Garage Door Openers: Reviews

Updated July 2008

There's a direct tradeoff in price, power and noise when it comes to garage door openers. Ease of installation and security are also factors. There aren't many expert reviews for garage door openers, but owners are vocal when it comes to complaining about units that break down, aren't powerful enough or are way too noisy. We compared all of those factors to identify stand-out models.

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Best garage-door opener overall

Chamberlain Whisper Drive WD822KD

*Est. $250 Compare Prices

We found the best reviews overall for the Chamberlain Whisper Drive belt-driven garage-door opener. Reviews say this model is quieter than chain-drive and screw-drive openers. Installation is straightforward, and it comes… expandwith a lot of features, including two three-function remote controls, an outside keyless entry pad, rolling-code security, a glowing wall panel and more. The 1/2-hp motor is appropriate for most single and double garage doors. There's a lifetime motor warranty, ten years on the belt and one year on other parts. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amazon.com: Owner reviews here are overwhelmingly positive; about 70 percent of the more than 60 ratings giving the Chamberlain Whisper Drive WD822KD the maximum five stars.

BuildersSquare.com: About ten user reviews on this retailer website give a good average score to the Chamberlain Whisper Drive WD822KD, with just a few negative ratings.

Dulley.com: Syndicated columnist James Dulley sells these reports for about $3.

EZineArticles.com: Garage expert Adam Taiz installs and uses the Chamberlain WD822KD for this review, saying installation and programming are easy and operation is quiet, but the door is not exactly fast-moving, nor is it inexpensive.

Daily Stocks.com: This article doesn't rate garage-door openers and doesn't get specific enough to discuss model numbers, but does give an idea of what brands are out there and the distinguishing characteristics of each make within the brand.

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Buy from
Amazon

for $185.45

Budget garage-door opener

Chamberlain Power Drive Security-Plus PD210D

*Est. $135 Compare Prices

We found good feedback for the Chamberlain Power Drive 1/2 HP garage-door opener, which works for one- or two-door garages. Most owners find it easy to install. Extra features are limited but include a single-button… expandremote control with rolling code security. This unit works with a chain drive, which is louder than other mechanisms, but few reviewers complain about the noise. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amazon.com: About two-thirds of the approximately two dozen owner reviews give a positive score to the Chamberlain PD210D, but you need to look past the overall grade here.

Daily Stocks.com: This article doesn't rank garage-door openers, but does discuss the various brands' makes.

Dulley.com: James Dulley sells reports on home products for about $3 each.

ConsumerReports.org: Many of the nine models tested in this older report have been discontinued.

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Buy from
Amazon

for $159.99

Best for extra-large or heavy doors

Chamberlain PD752D

*Est. $170 Compare Prices

If you have a larger or heavier garage door, the larger 3/4-hp motor on the Chamberlain PD752D has 50 percent more power than most garage-door openers. Because it's a chain-drive opener, this model is noisier than other… expandtypes, but owners are extremely happy with everything from installation to operation and overall reliability. Chamberlain makes the almost identical Craftsman 53990 (*est. $230) for Sears. The Craftsman version costs a bit less but has only a 90-day labor warranty. The Chamberlain PD752D comes with all the usual features, including a wireless outdoor keypad. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amazon.com: None of the approximately 20 owner reviews here give fewer than three out of five stars to the Chamberlain PD752D garage door opener, which is unusually good for any product.

Dulley.com: Columnist James Dulley sells home-products buyers' guides for about $3 each.

Daily Stocks.com: This overview won't really tell you which model or brand to buy, but does differentiate each brand's various makes, such as Chamberlain's The Power Drive, a residential model designed for do-it-yourselfers.

ConsumerReports.org: Since many of nine models tested are discontinued and the article is no longer on Consumer Report's website, you'd have to hunt it down elsewhere online like we did, and frankly it was not worth the effort.

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Buy from Amazon for $199.49
Amazon for $199.49	eBay for $232.59	Lowe's for $194.00

Screw-drive garage-door opener

Genie H6000A-2K

*Est. $190 Compare Prices

We found lots of popular support for the Genie H6000A-2K garage-door opener from homeowners who say it's quiet, reliable and easy to install. The Genie garage-door opener is a screw-driven model -- so it's quieter than a… expandchain-driven garage-door opener, but not as quiet as a more expensive belt-drive model. The Genie H6000A-2K includes a deluxe wall console, two three-button remotes, wireless keypad and safe-t beam sensors. It comes with a ten-year warranty on the motor and two years on other parts. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

HomeDepot.com: About 20 user reviews give the Genie H6000A-2K a very good average score, just a few giving it fewer than four out of five stars, and a couple of them citing excessive noise as the reason.

Daily Stocks.com: This is an overview that discusses garage-door openers, but doesn't say which is best.

Dulley.com: Columnist James Dulley sells buyers' guides for about $3 each, but they don't rank products.

ConsumerReports.org: A couple older Genie screw-drive models are tested, but not the H6000A-2K. There's very little in this outdated article that makes it worthwhile for you to track it down because most models have been discontinued.

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