Living in the archaic times where you have to pull the door up/down? It is time you fast forward to the current age of innovation and smartness. Garage door openers are the essential pieces of equipment to save your time and effort from opening and closing your garage door.

They eat less space and operate without making noise. In this article, we review two best-in-the-business, identical garage door openers from the famous brand — LiftMaster. This guidepost compares highly effective garage door opener models — The LiftMaster 8500 vs 3800. Pay heed to the points, to understand which one is better.

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A Buying Guide

Choosing one from a popular brand like LiftMaster can be an arduous task; that is why we have jotted down a few points in this LiftMaster 8500 vs 3800 article to make the selection process easier.

• Horsepower: The amount of horsepower you need depends entirely on the size of your garage door. For garage doors measuring close to 20 inches in width, a horsepower of 1/2 will do. Currently, there are different horsepower ratings — 1/2, 3/4, and 1 Horsepower. The 3/4 horsepower system is perfect for heavier doors with insulations, whereas the 1 horsepower works excellent for solid wood doors.
• Home Automation: Whilst picking the best, it is important to consider how smart the door opener is. These machines empower you with the ability to control the door right from your fingertips.
• Drive Type: This is the most imperative factor to consider when buying a garage door. A drive type entails the amount of space it would take. It further helps us know the noise it would make.

With a few of the crucial areas to consider discussed above, it is time to jump to the crux of the article — A Comparison Guide Between LiftMaster 8500 and 3800. Read on to know which suits your garage door the best.

Also Read: 15 Lifting Straps for Heavy lifts & Weight Lifting

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LiftMaster 8500 Garage Door Opener

Reliable and popular among garage owners, LiftMaster 8500 offers a ton of incredible features that are far superior to other models available. In the following few sections, we share the likes and dislikes of this machine.

Drive Type

The LifeMaster 8500’s selling factor is — the drive type. This garage door opener boasts of an internal chain drive and a sprocket. The inclusion of a mechanism like this entails that it features a wheel coupled with teeth and an internal chain. Both of which are affixed to the motor and wheels. This works by — the motor rolling the chain connected to the wheels of the door, which then propels the door to open.

Automation

Controlling is redefined with the LifeMaster 8500 garage door opener. This door opener is powered by the MyQ control panel, which allows you to take control of the door using your smartphone. Also, this app empowers you to easily access the status of your garage from anywhere and anytime. This control panel managed via your mobile phone gives you the status of your garage door.

Power and Capacity

The LiftMaster 8500 is infused with a mighty 200 watts motor that has the potency to lift doors weighing up to a whopping 650 pounds. This machine is laden with a P3 motor, which is compatible with most of the electronic garage door openers.

Power Source

LiftMaster’s 8500 power source is another vital aspect to consider. This door opener is supplied with a DC power source, meaning it requires at least 24 V of DC for effortless functioning. Anything below this will lead the motor of the opener to break down and might even hinder the door to perform smoothly.

Notable Features

The LiftMaster 8500 is loaded with supreme security features. This machine boasts of safety sensors that will send out visible and audible warnings before the door is ready to close.

If there’s a movement captured by the sensor, your garage light will be automatically turned on. During the times the door is left open longer than usual, the opener closes the door and switches off the light automatically.

Furthermore, the 8500 features a power lock deadbolt that averts the chances of your door being opened with extra/unnecessary force. It also provides a rolling security code feature, which grants access to only authorized entities.

Pros & Cons of LiftMaster 8500 Garage Door Opener

The LiftMaster 8500 is quite extraordinary equipment with a fair share of hits and misses. Following are some of the few areas we liked and disliked:

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LiftMaster 3800 Garage Door Opener

LiftMaster 3800 is another dependable and top-notch product that has become a household name in this industry. A less expensive model compared to the 8500, let us walk you through the features of this garage door opener.

Drive Type

The LifeMaster 3800 is stocked with a jackshaft drive, which is relatively more advanced than what the LifeMaster 8500 boasts of. Appearing as a short stub, the jackshaft drive is supplied with bearings at both ends, a couple of cranks, and gears/pulleys.

Compared to the sprocket and chain drive, the jackshaft operates without making a squeaky noise. While it also opens and closes the door more effortlessly than its counterpart.

Automation

Another extravagant comparison is the — home automation system. The LiftMaster 3800 is supported with the HomeLink control panel. This control panel is supplied with three buttons that can sit in your car.

