Looking for some help on a couple garage door opener install scenarios. Our main objective here is to keep cost low and get a very reliable opener that is very quiet since we have a bedroom over the garage. The tech stuff is not of much interest to us. This is for a standard 7' door.

Option 1: Go through a vendor who will provide the opener and installation at about $430-$450. This would be a Liftmaster 8355 belt drive. The benefit I keep hearing from the vendors is that they allow for a solid one piece arm as opposed to the pieces from the box stores.

Option 2: Buy a resale Chamberlain with extra HP, extra remote and bonus keypad (more features out of the box) from the box store and have one of the vendors install for about $125. Total cost would be about $360. Sounds like the main disadvantage I hear is again the pieces of the arm vs one solid piece.

Is the solid arm and Liftmaster worth the extra cost in terms of overall performance and quietness? I am ok giving up some of the features at the extra cost if it is better.

TIA

10andBOUNCE said:

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Looking for some help on a couple garage door opener install scenarios. Our main objective here is to keep cost low and get a very reliable opener that is very quiet since we have a bedroom over the garage. The tech stuff is not of much interest to us. This is for a standard 7' door.

Option 1: Go through a vendor who will provide the opener and installation at about $430-$450. This would be a Liftmaster 8355 belt drive. The benefit I keep hearing from the vendors is that they allow for a solid one piece arm as opposed to the pieces from the box stores.

Option 2: Buy a resale Chamberlain with extra HP, extra remote and bonus keypad (more features out of the box) from the box store and have one of the vendors install for about $125. Total cost would be about $360. Sounds like the main disadvantage I hear is again the pieces of the arm vs one solid piece.

Is the solid arm and Liftmaster worth the extra cost in terms of overall performance and quietness? I am ok giving up some of the features at the extra cost if it is better.

TIA

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I replaced my Chamberlain GDO with a Craftsman 3/4 HPS unit that included 2 remotes, a backup battery, keyless entry pad and the Assurelink App feature to open/close/monitor the unit from my phone all for $199 last year and couldn't be happier! The old unit was chain driven and noisy whereas the new unit is belt driven and quiet as a mouse opening and closing compared to the old chain driven unit. Both units have 2 pieces versus a solid arm. Plus the App feature comes in handy being able to open and close the GD anywhere and anytime if needed. I installled the unit myself and it's easy to do, even for a novice!

For $440, that unit better wash dishes and do laundry as well as far as I'm concerned!

Yeah, I replaced both mine last year with whisper belt drives with a battery backup. Did it all myself and they have worked great. If you have any tools at all, I would do it yourself if you have 3 hours max.

Purchased a 1.25 HP Chamberlain quiet drive (belt drive) opener for $244. Installed myself in 3 hours no problem. I"m not a handy man by any stretch of the imagination, but it is fairly easy DIY, and obviously can save you a bit of money. I suspect I'll be replacing the other garage door opener this summer when that one goes out as well.

We have a bedroom over our garage and the floor used to shake when the door opened and closed. We replaced the old ceiling mounted opener with a wall mount Liftmaster 8500 and the door is almost silent now. You can't tell from upstairs when it is opening and closing.

This opener mounts on the wall beside the door and connects to the torsion bar that carries the springs. If your garage can accommodate an opener like that I highly recommend it.

Definitely go with the 8500 if you have the space, best opener out there. I didn't have it so I went with https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0071JJBOE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

8500