# Garage Door Openers



## gm560

Anyone have a recommendation? I see Genie and Chamberlain are what they sell at big box stores, but wary of de spec. products. Liftmaster looks like the premium brand, but seems to be dealer only, is this route worth it?

I have an old craftsman one that came with the house, must be 30-40 years old. It works fine but there is no key pad, no wifi, no battary backup... not to mention it sounds like a 747 taking off.

I have an old heavy wooden garage door, if that matters.


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## Spammage

Won't be a huge endorsement, but I just replaced a Genie screw drive opener that was a total PITA since it was installed. I went with the Chamberlain 3/4 horse unit. It's definitely been a huge improvement, was easy to install and is way quieter than the Genie too.


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## ionicatoms

I dislike the Genie Pro Screw Drive that came with my house. The open limit switch assembly is unreliable (crap); I had to improve the electrical connection to stop the door from ramming into the power head every time the door was opened.


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## FlowRider

Liftmaster. The best of what you are looking at....

Professional installation required. Only brand my builder uses....

The other two are consumer quality, instead of commercial quality.

I have four of them. Utterly reliable. Worth the money.


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## FlowRider

Four button learning remote control.

ISO 9001 Certified Manufacturer.


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## FlowRider




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## Rig2

If you are looking for quiet, go with a belt drive. Mine just went out a few weeks ago. I bought the Chamblerlan one from Lowe's that's like a 1.5 hp or something like that. It was 250. Came with keypad, 2 remotes, battery back up, WiFi to app so I can control from the phone.

Easy install. Took about 3 hrs with a few drink breaks and a chatty neighbor buggin. It's so quiet compared to the screw one that I can't hear it in the house anymore.

How long will it last? ? Not dealer quality but easy enough to where I can fix it or get a new and have up and running in a few hours. The door guys at my job for the shop doors are always booked and late.


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## dicko1

I always thought that Liftmaster and Chamberlain were the same product. Is Liftmaster really that much better?


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## BobLovesGrass

On the door weight, that is handled by the springs if adjusted properly.

Would you consider wall mount?


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## corneliani

BobLovesGrass said:


> On the door weight, that is handled by the springs if adjusted properly.
> 
> Would you consider wall mount?


I like where you're going with this! 👍. I had a project with huge 14' garage ceilings and it makes complete sense in those applications. It really allows for that space to remain large instead of having door tracks mounted in midair. 
They are pricey though.


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## hsvtoolfool

****o1 said:


> I always thought that Liftmaster and Chamberlain were the same product. Is Liftmaster really that much better?


From my research, Chamberlain (mostly commercial products) is the maker of the Liftmaster consumer/homeowner line of products.


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## gm560

I have very little in terms of pre determined bias. So i would consider anything. I would just like to have one with keypad and a battery backup. Quiet is better, too, since a bedroom is above the garage.

Honestly my big fear is that in the search for some modern convenience features, I will be replacing this Craftsman, from when Craftsman was good quality, which as evident by its longevity, is built like a tank, with some cheaply made foreign junk that I will be replacing every 2 years. I have fallen victim to this before and I feel like a schmuck every time, so hoping to find a replacement that will last.


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## g-man

I have a Chamberlain belt with the wifi app. It is great. Liftmaster and Chamberlain are the same company. Liftmaster makes the center beam in one solid piece (8ft long). Chamberlain is 3 sections to make it fit in a box.

Make sure your springs are good. Unhook the door and lift it halfway. The door should remain there without support. If it drops or lifts, the springs need adjustment. Call a professional for spring adjustment. They have the proper tools to avoid getting hurt with the springs.

I installed mine using the 195LM. It was 20.95 5yrs ago. 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GWD67AA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GRspFb3BB317B


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## gm560

Thanks g-man. It sounds like Chamberlain is probably the right way to go unless I call in a professional. I will do my spring investigation this weekend and make my decision then.


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## TroyScherer

We just had to replace our 30+ year old door opener last fall. I have a local installer that uses multiple brands and they suggested a belt drive Liftmaster or Linear. They said the Liftmaster was one of the best options for quality and warranty. The Linear is a the same basic units as the Liftmaster they are just a "house brand". They are made by and in the same facility as the Liftmaster.


