No one will help me at might mule. They have all the other parts for the gate arm except the motor which they refuse to provide me with any information on where or how to get it.
I need a motor with nos. FRS-550 PH 12v DC That is the only info. on the name plate. The motor has no rpm info. It drives a small gear box with an output of 270 rpm which turns an actuator which opens and closes the gate. Any help is appreciated.
Did you ever find a motor to fix the gate opener? I am looking for the same motor and would appreciate any help you can offer
I never found the motor. After spending about $20 on a motor as specified in the article above, I found it was the proper motor, but due to the shaft being smooth and not splined, it would not work. Even with a tight fit, it would just spin. I ended up buying the entire gear assembly and motor from a gate opener company. Part #A204
Did you try finding a smooth interference fit pinon gear that has the same diameter, # of teeth etc? That is pretty tricky of Mighty Mule and GTO for using different methods of attaching the pinon gear to the motor shaft! I found the pinon gear easy to remove as described below.
I sucessfully removed the gear and reinstalled it on a new motor.
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I just replaced my motors with 550 size motors. Now it runs faster and works great now.
Here's lowest motor price and shipping I found.
http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/p/5152-RS2-550-Motor-12V.aspx?feed=Froogle
This is a Mabuchi RS-550 motor with a 3-pole balanced armature.
Motor Specifications
Performance
Operating v
: 6v - 14.4v
Nominal v
: 12v
No Load RPM
: 19300
No Load A
: 1.2A
Stall Torque
: 70.55 oz-in
498.2 mN-m
Stall Current
: 85A
Kt
: 0.83 oz-in/A
5.9 mN-m/A
Kv
: 1608 rpm/V
Efficiency
: 70%
RPM - Peak Eff
: 17250
Current - Peak Eff
: 10A
Physical
Weight
: 7.7 oz
(218g)
Length - for motor
: 2.24 in
(57mm)
Diameter (with flux ring)
: 1.52 in
(38.5mm)
Diameter (no flux ring)
: 1.41 in
(35.8mm)
ShaftDiameter
: 0.12 in
(3.2mm)
Shaft Length
: 0.3 in
(7.6mm)
Mounting Screws (2)
M3
This was Mighty Mule 352 system. The disassembly was fairly straightforward, but to Remove the pinion gear from the old motors required using a claw hammer to pull the motor shaft out, then chuck the shaft in a vice and pull the Gear off with the same claw hammer. Not sure if there's gear pullers that small or not.
Was this a splined shaft?
No spline on shaft. I used a pair of electrical pliers holding the gear between the cutting edges of the pliers and suppoorting the pliers on top of a vice for support while driving the whaft with hammer and 1/8 inch punch! It came out fairly easily wihout heating.
I also counted the gear teeth rotations in the gear box while rotating the first of 3 reduction gears and got a gear ratio of 60:1 if I did the math correctly. Using the placarded 270 rpm of the arm shaft I came up with a motor speed of 16,200 rpm (60x270). This should help in finding a suitable motor and it seems to match up closely with the replacement motor in this thread.
No spline. Use electrical pliers holding gear base supported by cutting edges of pliers and knock the shaft out with a 1/8 in punch and hammer. No heating required!
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HI,
Order at this store
Talk to them if you can before it.
Cheers
TeaCii
If you own website, add
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Real
security guard to watch your cctv for $1/day
My Mighty Mule 500 was used a few times daily for almost 3 years on a small gate. The fuse started blowing randomly caused by the brushes being completely gone.
Replacing the motor with the one discussed above took at least a couple of hours and some patience. First, it was helpful to unscrew the arm a little (making it longer) so the tiny switch inside didn't get broken when the arm was pulled apart. (Be very careful and remove the board with the switch on it before working on the gearbox so it doesn't get damaged). Second, removing the 5 gearbox cover screws and taking a couple of the gears out to get to the two screws holding the motor was a small challenge but not too bad. Third, removing the gear from the old motor required putting a hammer in a vice and very carefully supporting the bottom of the gear, then knocking the rod out of the gear by tapping it with a punch. Fourth, the special TVS diode soldered to the motor tested open with my meter but I later found out this was normal because it is designed for suppressing lightning strikes.
