Whats the best type of Garage Door Opener?

Question

I am replacing my ancient garage door opener. I have a solid wood double door. I have read screw drives are good for heavy lifitng, belt drives are quiet and chain drives are dependable. Is this true? What would you buy if you were purchasing a new one?

Thanks

Answer 1

each type has it's own advantage or disadvantages. the idea the screw are stronger is false. any type of opener is only meant to lift a well balanced and smoothly functioning door. screw drive typically use a steel screw driving a carriage lined with aluminum. too much strain and the aluminum will wear out. also worth noting, screw drives are the only type that actually needs to be oiled for the same reason as above. as the aluminum housing around the screw wears away they get very noisy is not oiled often. this gets messy dripping on the car and who really oils anything anyway. belts are quieter but more expensive. if you go with a belt drive, make sure it has a DC motor as the motor is usually the main noise maker. these are often the most expensive to fix also. chain drive (by far the most common) is solid and reliable. 18 yrs in the business, i've only seen 1 chain that actually broke. it rusted through. it was used in a makeshift carwash...duh. i'm not sure if you are looking for brand names and since i really don't want to trash anybody i won't mention anybody by name. that being said, if you plan on doing it yourself, beware of what you will find in home centers and shopping malls. these units are built for inexpensive production. competition has forced manufacturers to skimp on part quality in order to keep the price low. also the mail rail (typically 8-10') is broken into sections that have to be bolted or snapped together. this is for ease of shipping and can fit into a car. this is a weak design period. one other caution, you might come across one brand that sells a 3/4 hp motor while the rest are 1/2. don't get sucked in. that extra power will never be used. 3/4 hp is appropriate if the door weighs a thousand pounds or more. typical wooden or steel doors weigh less than 300. it's wasting money. now, what would i buy? a chain drive with a solid rail (you will need to know your doors height, usually 7 or 8"). warranties don't count for too much if you are installing it yourself as most initial problems are caused by the installation, or poorly working doors. if you want more info, let me know.

ps: almost forgot to say, if you want a solid rail, you will probably have to buy the opener from a door dealer. look in the yellow pages and make some calls. surely a few dollars more, but probably worth it. these companies will also have any parts you might need for your door and most importantly, the knowledge to keep you on the right track. :)

Answer 2

Hands down the belt drive. I work at a garage door dealer as a tech and installer. We do not even carry screwdrives. The screw drive is quiet at first, but after a while it gets very noisy. Also a screw drive, as it gets older can sling the lubricant in it all over the face of your door. When you see a door with a streak down the middle, you can bet they have a screw drive. Also, they deliver more torque than the other two. So when your spring breaks, or something in the doorway (but not blocking the eyes), it is harder to stop which can cause more damage to your car, door, or whatever else is in the way. Chain drives are very good openers. They are durable and last a long time. I have yet to see a broken chain except when it was installed in a constant wet environment, or it was a 30 plus year old commercial opener. That said, I the only chain opener i saw with a broken "chain" was a craftsman, chamberlain and Overhead brand opener where they use half cable and and half chain. Where the cable connects to the chain the cable snapped. Our best seller and my personal favorite is the belt drive. It is much quieter and lasts just as long as a chain drive. The belt does not, or I have yet to see one "stretch". The Craftsman, chamberlain and Liftmaster ones have spring tensioners on them, so they always stay tight. As an added bonus the Chamberlain and Craftsman openers have 10 year warranties on their belts. The Liftmaster has lifetime warranty on the belts. Like I said hands down belt drives are the best bang for the buck. Or if you have the money and your garage is wired properly check out the Liftmaster Jackshaft opener. I would stay away from the Wayne Dalton idrive. They are junk. ***Check out the belt drives with battery backup***

Answer 3

The best garage door opener by far; is your arms.

Our lazy society has just filled our heads with crap they feel we need. Put the car in park, get off your #ss and open the door. If it's raining or snowing; wear a hat and coat!