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## dicko1

gm560 said:


> Honestly my big fear is that in the search for some modern convenience features, I will be replacing this Craftsman, from when Craftsman was good quality, which as evident by its longevity, is built like a tank, with some cheaply made foreign junk that I will be replacing every 2 years. I have fallen victim to this before and I feel like a schmuck every time, so hoping to find a replacement that will last.


I would buy Chamberlain then since Craftsman has been made by Chamberlain since like forever.


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## gm560

****o1 said:


> gm560 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Honestly my big fear is that in the search for some modern convenience features, I will be replacing this Craftsman, from when Craftsman was good quality, which as evident by its longevity, is built like a tank, with some cheaply made foreign junk that I will be replacing every 2 years. I have fallen victim to this before and I feel like a schmuck every time, so hoping to find a replacement that will last.
> 
> 
> 
> I would buy Chamberlain then since Craftsman has been made by Chamberlain since like forever.
Click to expand...

I didnt know that. Even back in the 70s? Based on the faux wood paneling on my current opener that is when I estimate it was made.


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## Chief Brody

We just recently had our garage door and opener replaced.

The door was original to the house and solid wood. REALLY heavy. The opener the flipper installed was a super cheap chain drive, ceiling mount setup. It was extremely loud. The noise created by the chain drive motor and the heavy door could be heard through the entire house, and also made that side of the house gently vibrate.

The solution was a new insulated door and a Lift Master (made by Chamberlain) side/wall mount 8500 series opener.

I don't have enough good things to say about this new setup. Aside from the initial activation of the motor to open the door, it is almost completely silent and vibration free.

Half the time when I'm coming home, I scare my wife because she never heard me come in the house via the garage.

100% worth the cost.


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## massgrass

I have a 23 year old Craftsman (made by Chamberlain) that is still chugging along and wouldn't have a problem replacing it with another Chamberlain when the time comes. I also have the Chamberlain myQ wifi hub, which was $20 during the Black Friday sales last year.


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## dicko1

My first garagedoor opener in the early 80s was a Craftsman and I used to buy chamberlain remotes for it whenever I lost one (which was often).

Take a look at your opener's model number. Then cross reference this list for the manufacturer
http://vintagemachinery.org/Craftsman/manufacturers.aspx


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## 7824

I've had a bunch of the latest and greatest openers over the last 5 years from all the major companies and some of the lesser known companies. Hands down the best setup for an attached garage is a wallmount opener. I use the Chamberlain RJ020. It's much quieter than the overhead belt drive overhead units. I know that may be hard to believe for people that have the latest overhead belt driven DC motor units. It also opens up A LOT of head room in your garage. It handles my 16x8 extremely heavy insulated door with no issues. Yes, the springs do the work, but openers have weight specs because they have to get the entire door moving before the springs do the rest of the work.

One of the main differences that no one mentions with the overhead Chamberlain and Liftmaster is the rail. The chamberlain uses a segmented rail that is noisy and weak with a lot of movement. The liftmaster uses a solid rail.


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## Ware

g-man said:


> I have a Chamberlain belt with the wifi app. It is great. Liftmaster and Chamberlain are the same company. Liftmaster makes the center beam in one solid piece (8ft long). Chamberlain is 3 sections to make it fit in a box.


+1


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## gm560

I think I have honed in on this one.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Chamberlain-1-1-4-HP-Equivalent-Ultra-Quiet-Belt-Drive-Smart-Garage-Door-Opener-with-Battery-Backup-B970/301951467

Probably go pick one up tomorrow. Thanks everyone.


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## avionics12

Chief Brody said:


> We just recently had our garage door and opener replaced.
> 
> The door was original to the house and solid wood. REALLY heavy. The opener the flipper installed was a super cheap chain drive, ceiling mount setup. It was extremely loud. The noise created by the chain drive motor and the heavy door could be heard through the entire house, and also made that side of the house gently vibrate.
> 
> The solution was a new insulated door and a Lift Master (made by Chamberlain) side/wall mount 8500 series opener.
> 
> I don't have enough good things to say about this new setup. Aside from the initial activation of the motor to open the door, it is almost completely silent and vibration free.
> 
> Half the time when I'm coming home, I scare my wife because she never heard me come in the house via the garage.
> 
> 100% worth the cost.


100% agree


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## soupy01833

I have that same one. Side mounted is the quietest I have ever seen. Comes with WiFi and battery backup


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## massgrass

massgrass said:


> I have a 23 year old Craftsman (made by Chamberlain) that is still chugging along and wouldn't have a problem replacing it with another Chamberlain when the time comes. I also have the Chamberlain myQ wifi hub, which was $20 during the Black Friday sales last year.


