Experience with garage door openers?

[JamesPatterson]

Plan on installing one for the first time ever, and I see everywhere online good input on a few brands, Liftmaster and Chamberlain predominantly. Any of you guys have experience, can point me toward a specific brand, even model? I'm basically a monkey when it comes to garage door openers, but I have some cash laying around and I'm too lazy to open and close the door when I go out, seriously, it's annoying. Here https://www.optimainstitute.com/garage/door-opener.html their top recommendations seem quite OK but those prices are pretty high. I saw a few cheaper options that seem OK too but I'm not sure if I'm looking at the right stats. Might I mention, my budget is $400 tops and my garage door ain't that impressive, so I shouldn't need a heavy-duty model I guess cause it ain't all that heavy.

[jpanhalt]

Are we to assume it is a light-weight aluminum, single car, roll up door? Or what?

Have you called any of your local installers?

[mark03]

I am curious if there are any with longer RF range than the ones I've used.  Something like 100-200 m would be ideal.  I am a bit OCD about this, but I dream of having a garage door which opens early/fast enough that I don't have to slow down and wait for it after turning into the driveway.  Sorry, no concrete suggestions, but that would be a key criterion if I ever replace mine.

EDIT:  Looking at that list, I am reminded of another criterion:  ability to defeat the "safety beam" shutoff "feature"!

[calzap]

Liftmaster is a Chamberlain brand.  Many of the parts and modules are interchangeable between the two brands.  I've had both brands installed, including commercial and residential versions, and they're fine.  Unless you're really handy mechanically, I suggest you have a professional install the door opener.  The electronics is the easy part.  There are a lot of tricks and techniques, including tensioning some powerful springs.  The professional should give you a range of choices and explain the benefits and costs of each.   If your present door is wood, it can gain a lot weight when wet ... just one thing that has to be considered.

Be sure to have a manual "vacation" switch in the garage that can remove power from the unit ... an important security feature.

Even pros can make mistakes.  I was getting a little tingle from a newly installed door when I touched it with my feet bare.  Upon investigation, I found the installer had penetrated a ceiling joist with a lag screw that continued on into a power cable.

Mike in California

[floobydust]

I recently installed a new Chamberlain for a friend, complete with the myQ Internet IoT option. The automation and connectivity with garage door openers is huge.

TBH I'm old school and liked the old Liftmaster/Craftsman opener much better - it had a beefy AC motor and screw adjustments for the limit switches. The new Chamberlain is cheap, it has a wimpy tiny 12V DC brushed motor and is slow as molasses opening/closing. It uses software to program the limit switch points which is complicated. Overall, I wouldn't expect it to last like the old one did, before its gears stripped after 15+ years. I've repaired a couple old school openers, their main disadvantage is old low security RF remotes.

I dislike the myQ phone app and door opener needing your WiFi password. Authentication goes back to their central server, which I think is creepy and unnecessary and less secure. I look forward to their server getting hacked and telling every garage door in America to open lol.
I don't think the door opener will remotely work if their server is down or you don't have WiFi. So keep an RF remote stashed somewhere.

The pluses are you can use a phone as a remote (no need to buy extra remotes), the system alerts you when the door is open/closed or motion detected (wife comes home for affair), and you can remotely open/close the door from anywhere such as when a package delivery comes in, you open the door for drop off and then close the door, to stop package thieves. This is if you have a doorbell camera.
There is also a home alarm tie-in, that disarms your home alarm when you are home and open the door, or auto arms it when you leave.


The hardest part mechanically of the installation is the rail location/length and door bracket and mounting the opener. You have to get the geometry right. We got stuck with a larger door and belt kit, the instructions are terrible for that. It's a bit of planning to measure your door and ceiling etc. but entirely a DIY project.

There are many youtube videos on how to install it. Wiring the light sensors and button panel was easy, it's just a two-wire run.

[NiHaoMike]

I recently installed a new Chamberlain for a friend, complete with the myQ Internet IoT option. The automation and connectivity with garage door openers is huge.

TBH I'm old school and liked the old Liftmaster/Craftsman opener much better - it had a beefy AC motor and screw adjustments for the limit switches. The new Chamberlain is cheap, it has a wimpy tiny 12V DC brushed motor and is slow as molasses opening/closing. It uses software to program the limit switch points which is complicated. Overall, I wouldn't expect it to last like the old one did, before its gears stripped after 15+ years. I've repaired a couple old school openers, their main disadvantage is old low security RF remotes.

I dislike the myQ phone app and door opener needing your WiFi password. Authentication goes back to their central server, which I think is creepy and unnecessary and less secure. I look forward to their server getting hacked and telling every garage door in America to open lol.
I don't think the door opener will remotely work if their server is down or you don't have WiFi. So keep an RF remote stashed somewhere.

The pluses are you can use a phone as a remote (no need to buy extra remotes), the system alerts you when the door is open/closed or motion detected (wife comes home for affair), and you can remotely open/close the door from anywhere such as when a package delivery comes in, you open the door for drop off and then close the door, to stop package thieves. This is if you have a doorbell camera.
There is also a home alarm tie-in, that disarms your home alarm when you are home and open the door, or auto arms it when you leave.


The hardest part mechanically of the installation is the rail location/length and door bracket and mounting the opener. You have to get the geometry right. We got stuck with a larger door and belt kit, the instructions are terrible for that. It's a bit of planning to measure your door and ceiling etc. but entirely a DIY project.

There are many youtube videos on how to install it. Wiring the light sensors and button panel was easy, it's just a two-wire run.

Go the DIY route for IoT integration. Cloud based solutions rarely get it right.

For those who just want to upgrade from the insecure remotes, a possible solution would be to make a very short range jammer mounted directly on the opener and then have a more secure remote either turn off the jammer or emulate a button press to operate the door.

[mark03]

Needing to manipulate a smartphone to open the garage door is a horrible idea IMO.  I don't care how good their security and "user experience" engineering is; the whole idea is just a non-starter.  I need a physical button I can push without looking, while the car is moving.

[Ground_Loop]

I installed a Genie screw drive 'accelerator' about 20 years ago for my 19' wide solid wood door and just within the last couple months replaced it.  It developed a bad vibration that I could not isolate to a mechanical problem.  I think numerous lightning strikes damaged one of the output drivers for the motor.  Anyway, Home depot has them for about $200.

[ebclr]

That's the market Lider

https://www.stanleyaccess.com/