I've had several Mighty Mules and the 500 was noticeably slower than the others. I thought this might have been because it has a longer arm for larger gates. The replacement motor must run at a higher RPM though, because the gate now opens as fast as it did compared to the older Mighty Mule models I had in the past.
I have an 2002XL arm also made by Mighty Mule under the brand name of GTO aka Gates That Open. It seems to be the same motor and according to tech support at GTO, the MM 500 replacement motor should work in both brand names made by the same company.
Add a CommentIf you look at the two web sites, the arms in the pictures appear to be the same.
This motor works fine on my GTO opener and should work on the Mighty Mule as well according to GTO tech support. It's funny, I noticed a MM part number on my GTO opener rev, counter while replacing the motor!
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After 4 years my Mighty Mule 500 stopped working. After troubleshooting, the motor was found to be bad. Upon further inspection, one of the brushes had worn through and was broken.
Mighty Mule wanted $300 for a new arm. Umm, NO!
I agree with using the Trossen motor.
http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/p/5152-RS2-550-Motor-12V.aspx?feed=Froogle
It only took about 2 hours and works like new.
You'll need a soldering gun and a Torx T-25 screwdriver.
Good luck! Questions? rpzabo(at)yahoo.com
Did the motor work? I am getting ready to do the same on my GTO 2000XL opener arm.
I bought the same system under the name of Gates That Open aka GTO and the same cheap motor is used in mine. I managed to get about 6 years out of my 2002XL which they don't make anymor
I just ordered the motor to replace mine which wore out the brushes after 6 yrs.
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Interesting posts. Being an electrical engineer, I fix everything electrical myself. I had GTO/Mighty Mules first gate opener (150 series) and only converted to the 350 when I found replacing the battery every year more expensive than a new opener that used an automotive battery. The 350 motor failed after only a few years so I took the motor out of my old 150 thinking I could use it on the 350. What I discovered was that the motor on the 350 was smaller, very light duty and horribly undersized compared to the 150 motor. The 350 brush assembly is a joke with two tiny brushes held in place by a thin piece of copper that cantilevers the brush in contact with only the copper's spring force. This motor is designed to fail in 1-2 years in this application. As the other posts say, GTO says this is NOT a replaceable item and told me I had to buy a complete new opener! Reluctantly, I did but I'm also fixing my old opener with the motor source recommended by Tea Cii (thanks for the link) which is an exact replacement and only $8!!!. For those considering a gate opener, I think GTO has a scam going to build in obsolescence and force sale of a new openers. Buy a different opener!
Did the replacement motor work? I am about to replace the motor on my GTO 2000XL opener arm which is made by the same company.
I looked at the gear box and came up with a gear ratio of 60:1 if I did the math correctly. This would then require a motor of 16,200rpm.
The biggest problem I found on this motor replacement is replacing the on the shaft near the end of the arm. I had to cut it off using a Dremel tool and order a new bearing costing $9 total.
I left out the word 'bearing' in the first sentence above!
Motor works fine. there may be a way to remove the motor without cutting the bearing off. I haven't tried this yet but plan to on my next repair. There is a snap ring on the other side of the motor that could be moved far enough to allow the gear box to be disassembled to remove the motor screws. The issue is the gear inside the box that has a square hole to attach to the arm shaft. I am not sure if the gear can be held in place for proper gear mesh during reassembly.
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Those gate openers only have a 12 month warranty i think so you wont get any help from them, your motor should be listed in your owners manual you can get one free from their website.
Nope, motor info is not listed n the owner's manual. That would give us too much information which might enable us to fix their cheap product!
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Well have a Mighty Mule 350 with the same motor fried issue so I'm ordering the one recommended here and will get back to let you know how it goes. As I researched this motor they have so many different types. My main concern is the RPM of the motor. GTO would not give out that info and was useless on helping me with just the motor questions. Of course they offered the $200 replacement of the unit which is SO stupid when its only the 12V motor. Anyways will post my findings and hope all is good in the hood.
MajorPita out.
Read comments under Rv6builder up above. Also I went to Banebots for motors and found the exact one I needed.
I ordered 2 motors. $6.75 for each from Banebots. I haven't had to use them yet. The drill motor is still working.
