# Garage door opener?



## Ray (Sep 14, 2002)

I want to replce my existing garage door opener. Mine is loud and very slow. I went to LOWES the other day and saw demo and it appears the newer door openers are much better. I have a chain drive and it's about 5 years old. LOWES(and Home Depot) have a 1/2HP "screw" drive and it's 50% faster going up and normal coming down but it's very, very quiet. It's called a "Genie Excelerator" and it's $250.00. I don't have a remote kepad outside my garage and this comes with one. Is installing the remote kepad difficult? Here it is.....

http://www.geniecompany.com/Products/excelerator.htm

I then checked out Sears and their best is a 3/4HP chain drive part number 953990 at $230.00. Sears says this is quiet and 50% faster like the Genie but no demo to prove it. This is a CHAIN drive so I don't know how it could be quieter. The opener itself looks big with 2-100 watt bulbs and you can adjust the bulb off/on time. I saw a belt drive opener too at Sears but the salesperson didin't know much about it! Sears also offers a "75th Anniversery" screw drive opner at $169.99. Here .....

http://www.sears.com/sr/product/sum...gcemgdffmdflg.0&vertical=TOOL&pid=00953991000

Here is Sears "top of the line" opener......

http://www.sears.com/sr/product/sum...al=TOOL&fromAuto=YES&bidsite=&pid=00953990000

Does anybody here have experience with Sears garage door openers or how they compare to the Genie Excelerator?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.


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## johnlew (Dec 25, 2001)

What's wrong with a noisy garage door opener. Do you sleep above the garage?


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## Ray (Sep 14, 2002)

*No.....*

John, I just want to upgrade to a better door. Where I live a faster, quieter door would benefit me.


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## AB (Jan 11, 2002)

johnlew said:


> *What's wrong with a noisy garage door opener. Do you sleep above the garage? *


One of our guest bedrooms is right above the garage, and the garage door opener is pretty loud. Conversely, I have a cousin who has a different type of garage door opener (an upgrade he paid for in his house), and in his room above the garage, you cannot hear the garage opening.

Like you said, it probably doesn't matter if your bedroom or that of your children is not directly above the garage.


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

Overhead Door makes a door that open very quickly.


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## johnlew (Dec 25, 2001)

*Re: No.....*



Ray said:


> *John, I just want to upgrade to a better door. Where I live a faster, quieter door would benefit me. *


I was partially kidding. My opener, Liftmaster, is noisy as hell. But interesting, the same brand that lifts the single door is pretty quiet. I'm just too cheap to replace the double opener just for the noise.


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## vexed (Dec 22, 2001)

I installed an Excelerator myself over an old opener, not that hard. it is pretty quiet but my garage is not attached to the house. Beware if you have an aluminum door, the "clicker" has a hard time with them and I found out the hard way you have to extend the antenna for the head unit outside the garage for it to work. Also the excelerator only is faster on opening, it closes at the same speed as any other unit.


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## ronrich (Apr 11, 2002)

for safety reasons


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## M.Wong (Jan 9, 2003)

*I have had Sears Craftsman's for several years*

Have not had a problem with one yet.

I found that the belt drive is the quietest. TV room over the garage, and I don't even hear the door open. I hear the grumble of my wife's E39 rolling in, but not the door itself. It's so quiet, when you're in the garage you hear the 'twang' of the springs once in a while and NOT the motor of the opener!

I think screw drives are good for heavier doors, but when they need lubrication... yeeeeow, your neighbors will not appreciate the squealing it can make!

I have a single and a double garage door, each are that aluminum panel roll up type. Belt drive has worked on them very well. I also would avoid the chain drives, as they are always going to be louder.

Outdoor remote key pad should be wireless with a battery. Two screws to stick it to the wall and you're done.

Good luck!


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## PhilH (Jun 7, 2002)

I have a Genie screw drive that is much quieter and quicker than our previous 10 year old chain drive.


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## GSR13 (Apr 30, 2002)

Both of mine are Genie Screw Drive units and I love them.

The outside keypad is a breeze to install. It uses a 9Volt battery, so no wire's needed. You secure it where you want it using the two included screws and install the battery. After that, you simply program it according to the instructions.


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## JetBlack330i (Feb 8, 2002)

Ray said:


> *
> Here is Sears "top of the line" opener......
> 
> http://www.sears.com/sr/product/sum...al=TOOL&fromAuto=YES&bidsite=&pid=00953990000
> ...


I have an older version of the Sears opener in your link.
I paid only $150, but I will never buy another Craftsman.
The motor is noisy and the chain sometimes touches a protruding screw in the rail. The remotes have insuficient range.
It's only 6 years old and the infrared lights at the bottom (stops a closing door if the beam is interrupted) have failed. I will be looking at a screw type (like the Genie) when replacement time comes.


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## Ray (Sep 14, 2002)

*M. Wong...... question.*

Thanks guys for helping me make a decision.

M. WONG- I have the non-insulated aluminum garage door with panels in it. Your Sears belt drive, is it as quiet as say the Excellerator by Genie? Is it fast? What part number belt drive do you have? I tried the demo on screw drives at LOWES and it's very fast and quiet. I would like to know more about the belt drives.


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

Ray; I installed an Excellerator a few weeks ago and couldn't be more pleased.Quality construction,design,fast and quiet.Much better than my old Craftsman. Home Depot had a better deal on them a few weeks ago which included a voice memo feature on the inside switch. Make sure your door is tuned up and lubed as this is where most of the noise generated. Good Luck!


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## M.Wong (Jan 9, 2003)

*I am not familiar with the one you mention*

When I bought mine, I played with the belt drive and the screw drive and they seemed to be similar in noise level. The belt was a bit less expensive, and I learned that they were good for doors that were not solid or too heavy.

I agree with avoiding a Sears (or any) chain drive if noise is a concern. I have not had problems with the sensors, but they are only three years old.

I am going to have to double check the model number of mine...


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

I've yet to find a non-commercial opener quieter than my ancient belt+worm drive Moore-O-Matic circa 1978 (it has woodgrain on it :bigpimp: ). Its slow and ugly, but built like a tank and amazingly quiet.

If you're lifting a sectional door, you might want to look into the new openers that have the lift mechanism right above the opening instead of hanging in the middle.


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

I have the sears one in your link . . .actually 2 of them since they are 2 single doors . . . I find the range of the remote to be very good & the overall operation to work well.

I had a lower craftsman model at my old home and it worked well also.

One thing that I found makes a HUGE difference in the noise level is what type of garage door you have.

On my old home I had a metal door or maybe it was aluminum, and was a fairly new door but it was noisy as h*ll.

My current house has wood garage doors and they are much quieter. I have a ranch so there is no room above the garage so I can't comment on how noisy it would be upstairs.

I really like my Craftsman garage opener and would recommend it.
The only feature I don't use are the receivers that you plug into an outlet that let you know if the garage doors are open or closed without actually having to actually go into your garage to look at it though it is a cool feature.


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## Ray (Sep 14, 2002)

*Thanks Fellas.....*

Damn, what would I do without you guys? What's the final bill($$) for all this knowledge?:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## M.Wong (Jan 9, 2003)

*I think this is the current version of mine*

1/2 HP belt drive.

And I use the Garage Door alert so I can see when the door is open from inside and upstairs. Love that feature!

Sears link


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

A trick from a TV show... cut some thick rubber squares and use this to insulate the vibration, by installing between the opener and the mounting point on the ceiling.


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