Most garage-door openers are made by one of two manufacturers. Chamberlain makes LiftMaster and Craftsman models, as well as its own brand. Overhead Door makes Genie and Genie Pro models as well as its own brand. Craftsman is by far the biggest-selling brand.
"Install-it-yourself" garage-door openers are sold at large retailers, such as Sears or Home Depot, while "professional" models are sold by installers and can have a higher price, though not always. Other differences can be found in details. A professional model, for example, has a one-piece rail. Don't assume, however, that professional openers are necessarily sturdier or better.
Price range: $150 to $350, plus about $125 if you hire an installer.
Important features
Among components housed in the power head are the motor, the drive pulley, the lights that come on when the opener is operated, and, on most models, travel-limit switches that control when the door stops opening or closing. The motor of a garage-door opener is 1/2 or 1/3 horsepower and either alternating current (AC) or the quieter direct current (DC). The drive system connects the motor to the trolley, which slides along a rail and raises and lowers the door. There are several types of drive system: cogged-belt, chain-and-cable, screw, and straight-chain.
The trolley can be disconnected so you can operate the door manually from inside the garage. With Genie screw-drive models, you must climb a ladder or use a broom handle to reconnect the trolley--an annoyance.
An electric eye on most openers immediately stops and reverses the closing door if a light beam near the ground is broken--an important safety feature. An added reverse feature is designed to act as a backup if, say, you don't break the light beam and the door makes contact with you.
Most openers come with two remote controls and a wall console that includes a door control, light switch, and vacation setting to let you disable all or part of the system. A few models include an outdoor keypad, handy if you don't have your remote or if its battery is dead.
How to choose
Performance differences. All of the garage-door openers that Consumer Reports recently tested had 1/2-horsepower motors and lifted a 16-foot-wide test door with ease. Several models are especially quiet--a plus if there is a living space over the garage. Models with a cogged belt emitted 48 to 53 decibels (dBA), compared with 57 to 63 dBA for others tested. Most openers made a penetrating hum, though two screw-drive models made a less intrusive clatter. A DC motor helped several units operate quietly. In tests, most models took 12 to 13 seconds to open or close the door; the fastest opened the door in just 8 seconds, though it took as long to close the door as the others.
Recommendations. Because solid performance and a high degree of safety are pretty much givens, you can choose a garage-door opener on the basis of how quietly and quickly you want it to work--and how much you're willing to spend. Choose a cogged-belt-drive model or one with a DC motor if quietness tops your wish list.
Warranties can vary. The motor usually has a separate one. Ask the dealer to spell out terms before buying.
Because the job of installing a garage-door opener requires respectable mechanical skills and several hours, you may want to hire a professional. With most models, you usually have to assemble the rail pieces, hang the power head and rail from the ceiling, and attach the trolley to the door, along with wiring the electric eye, power head, and control console. Travel-limit switches can be hard to adjust. A professional model's one-piece rail makes assembly easier, although its length--11 feet--may make it hard to bring home.
If you decide to install a garage-door opener yourself, set aside a day and get someone to help you. Before you begin, check the door's balance. When a properly balanced door is operated manually, it will stay in place wherever it is positioned and shouldn't take a lot of effort to open it. If it isn't balanced, or if you want the springs checked for soundness, consider calling in a professional.
Consumer Reports 