The Home Link control panel allows you to tweak a few settings for the best performance. This control panel is a smarter support system, which alerts you when the garage door is open or closed. This smart and convenient panel fits right into your car’s interior and can control up to three devices.

Power and Capacity

Much like the LiftMaster 8500, the 3800 also features a robust motor with a power of up to 200 watts. Moreover, it is also supplied with the same maximum weight capacity of 650 pounds. The LiftMaster 3800 has a 3/4horsepower motor, which allows the machine to operate with ease.

Power Source

There is a lot more common and incredible in both the garage door opener than just aesthetics and weight capacity. The LiftMaster 3800 is also powered by a DC power source that demands at least 24 V of DC to perform without malfunctioning. For optimum performance, this is the best it requires.

Notable Features

Overall, the LiftMaster 3800 is a great machine that arrives with many impeccable features. The 3800 features a built-in motion sensor with the control panel, which induces light in your garage with 200w.

This door opener provides the option of delaying the time of the light. If any movements are impeding during the closure, the door automatically stops closing.

Moreover, both the door opening models are equipped with a power lock deadbolt system. This system prevents any unauthorized entity from opening the door by exerting force. Similar to the 8500, this piece of garage door opener also has the security code feature.

Reminder: The brand advises to not use the opener for more than ten complete cycles in an hour.

Pros & Cons of LiftMaster 3800 Garage Door Opener

The LiftMaster 3800 features almost the same features as the 8500. But, there are a few areas where it outdoes and a few where it disappoints. Below are some key positives and negatives of this product:

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Few Alternatives

Although the LiftMaster 8500 and 3800 are powerful and durable machines, you may give a chance (only, if unavailable) to the following few devices:

1. Craftsman 1/2HP Smart Garage Door Opener

Boasting a simple and minimalist design, the Craftsman ½ HP Smart Door Opener features a wireless keypad that incorporates a PIN system to boost its security. This is also an energy-efficient device, which goes into sleep mode without consuming much power.

Furthermore, Craftsman’s user interface allows you to manually set the force to be exerted while opening and closing the garage door. This feature-rich device is highly useful on standard seven-foot garage doors. The myQ app allows you to switch between settings with ease.

The rugged steel construction ensures that it pulls the strongest of doors without any hiccups. All in all, this smart garage door opener is a trusted product that comes with a longer life than most.

2. Chamberlain RJO20 Garage Door Opener

The next valuable alternative is the — Chamberlain RJO20 Garage Door Opener. This machine boasts of a built-in deadbolt that automatically locks the door when it is left fully closed. You can control the device straight from your smartphone by linking it with the MyQ control panel.

The MyQ app also allows you to access the status of your door from anywhere. Equipped with a heavy-duty shell, the RJO20 does last longer than other models.

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Verdict

And this ends our article comparing the LiftMaster 8500 vs 3800. A powerful garage door opener does solve most of the problems. These are handy even for your personal safety and home security, while the issue of pulling the door is already addressed above. Based on tried and tested experience, we give a green flag to the LiftMaster 8500. If you’ve been using the LiftMaster 3800, we suggest you upgrade to the latest and exceptional LiftMaster 8500.

The reviewed options are some of the best in the market devices to help you secure the nooks and crannies of your house. If you’re trying these machines for the first time, we recommend you take the help of a professional in setting it up. And that was all it!

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FAQs

• What are the key differences between the screw, belt, and chain drive door openers?

To understand the key differences, read on the next few sections:

1. Screw Drive: This system powers your garage door to open/close at a more high speed. These are ideal drive mechanisms for doors measuring 14 feet in height.
2. Belt Drive: This is a super quiet door opener drive. These are some of the noise-free door openers and fit perfectly to the garages attached to the house.
3. Chain Drive: Utilizing a chain to open and close the door, this is the ideal drive type for garage doors.

• Does my garage door opener require monthly or annual servicing?

For your garage door opener to perform to its fullest capability, you need to have it checked every once a month. Follow the below process to have the door opener perform smoothly and last the longest:

1. Use the help of a trained door system technician for maintenance to ensure the smoothest operation.
2. Once a year lubricate the door’s hinges, rollers, and bearings.

• How do I pick the best garage door?

There is a multitude of aspects to consider when picking the right garage door. However, you may start with the material type. The most common garage doors in the market are built from wood, fiberglass, or steel. All of these types are sturdy, long-lasting, and arrive with benefits that are available at different price ranges.