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Posted by: Kerrys914 Apr 21 2006, 08:33 AM

The garage is roughed-in for an opener. Wire is pulled from the ceiling back to the house door. There is also wires pulled down the sides of the door.

I thought there was a newer style opener that didn't hang from the ceiling but attached to the sides???? Do these work well or should I just get a ultra-quite ceiling mounted unit from Lowes for $170??


The tension system is a bar running along the top of the door opening.. Much nicer then the old springs in my last garage.

Cheers

Posted by: TROJANMAN Apr 21 2006, 08:39 AM

i just bought a 3/4 horse motor from Sears. It's surprisingly quiet for a chain drive and much faster than the 1/2 horse.
I like to race the new opener against the old one on the 3rd door.
I think I saw it on sale for $179

Posted by: MW 914 Apr 21 2006, 08:39 AM

FWIW, two days ago we just had a Liftmaster beltdrive put in. The thing is earily quiet. The cost was about $250. It's a little more than the Lowes/Home Depot units but it is awesome. The ONLY noise I hear is the rollers of the door on the track.

Posted by: rhodyguy Apr 21 2006, 08:41 AM

Moore Matic makes a good opener. the screw drive variety is pretty quiet. if i read you right, those wires are the cables that raise and lower the door.

k

Posted by: spare time toys Apr 21 2006, 08:56 AM

I like when those big tension springs break sounds like a shotgun going off and the door gets real heavy

Posted by: r_towle Apr 21 2006, 09:24 AM

Just think vibration.
Mount it on rubber blocks to isolate the vibration from the house frame.

Its the right way to do it..

Rich

Posted by: Matt Meyer Apr 21 2006, 09:33 AM

I have a Wayne Dalton Torque Master like you are describing. And I'll assume that is what you are talking about since the design is patented. Look here: http://www.wayne-dalton.com/idrive_Torsion.asp

The door makes more noise than this opener opening and closing. It opens and closes fast. The opener is attached to the garage door header so very little noise is transfered through the ceiling. I can hear my wifes car pull into the garage as well as I can hear the door opening.

The Wayne Dalton dosen't use any of the prewiring it is run entirely off RF except for the safety eyebeams. (I wired the eye beams through the existing wiring). It isn't set up like other door openers. I can not remember how to adjust how far it opens and closes, but haven't had to in two years. The "detent" is a little difficult to set the first time. The motor actually moves and sits between the top of the door and the opener "locking" the door closed. It is not possible to lift the door without pulling the safety cable.

They are more expensive. Is it worth the price? I'm not sure, if you do not have a room directlly above the garage. But it is cool, a very clean install. You can not see anything, except for a light fixture, when the door is up. I have had people ask where the opener is.

I do not have a second story. If there was a room above the garage and the garage door opener noise bothered me there I have no doubt this would all but eliminate it.

I would get another one.

Posted by: JmuRiz Apr 21 2006, 09:45 AM

I was going to suggest the same thing! The IDrive or a nice quiet liftmaster belt-drive system. Supposedly Liftmaster is coming out with a residential jack-shaft opener soon...when that is, I have no idea.

I'm currently having the same debate on my soon-to-be constructed garage.

Posted by: Lou W Apr 21 2006, 09:52 AM

I Drive is the way to go.

Posted by: rhodyguy Apr 21 2006, 09:55 AM

if you have tall ceilings in the garage, consider high lift tracks. if you don't have little kids, you can mount the safety beams up out of the way. mine is right up at the openner its self. i can hit the button and walk out of the garage.

k

Posted by: So.Cal.914 Apr 21 2006, 10:20 AM

Remove rear tire off rim. Wrap rope around rim in a counter clock-wise direction

run other end of rope thru block and tackle and attach to door.

First gear up.

Reverse gear down.

Posted by: Matt Meyer Apr 21 2006, 10:22 AM

The Wayne Dalton Idrive has a 10 second delay. So you can hit the button walk out of the garage before the door goes down. It also comes with an outside key pad if you install it yourself.

There is also a bunch of crap on the autoreversing feature at the website.
Allegedly if you have some WD door with slip joints between panels you do not need to use the eyebeams.

Excuse me I'm going to apply for reimbursement from Wayne Dalton's marketing dept now.

Posted by: 914forme Apr 21 2006, 10:33 AM

I like screw drives myself. Last forever! The idrives I looked at just not sure if I can convince myself to do it just yet. Slick design, like the open section when the door is down. I would quite hitting my head when I am in the boat. But I had heard they can be a pain to setup, prone to failure etc.... But that all came from a guy trying so hard to sell me thousands of dollars worth of garage doors.

If the iDrive works I say go for it. Currently my opener on the shop is, me.

Posted by: zymurgist Apr 21 2006, 11:07 AM

I have Genie screw drives. Quieter than the chain drive models, they open fast (close a little slower, but who cares), and are available at your favorite home supply stores.

Posted by: db9146 Apr 21 2006, 11:20 AM

Go with the I-Drive. I've got two in the shop. They fit right above the door and leave the ceiling clear. My shop has 9' finished ceilings and I went with the I-Drive units in case I ever put one of the 4-post storage lifts in for more cars - that way I'll have more room above.

Posted by: rhodyguy Apr 21 2006, 11:45 AM

although the dalton eliminates the center drive hanging from the ceiling, you have the actual tracks the door runs on. unless you go with the high lift tracks, the door will still be the same distance from the ceiling while open. the old school tracks i have hang 3' down from the ceiling.

k

Posted by: Bartlett 914 Apr 21 2006, 12:10 PM

I have a question about the Idrive. Since this replaces the torsion springs, can you open the door in case of a power failure?. I looked to get one at my FLHS. I was told there was a recall and none of the stores had them. They were waiting on new models.

Posted by: JmuRiz Apr 21 2006, 12:53 PM

It doesn't replace the torsion springs, it just mounts on the same rod as the torsion springs (or the Wanye Dalton equivalent)

Posted by: rhodyguy Apr 21 2006, 12:58 PM

for the record. a homeowner should NEVER tamper with the torsion bar spring!! i've seen a grusome sight or 2 due to a homeowner using a screwdriver to take the pressure off. it slips, and the spring unwinds at lightspeed. call a door company.

k

Posted by: smdubovsky Apr 21 2006, 01:02 PM

No one has mentioned the crapsman belt drive yet? My dad has had a pair of them for 5+yrs now and they are whisper quiet. The rubber toothed belt damps all the vibrations.

SMD

Posted by: Kerrys914 Apr 21 2006, 03:39 PM

Thanks guys... I'll snap some photos o fteh space. The ceiling is high 15' or so to the sheetrock.

Posted by: Dead Air Apr 22 2006, 06:43 AM

Thanks for the timely topic. Our twenty year old "overhead door" brand just took a crap. Ace hardware has a screw drive with two remotes for $169. But if I recall it's only a half HP. We have a doublewide wood door but the springs make it pretty light. But they're the non torsion type. I'm not sure if I want to get into the expense of replacing them.