Garage Door Opener Recomendations?

TroyScherer said:

I have replaced 2 or 3.

I agree and lean towards Genie / Wanye Dalton. (The mgft plant is local to me and they make a few different brands. WD makes Genie.) Personal preference for me is to convert to Direct Drive (Screw drive) as is it quieter and safer IMO. You don`t have a chain that can snap and less stress on the springs as well. I have had 2 different springs snap. But if you are just replacing the motor just get the best one you can with the most options you want.
Click to expand...

This is what I do for a living and Genie/Wayne Dalton`s are both crap. There is a reason why Clopay and Chamberlain are leaders in this industry and neither of those company`s are. Their quality is far superior and the "torquemaster" is an idiotic idea. You have less chance of something going wrong with a true torsion setup.

I personally wouldn`t own a screw drive to save my life, especially a Genie. I guarantee my Liftmaster 8550 belt drive is more quiet than any screw drive you purchase. Heck, I would own a Linear over either Genie/Wayne Dalton.

An opener doesn`t have anything to do with the stress of your springs. The springs are designed for each individual door based on that doors weight. All the opener does is move the door up and down and the springs carry ALL the weight. So the "stress" between your opener and door don`t have much to do with each other.

The key to a good door/opener is to buy a quality steel back door with a galvanized torsion setup and a belt drive. Keep it lubed once a year and it will be the quietest door you will ever own.

cobrar97 said:
Just for future reference if/when the unit goes bad for real...
The best overall units are made by Liftmaster. Liftmaster is the "professional" line of the main company Chamberlain (which can be bought at some home-improvement stores). The low-level of this same brand is Craftsman. Chamberlain and Craftsman branded units are considered "retail" units. They are packaged with a 3-piece rail to fit into the retail-box and into the trunk of your car. Liftmaster uses a 1-piece, solid rail. A solid rail with no splices is much sturdier and less prone to failure from flexing. Go to LiftMaster to see everything they have to offer. They are also about the most advanced units today.

Genie is made by Overhead Door. Genie and Overhead branded units are both available in "retail" and "professional" version with the rail differences as mentioned above. Genie makes a good, and popular opener, but they are not built quite as well as the Liftmaster (and some people will certainly disagree with me).

Marantec is a foreign based company and they do make a very nice unit. Their units are known to be hard to program, they operate much slower that the others, but they are very smooth and quite. I`ve had customer have new Marantec units removed to install one of the above units because the Marantec moved so slowly that they didn`t like it. It`s just something to get used to.

Wayne-Dalton branded openers are complete junk...plain and simply. We have a failure rate of more than 50% and do everything we can to talk people out of buying one. But some people want what they want.

There are a few other brands, but since they aren`t mentioned (and they are no better), there`s no reason to mention them.

Final consideration is that many brands sell units with AC motors or DC motors. They sell chain drive, belt drive, screw drive, and direct-shaft drive.
The overall most-popular and well liked unites are the DC MOTOR, BELT DRIVEN units. Worry free, smooth, and very quite. As easy (or hard) to install as any other type of opener. Of course there`s tons of other options and setups, but any DC, belt drive will serve you very, very well.

Just my 0.02 from being in the door/opener industry for many years.
Click to expand...

Spot on post. Anyone that has been in this industry knows who the best is.

And I love my Elite Liftmaster 8550! DC motor, Belt Driven, Battery backup, and MyQ compatible.
 
Angus said:
Thanks! Good to know. Is there a DC Motor - belt driven - Chamberlain model you like/ recommend? I`ll probably need to replace the garage door opener sooner then later.
Click to expand...

Liftmaster 8550. Let me know when you do. I might can pull some strings for you.
 
wdmaccord said:
check the wiring to the opener unit also. As well as the breaker box. Sorry, I realize these are pretty obvious...don`t take as insulting your intelligence. :inspector: Oh, and a GFI could be tripped as well.
Click to expand...

My mom`s door wouldnt work one day and it was due to the gfci being tripped. Definitally something to check if it doesnt work.
 
XxBoostinxX said:
Liftmaster 8550. Let me know when you do. I might can pull some strings for you.
Click to expand...

