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In this report

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Garage Door Openers: Ratings of Sources
Total of 17 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. Dulley.com
Not Dated
Update Bulletin #827 -- Garage Door Openers
by James Dulley
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

James Dulley is a syndicated columnist and environmental engineer who archives his columns on his website along with product recommendations. Dulley balances all factors, including price and accessibility… to do-it-yourselfers, in his buyer's guide; he says that Genie openers are the most innovative and quiet, with good security and safety features. He especially likes the Genie Excelerator for its quick opening time, quiet operation and ease of installation.

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2. Sears.com
As of July 2008
Garage Door Openers
by Contributors to Sears.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Sears is becoming a good place to read user reviews, especially of Craftsman garage-door openers (made by Chamberlain for Sears). Many models have several dozen owner-written reviews, including the Craftsman 53990 3/4-horsepower chain drive, the Craftsman 53985 chain drive and the Craftsman 53914 belt-drive model.
3. Amazon.com
As of July 2008
Garage Door Openers
by Contributors to Amazon.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Amazon.com sells garage-door openers and accessories, such as remotes and keypads. In general, Chamberlain models receive far more reviews than other brands. The best-reviewed unit is the Chamberlain… Whisper Drive 1/2 HP Garage Door Opener WD822KD, which receives an average of four and a half stars from more than 60 reviewers. The Chamberlain PD210D doesn't get as high a composite rating, but almost all of the negative reviews are based on a since resolved availability problem. The reviews for the unit itself are very positive.

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4. ThatHome Site.com
As of July 2008
Home Repair Forum
by Contributors to ThatHomeSite.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

The vast majority of user comments on this home-improvement forum are about Craftsman garage-door openers. We read quite a few complaints that the doors fail to go up or down properly, don't communicate… with the remote or won't respond to the trigger button. We also saw a couple of reviews complaining that the Craftsman garage-door openers will not work in cold weather. Because comments are so sporadic, it's hard to tell whether Craftsman garage-door openers get more complaints simply because they are the most popular brand or because they are of lesser quality than other brands.

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5. ConsumerGuide.com
As of July 2008
Garage Door Openers
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Consumer Guide publishes what it calls reviews for garage-door openers, but there is no indication that any testing was performed, and no explanation of why certain models like the Genie Excelerator are recommended over others. Write-ups here are entirely based on features and specifications, which makes this source less valuable.
6. HomeDepot.com
As of July 2008
Garage Door Openers
by Contributors to HomeDepot.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Home Depot lets users post reviews of products purchased from this store. The Genie H6000A-2K receives an average of 4.2 stars out of five from 20 reviewers at the time of our visit. Most owners are pleased… with this unit, though a few say it is inferior to previous Genie models. Among the Chamberlain models, the Whisper Drive 1/2-HP Belt Drive Garage Door Opener and the 3/4-HP Whisper Drive Plus Belt Drive Garage Door Opener with EverCharge Standby Power receive the best reviews, but from only a handful of reviewers.

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7. Lowes.com
As of July 2008
Garage Door Openers
by Contributors to Lowes.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Lowe's allows customers to rate products, but unlike most similar sites, does not let them leave comments. The Chamberlain Whisper Drive Plus 3/4-HP Battery Backup Garage Access System rates highly, scoring… 4.5 out of five from more than 40 respondents. The Chamberlain Whisper Drive 1/2-HP Belt Drive Garage Access System does slightly better (4.7 out of five as of our last visit), but that's based on a little more than half as much feedback.

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8. EZineArticles.com
Oct. 15, 2007
Review - Chamberlain Garage Door Opener - WD822KD - Whisper Drive
by Adam Taiz
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment In this review, Adam Taiz describes the installation and use of the Chamberlain Garage Door Opener WD822KD. On the plus side, he writes that the opener is quiet, easy to install, looks good and that the remotes are easy to program. Listed "cons" include price and the time it takes for the door to open, which he says is a few seconds. Overall, Taiz highly recommends this garage-door opener.
9. Daily Stocks.com
Not Dated
A Review of the Most Popular Garage Door Openers
by Richard Romando
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Richard Romando provides a thorough review of the features of garage-door openers manufactured by Genie, Chamberlain, Sears, Wayne-Dalton, Linear and Universal. Specific models are not mentioned and no testing is described, but this article offers a good basis by which to distinguish the brands.
10. GardenWeb.com
As of July 2008
Best Garage Door Opener
by Contributors to GardenWeb.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment In addition to the discussions at That Home Site, some information about garage-door openers can be found at iVillage Garden Web, which is its sister site. One example is this discussion thread on the best garage-door opener. It contains a few comments, but there is no clear winner. Several people like the Genie Excelerator, but for one reviewer it is too noisy.
11. Buzzillions.com
As of July 2008
Garage Door Openers
by Contributors to Buzzillions.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This shopping gateway gathers reviews from associated retailers. The Wayne-Dalton iDrive for Torsion garage-door opener receives mixed reviews. For some, it fails to work, but others think that the torsion apparatus creates a quieter and smoother machine.
12. DIY Chatroom
As of July 2008
Best Garage Door Opener?
by Contributors to DIYChatroom.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This chat room for do-it-yourselfers has a few posts about experiences with models from Genie, Wayne-Dalton and LiftMaster. It also offers tips about installation.
13. ConsumerReports.org
Jan. 2002
Garage-Door Openers
by Editors of Consumer Reports
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Consumer Reports last covered garage-door openers over six years ago, and most of the models have now been discontinued. Editors say garage-door openers are safer, quieter and in some cases, faster. All… models have an automatic reverse if there's an obstruction in the path, and some have outside keypads for entry. Although outdated, this is the most thorough report we found; nine models are tested on a 16-foot garage door. Openers are also evaluated for ease of use and installation. Unfortunately, this review is no longer available on the Consumer Reports website.

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14. Epinions.com
As of July 2008
Garage Door Openers
by Contributors to Epinions.com
1 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Epinions is an independent website that invites users to review products they own. Unfortunately, traffic is lighter than at most retail sites. As a result, only a few garage-door openers get reviews at all, and even those only get one or two on average.
15. Wired News
Dec. 26, 2007
Garage Door Opener with Fingerprint Reader
by Rob Beschizzaq
1 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment In this brief write-up on Wired.com, Rob Beschizza describes the smartTOUCH Master Lock. Unfortunately, this write-up falls short of what we would call a review as the description seems based merely on pictures of the device.
16. AssociatedContent.com
Jan. 25, 2008
Product Review: The Genie Excelerator Garage Door Opener
by D. Swain
1 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This product review of the Genie Excelerator Garage Door Opener describes the features of the unit. The author does not report any testing or first-hand experience.
17. EZineArticles.com
Mar. 24, 2007
Genie Excelerator
by "Tim H."
1 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This is another write-up on the Genie Excelerator that discusses its features. This article quotes an owner of the unit, who states that the increased speed with which the Excelerator opens the door comes at the cost of some extra noise.

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