Direct Drive Opener 3/4hp #1 Selling Garage Door Opener

I tend to research or over research something before I buy it, suffering research remorse before I ever purchase and the garage door opener was no different.When my 10 year old Craftsman chain drive opener on the main garage door quit working past the point of my ability or at least willingness to repair it again, I set off on a search of designs, service life and reviews of what is available today.Until I came across the Sommer design my preference was screw drive openers. I still curse the day I sold my old house and didn't take the 25+ year old Genie screw drive opener without safety features with me.The first realization is this; there's really only 4 "main" manufactures of garage door hardware and designs in the US; Genie, Liftmaster, Chamberlain and Wayne Dalton. To make it worse they even use each others parts, so what is one is often times found in another manufactures model, not just by similar design, but by actual part number.I focused on screw type drives as my primary choice but what I found simply alarmed me. The nut that actually rides the screw and performs the lifting of the door in most mid grade to high end units was not brass but nylon. This all but guarantees replacement parts and or service calls. I looked at belt drives and direct drives too. The main detractor to all of them were numbers of recently posted reviews of what only looks like quality problems and the same old design with cheaper and cheaper parts.As the research went on and on I came across Sommer. I like seeing designs and engineering that are neat, simple and serviceable. I downloaded installation and owners manual looked the illustrated parts breakdown and watch their video more times than I'll admit here. There is literally one moving part. It requires no, zero, nada greasing.The remotes, those are a little weird if you're used to the old type that clip on your visor but I think I can over come that challenge. Installation assumes you can at least change your own oil and you are not mechanically challenged. There is room for interpretation; lets put it that way.This is one of those things you put in your house that you want to show to your neighbors and friends, not that you installed it but the operation is so quiet and how well it operates. It's a real man cave item and worth discussing over a beer, worth my time to review it and I'm buying another for the back garage that doesn't even need a replacement yet.**UPDATE 11/2/2013**I didn't realize this review was still getting comments and "likes". Thought I'd provide an update.2 years and this door opener is as quiet as the day I first put it in. I've not had to adjust it and I've not had one single problem.The door still stops when it closes to the exact same position on the wall I marked with a "sharpy" 2 years ago when I was adjusting where is should stop at.So when the garage door on my back garage finally failed this spring, I had a nice shinny new door hung by an installer and bought another Sommer door opener like the one I have on the main garage.**UPDATE 1/5/2016**I really did purchase another Sommer garage door opener for my second garage in April of 2013. Now owning 2 of these units, they are without a doubt 2 of better purchases I have made for my home. I have one opener on a Clopay 2 car uninsulated steel door and the original opener on a Clopay 2 car insulated steel door. They have been literally put them up and forget about it.They just work.I know...it's just a garage door opener....really there's that much to say about a mundane item that opens your garage door winter, spring summer and fall???Really it is that reliable and when the little bride is happy.....everyone's happy.

Well, if you read my first review below, I was pretty impressed with these openers. My last of the three I purchased has now failed. Well actually the remote has failed. This is too bad because the openers are still quite good. The remote on the other hand are so flukey and bogus that I am now throwing away the last of these openers. I have already replaced the other two with Chambelain openers, who have upped their game considerably and am very pleased with them. The noise may be slightly more with the Chamberlain but it's nothing compared to the cursing I have done about these pieces of junk.Do yourself a favor and don't buy it.Replaced my 10 year old Chamberlain Whisper Quiet after losing the second belt, with this opener. Believe me when I say this sets a new standard for quiet. The door itself still makes a little squeaking but the opener is silent. Did I mention silent. It is a great design with a thinner profile than the other models I have experienced and the result is a much cleaner installation.Speaking of installation, I had read a couple of reviews that made me think it was going to be difficult. Not so. It comes with two instruction manuals; the short version and the long detailed one. I just used the quick version and found it to be a breeze. I took forever but that was self inflicted with me making the mounting bracket and making sure the wiring was perfectly hidden, fishing wires instead of surface mount and so on. If you are not so picky, I think it should only be 3 or 4 hours and it will still be fine.I was disappointed to find that my wireless keypad does not work with it and also that my existing remotes do not work. I had to purchase a Sommer keypad which is on its way but it looks a little goofy. I guess I'll see when it gets here.The package I got was somewhat "bare bones" meaning no battery backup, no keypad and no automatic closer if you leave it open. I don't really care about the battery backup and I already had a AUTOcloser (available on Amazon) which works fine with the Sommer. If you ever worry that you might have left your door open, get one of these.I am very happy with this opener and would not even consider using a Genie or Chamberlain now that I know about this one. I have 4 other Chamberlains that I will probably change to Sommer.I just read my review and it sounds like a company plant. It's not. I don't think I have ever placed a review on Amazon before this. It is just that this opener impressed me so much that I was moved to place a review.