When it comes to garage door operators, there are many options. 

Chain, belt and direct drive Here is a breakdown of features, advantages and disadvantages. 

Which garage door opener is the most suitable for your garage door?

To answer this question, we should review the types of openers that are available on the market:

The chain-driven opener is operating via a metal chain moving the door up and down. Those openers are well suited to most garage doors and are the most affordable ones.

Belt-driven openers operate using a rubber belt to move the garage door, and they are quiet and low maintenance. It is probably the best option for garages adjacent to the house, where a noisy door can be disturbing to the residents. This type of opener tends to be more expensive.

Jackshaft openers are usually mounted into the wall side, and they are a good option for big and heavy garage doors and high lift doors and vertical lift doors. In this type of opener, the motor connects directly to the shaft and induces the motion of the door via pulleys and cables. This kind of opener tends to be the priciest one.

The screw-driven openers are not commonly used nowadays since they require more maintenance than the other types of openers, and they are only good for light-weighted garage doors.

How powerful is the opener motor supposed to be?

The power of the motor is measured in horsepower (for DC motor, the power is measured in Newtons), and there are several categories of motors:

1\3 horsepower motor will be able to lift a small and light garage door.

1\2 horsepower motor is suitable to lift up to 300 pounds, including a dual garage door or a sectional door.

More powerful motors 3\4, 1 1\4, and 1 1\2 horsepower(for commercial operators) are available, and they are designed to lift doors heavier than 400 pounds.

There are two main types of motors that are available for garage door openers AC motors and DC motors. 

AC stands for Alternating Current.

DC stands for Direct Current.

The main difference between the two is that AC motors are designed to be powered from a wall outlet, while DC motors are intended to be powered by a built-in transformer that will supply a direct power source with a constant voltage.

DC motors are considered quieter and easier to control (the amount of power the opener is receiving can be controlled, they often have a “soft start” and “soft finish” feature), while AC motors are simpler to use and less expensive.

In addition to the type of the opener or the kind of motor, there are additional features you may want to consider if you are thinking about installing a new garage door opener.

Most garage doors in Winnipeg have a remote control, making it easy to open the door without getting out of a car (a real blessing in winter). The high-tech technologies of our days have come up with additional smart features for your garage door that can make your life even more convenient. The new features allow controlling your garage door with an app installed on your smartphone that communicates with the garage door opener via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. You will be able to open or close your garage door from your home or office (all you need is a connection to the internet), and the app will remind you if the garage door has been left open. Also, there is an option to monitor your garage by video stream. Ask your garage door technician about the new features available for a garage door opener of your choice.

Garage Door Operators Types

Chain opener – The most common “old school” and a great entry-level garage door opener, noisy but gets the job done. 

The advantages:

A robust chain that would be suitable for commercial application 

lower price point 

The disadvantage:

Noisy 

prone to strip the gear when the garage door is not balanced

Some of the chain models available and our top picks

requires maintenance and lubrication 

not compatible with a high lift setup 

not compatible with a vertical lift setup 

Residential

Liftmaster 8165W 

LDC0800 paired with a chain rail

LDC0850 paired with a chain rail

Liftmaster 8365W 

Liftmaster 8580W 

Liftmaster 8360WLB

Light commercial

Liftmaster 8587WAL 

Liftmaster ATSW 

Belt Opener – An excellent top tier quiet option for attached garages, in most cases, will have more features and add-ons 

The advantages:

Silent operation perfect for attached garages or with living quarters above

usually will come with a higher-end motor with added features 

maintenance-free, unlike the chain opener 

less likely to strip the main gear 

The disadvantage:

Can be pricey 

Not ideal when it comes to heavy garage doors 

not compatible with a high lift setup 

not compatible with a vertical lift setup 

Residential

Liftmaster 8355W 

Liftmaster 8550W

Liftmaster WLED 

Liftmaster 8155W 

Liftmaster 85503 

LDC0800 paired with a belt rail

LDC0850 paired with a belt rail

Direct drive –  Jackshaft operator previously only available for commercial overhead doors now available for the residential. This operator connects directly to the torsion tube, making this opener space smart and eliminating the rail, making this motor practically silent. Comes with some powerful add-ons such as an automatic lock that provides another layer of added safety and a cable tensioner that provides another failsafe contraption 

The advantages:

Space smart 

silent 

powerful dc 3/4 hp suitable for bigger doors 

powerful add-ons

built-in backup battery

added safety with the cable tensioner 

The disadvantage:

Pricy 

not compatible with the low-headroom setup

not compatible with the Wayne dalton torque master 

This opener comes in two models. 

Liftmaster 8500 and Liftmaster 8500W 

This operator is also available in light commercial versions. 

Liftmaster 8900W LD

Liftmaster 8950W LD

Liftmaster DDO8900W LD

Smart Garage Door Openers

Like everything nowadays, garage door operators have gotten smart, allowing you to monitor and control your garage doors from your smartphone.

Some models will even come with a built-in camera.

LiftMaster had moved to builtin wifi models with all openers. 

And other garage door opener manufacturers follow the transformation to provide the end-user with more options and a much more versatile garage door motor.

Door size and the compatible motor

The different garage door will require a compatible operator pairing.

When it comes to a trolly operator, you will need the matching length rail. 

IE a 7FT high door will require a 7FT long rail. 

An 8FT high door will require an 8ft long rail.

A Direct-drive opener will work on doors up to 14ft high doors.

Lifting capabilities  

Most 1/2 hp trolley motors will handle single-car doors with ease and can go up to 16 ft wide and 8 ft high. 

any door bigger would require a motor with more power 

A direct-drive opener can handle doors up to 850lbs and 14 ft high. 

Regardless of the door size or motor horsepower, a balanced garage door is crucial to a long-lasting garage door opener. 

Garage door opener accessories

We are your go-to place when it comes to garage door parts and accessories. If you are looking to replace the safety sensors or add an internet gateway, we are here to help. from bearings and bushings to replacement logic boards and rpm sensors, we provide the best garage door opener replacement parts service in Winnipeg

Call us today!

If your garage door opener gives up or looking for an update or the next home project, we can help call us today for our obligation-free service call and consultation. 

we offer same day service and replacement for residential garage door operators 

our techs will get your broken garage door working as smooth as new and will inspect your garage door as well