Gate closer thingie - what am I looking for?

[puglogic]

I love my husband but he is forever forgetting to close the gate when he leaves the yard.  We have three dogs that generally wander their yard without collars or ID, and this is the kind of place (foothills/wilderness border) where, if they get out, they're dead. 

Isn't there some sort of spring device that is an automatic gate closer - seems like in a past life I've seen something with a spring?  Can anyone help me with a link or even a name of what I'm looking for?  I don't want to hire a fence guy to do something this simple.  (it would blow my my mustachian DIY cred entirely :)

[ritchie70]

There are a bunch of different ways to go at that.

When I google "gate close spring" it shows several different styles.

It partly depends on how heavy the gate is and whether it's a chain link gate/fence or wood gate/fence.

[Rural]

There are automated solar-powered devices to do just that. We've looked at them at Tractor Supply (with our driveway gate in mind, but I'm sure there are smaller ones). They're not cheap, though. Before you take the plunge, consider whether you could make it work with something like a screen door spring and a spring latch.

[Greg]

Like this?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-11-in-Black-Gate-Spring-15470/202042239

[Rural]

Like this?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-11-in-Black-Gate-Spring-15470/202042239

Why, yes, combined with this to keep the dogs from pushing it back open: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-Black-Gate-Latch-15462/202042227

[puglogic]

Got that one, Rural!   Thanks, everybody.  Our HD has 5 in stock, I'll be on my way there in the morning, and I'll sleep better.

[Vjklander]

Like this?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-11-in-Black-Gate-Spring-15470/202042239

Why, yes, combined with this to keep the dogs from pushing it back open: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-Black-Gate-Latch-15462/202042227

There are also spring-loaded hinges that work well. Sorry to bust your bubble about the latch though, years ago we had a Dalmation that figured out how to open that kind of latch .... from either side!!!
Vjk

[Greg]

Usually they have a small hole like for a lock that makes it so you can't open the latch.  You could use a cheap carabiner instead to prevent this.  Works for goats too.

[Rural]

Usually they have a small hole like for a lock that makes it so you can't open the latch.  You could use a cheap carabiner instead to prevent this.  Works for goats too.

Anything that works for goats is foolproof!

We're spoiled. Great Danes so want to please that we could probably tie a string between two trees, let them know we didn't want them to cross the string, and they wouldn't. We don't; we have a good fence, but we probably could.