How big a gate do I need?

[Wade Lippman]

We are fencing in our backyard. The entire lot is maybe a quarter acre and I mow it with a push mower. I hope to do that for years, but you never know; I might have to hire someone to do it.
How big an opening am I likely to need for a commercial mowing service?
A single gate is 42". A double gate is $500 more. What do you think?

Yeah, getting a kid to mow it with my mower would be the cheapest solution, but there is a real shortage of kids around here.

[Malcolm McLeod]

42" is plenty to allow access for even a commercial landscaping company. They make commercial ZTRs with decks as small as 36", but for a lot that small, they'd just swarm it with push mowers - should you ever decide to surrender the joy of 'owning it'.

[Brian Henderson]

I looked at that and thought you said 42 feet. My gates are 12-feet and you can drive an RV through them. 42" should be plenty for anything but a pro-quality riding mower.

[Von Bickley]

My riding lawn mower has a 42" deck and would not go thru a 42" opening. I would go to Lowes or Home Depot and measure different mowers. I would think at least 48" - 54". I doubt that you would find a landscape person to cut grass with a push mower.

[Bill Orbine]

Landscape contractor COULD charge more to cut grass with a smaller mower because the bigger and faster machine doesn't fit thru the gate......???? Just a thought

[Rich Engelhardt]

A double gate is $500 more. What do you think?

I hear about our small single gate (under 42")every time my wife uses it.....
I have been hearing that same tune for the last 26 years..

If I could go back in time, I'd gladly spring for a bigger gate & two of them at that!!!!!

Get the bigger gate now. A retrofit will cost you more in the long run.

[Ole Anderson]

Most commercial zero turns now have a deck with at least with a 60" cut, that means you need a gate at least six feet wide.

[Matt Meiser]

I use a 36" commercial walk behind and it fits nicely through the 48" gate on the one side if I'm not running the catcher, but if I'm running the catcher it barely fits through the 60" gate on the other side. Around here bigger lawn services like to run zero turns and 48" walk behinds for high production and that wouldn't fit through a 48" gate. They'll have smaller machines for tight areas but aren't going to like using them for 1/4 acre. I'd probably think hard about the double gate.

Other things to think about--would you ever need to get a skid steer, small excavator, or trailer back there? Is the fence designed so you can remove a panel and accomplish this or do you need a bigger gate to cover those too?

[Pat Barry]

As long as your at it I would make a fence section that could be easily removed. For example, you need to get a tree cutter in there to do removal after storm damage or maybe you need a backhoe in there for some reason.

[Jerome Stanek]

What type of fence is it. I just installed a chain link fence and got 2 6 ft gates one on each side. My daughter had a wooden fence installed and has a 48 inch gate and that is small in my opinion She also has a removable panel to get larger stuff in

[Wade Lippman]

I am going with the double gate. The fence guy says he hears plenty of regrets over too small a gate, but has never had anyone complain it is too big. A couple years ago I had some skids delivered to my back yard; that would have required the double gate. Might never do that again, but something else might come up.

If a lawn service charges $20 more to cut the grass with a small mower, then the double gate pays for itself in a year.

Besides, my wife wants the double gate.

Have I rationalized enough?

[Wade Lippman]

As long as your at it I would make a fence section that could be easily removed. For example, you need to get a tree cutter in there to do removal after storm damage or maybe you need a backhoe in there for some reason.

Wouldn't a backhoe get in 8'?

[Matt Meiser]

Besides, my wife wants the double gate.

Could have started and ended there LOL.

[Stephen Tashiro]

We are fencing in our backyard. .

Consider making a section of the fence something that is easy to pull up and move, just in case some huge equipment may need to pass through it someday.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Besides, my wife wants the double gate.

There's your answer right there