Garage door openers are one of the most common ways to both secure your garage door as well as provide you with ease of access. When picking the right garage door opener for your home, there’s a few things you may want to consider.
- Are there any bedrooms above or directly next to your garage?
- Does anyone in the home use the garage door late at night?
- Do you want storage above your garage door when its up?
- Is the ability to control the garage door opener from your phone an interesting to you?
- Would you like additional security features such as extra locks, more light, maybe even a camera?
Once you’ve answered those questions, any garage door professional would be able to point you in the right direction. But in order to keep you up to speed, I wanted to give you some information on some of the different garage door openers. This way, when you call that garage door professional, you can tell them what YOU want instead of them telling you what THEY want YOU to buy.
Below I will provide information on the three different types of garage door openers; Chain, Belt, and Jackshaft. I will also provide information on two different tiers of each opener type, a cost effective option and a premium option.
Chain Drive Garage Door Openers
Chain drive garage door openers are on of the more cost effective openers to begin with. Most of these openers are going to be either 1/2 HP or 3/4 HP, allowing options for lighter and heavier garage doors.
LM8164W
The chain drive option to the right ( Liftmaster 8164W) is one the most cost effect options. Its not as fancy as some of the newer options, but for the money, it gets the job done right.
The Liftmaster (LM) 8164W is a 1/2 HP AC chain drive opener that comes in 7′, 8′ and 10′ rail options. Built in Wi-Fi allows this operator to stay connected via your home internet connection at no additional charge.
This particular option comes with the basic remote and wall buttons. However, even though this is the cheaper option, you still get access to the Liftmaster MyQ app. This app allows you to monitor, open, or close your garage door from anywhere via your cellphone.
Pioneer Overhead Door Company, LLC currently installs the Liftmaster 8164W for the following prices in Clark County, Washington:
- 8164W w/ 7′ rail – $390+ Tax
- 8164W w/ 8′ rail – $415+ Tax
- 8164W w/ 10′ rail – $450+ Tax
LM87802
The Liftmaster 87802 Heavy Duty chain drive opener is the cream of the crop when it comes to chain drive garage door openers. This operator utilizes a 12V DC 53 RPM motor with permanent lubrication, allowing it to lift heavier doors up to 750 lbs. With 360° LED lighting, you’ll never be stuck looking for something in the dark.
One of my favorite feature of the LM87802 is the battery back-up. This operator includes a battery back-up at no additional cost. allowing up to 8 hours of access to your garage in the event of a power outage.
The 87802 comes with the smart wall button (contains a motion sensor, thermometer, clock, and additional settings), a 3-button remote, and access to the MyQ app.
Pioneer Overhead Door Company, LLC currently installs the Liftmaster 87802 for the following prices in Clark County, Washington:
- 87802 w/ 7′ rail – $640+ Tax
- 87802 w/ 8′ rail – $690+ Tax
- 87802 w/ 10′ rail – $750+ Tax
Belt Drive Garage Door Openers
Belt Drive garage door openers have a few advantages over chain drives. Remember earlier when I asked if there were any bedrooms above or directly next to the garage? Ever been woken up by someone opening the garage door? Belt drive openers are perfect for these situations. Chain drive motors have a metal sprocket rubbing a metal chain, which can be noisy if not maintained. Whereas the belt drive is rubber on plastic. This means a drive opener is far more quiet than a chain.
LM8155W
The Liftmaster 8155W belt drive opener is our go to garage door opener here at Pioneer Overhead Door Company, LLC. These garage door openers provide the luxury of a quiet opener and closing for just a fraction more than the LM8164W Chain drive openers.
The LM8155W uses a 1/2 HP AC motor with a Steel T-rail and trolley. Allowing it to open most garage doors 10′ and under in height.
This belt opener comes with a 3-button remote and a multi-function wall button. Along with all of Liftmaster current garage door openers, the LM8155W comes with access to the MyQ app at no additional cost.
Pioneer Overhead Door Company, LLC currently installs the Liftmaster 8155W for the following prices in Clark County, Washington:
- 8155W w/ 7′ rail – $425+ Tax
- 8155W w/ 8′ rail – $450+ Tax
- 8155W w/ 10′ rail – $490+ Tax
LM87504-267
This particular option is probably where you’ll get the best “Bang for your Buck”. The Liftmaster 87504-267 is a bit of a combo deal. Not only is it the top tier of Liftmaster belt drive openers, but it also comes with additional equipment. The LM87504-267 comes with an additional 3-button remote, a wireless keypad, and a battery back-up… FOR NO ADDITONAL FEES!!
My question earlier about security features really pertains the this specific opener. The LM87504-267 includes built in Wi-Fi to access the MyQ app along with the built in camera.
With the 360° LED lighting and built-in camera, you can monitor your garage 24/7 from anywhere using the MyQ app.
One feature my wife loves about this opener is the ability to enable Amazons Key In-Garage delivery. this allows amazon to deliver your packages directly into your garage to help fend off any porch pirates in the area.
Pioneer Overhead Door Company, LLC currently installs the Liftmaster 87504-267 for the following prices in Clark County, Washington:
- 87504-267 w/ 7′ rail – $650+ Tax
- 87504-267 w/ 8′ rail – $685+ Tax
- 87504-267 w/ 10′ rail – $720+ Tax
Jackshaft Garage Door Openers (Side Mounted)
The Liftmaster 8500W is probably on of the most top of the line garage door openers. Being a side mounted opener, this leaves all of the space above your garage open and available for storage (Remember when I asked about storage and extra locks?)
Liftmasters 8500W includes a smart control wall button, one 3-button remote, a battery back-up, and and automatic garage door lock. the garage door lock is an extra security feature that gets installed onto the tracks of your garage door and prevents the door from opening while its engaged.
This opener is perfect for any Garage door up to 14′ tall. Anything taller than 14′ and we’re getting into commercial openers, a topic for another day.
The LM8500W is a side mounted opener that connects via the Torsion tube (a metal tube that runs along the top of your garage door that you can physically see 1-2 springs on) on the left or right side of the door. If your garage door currently has a Torque-master spring, it will need to be converted to torsion springs before the LM8500W could be installed. If you’re unsure of what you have or need, Pioneer Overhead Door Company, LLC can help, with a free on-site consultation.
Pioneer Overhead Door Company, LLC currently installs the Liftmaster 8500W for the following prices in Clark County, Washington:
- LM8500W – $800+ Tax
We here at Pioneer Overhead Door Company, LLC want to ensure that our customers feel good about their decisions, and for you to walk away knowing you have gotten exactly what you want. I hope this blog was a helpful resource for you.