Stovebolt.com Forums The Front Office The Greasy Spoon Garage Door Opener Rant

Ron, you are not the only one that gets to rant in the G Spoon.

I've owned Stanley, Genie and Chamberlain over the years and have had the best luck with Chamberlain. Stanley's in my opinion were the worst ever designed. Genie's used to be very good 40 or so years ago, but not anymore. I have a chain drive Genie on a 9x8 single door and a Genie screw drive on the 18x8 double door. The single door hasn't had as much use as the double, and although it's very noisy it still works like it should after 15 years. The opener on the double is a Genie Excelerator and has had more than it's share of problems over it's 15 year life. Right now it is down again due to a broken carriage assembly. It's the second one this year and a total of 3 since new. Genie will not send me another under warranty until I show them a receipt even though I ordered it just a few months ago from them. Very poor customer service in my mind. I'm sure if I look hard enough I can probably come up with a receipt, but it's just the principle of the whole matter.

The way this is transpiring, I'm seriously considering trashing the Genie and going back to Chamberlains like I had at my previous house.

My question to all of you is what type of drive have you had the best luck with chain, screw or belt?

John

I married the best garage door and gate opener 25 years ago.
And she still works good!

Don

She makes great cookies too.

John

Well, John, I bought a new Sears years ago and a week after I installed it blew the circuit board. To repair it was twice what I paid for it. The one I have now I have to have a ritual. I do not leave the driveway until it is completely down. For whatever reason some times it will get a foot from the bottom and stop and go back up. You can hit the button again and it will go all the way down and maybe not. I have adjusted the downforce but it will be all right for a while but soon it does it again and that is why the ritual. I have always had a chain. I installed a screw drive on my son's and I liked it but a lightning strike near his house blew the circuit board so he bought a chain drive and it was a bear to get adjusted.

Ron, make sure your helper springs are tensioned the same on both sides of the door. I had that issue a lot until I discovered the door was trying to come down on an angle and hung up just enough to trigger the safety.

I've had chain's that lasted going on over 20 years.....you do have to adjust them ocassionally but no problem.

Tiny, I have a header spring. It does not do it all the time.

Some times the door will rub on the weather stripping and sense extra force and back off as a safety measure. This usually will happen when it's very cold and the weather stripping is stiff.

John

I've installed many doors over the years, also had doors at home with openers. I've had the best success with Chamberlain.

During certain times of the year (usually in the summer) when the morning sun is at just the right angle it will interfere with the electric eye and ours will not close from the car. We need to get out, go inside and hold the button down till it closes all the way. Actually, it won't close from inside either unless you hold the button down the entire time.