Free on-site gate assessment - hinges, posts, and your LiftMaster or Nice gate operator checked before anything is quoted
The assessment is free and the quote is the invoice.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterLinear Gate Motor Replacement: The Allen Owner’s Guide
A Linear gate motor replacement in Allen typically runs $650 to $1,450 installed, depending on the model and whether we’re swapping just the operator head or the full arm assembly too. We stock Linear-compatible replacement motors on our trucks, and most Allen jobs are finished in a single visit. The way owners usually discover the failure is simple: the gate starts moving slower, stops mid-travel, or simply won’t respond to the remote one morning and the manual release won’t budge it either.
If your Linear opener is humming but the gate isn’t moving, or if it’s dead silent with the breaker on, the motor is the prime suspect. We’ll walk you through exactly what to expect so you can make a clear decision without pressure.
Which Linear Models This Applies To
This page covers the Linear actuator and swing-arm gate motors most common in Allen driveways: the LRA series (LRA50, LRA100), the APeX series, and the older LS and LDO swing operators. If your unit has a silver control box and a piston-style arm, you’re almost certainly in the LRA or APeX family. The model label is on the side of the control board housing, and the motor itself has a separate part number stamped on the casing.
One thing to know: Linear used different motor windings across the LRA generations. An LRA50 motor from 2015 will not drop into a 2020 housing without a control board firmware check, and forcing it creates a board failure about six weeks later. We pull the cover and read the part number before quoting anything. OEM Linear motors are built to match the board’s current draw exactly. Quality aftermarket equivalents exist for older LS-series units, but on the LRA and APeX lines we recommend OEM because the thermal protection circuit on aftermarket copies tends to trip early in Texas heat. Independent note: Ironworks Gate Co. is not affiliated with Linear. We service and stock these parts because half the gates in Allen still run on them.
Signs Your Linear Gate Motor Replacement Is Failing
- Slow, labored gate movement. The motor’s brushes are wearing and can’t deliver full torque. On the LRA100 especially, this shows up weeks before total failure, so it’s worth a call now rather than waiting for the dead stop.
- Humming with no movement. The capacitor has failed or the motor windings are burnt. The control board is sending voltage, but the motor can’t spin. We see this most after North Texas storms knock power around, causing voltage spikes.
- Gate stops mid-cycle and reverses. The motor is overheating and tripping its internal thermal protection. This is the motor’s last defense before it seizes, and in Allen summers it can happen at 2 p.m. on a 100-degree day even with a healthy motor if airflow is blocked.
- Burnt electrical smell near the operator. Insulation on the windings is breaking down. Once you catch that smell, the motor is done. Turn the breaker off and don’t run the gate again until we inspect it.
- Manual release won’t move the gate smoothly. This may not be the motor at all. It could be the gearbox binding, which kills the motor if ignored. Either way, it needs a professional eye because the motor is working against something it can’t win.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
For Allen homeowners, here’s the straight math on Linear gate motor replacement:
- LRA50 or LS-series single-swing motor swap: $650 to $850 installed
- LRA100 or APeX dual-swing motor replacement: $900 to $1,200 installed
- Full operator head and arm assembly: $1,100 to $1,450 installed
The range depends on whether the arm and gearbox are still serviceable or need replacing alongside the motor. We quote the exact price before any work starts, and that number is the number on your invoice. No add-ons, no surprises. Every Linear motor replacement carries our written 90-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not right, we come back and make it right. That’s not a phone call you’ll have to argue through.
DIY or Call Us?
Here’s the honest split. You can safely check three things before you call: confirm the breaker is on and the outlet feeding the gate has power, check whether the manual release lever moves the gate freely (which tells us whether the motor is fighting a mechanical problem), and look for obvious damage like a loose wire or an ant bed inside the control box. Ants cause more Linear failures in Allen than most owners would believe.
What you shouldn’t do is open the motor housing itself. These motors hold a charge in the capacitor even with power off, and the arm is under tension on swing gates. A homeowner who opens a Linear actuator to “take a look” is one wrong move from a serious shock or a gate that swings free into a car. This is the part where calling us first is cheaper than the alternative. Victor Salinas has seen the aftermath of a gate that looked fine from the street but had a failing motor bracket. Metal either holds or it doesn’t, and when it doesn’t, you want someone who’s been in front of it before. Call (936) 274-8988 and we’ll diagnose it honestly.
FAQs
A Linear gate motor in Allen typically lasts 7 to 10 years, but Texas heat and dust shorten that to about 5 to 7 years for south-facing gates with no shade cover. We regularly replace motors that are technically still running but have lost enough torque that the gate won’t close against a stiff north wind.
Brushes and capacitors can be replaced, but once the windings fail or the gearbox has chewed itself, replacement is the honest fix. We won’t rebuild a motor for $400 when a new one costs $650 installed and carries a written guarantee. A square deal means telling you when repair is throwing money at a dead horse.
Most Linear motor replacements in Allen take 2 to 3 hours on site. We carry the common LRA and APeX motors on the truck, so there’s no week-long wait for parts. If your operator needs a board firmware update after the swap, add about 30 minutes.
We stock Linear-compatible motors for the LRA, APeX, and LS lines on our trucks, along with LiftMaster, Mighty Mule, and Ghost Controls parts for the days when a Linear turns out to be something else under the cover. If we don’t have your exact part, we’ll have it ordered and scheduled before we leave your driveway.
Yes, a proper Linear replacement motor works with your existing remotes, keypad, and safety edges. That’s the advantage of matching the motor to the control board rather than adapting a universal operator, which often means re-learning every remote and sometimes losing the vehicle sensor loop. Call (936) 274-8988 and we’ll confirm compatibility before any work begins.
We do. There’s $50 off any repair over $250, which applies to every Linear motor replacement, and we have a standing 5% discount for seniors and veterans. We also offer a free second opinion if you’ve received a written estimate from another company and want us to look at the numbers before you commit. Call (936) 274-8988 and we’ll walk through the options.
Written by Victor Salinas, Owner, Ironworks Gate Co. at Ironworks Gate Co., serving Allen and nearby areas.