Timers provide you with a way to open your gate at a specific time of day and keep it open until the time you specify to close. For example, you can program your gate to stay open during normal business 8am-4pm Monday through Friday and be closed all other times (which then the gate is controlled via your regular access devices such as remotes and keypads). This accessory comes very handy for businesses that need free flow of traffic at specific times and security at others.