First, a clarification: the terms gate opener and a gate operator are often used interchangeably. Gate operators are designed for heavy-duty commercial grade gates. Gate openers are designed to control residential gates. A remote "opener" doesn't refer to the remote control, but the motor assembly used to open gates, which can either be activated by a remote controller or a timer.
A remote gate opener spares you from the annoyance of getting out of your car every time you want to leave your driveway or return. This may seem like a subtle convenience until you drive by residences with gates left open because the owner couldn't be bothered to get out and open or close them. And needless to say, gate remote openers allow you to stay dry during a rainy door-to-door commute.
Some openers, like worm-driven operators, can work with either sliding gates or swing gates. Swing arm operators, as the name implies, can only work with swing gates. A worm driven operator is an enclosure with a screw-driven piston that operates a ram arm. This type of operator is less intricate than the swing arm enclosures, and don't need chains, valves or other pumping mechanisms.
Swing arm operators reach from the enclosure to the middle of the gating (or the end if it's a single-swing gate), with a hydraulic piston. They can handle any type of gating material, whether it's wrought iron, aluminum or wood, and they're quite affordable as kits for DIY installations, frequently between 0 and 0.
An underground loop opener can be used with sliding or swinging gates. While more expensive than swing arm operators, underground loop openers are the cleanest looking, since the mechanics are buried in container boxes below the base plates of the gate posts. You don't see any enclosures, chains or arms above ground. However, in order to get this clean look, the gate has to be close to the residence's electrical mains; otherwise you would have to use photovoltaic or DC modules.
