LiftMaster offers 2 residential Jackshaft/Wall-Mount garage door openers, the 8500 and the 8500W. We will compare the 2 openers to help you select the best option for yourself.
The 8500 automatic garage door opener is a Jackshaft/Wall-Mount opener. What exactly is a Jackshaft/Wall-Mount garage door opener and why would it be a good choice for me?
The Jackshaft/Wall-Mount design removes the need for the garage door opener rail, thus clearing the head space the rail takes away. The Jackshaft/Wall-Mount opener mounts on the header wall beside the garage door. The opener attaches directly to the spring bar on the outside of the end bearings. When the opener is activated, the motor, attached to the spring bar, actually turns the spring bar that in turn opens and closes the garage door. This design uses fewer moving parts, so there are less parts to wear out or break.
The 8500 is the base model for residential Jackshaft/Wall-Mount garage doors made by LiftMaster. The 8500 uses a quiet DC motor that is rated to lift a door up to 650 pounds with sizes up to 14 feet tall by 18 feet wide. The 8500 is MyQ enabled, but requires the use of an internet gateway that is sold separately. Available accessories include battery backup, remote light and the automatic garage door lock that are all sold separately. The 8500 opens and closes at 7.6 inches per second. For security the 8500 utilizes the Security +2.0. The Warranty for the 8500 is lifetime on the motor, 5 years on the parts and 1 year on accessories.
The 8500W is the newest residential Jackshaft/Wall-Mount opener LiftMaster has released. The 8500W uses a quiet DC motor and can lift garage doors up to 850 pounds and up to 14 feet tall. The 8500W is equipped with built in MyQ technology and does not require the internet gateway. It comes with the remote LED light, battery backup, automatic garage door lock and motion detector for the light. The 8500W opens at 8.4 inches per second and closes at 7.6 inches per second. The 8500W utilizes the Security +2.0 system and has a built in logic board surge protector. The warranty for the 8500W is lifetime on the motor, 5 year on parts and 1 year for accessories and the battery backup.
The 8500 is a good quality opener with upgrades available, requiring additional parts at additional costs. The 8500W is rated for heavier doors and has all of the modern features built in with no additional out of pocket expenses.
| Criteria / Opener | 8500W | 8500 | |
| LM Parts Warranty | 5 Years | 5 Years | |
| VGD Installation Warrant | 1 Year | 1 Year | |
| Lifting Door weight up to | 850 LBS. | 650 LBS. | |
| Homelink Compatible | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Compact Design | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Wifi & Smartphone Connectivity | ✔ | Not Included | |
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✔ | Not Included | |
| Rating |  |
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