Need a New Garage Door Opener? Try a Jackshaft / Side Mount

The Pros & Cons of Jackshaft/Side Mount Electric Garage Door Openers

March 2, 2019 |

Jackshaft garage door openers (also commonly known as side mount garage door openers) are becoming more and more popular for residential garages in Toronto.

Jackshaft garage door openers differ from the typical chain or belt drive garage door opener in that they are installed above and to the side of the garage door. A traditional trolley garage door electric opener hangs in the center of your garage.

Do you need a new garage door opener, and want to give the jackshaft /side mount a closer look? Here are the pros and cons.

Liftmaster Garage Door Opener

Pro: Saving room

One of the greatest selling features of the Jackshaft electric opener is that the machine does not have a boom that hangs down the center of your garage. Further, the operator is mounted on the side of your garage thereby taking up less space. With the jackshaft hanging above the garage door, you will also need less wiring.

Pro: High lift

The side mount garage door opener is the only option available for a high lift garage door (track extension that runs vertically above the garage door). If a customer has enough room above the garage door for the door to open directly vertical, adding a jackshaft electric opener could create space for a car lift or storage.

Pro: Visually appealing

If your garage has a high ceiling, a trolley electric opener may require extra -long hangers. This could make the electric opener unstable and visually unappealing.

With respect to add-ons and options, the jackshaft garage door opener uses the same remotes and digital keypads as traditional garage door openers. Most new jackshaft / side mount garage door openers are WiFi enabled which means you can download an app and hook it up to your phone.

But, the jackshaft electric opener does have tradeoffs.

Con: Expensive

The jackshaft garage door opener is more expensive than trolley garage door openers.

Con: Space limitations

There are limitations that have to be considered. For example, when installing a LiftMaster 3800 side mount opener, a garage must have approximately 12 inches of side room. A garage door installation professional may be able to work with less but 12 inches is a good guide.

The LiftMaster 3800 and LiftMaster 8500 jackshaft electric opener is a very popular machine. Alternatives will be coming to the market soon that may require less side room.

The jackshaft side mount garage door opener is more difficult to install and therefore it is important that you have an experienced, reputable company install your garage door opener.