Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

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CherylHall
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Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by CherylHall »

Hi all, the cold weather has finally done in my 15 year old Genie garage door opener so I am looking for a replacement. I have just started researching brands/models and there is so much more than my basic Genie. I will not be installing this myself - its about 100 bucks to have it done and I am not handy. I am looking for a brand model that will last, I do not need to have the car opener features as drive a Boglehead 2001 civic and I do not need to have to have the tech stuff either. I think I want a belt opener that is maintenance free. I am most interested in reliability and longevity. Any one have suggestions/experiences?
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Kosmo
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by Kosmo »

I have a Craftsman chain drive opener. I just replaced a 30 yr old one with a new model. It's nothing fancy, just a motor and a light. Came with an inside button, outside keypad, and 2 car units. Cost about $150.
Sagenick48
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by Sagenick48 »

We have used Craftsmen and Chamberlin, of the two I lean to Chamberlin.
The market goes up, the market goes down.
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victorb
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by victorb »

When we had our new garage doors installed, they also put in the Genie Professional Line, which is a screw drive in one continuous piece and a heavy duty 1 HP DC motor. We have never had any problems with them.

http://www.geniecompany.com/garage-door ... -line.aspx
Boglegrappler
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by Boglegrappler »

I've had self installed genie, and the other Home Depot brands. I currently have a builders installed lift master, which is a Chamberlain brand.

I think they're all about the same. People won't tolerate issues with something you use every day.
tomd37
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by tomd37 »

Chamberlain Lift Master, and depending on where the garage is located you can make the choice between a belt and screw drive. I suspect the belt drive would be quieter (and screw drive noisier) if the garage is attached to the home such as under a room or in the basement under some room. You might think about replacing the rollers with quieter nylon rollers during the replacement if you don't already have nylon rollers. They are a lot quieter.
Last edited by tomd37 on Sat Jan 10, 2015 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Toons
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by Toons »

"One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity" –Bruce Lee
pyld76
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by pyld76 »

Get a Liftmaster belt drive. These are Chamberlain's "professionally installed" models. The biggest advantage is a single-piece rail.

I had one of the first belt-driven Liftmasters (3/4 hp) on a 2-car garage door, installed in the mid-1990s. That place was sold to a then-coworker who is still using it. I have a mid-2000s Liftmaster 3/4 hp on a 2 car garage door that's been in service since 2005. It's been entirely free of problems, drama, and maintenance (for the most part--the wayne dalton door blew a captured counterweight spring--as did 3 of 4 on my cul-de-sac--nothing to do with the opener).

The negligible extra money for the belt-drive will obviate you of the need to lubricate a chain or screw.
Sagenick48 wrote:We have used Craftsmen and Chamberlin, of the two I lean to Chamberlin.
Chamberlain has manufactured Craftsman branded units (or, minimally all the belt-driven ones and a non-trivial minority of the chain driven models) for at least 20 years. If not longer. If you look back at older Consumer Reports, they all but told people to buy Craftsman if they were on sale, because they'd come at a discount to Liftmaster units and even identical "consumer" Chamberlain models.
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BigFoot48
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by BigFoot48 »

Chamberlain belt-drive self-installed to replace a 15-year old Craftsman that failed. Very quiet and came with exterior keypad which is handy and open-door monitor that didn't work very well.
Retired | Two-time in top-10 in Bogleheads S&P500 contest; 18-time loser
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ClevrChico
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by ClevrChico »

We had a consumer Genie that didn't miss a beat. It was 30 years old and still going when the house was sold.

The current house has a Wayne Dalton 'Pro' model chain drive that hasn't missed a beat in seven years. (Other than slight adjustment to compensate for -20 degree temps.) (No longer sold apparently.)

My general opinion is that brand doesn't matter too much.
Last edited by ClevrChico on Sun Jan 11, 2015 10:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Kenkat
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by Kenkat »

One other option if you are looking to get by "on the cheap" is to just go buy the exact or equivalent model of your existing opener and just replace the head unit, bolting it to the existing hardware. Very DIY. I have done this twice with my Chamberlain units (double doors in garage).
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jfn111
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by jfn111 »

We just had the Lift Master (Chamberlain) installed two weeks ago to replace a dead Genie brand GDO. I couldn't be happier with the Lift Master. Very quite and battery backup in case of power outages.
Only downside is Genie remotes cannot be reprogrammed for the LM.
Yooper
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by Yooper »

The guy who installed my garage doors (he's the defacto "go to" guy for garage doors in town) said he'd also install the openers when I got them. When I asked what type to get he said they're all good, but personally he likes Chamberlains. He didn't have any druthers whether chain or belt, but mentioned that belt driven was a bit quieter. He also said horse power wasn't all that important unless you had a heavy door. So I got chain driven Chamberlains and installed them myself, which was easier than I thought. They're less than a year old so I can't comment on how well they hold up, but I can't hear the doors opening from inside the house so they're quiet enough for me. Chamberlain Power Drive model PD210D.
leo383
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by leo383 »

We bought a Sommer from Lowe's a few years ago, and had Lowes install it. The quietest opener I have ever experienced. Highly recommended.

http://www.sommer-usa.com/
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CherylHall
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by CherylHall »

Hi all, appreciate the responses!

After this thread and reading reviews on Amazon, I bought the high end Chamberlin model. It was not that much more expensive than low end models of any brand (like 125$). It can be controlled from my phone, it adjusts for temps(less adjustments), it slows as it gets to the ground (no more banging) and the install was 75 bucks (I am not handy).

And thank you to the person that mentioned vinyl rollers - wow - huge difference! And the install company gave me the rollers for free and did it with the garage door install at no extra charge.

I have not used all the bells and whistles yet - so far I am absolutely thrilled with this purchase and expect it to last 15++ years.
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ClevrChico
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Re: Garage door openers - recommended brand, model?

Post by ClevrChico »

ClevrChico wrote:We had a consumer Genie that didn't miss a beat. It was 30 years old and still going when the house was sold.

The current house has a Wayne Dalton 'Pro' model chain drive that hasn't missed a beat in seven years. (Other than slight adjustment to compensate for -20 degree temps.) (No longer sold apparently.)

My general opinion is that brand doesn't matter too much.
July Update. The Wayne Dalton door broke a spring and the plastic up/down button broke off the wall console in the same week. Both appear to be frequent and premature problems. Probably best to avoid Wayne Dalton. (The door guy said they are inexpensive, which is why builders use them.) The opener itself is still working okay.
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