Foo - Screw drive, Belt drive, or Chain drive??

Need to buy a good garage door opener. IYO, which type is best? Also, do you think any one brand is noticeably higher quality than the others?

Always had Craftman chain drives at our old house. They were ok, but there is a plastic gear inside there that would strip and had to be replaced every 3 or 4 years. Would like to get one I can put up and forget about for ten years. Maybe that's asking too much, I dunno. :o

Sadly, I have yet to buy my first house so I have no direct experience but you might try to check out the various brands/types over at EPinions.

Good luck.

Mine went a couple years ago. I ended up with a screw drive. It's so quiet, I don't hear the dooor opening inside the house.

I logged onto consumer reports and they have no reviews, so I am no help. The one at my place has been there since I bought it, ten years ago. It is a genie, screw drive.

I just had my chain driven door f*ck up 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Luckily no major parts needed replacing, and the nice people at the repair company put the last two service visits as no-pay recalls. I'd go with something else if the whole thing needed replacing.

I'm pretty sure I have a screw-drive opener at home. It's only a few years old, because the 20-something year old screw-drive unit that preceded it finally released its magic smoke. I have no idea what company made the new one, but if I had to guess, I'd say Genie.

The garage door opener at my old house was called a Taerom. It used two strong arms to open the door quickly and quietly. It did break once, and I had to have it replaced.

Now I don't have a garage, so I don't need to worry about it.

+1 to Taerom. I was just gonna say Arm Drive.

Chain Drive!

Knob drive.

I turn the knob, swing it open, and take my bike inside of my apartment :p

Have a belt-drive garage door opener that is 9 years old now that has had no problems. I don't know the specific model but it's made by LiftMaster.

Bah! Muscle power is the way to do it.

Actually, I worked at Sears a few years back, so I happen to "know" (as the training literature told me, that is, not from personal experience or engineering familiarity) that the belt drive is the best; the quiet action of a screw drive and the speed and simplicity of the chain. Incidentally, the belt drive also costs the most.

We have had two chain drive garage openers for probably 10 years now. Never any maintenance except changing the battery once or twice. I believe it's by Sears

Arm drive is no fun in the dead of winter.

Arm drive is no fun in the dead of winter.

My parents' garage door opener always freezes up (not sure what kind it is) during the winter, and 'arm drive' is the only way to open it.

My parents' garage door opener always freezes up (not sure what kind it is) during the winter, and 'arm drive' is the only way to open it.

Never had a problem with mine but my garage is heated. We don't heat it too much, just leave it at around 12-15C but enough so that it is not below freezing point.

This thread turns me on.

This thread turns me on.

Maybe shouda said "twisty thing" drive instead of screw drive.

I will point out to those that eschew manual garage door opening, that this involves a certain (though small)amount of risk. I much prefer for my wife and kids to stay safely locked in the car while they pull into the garage that is already opened and then closed before they get out of the car.

My parents Sears one only had to be serviced once in the 10+ years they had it, forget the drive type though.

I will point out to those that eschew manual garage door opening, that this involves a certain (though small)amount of risk. I much prefer for my wife and kids to stay safely locked in the car while they pull into the garage that is already opened and then closed before they get out of the car.Geez. A handful of people in my neighborhood don't even bother to close their garage door most of the time. I never park in the garage. *shrug*

I think if I were to build a house, I would just skip the automatic door opener. They've always struck me as somewhat of an overcomplicated, wasteful (Though I'm sure they use much less energy than other things) item. Get a locking handle on the door for security, and I'm all set.

Geez. A handful of people in my neighborhood don't even bother to close their garage door most of the time. I never park in the garage. *shrug*

I think if I were to build a house, I would just skip the automatic door opener. They've always struck me as somewhat of an overcomplicated, wasteful (Though I'm sure they use much less energy than other things) item. Get a locking handle on the door for security, and I'm all set.

If you had to drive home during a cold snap of -30C, a warm garage that opens and closes at the push of a button is more than a treat.

True, but I don't ever have to worry about that here. :) Even if I did, I think I could handle the cold for thirty seconds. I'm not saying such a device is stupid for everyone, just that I don't see the point/need personally.