Best Garage Door Openers

HOW TO CHOOSE- Here's what experts say about buying the best garage door openers:

Like all of today's garage door openers, the models reviewed here include sensors to prevent the door from striking someone or something underneath, a federally mandated safety feature since 1993.

Another standard safety feature is automatic reverse in case a collision does occur. If you have an older system without these features, experts say it's worth replacing, especially if you have children around.

Chain-drive units are common and relatively inexpensive, but tend to be noisy. Experts recommend the quieter (and slightly more expensive) screw-drive models, since they have the fewest number of moving parts and require little to no maintenance. Belt-drive units are the quietest, but also the most expensive.

A 1/2-horsepower motor will lift heavy garage doors and is less likely to burn out. A 3/4-horsepower engine for heavy-duty needs is also available on some models. Garage-door openers with 1/4- and 1/3-horsepower engines aren't widely available.

Rolling-code technology selects a new, non-repeating access code from among billions of possibilities every time the remote control is operated. Almost all garage-door openers have this feature.

A keypad or touchpad outside the garage allows entry via a programmable code. If this feature doesn't come standard with the unit you choose, it can generally be added as an option.

Many units have a simple doorbell-style button for opening and closing the door. Others have a more complex control panel with keypad programming and vacation lock to prevent the door from being opened while you're away.

Most of the best garage door openers include a light, which should stay on for a few minutes after the unit is activated to allow time to get into the house. All the models garage door openers reviewed here have lights.

THE REVIEWS- The Chamberlain Whisper Drive is belt-driven, and rated the best garage door opener. Reviews say this model is quieter than chain-drive and screw-drive openers.

Installation is straightforward, and it comes with 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. The list price on this unit is $250. But you can find them much cheaper than that.

OTHER GOOD PERFORMERS =

Best for extra-large or heavy doors = Chamberlain PD752D @ $170.

Best Screw-drive garage-door opener = Genie H6000A-2K @ $190.

Budget garage-door opener = Chamberlain Power Drive Security-Plus PD210D @ $135.

Once again, the best prices were found at Amazon.com and Amazon.Marketplace. If you click on the icon and browse, you'll be sure to find a door opener you'll be happy with.

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