Cedar door weight and Liftmaster 8500

[bmkkmb]

Hello
I am looking for any input on the following issue:

I am getting ready to commence construction on new home with attached 4 car garage. Plan has been for two, 8' high x 18' wide custom cedar (insulated) doors. I also really want a sort of high-lift track and Liftmaster 8500 opener units as I may plan to have a 4 post lift in near future. My builder is telling me now that the Liftmaster 8500 won't work with our doors "because they will be too heavy." I do not know what these doors would weigh....I reviewed the manual and website and see nothing that discusses a weight limit....He suggested the Liftmaster 8587 which are not wall-mounted units.

Does anyone have any knowledge if this is true or if I have other wall-mounted opener options with heavy cedar doors?

Thanks in advance!

 

[DeliveryGuy]

Liftmaster recommends a weight no more than 650lbs. I've installed a 16x8 cedar door by the brand Equal that weighed this much, so your 18x8 may very well be too heavy. But that was a cedar door inside and out, and was like 2 inches thick solid wood. If yours is insulated, it's likely a regular steel insulated door with a cedar appliqué, and would be no where near 650lbs.

The 8587 won't work with a high lift door, so make sure your builder understands that you want a high lift door. It's not something the installers can modify on site. It needs to be ordered that way.

If your door is too heavy, and you want high lift, get a Liftmaster MH5011. It's a 120v medium duty commercial machine, and it's not much more money than an 8500.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Spend a few nickles more and go with four doors and four Liftmaster 8500s. You'll be happy you did.

I grew up in a house with two 9' (or are they 8' wide?) garage doors. Since then I've had 16' doors. You end up with the cars TOO close to each other.

With four single stall doors vs two double stall doors you'll appreciate the extra room between the car. The garage will actually be wider, make sure you leave 18" to 24" between the doors and 36" on the ends (24" of shelves and 12" to the door opening).

 

[upndown]

If the springs are calculated correctly it shouldn't matter if it's a 16' or 18' door. An 8500 has no idea how wide your door is!

 

[8mpg]

If the springs are calculated correctly it shouldn't matter if it's a 16' or 18' door. An 8500 has no idea how wide your door is!

x2... If this is a custom wood applied door, the door installer should weigh each section and find the total weight to match the spring to. The door opener shouldnt care.

 

[Daedalus]

The door still has mass. The spring can balance the weight of the door, but a heavier door will have more inertia, and will fight harder against the opener trying to accelerate it (both starting and stopping). Having some weight limit makes sense. Also, the door is usually only perfectly balanced with the springs at 1 location, typically 1/2 way up.

 

[upndown]

Again, a Properly sprung door should not be heavy at the floor or light at the head! That goes for any door, overlay or not.

OP. I would give an 8500 a lot of thought! One thing you have to consider is any overlay door will gain weight over time from moisture, paint, sealer etc. not bashing the 8500, but reading enough threads on here and speaking to other garage door guys, some of those openers have trouble getting out of their own way! Not trying to start a battle on your thread, but you may want to read some reviews for yourself.

A lighter jack shaft opener may be your better option in the long run. JMHO

 

[gnpenning]

A properly balanced door will be so at more than just one spot. The balance should be checked with the rollers out of the radius. Just above the radius. Trying to check the balance with a roller on the radius may cause the door to creep.

The 5011 is a very good opener. Go with the J505CT. DO NOT use the MJ50-11-U. The remotes have limited capacity.

 

[DeliveryGuy]

The 5011 is a very good opener. Go with the J505CT. DO NOT use the MJ50-11-U. The remotes have limited capacity.

The MH5011 and the MJ5011 are identical, except the MH has a chain hoist for manual use, and the MJ does not. Both have onboard radios with a 20 remote capacity.

 

[bmkkmb]

Thanks everyone for responses, very helpful so far. I doubt that I would change to 4 single doors now. I agree that it would be better space-wise for cars and probably look better from outside but the likely cost increase has kept me away.

I have seen some of the critical feedback on the 8500. I am hoping to have a knowledgeable company install and avoid some of the problems. The clean ceiling, room for lift, and tech-features are appealing. I have not come across the MH/MJ5011 but maybe that could be an option.

 

[csp]

If a door is too heavy for an opener to open, how is a human supposed to open it without an opener?

 

[MikeF]

Again, it's not primarily weight. It's inertia. The internal brake will stuggle to stop the door more and the motor will struggle alittle more to get the mass moving.

Check local codes about adding commercial operators to a residence. The mh5011u's also have been spotty lately on radio reception and use a plug in antenna extension vs screw on. We are about 40 percent on changing the boards on new units due to poor reception for the radios.

If you do by pass any building codes and put a medium duty Jacks haft opener up. Install the eyes properly and not taped together, they don't have the same sensitivity adjustment as residential units. Make sure your installer also installs a solid shaft vs hollow or filled with a dowel. The proper way is solid shaft (we use a coupler in the middle) and a spreader bar at the opener to prevent bearing and bushing wear. Be wary if they say a tube shaft is ok, I've seen em twist right off at the sprocket

 

[MikeF]

Also, I recommend cable keepers. They pick up the inevitable slack in the cable to a certain extent. If the door comes down on something with a commercial opener, the operator will still close and throw the cables.

 

[gnpenning]

The MH5011 and the MJ5011 are identical, except the MH has a chain hoist for manual use, and the MJ does not. Both have onboard radios with a 20 remote capacity.

Just went thru this. For what ever reason Liftmaster had a different frequency between the two requiring different remotes. Had a fun conversation with them about it. Found it real interesting considering they both had 11/15 manufacture dates...

 

[MikeF]

Just went thru this. For what ever reason Liftmaster had a different frequency between the two requiring different remotes. Had a fun conversation with them about it. Found it real interesting considering they both had 11/15 manufacture dates...

They started phasing out the logic 4 boards and into the logic 5 about midway through last year. The medium duty boards **** in my opinion. Also ***** that the transmitters aren't the same for both. It's a pain carrying so many transmitters and explaining to new owners.

 

[MikeF]

The h and j models are all the same electricaly. You can take one and make it the other relatively easy and in about an hour. It's there stupid logic boards that are changing, and not fully for the better on their medium dutys

 

[gnpenning]

The h and j models are all the same electricaly. You can take one and make it the other relatively easy and in about an hour. It's there stupid logic boards that are changing, and not fully for the better on their medium dutys

Yep. They have a great product line but when they screw up they go all out and try to act like it never happened.

Really burned me every time I needed replacement parts for a 3800 (which seemed like everyone I installed) and they always acted like it was the first they heard of it. The same with the 8500.