Guess I jinxed myself, the sprocket on top of the opener broke off when we closed the garage door last night. I ordered a Chamberlain B970 (like gm560 was also looking at) from Home Depot this AM and need to find some time to get it installed.


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## gm560

massgrass said:


> massgrass said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have a 23 year old Craftsman (made by Chamberlain) that is still chugging along and wouldn't have a problem replacing it with another Chamberlain when the time comes. I also have the Chamberlain myQ wifi hub, which was $20 during the Black Friday sales last year.
> 
> 
> 
> Guess I jinxed myself, the sprocket on top of the opener broke off when we closed the garage door last night. I ordered a Chamberlain B970 (like gm560 was also looking at) from Home Depot this AM and need to find some time to get it installed.
Click to expand...

Oh man, I totally screwed you! Sorry man.


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## testwerke

Really have the itch to replace my overhead unit for a wall-mount purely for the reduction of noise.


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## FlowRider

The main reason I prefer Liftmaster garage door openers is the warranty is better with Liftmaster, because it includes servicing in the protections offered in the warranty. If a part fails, either warranty will replace the part(s) if the warranty period is still valid; but only Liftmaster includes service call costs. A distinction that makes a considerable difference if your garage door opener malfunctions and you do not know what is wrong with it, or cannot diagnose it yourself.

The other reason that bears mentioning is the Liftmaster's assembly trolley system is made of very high quality steel, which can handle doors which are heavier (wood, fiberglass, insulated double wall steel panels, etc.) or if your door is taller than a single seven foot door, or if you have a double door and only one opener to lift that heavier door.

The Chamberlain uses a lightweight three-piece rail (it fits into a box so it can be sold to consumers who may need to fit it into a car or trunk), but if your door is taller than seven feet, the Chamberlain is not suitable for that size door, nor will it be suitable for heavier doors or double doors. Parts of the rail system are plastic covered with thin steel, which is easier for the box and carry DIY consumer, but it also means the Chamberlain is more suitable for single doors. The average consumer either doesn't know or research this to find out, or maybe doesn't care, but it may be an issue in the future.

I have not seen the jackshaft openers, but they look like a great solution to consider if the need arises.

I have chain drive on all my openers. I have an attached four car garage (gearhead) and it is noisy, but I do not care, because I insulated my entire garage so that I could put in a mini-split HVAC unit, and the insulation prevents the noise from being a nuisance. I still can hear the garage door open, but that is not a big deal to me - it's a garage and shop, not a library....

I think the OP made a good choice, and will be fine with the replacement model he bought, for sure.

However, to say that these openers are the same because the parent company is the same is simply *not true*.

The factual reality is these openers are made for different markets, with two different designs, and for different requirements that are known to the professionals, and perhaps to the better-informed consumers who take the necessary measures and spend the time to educate themselves on the differences, and sometimes, are willing (or required by their door specifications...) to pay extra $$.

There are distinctions that do make a difference, and that is especially true in home construction....


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## massgrass

gm560 said:


> Oh man, I totally screwed you! Sorry man.


Ha!


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## MasterMech

I recently installed a Chamberlain RJO70 wall-mount. Anybody considering a DIY wall-mount install/retrofit needs to PM me, at least until I get all my thoughts together and post it in a separate thread.


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## testwerke

MasterMech said:


> I recently installed a Chamberlain RJO70 wall-mount. Anybody considering a DIY wall-mount install/retrofit needs to PM me, at least until I get all my thoughts together and post it in a separate thread.


I want to retrofit at some point from overhead to a wall mount, mostly because I _believe_ it would be quieter. Curious if you found that to be true.


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## MasterMech

testwerke said:


> MasterMech said:
> 
> 
> 
> I recently installed a Chamberlain RJO70 wall-mount. Anybody considering a DIY wall-mount install/retrofit needs to PM me, at least until I get all my thoughts together and post it in a separate thread.
> 
> 
> 
> I want to retrofit at some point from overhead to a wall mount, mostly because I _believe_ it would be quieter. Curious if you found that to be true.
Click to expand...

It's fantastically quiet, I swapped mostly because of my bonus room above the garage, which is a kids playroom right now.

