It’s important to purchase the right garage door opener. It’s not something you think of often but when your buying something that will be with you for 20-30 years you don’t want to make a mistake you’ll regret later. Here are some of the top garage door questions I get & some you may not think of.
What Is The Best Brand Of Garage Door Opener?
This is one of the top garage door opener questions. LiftMaster is the best brand by far. They are the most innovative & use quality parts. Today almost all of them have direct wi-fi connectivity. Other manufactures cut corners when possible & use a lot of plastic. LiftMaster & Chamberlain are the same company. Chamberlain is sold in stores like Lowes & Home Depot. LiftMaster is usually sold by a contractor. Craftsman & a few others are made by Liftmaster/Chamberlain. They look different on the outside but mostly use the same parts.
LiftMaster will come with a one piece rail which is good. The rails you buy at the home improvement stores will come in pieces so they will fit in a small box. But practically speaking whether the rail is a one piece or small sections from a box both work fine. IMO a one piece rail looks better better but the best thing about a one piece rail is you can use a wire channel that will hide the wiring from the safety sensors & wall button if it is mounted by the door. This will allow for the wiring to not be nailed to the ceiling. Unless the home builder put the wiring behind the wall board.
I would avoid Genie. They have come a long way from the old noisy red ones but they still use a lot of plastic & cut corners. For a basic chain drive it will cost about $20 more for a Chamberlain/LiftMaster vs the Genie. If I had to make a choice after LiftMaster/Chamberlain I would buy a Linear.
How Do I Choose A Quiet Garage Door Opener? What Makes A Garage Door Opener Quiet?
The two most important things that make garage door openers quiet are a DC motor & a belt drive. Some LiftMaster operators with AC motors use a Motor Vibration Isolation System (MVIS®). This is on a par with a DC motor. An advantage to DC motors are they have a soft start/stop. This is easier on the system & is a bit quieter.
A non-insulated garage door will be louder because it will reverberate any vibration from the opener to the garage door. Also any noise from the movement of the doors will be louder. An insulated garage door has more advantaged than keeping the space warm or cool. See my post about Do You need an Insulated Or Non-Insulated Garage Door.
How Can I Make My Garage Door Opener Quieter?
Rubber vibration isolators will help. This will absorb some of the energy from the motor. The LiftMaster part number & link is 89LM. This can be used on any brand opener.
A non-insulated garage door will vibrate more noise from a garage door opener & movement from going up & down. If you have a belt drive or DC motor this will be minimized. The best option is a three layer door – that is steel on the inside & out with insulation in the middle.
Can You Recommend A Good, Rugged, Inexpensive Garage Door Opener?
- IiftMaster 8164 – This is a chain drive. It has wi-fi connectivity so you can control it with your smart phone with their LiftMaster MyQ app. MyQ also has home automation features & they have partnered with a few security companies also.
- LiftMaster 8010 – This is a chain drive with a DC motor which makes it quieter! This is an excellent choice for someone who wants an inexpensive garage door operator & doesn’t need fancy wi-fi connectivity.
What Is The Very Best Garage Door Opener?
- LiftMaster 8550W – This is the best & quietest garage door opener on the market. It has a DC motor & belt drive for quiet operation. It has a back-up battery that will open the door when the power is out & wi-fi connectivity. If you have a bedroom next to your garage & don’t want to be awakened when someone opens enters the garage this is what you want. And installed price is only $90 more than a basic chain drive.
- LIftMaster WLED – This is a new garage door operator as of this posting. It is the same as the 8550W but has two very bright LEDs instead of standard light sockets.
I Am Concerned About Garage Security. How Can I Make My Garage Door More Secure?
If you have newer LiftMaster models 8500W, 8550W, 8587W and 8360W made after 8/2017 there is a ‘dead bolt’ named the 841LM that connects to the track. It will automatically engage & disengage when the door is opened & closed. It can be operated manually also.
Most garage door openers do a good job of locking themselves when closed but this give you extra peace of mind. This is a lot better than having a conventional lock. A conventional lock is not a good idea if you have a garage door opener installed. Murphy’s law says some day someone will try to open the door when it is still locked.
Also see my article on Garage Door Safety.
We are happy to answer any & all questions. Even those regarding you fixing your door your self! I service Nashville, Antioch, Brentwood, Clarksville, Dickson & all middle TN.