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Garage door openers

CaliFFLCaliFFL Senior MemberPosts: 5,486 Senior Member
in Clubhouse #1
I'm looking for an opener for 16' shop door. I see chain drives, belt drives, backup battery options, Wi-Fi, cameras, and various HP ratings.

The backup battery sounds OK since we have fairly frequent outages, but all I really want is an opener that is reliable and rated for a fairly large door. 

Advice? 
When our governing officials dismiss due process as mere semantics, when they exercise powers they don’t have and ignore duties they actually bear, and when we let them get away with it, we have ceased to be our own rulers.

Adam J. McCleod


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Replies

  • zorbazorba Senior Member Posts: 24,113 Senior Member
    #2
    Liftmaster/Chamberlain/Sears. I've owned belts, chains, and leadscrews, and one with a backup battery. Didn't see much difference between the drive types other than the belt is quieter. The battery went flat in about 10 hours without power if I remember correctly, so that may factor in.
    -Zorba, "The Veiled Male"

    "If you get it and didn't work for it, someone else worked for it and didn't get it..."
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  • CaliFFLCaliFFL Senior Member Posts: 5,486 Senior Member
    #3
    I've never had one so I have no comparison. If the power is out and the battery is dead is there a manual override? 
    When our governing officials dismiss due process as mere semantics, when they exercise powers they don’t have and ignore duties they actually bear, and when we let them get away with it, we have ceased to be our own rulers.

    Adam J. McCleod


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  • CaliFFLCaliFFL Senior Member Posts: 5,486 Senior Member
    #4
    And how difficult is installation? 
    When our governing officials dismiss due process as mere semantics, when they exercise powers they don’t have and ignore duties they actually bear, and when we let them get away with it, we have ceased to be our own rulers.

    Adam J. McCleod


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  • Gene LGene L Senior Member Posts: 12,014 Senior Member
    #5
    Mine has a manual lift for power outages.  It's a chain drive.  Mine isn't a 16' door, but one guy installed it, iirc.
    Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
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  • zorbazorba Senior Member Posts: 24,113 Senior Member
    #6
    CaliFFL said:
    I've never had one so I have no comparison. If the power is out and the battery is dead is there a manual override? 
    Just the standard pull rope disconnect and manual ability found on any garage door with an opener.
    -Zorba, "The Veiled Male"

    "If you get it and didn't work for it, someone else worked for it and didn't get it..."
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  • GunNutGunNut Posts: 6,739 Senior Member
    #7
    My father in law had two Chamberlains in his garage for the last 19 years and it’s still going strong.  They still sell basically the same unit and it’s what I have in my garage.  Been there for 4 years with no issues and that one picks up a double door.  Both the old units and mine are chain drive.
    Old West Saying: God created men, but Col. Sam Colt made them equal.

    General George Patton:  “Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.”

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  • JayhawkerJayhawker Moderator Posts: 17,222 Senior Member
    #8
    A nearby lightning strike fried mine last spring....converted to a manual vert easily...

    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
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  • GilaGila Posts: 1,828 Senior Member
    #9
    I too have a chain drive Chamberlain for my garage that is over 20 years old.  I had to replace a worn nylon gear on it once.  Other than that, it's always worked just fine.
    No good deed goes unpunished...
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  • Big Al1Big Al1 Senior Member Posts: 8,041 Senior Member
    #10
    I call my garage door guy, easy peesie!! 

    It's a Liftmaster chain drive, remotes and outside keypad I installed myself. Ten+ years no issuses!
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  • CaliFFLCaliFFL Senior Member Posts: 5,486 Senior Member
    #11
    Thanks guys. Looks like a choice between Liftmaster or Chamberlain chain drive. I'm gonna call around for installation quotes and decide if I'm doing the install. 
    When our governing officials dismiss due process as mere semantics, when they exercise powers they don’t have and ignore duties they actually bear, and when we let them get away with it, we have ceased to be our own rulers.

    Adam J. McCleod


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  • GunNutGunNut Posts: 6,739 Senior Member
    #12
    CaliFFL said:
    Thanks guys. Looks like a choice between Liftmaster or Chamberlain chain drive. I'm gonna call around for installation quotes and decide if I'm doing the install. 
    Same unit as far as I can tell.
    Old West Saying: God created men, but Col. Sam Colt made them equal.

    General George Patton:  “Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.”

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  • zorbazorba Senior Member Posts: 24,113 Senior Member
    #13
    GunNut said:
    CaliFFL said:
    Thanks guys. Looks like a choice between Liftmaster or Chamberlain chain drive. I'm gonna call around for installation quotes and decide if I'm doing the install. 
    Same unit as far as I can tell.
    Yes. Liftmaster is what you'll get if you call a company to come out and install it, Chamberlain is what you'll get if  you buy it at Lowes/Homeless Despot/whatever, and Craftsman is what you'll get when you buy it at Sears. Or at least that's how it used to be!
    -Zorba, "The Veiled Male"

    "If you get it and didn't work for it, someone else worked for it and didn't get it..."
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  • GunNutGunNut Posts: 6,739 Senior Member
    #14
    Yeah just checked.  My FIL has s Chamberlain, mine is a Liftmaster and they are exactly the same until except for the color of the “Learn” button.  Both are installed by the builders.
    Old West Saying: God created men, but Col. Sam Colt made them equal.

    General George Patton:  “Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.”

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  • jbohiojbohio Senior Member Posts: 5,593 Senior Member
    #15
    Liftmaster commercial side shaft/direct drive. .  It'll change your life.  Nothing overhead, nothing above the door.  Quiet.  Almost silent.  Built in automatic dead bolt, lots of features.  Something like a lj8900
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