Garage Door Opener Advice

[MFalkinham]

It's zero degrees outside, and my Chamberlain LiftMaster garage door opener is acting up AGAIN. It has always had an intermittant problem where the upper limit switch apparently stops working. As a result, the door won't stop opening until it hits the stop bolt in the rail right before the motor unit, and jams tight there. The "usual" fix has been to remove the chain, reinstall it and readjust everything. This time even that solution isn't working.



I'm about ready to junk this opener, which I believe is around 8 years old and came with our house. I'm considering changing to a screw drive for more durability, but I really don't want another Chamberlain. How are the Genie units for reliablity? Or, what makes/models have you guys had good luck with. The door is a 9'-wide wooden sectional with coil springs.



Thanks in advance for any suggestions!



- Mike

 

[tractorface]

Never had a problem with either of my Craftsmen openers. Both are chain drive and work flawlessly all the time.

 

[Black Cloud]

I have two 1/2 horsepower Craftsman screw type openers. Nice simple units and what was cool was they were on sale for $129, regular $189. Came with two remotes a piece. I recommend them.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

My garage door doesn't have any opener right now... it's a little inconvenient, but no big deal. (There used to be a screw drive Genie in there before I moved in... grrr!)



I'd look into the idrive wall mounted openers from Wayne Dalton - they're SWEET. That's what I'm going to buy when the time comes.



http://www.waynedalton.com/idrive_Torsion.asp



Here's their marketing pitch:

"By mounting idrive on the wall above your door, we're able to eliminate the belts, chain, screw drive, and track that clutter your garage ceiling. That mean less noise and vibration are transferred to adjoining living areas. According to independent tests, idrive is quieter than any chain drive opener you can buy. "



Matt

 

[MFalkinham]

Hi Matt,



In doing my Internet research for this purchase, I found some info on that Wayne Dalton I-drive unit. While the design is cool and the concept makes sense, most of the posts I read indicated that those units are difficult to get working properly. The posts stated that the "firmware" was buggy, the parts were fairly difficult to install, and that WD tech support was terrible. That is just what I've read, and maybe those problems have since been resolved by Wayne Dalton.



I believe the Craftsman openers are actually made by Chamberlain for Sears, so that would rule them out from this puchase. I've decided to buy a Genie screw-drive for a couple of reasons. The Genie units are made in the USA, while Chamberlains are made in Mexico; and Genie recommends and sells lubricant for their screw-drive, while Chamberlain claims that their LiftMaster screw-drive never needs lubrication. I'm a big believer in doing preventative maintenance, and we've seen how well "lubed-for-life" parts are working out with the 3rd Gen ball joints and u-joints.



Thanks for all the input guys!!



- Mike

 

[klenger]

I've had good results with the Geni from Home Depot. Their top of the line (~$225) includes on-site warranty.



My current house has a builder installed Wayne Dalton (not the idrive) and I think it's junk.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Hrmmm... maybe I ought to do some more research... I did a quick Google this afternoon on the Wayne Dalton idrive and saw some negative comments as well. None of the problems went unresolved, though... that's good news.



No product is without it's flaws or issues when it first comes out... I wonder if a lot of the issues with the idrive have been solved? Nonetheless, it's still a very interesting alternative to traditional overhead door openers...



Matt