Needing to put in a side gate on our house. Don't want to end up with it all rotten and having to replace in 10 years, if I can help it. The ground is soil, with weed membrane and soon to have gravel on the top. Planning a wooden gate. I was wondering about those post spikes, but I get the gist they're flimsy. But then you can get these shoes that you concrete into the ground, like this one: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Concrete-Fence-Post-Support-for-Posts---75-x-75mm/p/540561 ... Is that kind of thing going to do the job? Or is it better just to postcrete the posts? And then, what about concrete fence posts? Would they be worth putting in rather than wooden ones? Any downsides to those?
I've never used the concrete fence post support. I can see it might work for car ports, pergolas and the like which are vertical ( ? ) loads, but a gate exerts a sideways pull when you open it, when the kids swing on it etc. The post is only held in by 6 ? 8 ? inches . Cant see it working. My opinion. I wouldn't screw into concrete posts to hold gate hinges nor put a 2" wide batten in any slotted concrete post and do same to that. Use thickest posts possible in your situation, paint the posts with bitumen emulsion, or someone on here suggested a rubber paint-on, covering the post that will be in contact just above ground level then down by 10 inches, and above ground level say 6 inches.
Prefer timber myself. Properly concreted in, preferably 600mm down assuming it’s a full height gate. I always use Postsaver sleeves on mine. Shrink-wrapped plastic sleeve, bitumen filled. When posts rot they invariably do so just where they meet the ground and are fine above and below so these are cheap insurance. Same principle as painting with bitumen but simpler to apply.
I have just put up 2 new side gates. I wanted long life so I went for 90x50 steel box section. That will see me out .