I’ve got a genie screw drive that’s 18 years old and can’t be stopped. The screw is actually bent a little, more deflected really, from the winter day 10 years ago when it tried to lift a door frozen to the groumd. I’ve replaced the shuttle once in those 18 years. That’s it.

quote:

Originally posted by fiber optic:
Liftmaster, the model I have is the 3800. Installed it myself so I'm not sure how much a professional installation would cost. It drives directly on the shaft so there's no overhead chain/guide.

The first open



Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Jz7q_FCXI

I also have this one and I also installed it myself. I like it being out of the way.

The trick to having openers last is keeping your doors properly adjusted. When the rollers get out of alignment, the herky-jerky motion of the door going up and down will kill even the best opener over time.

I've always installed my own openers. The two Sears chain drives I have have lasted over 20 years because I keep the 9'x7' doors adjusted so they open smooth as silk.

ETA: Since they are small doors, they are spring and cable not torsion roller over the door. Thats a whole different ballgame.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Blackmore,

 
I adjusted my torsion spring, once. This after reading all I could find including plenty of safety warnings. I didn't get hurt, luckily, but I was cautious and really scared about the process. I now call the installer guy (he is local, a friend, and installed our Chamberlain Liftmasters when he installed our doors, when the house was built). They rarely need any adjustment anyway, unless you replace one.
 

This message has been edited. Last edited by: henryaz,

Thanks guys for all the replies.

I went and fiddled around with the old unit and it appears to be an electrical issue.
It would seem to cut off power at random times while going up or down, knocking on the bottom of the box would power it back on and maybe work until it stops again.
I took off the cover and checked around for loose connections, wiggled all the plugs, snugged up the screws, sanded down the contacts to the up and down "thingys", checked the laser eyes on the floor, greased the gears.
Still doesnt work properly.
Sometimes it takes 5-6 tries before getting the thing to complete its cycle of either up or down.



It reminds me of a bad starter motor on a car when you have to smack it with a hard object to get the brushes to reconnect as its on its last leg.

I have 3 Genie Pro Max chain drive openers. While they aren't the quietest, They open and close fast and have been bullet proof for 15 years. They readily program into the Homelink buttons on my cars as well.

Newer ones probably can be activated by an iPhone or proximity app.

My chauffeur.

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When I bought my house it had a Liftmaster that lasted about 2 years but it was around 20+ years old at that point. Nothing bad to say but it just wore out. We've got a Genie screw drive now running strong after 14 years....Screw drives do function well when they are lubricated semi annually though....for whatever reason do not run them dry....