Garage Designs

Genie Excelerator, Chamberlain WD822KD, and Craftsman 53914

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the king of reviews is upon us, and be warned that you will never find an article as exciting as this one. Alright, so perhaps there’s some (slight) exaggeration there, but I think you get the point. Some big things are about to go down.

The Reviews:

These reviews were submitted by friends of mine and edited by me. As you can see, they all got pretty positive things said about them, so the quality is certainly there. What we’re going to focus on today are other, equally important factors: noise, speed, reliability, and finally, value.

So, without further delay, let’s begin.

• Noise – They were all much quieter than most motors, and after hearing them all in person, I will have to say that the Chamberlain was the quietest. That being said, the margin wasn’t very significant. The Craftsman was almost as quiet, and the Genie, though still quiet, was the loudest.Now, please keep in mind that none of these were loud by any means. In fact, they were quiet enough that working in the garage when the doors were being used didn’t even become a distraction- the doors opened and closed without causing too much fuss.
• Speed – The Genie came out on top here, being nearly 8 seconds quicker than the Chamberlain and 9 seconds quicker than the Craftsman. Though the times weren’t unbearable for any of them, the difference was quite noticeable when comparing the other two to the Genie.I should point out that a lot of factors are going to affect the speed of the door- the weight of the door being the most noticeable. Since it was impossible for me to determine the weight of the doors that each unit was attached to I am unable to actually determine whether or not the Genie is actually faster.All three motors are 1/2hp, so I’m going to assume that they would open the door at similar speeds. However, the Genie did open the door the fastest, so I’m going to give it a point for that.
• Reliability – All of the motors are still working, and it’s been over two months since they were all installed. Not one of my friends has reported any problems either, so all is well.The Chamberlain has a lifetime warranty, so I don’t expect any problems to come from that particular motor any time soon.
• Value – Of the three tested, the Genie was the least expensive. For the price, it absolutely cannot be beat. The Genie is the best value in the bunch, as it is quiet, fast, and reliable. It does its job, gets really bright at night, and generally works hassle free.

Conclusion:

While all three of the motors are great units and would be perfect for just about anyone’s home, we feel that the Genie Excelerator is the best purchase for your money. It is the least expensive, available through Home Depot, has a great warranty, and with animated installation instructions available on the website, perfect for the do-it-yourselfer.

However, the Chamberlain was the most quiet, and the Craftsman is still a great unit. While we feel that the Genie is a better value, either of the motors will be more than happy to find a home in your garage.