LiftMaster 3800 Residential Jackshaft Garage Door Opener Review

LiftMaster 3800 Residential Jackshaft Garage Door Opener
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I installed this LiftMaster 3800 opener in my garage over this past weekend. It took a couple of hours in total, not because the installation is terribly complicated but just because there's a lot of little things to do during the installation. The instructions are very thorough and accurate and the opener works extremely well.
When I got home last night, after using the opener for 3 days, I noticed that the light was no longer working. I checked the power to it, replaced the bulbs and attempted to reprogram it. Bottom line is that the light simply stopped responding to commands from the head unit and the wall-mounted control. Unlike conventional garage door openers the light is 'wireless' in that it receives commands to turn on and off remotely. You simply plug it into an outlet anywhere in the garage. This, evidently, was a scenario Chamberlain's customer service was not prepared for. Despite giving them my model number the representative could not come to grips with the fact that the light was not part of the motor assembly. After providing her the model number of the light itself we began to make progress. However, once we reached a point where there was no more troubleshooting to be done and the light still did not work there was an awkward silence. After about 10 minutes of this silence (though I could hear voices in the background) I asked if she was still there. She said yes and that she would need to talk to a supervisor. She did and the supervisor wanted me to 'hard wire' the wall mount to the motor assembly. She could not adequately explain to me what that meant. The wall control IS hard-wired to the motor, albeit with 30-feet of wire. All other functions of the wall control work so I knew that wasn't the problem. The motor assembly is 11-feet off the ground and I wasn't about to dig out the ladder, move the car and climb up there knowing full well that nothing I did to the motor assembly was going to fix that light. After multiple requests the supervisor refused to speak with me and they reluctantly agreed to replace the light. In total I had over an hour invested in that phone call.
Back to the review....I really wanted to ding the opener for my poor customer service experience. But that wouldn't be fair. With the exception of this light problem, I am so impressed with this opener that I need to give it 5 stars.
The opener is extremely quiet and smooth. I replaced a Craftsman chain-driven opener with this Liftmaster 3800 and the difference is like night and day. My bedroom is above my garage so it's important to have a quiet opener that is NOT mounted to the ceiling (which is obviously the bedroom floor). The door opens substantially faster than the conventional opener I replaced and slows to a graceful stop just before the preset travel limit. On the down cycle the door closes at the same rate as the old opener.
The standard package of features with the opener is outstanding. It comes with a nice, blue-backlit LCD wall controller that displays the time and temperature. The wall control gives you status messages and also contains a motion detector that turns on the lights when you enter the garage. You can also program new remotes using the wall control rather than having to climb up and hit the 'learn' button on the motor unit (though you could do that if you wanted to). The remote control that comes with the unit has nice, blue LEDs that illuminate when it senses that your hand is near it. This is great when you're fishing around your console in the dark for the remote. Last, the dead bolt feature is a nice added security option.
Installation is not complicated. The hardest part was installing the collar that connects the motor shaft to the torsion bar assembly. They use some sort of super-duper thread lock that makes it difficult to turn the bolts. They have Allen's heads so make sure you have a sturdy, hardened Allen's wrench. There is not a lot of room, either, so take the advice in the instructions and position the collar in a manner that allows you to get at all the bolts. The only tool required that the average handyman might not have is a 3/4" metal bit for drilling the dead bolt hole. That's a big bit and most drill bit sets only go up to 1/2".
Programming is simple if you follow the instructions. I easily programmed the door stops in a matter of minutes and it self-learns the force limits based on a full cycle of door operation. The opener is Homelink compatible and I programmed both my vehicles to operate the door without any trouble.
Last, a word to the wise, most accessories for the door start with the number "3". I ordered a keypad and keyfob remote for the door and both were incorrect. Just because a device says it's SECURITY + compatible doesn't mean it works with the 3800 opener. Make sure you get a device that works with SECURITY + and is also for openers with a PURPLE learn button.


Click Here to see more reviews about: LiftMaster 3800 Residential Jackshaft Garage Door Opener

Wall-mount installation - mounts on the left or right side of door. No rails to hang, it simply mounts on the wall and attaches to the garage door torsion bar. Unit requires an electrical outlet within 6 feet. Patented absolute positioning technology - the newest technology in garage door openers. Liftmaster patented design allows the electronic limits to be extremely accurate, even after a power failure. Optional accessories: 475LM Battery Backup, 377lm Keyless Entry Pad, 379lm Fingerprint Keyless Entry,975lm Garage Door Parking Assist, 370lm Mini Remote. IMPORTANT NOTE: BEFORE PURCHASING, PLEASE VERIFY THE 3800 WILL FIT YOUR APPLICATION BY CONTACTING CHAMBERLAIN. TO RECEIVE IT AND THEN SHIP 33LB PACKAGE BACK TO SELLER IS INCONVENIENT.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about LiftMaster 3800 Residential Jackshaft Garage Door Opener

0 comments:

Post a Comment