Belt or chain opener

[mrstang69]

My new house is almost done. Got a three car garage attached to the house. One big door for the double car garage and a single door for the other. Question is for my garage door opener is a chain or belt driven opener? Wife would like the WiFi opener for the double garage but if anyone has opinion on brand and type.

 

[Moosefire66]

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[Z2V]

I have LiftMaster jackshaft on my garage and the belt drive on my fathers garage door. Both have MyQ which works well from my iPhone. The belt drive is super quiet and so it the jackshaft.
Congrats on the new house and new garage!!

 

[JRC3]

^
When it's time to replace mine I think I'm gonna do that. http://www.weshipgaragedoorparts.co...r-opener.php?gclid=CLHE2rCThtMCFYW1wAodsnMIrA

 

[ddawg16]

Another vote for the LiftMaster jackshaft opener.

Main reason....you don't have all that junk sitting up on your garage ceiling. It frees up a lot of space.

I keep hoping mine will die so I can justify replacing it with a liftmaster

 

[ddawg16]

Oh....and it comes with a battery so you can use it even with the power off.

And burglars can't unlock the carriage assembly like you can on a traditional opener

 

[Z2V]

Yep, and everything ddawg16 said!!
I did the highlift when I did the jackshaft.

 

[JRC3]

And burglars can't unlock the carriage assembly like you can on a traditional opener

A coat hanger can get to it's emergency release too. Maybe even easier. But like a conventional open just don't install the cord/handle.

At least it has a deadbolt. Though it's not perfect either. I'd put some type of shield over the release lever.

 

[ddawg16]

I seem to recall you need some constant downward force on the door....i.e., there has to be weight on the torsion cable at all times or you have issues....hence the high lift.

Otherwise, the cable can come off

 

[Z2V]

A coat hanger can get to it's emergency release too. Maybe even easier. But like a conventional open just don't install the cord/handle.

At least it has a deadbolt. Though it's not perfect either. I'd put some type of shield over the release lever.

I seriously doubt a thief would even think to fish for the release cord on a jackshaft opener. Very few people even know these openers even exist.

 

[Z2V]

I seem to recall you need some constant downward force on the door....i.e., there has to be weight on the torsion cable at all times or you have issues....hence the high lift.

Otherwise, the cable can come off

I did the highlift to accommodate a four post myself. My door is almost 400lbs so I have 4 springs and I set them up a little light to the door. No problems with cables yet (6 months). Knock on wood!

mrstange69,
Can you share some more pics of your avatar?

 

[JRC3]

I seriously doubt a thief would even think to fish for the release cord on a jackshaft opener. Very few people even know these openers even exist.

I agree. But at some point they will become more commonplace and if anyone was in your garage like a service person or a classifieds ad buyer...They would know about it. Many people use their garage entrance more than their front door.


I'd just do a short pull and shield it from a potential coathanger.

 

[Z2V]

Many people use their garage entrance more than their front door.

Ha Ha, guilty as charged!!

 

[crf731]

My new house is almost done. Got a three car garage attached to the house. One big door for the double car garage and a single door for the other. Question is for my garage door opener is a chain or belt driven opener? Wife would like the WiFi opener for the double garage but if anyone has opinion on brand and type.

I'd choose a belt over a chain. They are much quieter.

 

[kbs2244]

Back to the question.
Chain vs belt.
I have one of each.
They both work fine.
The belt is quieter.

 

[gnpenning]

Oh....and it comes with a battery so you can use it even with the power off.


8500 can have a battery back up but it isn't standard. Back back up is also an option in other types from Liftmaster.



All current residential Liftmaster openers are MQ compatible.


Is there bedrooms above or next to the garage? Most properly installed chain drive are fairly quite. Some are more sensitive than others to the noise If so go with the belt.

 

[metschers]

I vote for the Liftmaster 8500 team also,
I've got three in my shop.......

 

[ddawg16]

Back to the question.
Chain vs belt.
I have one of each.
They both work fine.
The belt is quieter.

Neither.....liftmaster

 

[PT Doc]

8500. Deadbolt. FTW.

 

[HotrodHR]

Liftmaster...

 

[info2x]

I like my liftmaster belt driven opener.

 

[rharman]

Another vote for the LiftMaster jackshaft opener.

Main reason....you don't have all that junk sitting up on your garage ceiling. It frees up a lot of space.

I keep hoping mine will die so I can justify replacing it with a liftmaster

Oh yeah. That's what I told my wife long ago - when it dies, Liftmaster comes in.

When the belt on my Craftsman opener threw some teeth, an 8500 was on its' way the next day.

OP... Seriously consider the jackshaft opener. It's great.

Another plug for weshipgaragedoorparts.com

 

[gnpenning]

Apparently many here don't realize that Liftmaster makes more than just the 8500. They also make chain and belt drive openers along with gate openers and other products. They also make openers for Craftsman and everything with Chamberlain on it..... Chamberlain is Liftmaster. Even some with other hardware stores names on them.

 

[JimH74]

Belt for me!

 

[cgrutt]

Those Liftmaster's seem sweet but if you're looking for traditional style opener, worm/screw drive such as on a Genie work well and are very quiet.

