Need to replace our garage door opener. The question is belt or chain? We have had the current chain drive for 20 years so I can’t complain about longevity. I realize the belt will be quieter, but will it be as reliable in our extreme Midwest temp fluctuations?
TIA,
FDR
I’ve got a Chamberlain B970 belt drive with battery backup. Lifetime warranty on the motor and belt. Before we got the most-house backup generator, it was nice to have the battery backup on the GDO when the power went out.
HRG
I replaced a chain drive this last winter with a belt drive, no problems with the cold temps and I have a heavy wooden door. Only thing I noticed is it is a little slower opening than the chain drive was. No complaints
The DC chain drive ones are nice.
The belt might make less noise. But it will not do much for the durability of the opener. I grew up in this business and never heard of a chain breaking. The belt may last just as long. But the failure point on openers is either the electronics or the internal gears. https://www.liftmaster.com/gear-and-sprocket-kit/p/041A5811
Getting 20 years is great. The belt will not create a problem. It will do fine in cold temps.
Get a direct drive if you have a torsion spring, much quieter than belt or chain but a bit slower, https://www.menards.com/main/doors-windows-millwork/exterior-doors/garage-doors-openers/garage-door-openers/chamberlain-reg-wall-mounted-ultra-quiet-garage-door-opener/rjo20/p-1528698563895-c-12367.htm?tid=3588763395877704848&ipos=1
I put one in for my father last year and everyone that seen it was impressed, although he didn’t need the automatic door latch or internet connectivity- you could use your smart phone to see if it is open and close it from wherever you are
My Genie screw drive is 23 years old and still works great. If it broke tomorow I would repair or replace with same.
Not helpful, but I like the smart openers they have now. I can open and close it from anywhere, but more importantly it closes after 10 minutes if I were to forget to close it.
I have a genie screw drive on an 16’ aluminum/steel door. It was in the house when we bought it 22 years ago and still going strong
Chamberlain belt drive. 15-20 years old. Just replaced the drive sprocket (shaft broke) 3 weeks ago. No other problems. House is in Minnetonka.
I have one of the screw drives (chamberlain) and it was a total PITA when I first got it. The nylon in the “trolly” or whatever you call it stripped out and I had to get a replacement entire track system. In the severe cold it wouldnt open the door and I was constantly spraying with silicone. It has however been fine since, but I was so pissed off at first.
Good point. Avoid screw drives and jackshaft openers unless your application really needs one. All trouble.
I have 2 chain chamberlains and one belt genie. The genie’s main sprocket broke a year after buying the house. It was a few bucks and 30min to replace. It is a metal inside with molded plastic teeth around it – it looks like it was designed to fail before something more expensive.
The belt is much quieter, but I dont really care. What are you guys doing where the noise of opening your garage is any issue?
Whatever you choose, be sure to spray a lubricant a couple times a year on the main spring & rollers. Was near a 24ft high door when the main high tension spring broke, the building shook with steel flying everywhere. The main spring broke at home once, thought a bomb went off…
^^^ this
Get the opener that runs on your phone app. Never have to have an opener in a vehicle again. Your kids can have the opener on their phone.
You can check your garage door anytime to see if open or closed.
You can have the app record times opened and closed. Wife and I joke it would have been nice to have when our kids were in HS. Would have known exactly when they came home.
Now we have the opener and a Ring camera … see everything … fortunately mostly animals.
Per local police and sheriff departments … Nearly every break in … in our part of the cities is through access gained by the garage remote in a vehicle.
Amazing how many people fail to lock their car and truck doors … remote on the visor.
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