Motor rpm should be about 16,0000rpms as best I can tell. I came up with a reduction gearing by looking at the gears inside the gear box of about 60:1. This could be off a little as I did not try for super accuracy, just close. Using the placarded 270 rpm on the gear box allows you to calculate.
I rechecked themotor pinon gear to first gear in the gear box and got a slightly smaller reduction so the total reduction could be about 54:1. That would give about 14,580 rpms on the motor. 270x54=14,580 rpm
I recalculated and came up with a 40:1 reduction which I believe is correct. According to GTO, the motor only pulls 2 amps when operating.
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I replaced my GTO 2002XL opener arm with the motor recommended above and also a new press-fit bearing since I had to cut the old bearing off in order to get into the gear box! It worked. The total cost of parts was $24! The new motor was $18 including s&h and the bearing was $6 including s&h. If you want to go a little farther you can replace the revolution counter board for $30 including s&h at the above mentioned parts store! I also found the strain relief lock-it grommet if you need to replace that as well if you break it while replacing the wire bundle to the arm housing.
This GTO model is the same as the Mighty Mule 500 according to GTO tech support so it will work in both models!
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SOURCE: I have a mighty mule
If you are going to DIY, I would suggest checking to find if you have a Johnstone Supply branch in your area, removing the motor going to them with it.
They carry a huge range of motors and often their price is less than half what a dealer might charge.
They appeal to tradespeople but I have never been turned away and have saved hundreds of $ over the years with them.
You might find your motor in their online catalog:
Johnstone Supply
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We finally found a 1/2 in drill motor at a pawn shop and we put it in, and it has been working for over a year and a half. I will find the same drill and replace it with that again. We paid $15.00 for the used drill. Thanks for all your help.
Be sure to solder the diode back on to the replacement motor. Also disassemble the gear box and lubricate the gear mechanism. I got some lubricating grease from a local tool repair shop. It only takes a small amount.
what did you do about the internally splined gear? Did it press on tight to the smooth shaft?
My Pro1000 motor had a splined shaft and the motor I bought had a smooth shaft, did not work. I searched high and low for the correct splined shaft without luck, Of course it was an oddball spline that was not used in the RC Racing world. I gave up and bought the entire gearbox/motor assembly at Discount fence Supply. Part number A204 for those whom want to buy it elsewhere. It cost me a little over $100, but it now discontinued through that company. You an find the assembly elsewhere for around $175.00. Keep this in mind though, the gear box is pretty good, the motor is still a piece of garbage made in china motor. The motor on the new gear assembly lasted me about 9months. I was lucky though, I found an entire arm assembly at a garage sale for $40! Bolted it on and it worked better than the original.
The Mighty Mule GTO FM500, FM350 Motors are available on Amazon athttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FB14...
That motor is $65! Are you kidding me? Too expensive! Read the following posts for a motor that only costs $12 plus sh.
I searched the Discount Fence Supply mentioned above and there is no mention of the A204 part # not Mighty Mule or GTO products. That is a dead end!
Yes, read the following posts like Dan said! My motor went out after 2 years of daily (min. twice a day) operation. I have the mighty mule 502 dual arm kit. My master arm started to fade and then would only open after a hit on the side. After troubleshooting per the blinking lights (blue board) and reading this post, I narrowed it down to either the motor or the counter circuit board. The motor is notorious for breaking down so that was my first fix. Mighty Mule doesn't sell the motor individually but only the whole arm assembly for $321.
STOP! This is an easy fix as noted below on other posts numerous of times. You can purchase the motor from this link for $12!
https://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/p/...
Reuse the diode on the old motor by replacing it exactly the same way it is on the old motor (notice red dot on motors). You can easily take off the little gear by heating it with a propane torch and smacking the old shaft out with a nail and hammer. Heat the gear again and slide onto the old motor keeping in mind the space between the gear and the motor (I used feeler gauges to measure gap before i removed the gear off the old motor).
BTW, I broke off one of the bolts removing the rear mount and had to drill and use a bolt extractor. The factory uses weak bolts with RED locktite causing them to break or tweak! I replaced the bolts with some that I had in the garage and used BLUE loctite instead!
Gate works perfectly and I also ordered another motor for backup. Thanks Fixya!
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