Large garage door opener advice..

[John in PA]

Hi all, Thanks in advance.

I have a 12' wide by 12'-6" high, non-insulated, metal, rollup garage door with torsion springs, rollers, and cables for the lift assist. I am trying to figure out the best balance of economy and longevity for an opener.

I have read on here in posts from a few years ago about the Liftmaster 8500 RJO. I may not understand its operation, but this type of opener kind of worries me cause it seems it depends on the doors weight to close the door. I can picture cable unwinds being an issue as many DIY complain about. I have read many more good things on the Liftmaster but I think Id rather have the standard rafter mounted type (chain or belt) that actually pushes the door down as needed a little if that is an option. However, I have been unable to find residential rafter mount types that have extension lengths to work with doors that are over 10' though.

I'd like to get an order in today for something that will work. Any advice or direction here greatly appreciated.

 

[Fasthotrod]

I have a Liftmaster ATS 2113x on my 12x12 door. I did a quick search and found this one that is designed for up to a 14' door:

https://www.garagedoorsupplyco.com/...-Assembly-for-up-to-14-tall-doors_p_1234.html

I added on the MyQ WiFi remote control for it so I can open it with my smartphone, and it sends me messages about the status of the door. (I have MyQ Wifi on all three garage doors on my property.)

I have a Liftmaster jackshaft style opener on my 10x10 door. You aren't kidding about having potential issues with it... I've had a few along the way myself. If I had been thinking about it, I'd have asked the guy that installed the door to increase the vertical track section to put the door up higher near the ceiling. That way I'd have the mechanical weight advantage of the door hanging down the track vs. it lying flat. I kept getting error codes for a loose cable and had to jimmie the sensor to close the door. I ended up installing two big pusher springs/shafts to keep tension on the door and cables so that it can operate correctly.

Hope this helps.

Mark

 

[MrSurly]

I spent the weekend installing three Chamberlain RJ020 jackshaft lifts (equiv to the 8500 I think) on two high lift doors which required jackshaft operators but also installed the same operator on one 10x10 standard door. Too early to tell but no issues with the cable-slacking issue yet. Each of my doors has J-spring top stop; with a thought toward a preventative approach on the standard door, I have the stop spring located a bit forward such that the opener preloads the door against the J-spring and that provides a little ‘boost’ when sending it down.
These units all have the My-Q system and were on clearance at a Lowes, so I just got all the same.
I think that cable-slacking, if encountered, wouldn’t be a difficult fix. Some method of spring assist or using long radius rails, but whichever, I have to say that I can think of at least two reasons to go with a jackshaft, 1. The door is not being damaged by a machine dragging it back by pulling at it’s weakest point, which can lead to bending/cracking/failure/loose hinges and screws.
And....
2. The jackshaft opener is amazingly quiet, especially compared to so many standard door openers that mimic machine shop racket.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MrSurly]

worries me cause it seems it depends on the doors weight to close the door. I can picture cable unwinds being an issue as many DIY complain about.

You can perform a quick test to see if your installed door needs a 'push' or not:

Grab a large pipe wrench and hook it (upside down) on the torsion shaft and push up to start the unrolling of the cable and dropping of the door. You are only concerned with the first couple of inches of travel.
Do this to see if you can create cable slack.

If you can't cause cable slack because the door moves without any sticking, you should be able to use a jackshaft style without issue.

Edit to add: You also have the option to simply program the upper limit switch to stop raising the door just a couple of inches before absolute max height, unless you actually NEED the full 12'-6" opening for your vehicle.

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

The standard trolley opener, ATS by Liftmaster, is available up to 14' door. At 12'6" I doubt you could use the 12' rail. Door may not open all the way. The opener does not have to be centered in the door. I have installed many where the opener attaches next to the roller, the strongest part of the door. Keep the gears inside lubricated and they will last a long time. Keep in mind commercial openers use a rating based on cycles. The ATS is an entry level opener not designed for high frequency of use like on a jiffy lube place. It should serve you well in a residential or hobby setting.