 

[Blue XJ]

I went with a Chamberlain belt drive unit, I believe its 3/4 horse for the 2 car door and a 1/2 horse for the single car door. I also replaced all of the garage door rollers with rubberized ones, like a rollerblade wheel. I can be standing in front of the door while it is opening, and not hear a single thing. Our master is above the garage and I didn't want to wake up my wife when I leave for work in the morning, the combo of above components met that challenge. Even inside the house, standing at the door that leads to the garage, or directly above where the opener is mounted, you can't hear a thing.

 

[kwschumm]

Last month I was visiting my brother in another state. He was having problems with his ~8 year old Chamberlain opener where the belt kept skipping teeth. We could NOT find a new belt for that opener anywhere, Chamberlain said they were NLA, so we replaced it with a chain unit. If installing a conventional opener I'd go chain drive. The chain should outlast the unit.

 

[CNGsaves]

Easy answer as apparently you have nice house with 3 car garage.

NO, NO, NO to anything with a chain. Not appropriate for high-end house.

YES, YES, YES to Jackshaft drive with a high-lift door, if appropriate for your garage ceiling.

Belt-drive if you settle for "normal" opener instead of Jackshaft drive.

 

[kwschumm]

Easy answer as apparently you have nice house with 3 car garage.

NO, NO, NO to anything with a chain. Not appropriate for high-end house.

YES, YES, YES to Jackshaft drive with a high-lift door, if appropriate for your garage ceiling.

Belt-drive if you settle for "normal" opener instead of Jackshaft drive.

I've seen several million dollar homes with chain drive openers. Not the cheapies though.

What objections do you all have against chain drive? It can't be noise, I replaced a noisy Overhead Door chain drive opener in my house with a DC Linear chain drive and the Linear was exquisitely quiet, way way quieter than the OD unit. Maybe the OD opener was just a crappy opener?

 

[rattle_snake]

Belt or chain opener ?
neither, jackshaft.

 

[nes999]

I like chain drive. All of the commercial properties I have ever been on used chain drive. If it lasts in a commercial setting it will last at my house. We recent replaced motor on one at work (fork lift accident) you can barely hear it.

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[Scud67]

Love my belt drive - super quiet, back up battery, can be (although I don't) linked to smart phone....

 

[JRC3]

Put a screw drive in for a buddy about 17 years ago. Noisiest POS ever. It sounds like nuts and bots in a blender. He and his wife park in the garage daily, kids and everyone used it as the entrance but it just won't die so he has to put up with it. Wife even caught the door with an open tailgate one day and ruined the door. He greases it frequently.

 

[bpjr]

Screw type on both of my steel garage doors. One is 18' long and the other 16' long. Both get used several times a day. Each has been replaced once at about 20 yrs service life. The motor noise is a mild hum and nothing to bother about. I don't see how motor noise changes much with the belt system. The worst noise really comes from the rollers and door hinges. I lube them every yr and changed steel rollers to nylon rollers on the big door, which reduced the track clatter just a little. Either way, neither one is noisy enough to keep me from a normal conversation. I live in a "high end" neighborhood and see the same drives as I have.

 

[ddawg16]

Put a screw drive in for a buddy about 17 years ago. Noisiest POS ever. It sounds like nuts and bots in a blender. He and his wife park in the garage daily, kids and everyone used it as the entrance but it just won't die so he has to put up with it. Wife even caught the door with an open tailgate one day and ruined the door. He greases it frequently.

That is what I have.....including the noise

 

[Burl]

It doesn't matter what opens the door, chain or belt, what you are hearing is the motor that drives it. The gearing inside is what matters, and also the noise of the electric motor. Take any opener and mount it with rubber straps, and eliminate most all noise, especially in a bedroom above the opener.

 

[capri_auto]

I went with a Chamberlain belt drive unit, I believe its 3/4 horse for the 2 car door and a 1/2 horse for the single car door. I also replaced all of the garage door rollers with rubberized ones, like a rollerblade wheel. I can be standing in front of the door while it is opening, and not hear a single thing. Our master is above the garage and I didn't want to wake up my wife when I leave for work in the morning, the combo of above components met that challenge. Even inside the house, standing at the door that leads to the garage, or directly above where the opener is mounted, you can't hear a thing.

That's awesome. I am planning a garage with apartment above, and this is exactly what I want to hear!

 

[JRC3]

It doesn't matter what opens the door, chain or belt, what you are hearing is the motor that drives it. The gearing inside is what matters, and also the noise of the electric motor. Take any opener and mount it with rubber straps, and eliminate most all noise, especially in a bedroom above the opener.

My bud's screwdrive noise seems to resonate and rattle the track. Seems to me the screw track is extruded aluminum, that's probably most of the problem.

 

[Slednut]

I went with a Chamberlain belt drive unit, I believe its 3/4 horse for the 2 car door and a 1/2 horse for the single car door. I also replaced all of the garage door rollers with rubberized ones, like a rollerblade wheel. I can be standing in front of the door while it is opening, and not hear a single thing. Our master is above the garage and I didn't want to wake up my wife when I leave for work in the morning, the combo of above components met that challenge. Even inside the house, standing at the door that leads to the garage, or directly above where the opener is mounted, you can't hear a thing.

Couple months back I installed one of these for my neighbor, couldn't believe how quit it was. I have screw type and they are loud but I actually like being able to hear the openers when they are running.