Wayne Dalton iDrive Testing

[jbrokalakis]

Hello fellow garage enthusiasts.. I was hoping I could get some help about a used idrive torquemaster opener I just purchased used on eBay. Even though I love these openers and have had 2 running at my home for 15 years now, I am forced to keep using them because the support beam that runs along my garage bay is positioned so that it restricts me from installing traditional openers. So having had to replace an iDrive in the past and now knowing how hard they are to come by, I thought ahead and purchased one on eBay so it's ready to go when/if one of my drives konks out. My question is.. is there any way to test the unit without actually installing it? I plugged it in, it gave its' familiar power on sounds (one longish beep and a trilling beep right after). When I press the wall transmitter it gives a quick beep and a click right after. The click isn't mechanical, like a gear trying to move, it's more like a switch trying to activate..

Any help would be appreciated and would ease my worry because these aren't cheap anymore as they are quite rare.

Thanks!

 

[NUTTSGT]

If you bought a used one off Ebay, I'd guess the gears are already stripped out.

I've seen people install regular style openers offset.

 

[Bighead38]

Once you have a spare the original never breaks.

 

[pattenp]

Did you connect the safety photo sensors?

 

[jbrokalakis]

Thanks for the quick replies.. these opener's don't come with photo sensors, their safety mechanism raises the door automatically when something obstructs the door on the way down.

What did you mean by installing a traditional opener 'offset'.. meaning not centered? If so, that wouldn't help me because the beam runs from one side of the garage to the other (wall to wall).

I misspoke a bit in my original post.. the opener I bought was used in that it was an open box unit but supposedly was never installed. The box showed heavy water marks but most of the contents were still sealed except the opener itself and one of the portable fob's. The fob looked dirty and used but the opener seemed relatively new and unused. I don't like getting scammed so I'm determined to test it out one way or another (hopefully without having to install it).

I wanted to post a link to the ebay listing for you guys to check out but i don't have high enough rank around here You can check out the listing on ebay.com if you click on 'completed listings' first and then type in this ebay listing # in the search bar

153706016746

By the way I got an amazing deal on this one (if it really wasn't used) because even used I've seen them go for $300-$400 and up.. new around $500+ (the Torquemaster version anyway which is very rare).

Thanks again.

 

[pattenp]

I had an idrive and mine had safety sensors. I dumped the idrive after having problems and replaced with a regular torsion bar using a liftmaster 3900 jackshaft opener. It mounts on the side at the door.

 

[jbrokalakis]

I had an idrive and mine had safety sensors. I dumped the idrive after having problems and replaced with a regular torsion bar using a liftmaster 3900 jackshaft opener. It mounts on the side at the door.

Hmm safety sensors must be an optional feature because I've never seen them as part of a boxed package. I wish I could go the liftmaster route but when I asked the Wayne Dalton serviceman about doing that too but he said I don't have enough clearance between the two garage doors or on the outside's.. looking at it right now I see that yep, it is way to tight to fight one of those in.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I've never seen sensors with an I-drive. If I would have seen that auction, you probably would have been bidding against me.

Yes, not centered. I have seen some actually at the edge of the door, near the track. Neighbor actually has his opener several feet back from the "correct: location as his ceiling is too low with the box on his service truck.

 

[Red 17]

FWIW I have sensors with I-drives installed in 2007 or so.