 500kg suits a motor like the [CENTURION D5-Evo](https://qyvea.co.ke/centurion-sliding-gate-motor-kenya) - A heavier sliding gate up to 1000kg needs a higher-capacity motor such as a CENTURION D10 - An industrial sliding gate up to 1800kg or beyond needs an industrial-grade motor such as a FAAC 844 or 950 - A single-leaf swing gate up to 500kg and 3m suits a motor like the [CENTURION Nova](https://qyvea.co.ke/centurion-swing-gate-motor-kenya) Always size up rather than down if your gate is close to a motor's rated limit -- running a motor at its absolute maximum daily shortens its lifespan considerably. ## Step 3: Consider duty cycle A residential gate might open and close a handful of times a day. A commercial gate with staff and visitor traffic can open dozens of times. Motors rated for light residential use can wear out quickly under commercial-level duty cycles -- if your gate will see heavy daily use, say so when getting a quote, since it affects which motor is actually appropriate, not just its weight rating. ## Step 4: Check the safety features - **Obstruction detection** -- the motor should stop or reverse if it meets resistance, rather than continuing to push - **Safety beams** -- infrared beams across the gate opening to stop it closing on something or someone in the way - **Manual release** -- every installation should include a way to open the gate by hand during a power outage or motor fault ## Step 5: Plan for power Consider whether the gate location has reliable grid power, or whether a solar trickle-charge panel makes sense to keep the motor's battery maintained without relying on mains electricity -- useful for gates far from the main supply or in outage-prone areas. FAQ ## Questions What happens if I choose a motor that's too small for my gate? The motor works harder than it's designed to on every cycle, which leads to premature wear, overheating and eventually failure -- often well before it would fail on a correctly sized gate. Is a more expensive motor always better? Not necessarily -- the right size and duty-cycle rating for your specific gate and usage pattern matters more than price alone. An oversized expensive motor on a light residential gate is unnecessary cost. Can an existing gate be measured for motor sizing without removing it? Yes -- a site survey can assess gate weight, length and swing/slide clearance without needing to remove or modify the existing gate. ## Get the right motor for your gate Free site survey -- we measure your actual gate before recommending a motor size. [Call +254 113 301 244](tel:+254113301244) [WhatsApp Us](https://wa.me/254113301244?text=Hi%20Qyvea%2C%20I%27d%20like%20help%20choosing%20a%20gate%20motor.) Related ## Related pages [### Automatic Gate Installation The full gate automation service.](https://qyvea.co.ke/automatic-gates) [### CENTURION Sliding Motor A real sliding gate motor example.](https://qyvea.co.ke/centurion-sliding-gate-motor-kenya) [### CENTURION Swing Motor A real swing gate motor example.](https://qyvea.co.ke/centurion-swing-gate-motor-kenya) [### Resource Centre All Qyvea guides and checklists.](https://qyvea.co.ke/resources) Chat with us — 30 min response --- **Qyvea Limited** · Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya (delivery only, no walk-in pickup) · serving all 47 counties Phone/WhatsApp: [+254 113 301 244](https://wa.me/254113301244) · Email: info@qyvea.co.ke · Shop: [qyvea.co.ke/products](https://qyvea.co.ke/products) · Facts: [qyvea.co.ke/qyvea-facts](https://qyvea.co.ke/qyvea-facts)