Three boys, they get to moving and the chain in my old opener rattled like boulders in a steel 55 gallon drum.

What they don't tell you about is the physics of changing from an opener that drives the door to one that drives the torsion bar. (With no other modifications to the door.) Door balance, track alignment, cables winding on the drum, etc. All of it it a potential failure point. I think I've got mine 99% sorted but it's fun getting there, especially since it only breaks for my wife. The last issue I'm having is if the cables don't wind perfectly back onto the drum, when the opener unwinds the bar, cable tension is released unevenly, which trips the cable tension monitors, and reverses the door. It's really hard to catch it in the act though, as the failure doesn't present until the door has already reversed. I need to catch it when the cable initially wraps a second layer around the drum, and it might be doing that 1% of the cycles. Alignment of my drums and the door looks OK to me. I might shift the drums to favor the winding a bit more.


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## RoadiJeff

I know this is somewhat of an old thread. However, other people may find it via a google search like I did when I was looking for Chamberlain forums.

Anyway, when a garage door repair technician was at my house recently to repair my rather noisy 10-12 year old chain drive Craftsman opener I mentioned to him that I was having second thoughts about getting it repaired and instead putting the money toward a new opener. I mentioned Chamberlain and Genie belt drive openers and that I had installed the one that's currently in use and that I could probably install a new one.

He said that if I bought a Genie and I wanted him to install it he would refuse. He indicated that the quality of Genie was not very good. He said to go with the Chamberlain, which is what I did. I offered to pay him for a service call but he said he didn't want anything and gave me a fist bump and said to contact him if I needed any help with with my project.

Chamberlain B4613T installed yesterday and working great so far. It's a lot more quiet than my old chain drive Craftsman.


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## 7824

Side mount jackshaft wall mount is the way to go, as mentioned in this thread.

Don't forget to clean and lube the entire garage door system every 6 months. It makes a huge difference. I can hear my neighbors garage doors open and close from across the street 300ft away. The doors are only 3 years old but they have never serviced them. They were smooth and quiet the first year and then they neglected them.

This works really well.
https://blasterproducts.com/product/garage-door-lubricant/


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## MasterMech

learningeveryday said:


> Side mount jackshaft wall mount is the way to go, as mentioned in this thread.
> 
> Don't forget to clean and lube the entire garage door system every 6 months. It makes a huge difference. I can hear my neighbors garage doors open and close from across the street 300ft away. The doors are only 3 years old but they have never serviced them. They were smooth and quiet the first year and then they neglected them.
> 
> This works really well.
> https://blasterproducts.com/product/garage-door-lubricant/


That is good stuff! Same stuff I go after my door with. "Dry" motorcycle chain lubes work pretty well too. Anything that dries and doesn't leave a tacky residue to attract dirt is A-OK. Most entry-level segmented doors have craptacular hinges on them too that just aren't made to last. Frequent service is your best defense against catastrophic failures.

I recently converted my door from a single torsion spring to dual. My garage doesn't have a man-door and so my overhead gets a BUNCH of cycles. It's not an upgrade you can appreciate until decades have gone by with no spring failures.


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## berisiw

Rig2 said:


> If you are looking for quiet, go with a belt drive. Mine just went out a few weeks ago. I bought the Chamblerlan one from Lowe's that's like a 1.5 hp or something like that. It was 250. Came with keypad, 2 remotes, battery back up, WiFi to app so I can control from the phone.
> 
> Easy install. Took about 3 hrs with a few drink breaks and a chatty neighbor buggin. It's so quiet compared to the screw one that I can't hear it in the house anymore.
> 
> How long will it last? ? Not dealer quality but easy enough to where I can fix it or get a new and have up and running in a few hours. The door guys at my job for the shop doors are always booked and late.
> concrete sealing gold coast


Hello. New here. Need to replace our garage door opener. The question is belt or chain. We have had the current chain drive for 20 years so I can’t complain about longevity. I realize the belt will be quieter, but will it be as reliable in our extreme Midwest temp fluctuations?


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## MasterMech

berisiw said:


> Hello. New here. Need to replace our garage door opener. The question is belt or chain. We have had the current chain drive for 20 years so I can’t complain about longevity. I realize the belt will be quieter, but will it be as reliable in our extreme Midwest temp fluctuations?


Is side mounting an option for you? Quietest by far. Absent that, I'd do a belt drive.


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