12V Heavy-Duty Linear Actuator (225lb Thrust, 0.3"/sec, 8" Stroke)

When your project calls for robust linear motion, our line of Heavy-Duty Linear Actuators answers! They offer a variety of lengths, speeds, and thrusts to help you cover the requirements of many kinds of projects.

This particular 0.3"/sec speed, 8" stroke actuator is tuned for strength, and is capable of generating 225lbs of linear thrust. If you’d like the same stroke length—but with different speed and thrust specs—check out the 1.7"/sec speed, 33lbs thrust or the 0.6”/sec speed, 112lbs thrust variants.

Reliable, Reversible, & Ready to Wire

Heavy-Duty Linear Actuators bring simplicity and reliability to the table. The extension is actuated by a simple DC voltage applied to the power wires (red and black). Need to retract? Simply reverse the voltage to those wires to run the motor that controls the actuator in the opposite direction. This can be accomplished by as little as a DPDT switch

The internal mechanism which allows that motor to drive the extension rod consists of a series of steel gears driving a lead screw. Between this gearing, and the pitch of the lead screw, the actuators essentially lock in place when power is removed—there’s no need to continue providing power or wasting energy holding position here!

With the red and black lines explained above, you might wonder what the other three wires are for. Those three wires are there for the proverbial power-user who wants to tap into the positioning feedback! This linear actuator possesses a potentiometer that is driven by nylon gears. (“Nylon!?” It’s okay: no torque is being applied here!) If you’d like, you can use the three wires to tap into this potentiometer’s resistance to know precision information about the position of your linear actuator. And if that sounds cool, but also goes over your head, don’t worry! When it comes to plug-and-play linear actuator position control, we’ve done the “heavy lifting” for you in our unique line of Heavy-Duty Linear Servos.

Easy to Power

We touched on how to apply the power—but you need to make sure you have enough! This actuator can pull 15A at stall, but you can expect a 10A power supply to do the job adequately, so long as your project isn't over-taxing the motor. (If it is, revisit your linkages and try to lessen the load applied.) And while a power supply is generally fine, a battery just does it better—a battery can supply the required current in most cases, until it's discharged. Capacity determines run-time, so just be sure to choose a battery that won’t leave you unpowered in the middle of an actuation.

The voltage that you apply to the actuator will have an effect on the speed and thrust. This actuator performs best at 12V. You may provide lesser voltage—and some projects can benefit from being able to vary the voltage to control the speed—but keep in mind that reducing the voltage affects the amount of thrust. Motor controllers often tackle this task by pulsing the voltage, a function through which the frequency provides the control over the speed without severely impacting the torque of a motor (and therefore, in this case, the thrust of the actuator).

Perfect for a Plethora of Projects

Linear actuators are excellent for a bevy of uses—whether you're moving a door, opening a hatch on a boat, controlling a dump bed on a UTV, or adding actuated abominability to your Halloween creation! Simply put, they’re a simple, clean (no hydraulic oil here!) and approachable way to make things move linearly, even for the beginner!

Weather-Ready & Designed for Mounting

The all-metal case, combined with seals at each juncture, provides an IP54 rating that makes this actuator a great option for most applications that experience inclement weather on occasion.

The attachment points allow you to easily and solidly mount the actuator: the attachment point at the base is fixed to ensure consistent alignment, while the attachment point at the extension end is able to rotate to accommodate the classic DIY-project potential for slight misalignments.