what is the best automatic garage door opener?
Hi All, found all the answers useful. Can someone tell me whether the recommended Chamberlain/Liftmaster door openers are sold in Sydney,Australia?
I agree with rizonout,, I myself have never liked screwdrive operators, over time the bushing wear out, and they can make the screaming from hell sound in your garage, from the screw rubbing against the aluminum rail. They are also messy from dripping on your cars. I also like the Liftmaster Brand operator, with the 1 piece rails. They have the feature also of if your garage door is open at night and you walk into your garage and break the beam for the safety eyes, it will turn on your lights on the operator great for not walking into a dark garage, also they do design the operator with the nylon gears in them so if something goes out of adjustment with the door or operator, ( cause we all know not everybody services their doors like they are supposed to) they are the cheapest thing to replace in the operator. Springs need to be serviced and lubed, doors need to be properly balanced, rollers need to be checked and lubed. As for 1/2 or 3/4, just get the 1/2hp operator, it is more than enough for operating a 20 x 8 door as long as it is balanced right.. Belts are a nice and quiet running , but chains can be also....
I do not think any one brand is the best, although Genie does make a good machine, so do other companies. So rather than talk about brands I think it is much better to talk about features. A direct drive, screw type is the best. The reason why is because it has the fewest mechanical pieces inside. If you have few pieces and fewer things that move, obviously there are fewer things to wear out or go bad. Secondly is size. If you have a one car garage a 1/2 hp opener is plenty big. If you have a 2 car garage and only one garage door you will need a 3/4 hp machine. Thirdly is options. A wireless, keyless touch pad is handy and easy to install. You want two car transmitters. Other nice features are remote lights on only and a vacation lock to turn your system off if you are going to be gone for a long time. Thieves are very smart and given enough time and the right equipment they can open the garage door as easily as you can. By turning the garage door opener off lock position it becomes impossible for them to open it no matter how many electronic devices they have.
Best Automatic Garage Door Opener
Ok first off Genie's are JUNK! The best manufacturer is Chamberlain. I personally would go with a belt drive. 3/4 horse is overrated! If a door is in balance and working properly on a residential door a 1/4 is plenty. Just go with a 1/2 horse for your door. I personally would go with Liftmaster. You can get a model 3280 that has lifetime warranty on belt and motor, and it is so quiet. A problem with screw drives, mainly genies, you have to use a special lube for drive and usually with heat it drips. A lot of times you can drive by see doors down with a brown or black or sometimes red streak down middle of it. It is from a screw. I install doors for a living and we do not even sell screw drives, because usaully they are not worth the trouble. After several years of use the gears do wear out on Chamberlain products, but they are easily and cheaply repaired. Genies, Craftsman, or even Chamberlain have piece together rails, which have weak points, where they connect together. Liftmaster has a one piece rail. Again I would strongly suggest a Liftmaster belt drive, model 3280 to start.
