Quick verdict
A diagonal cable brace kit for a sagging wooden gate: two 9 foot vinyl-wrapped stainless cables, turnbuckles, four corner braces, cable clamps, S-hooks and screws. Run the cable from the top hinge corner to the bottom latch corner, tighten the turnbuckle and the gate lifts square. Stainless cable does not stretch or rust like the galvanized wire in cheaper kits. It is a 60 minute job that saves rebuilding a gate.
Strengths
- Lifts a sagging gate back to square without rebuilding it
- Stainless cable will not rust or stretch
- Turnbuckles allow fine adjustment and later re-tensioning
- Complete kit with braces, clamps, hooks and screws
- Enough cable for a wide gate or two small ones
Weaknesses
- Cable must run from the top hinge side to the bottom latch side or it does nothing
- Visible on a decorative gate
- Cannot fix a gate whose hinge post itself is leaning
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The Gate That Drags on the Path
Wooden gates sag because the frame racks: the latch corner drops, the gate scrapes, the latch misses. A diagonal cable brace pulls the frame back to square. HILLMASTER’s kit is two 9 foot vinyl-wrapped stainless cables, turnbuckles, four corner braces, clamps, S-hooks and screws, enough for a wide gate or a pair, and it installs with a drill and wire cutters in about an hour.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how cable gate braces perform on wooden gates generally. We have not installed this kit ourselves.
How It Works
A gate hangs from its hinges; the far bottom corner is the one that drops. A cable from the top hinge corner to the bottom latch corner carries that corner’s weight back to the hinge post. Tighten the turnbuckle and the frame squares up, the gate lifts off the ground and the latch meets its catch again. The direction is everything: run it the other way and it does nothing.
Installation
Screw a corner brace to each of the two corners, hook the cable through the braces, cut it to length and clamp it with a little slack. Turn the turnbuckle until the gate is square, check it swings clear and latches, then lock the turnbuckle. The vinyl wrap keeps the cable from marking the wood and the whole job is an hour.
Stainless
Cheaper kits use galvanized wire that stretches and rusts within a few years, and the gate sags again. Stainless cable holds its length and its finish, which is why this kit is worth the small premium. The turnbuckle allows a quarter turn of re-tensioning each spring as the wood moves.
When It Will Not Work
If the hinge post is leaning, the gate is square but hanging crooked. Fix the post first: re-set it, brace it or replace it. A cable squares the gate; it cannot straighten a post.
Looks
A cable across a gate is visible. On a working fence gate nobody minds; on a decorative front gate a wooden diagonal brace is the traditional answer.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone with a wooden gate that drags.
- Owners of wide or heavy gates that sag under their own weight.
- Builders of new gates who want to brace them from the start.
Common Owner Complaints
Cables run the wrong direction and gates with leaning posts. Both are diagnosis, not hardware.
Alternatives to Consider
A wooden diagonal brace from the bottom hinge corner to the top latch corner is the traditional method. National Hardware sells a similar galvanized kit. Rebuilding the gate is the last resort.
Verdict
For a gate that has racked out of square, this stainless cable kit lifts it in an hour and holds it for years. Run the cable from top hinge to bottom latch, tension it square and re-check each spring.
Full specifications
HILLMASTER Anti-Sag Gate Kit with Stainless Cable, Turnbuckles, Corner Braces and Hardware FAQs
From the top corner on the hinge side diagonally down to the bottom corner on the latch side. The cable holds the latch corner up. Run it the other way and the gate sags more.
Fit the braces, cut the cable to length, clamp it with a little slack and turn the turnbuckle until the gate lifts square. Check the latch lines up and lock the turnbuckle.
If the gate frame has racked out of square, yes. If the hinge post is leaning, the post must be fixed first; a cable cannot straighten a post.
Stainless cable and zinc hardware last for decades outdoors. Re-tension once a year as the wood moves.