Since Boostin agrees with me...I`d have to agree with him. The (current) best opener is the Liftmaster 8550. I just installed on in my dad`s house when his broke the other day. Super nice unit. By the time you go to replace yours (when the day comes) there will probably be a newer model number or updated version. Just look for LIFTMASTER BELT DRIVER w/ DC MOTOR. Then go after whatever bells and whistles you want...as that`s the technology that`s always changing and updating.
I also agree that pretty much anyone in the business will recommend Liftmaster over any other. Make sure you get a few prices though. I`ve seen the Liftmaster 8550 sell "cash and carry" from $279 to $425. If you live in a town with only one or two door dealers, you`re going to get high prices. Look around, check amazon.com, or get with Boostin who might have a connection.
If you do indeed get a belt drive some day...go ahead and invest in the NYLON rollers (NOT plastic). They will take any remaining noise away from your door system and provide a super smooth, ultra quiet system. Look for 10 ball, white nylon tire-rollers. They should cost too much at all, and will be one of the better garage investments you`ve made...especially when paired with that new opener.
You`re wife won`t even here you sneak in anymore :-) or vise-versa :-O
 
cobrar97 said:
Since Boostin agrees with me...I`d have to agree with him. The (current) best opener is the Liftmaster 8550. I just installed on in my dad`s house when his broke the other day. Super nice unit. By the time you go to replace yours (when the day comes) there will probably be a newer model number or updated version. Just look for LIFTMASTER BELT DRIVER w/ DC MOTOR. Then go after whatever bells and whistles you want...as that`s the technology that`s always changing and updating.
I also agree that pretty much anyone in the business will recommend Liftmaster over any other. Make sure you get a few prices though. I`ve seen the Liftmaster 8550 sell "cash and carry" from $279 to $425. If you live in a town with only one or two door dealers, you`re going to get high prices. Look around, check amazon.com, or get with Boostin who might have a connection.
If you do indeed get a belt drive some day...go ahead and invest in the NYLON rollers (NOT plastic). They will take any remaining noise away from your door system and provide a super smooth, ultra quiet system. Look for 10 ball, white nylon tire-rollers. They should cost too much at all, and will be one of the better garage investments you`ve made...especially when paired with that new opener.
You`re wife won`t even here you sneak in anymore :-) or vise-versa :-O
Click to expand...

Lol, I actually scare my wife all the time because she doesn`t hear me! I get a kick out of it.

Well, I keep trying to reply with a video of my 8550`s in operation for Angus but it is getting stuck on 19%. I will try again tomorrow.

That`s awesome! Glad you guys like the 8550. Only thing I don`t like about mine is the sound. The DC motor just sounds so weird compared to ones I have had in the past. It`s hard to get use to it lol.

Liftmaster actually came out with an 8550w recently and it has the MyQ Gateway built into it. I think you can get it for $275 online. So the 8550 is already outdated lol.

My Liftmaster rep told me the other day that Ryobi is suppose to be coming out with an opener within the next year. It will have attachments you can buy for it; lights, fans, batteries, etc. Supposedly it is going to be pretty affordable. Keep an eye out for it.

https://www.ryobitools.com/gdo/
 
Stokdgs said:
Angus --------------------------

Here is one for $256 and some change, Free Shipping, from Hollywood, Florida --
Liftmaster 8550 Elite Series 8550 DC Battery Backup Belt Drive Garage Operator | eBay

Forget it ---
Its missing the Rail..

To buy it with the rail = $411 and some change...

Why would someone want to sell it without the rail ?
Dan F
Click to expand...

The problem with the rail is shipping cost. UPS charges more for the size of an item than it does for weight. It might be more cost effective to buy the rail locally.
 
I dunno much about this, but I have had Liftmaster / Chamberlains (chain driven) always and never have had a problem.

My current Liftmaster drives a double door via a chain. There is a key pad outside the house (4 digit code) and a open/close pad on the wall. They sell a piece of "logic hardware" where you can control the door with your iPhone remotely - I don`t have that.

What I like about it is you can add more remotes via the open/close pad on the wall - it has a learn button. You don`t actually have to get up on a ladder and touch the unit. I bought a 3rd remote for girlfriend from Lowes and was able to program it in 2 secs.

Just an FYI to dumb peeps - like me. These new garage doors use a "rolling code". So if you have an older vehicle with a Homelink in it (like a 2001 Pathfinder), you can`t program that Homelink to work with the newer rolling code openers. Liftmaster makes some type of "translator" device that is supposed to work - buts it`s cheaper just to buy a new button controller.

2bd1574678b08136a59bc15d491b814e.jpg


c3b28bf4bef602c9f18f8984be2aa850.jpg


a2c7c23785b211b1f979ab219f73374c.jpg


66de91d057e2e07be2d0c3b2dbd97995.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Angus said:
Thank you, Sir! The 8550 looks (and sounds) like a very nice unit. How difficult would you say a new opener and rail is to install for a first timer like myself?


:autopia:
Click to expand...

Anytime! Hope it was helpful.

Extremely simple. The hardest part is attaching the rail to the head and I can tell you a little trick to it.

There are two screws on the top (7/16) and remove both. Attach the rail to the head with one of the screws then turn the head slightly to attach the belt. After it is attached move it back into place and screw the second .

I also suggest having a second person to hold the head while you attach it to the mounting bracket. It is much easier that way if it needs to be moved left/right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top