pop23235

Frankie, the 8500 is a different animal.

histoy

I have 2 garage doors with 2 different styles of LiftMaster openers. I found the LiftMaster Professional one opened over night. Over the next month I found it open during the afternoon on 2 occasions. I had an electrician install a switch in the power feed to both openers. I shut off the power to both door openers with a flick of one switch after I put the last car in the garage each night.

Nowhere Man

the better LiftMasters have a "lock" feature that only allows the wall button to work it

dplotkin

Me too, I have 3 of these, it will be two years in July. Smooth and quiet, but I see how they could turn on you with all the electronics in them. Lets hope not.

Dan

dplotkin

These are sidewinders

Dan

Mike Geary

Just ordered 2 inside slide latches. One less thing to worry about when going out of town. I'll probably padlock them as well.

wmf62

the 8500 comes with an automatic track deadbolt, but I also have 2 manual slide 'latches' (one each side) that came with the doors.

strange thing, my door installer showed me a slide latch that was practically sheared when an owner forgot to release it before opening the door... makes an electrical kill switch for the opener seem more attractive for long absences when there is the possibility of the door opening itself...

Bill

Nowhere Man

When I was installing doors I had to manually disable any mechanical lock or it would voild any warranty on the door or opener. If you forget to unlock it and try and use the opener you will break something on your door or opener.

histoy

I have those and padlock them when I leave town. I use the electrical disconnect switch each night and when I'm out of town.

wmf62

on the one "OLD' garage door I have I use a pair of vicegrips clamped to the track edges above a roller on each side and pull the disconnect latch cord. the opener can operate without moving the door and the vicegrips act as latches and keep the door from being manually opened.

Bill

DansYellow66

I use the slide locks when I'm out of town. But I noticed on mine that padlocking them does little good if someone gains access to the garage from entry through the house as they can be simply unscrewed and removed from the door, lock and all. I also put a padlock through one of the holes in the door track above a roller so that the door can't be rolled up. They could probably start my compressor, find my grinder and grind it off but the house alarm would be blaring all the time and hopefully the police on the way.

wmf62

LOL.....

Bill

RatDog

If you cut power to the motor, do you have to reprogram your remote?

I like Bill’s idea of pulling the latch to disengage the track so the motor just spins.

Steve

dplotkin

No. Power failures will not erase programming.

Dan

Mike Geary

Yeah I've had same thoughts. Worse, my safe sits right there in the garage with all the equipment needed to cut into it...

But back to the latch, I'm going to look for one-way screws, the kind they use on toilet stalls to keep people from stealing them?? Ever noticed them while you were sitting there?

dplotkin

Yes Mike, I have, sometimes with enough time on my hands to wonder how many toilet stall door and panels were stolen before the shift to tamper proof screws. And...I've never seen the screw driver needed for these for sale. I guess you need a license and then they send you one in an unmarked package.


Dan

mrg

An electrical power cutoff switch to the motorized garage door actuator works well. Mine is mounted high on a ceiling rafter. The switch is activated via using a putter. Additional mechanical locks are added to the guide tracks if going out of town. At the rear end where the '64 is parked a garage floor bracket and heavy lock and chain wrapped around a halfshaft complete the 'triad'. ...
​​​​If they want my car they're gonna have to do a little work to get it.
John

vetsvette2002

Nope. at least not on mine. In fact it even works when we lose power, it still powers open and closed, the inside garage light doesn't come on though. It a DC motor with a factory supply back-up battery and charging system.

I've had mine for about 8 years with no failures or unexplained open/closings.

And NO I don't know the model number.

Don

Frankie the Fink

I apparently have the cheapie Liftmasters that are 13 years old, no need to reprogram on power loss, the doors have a physical latch and the wall opener controls have a "LOCK" button which disables all remotes (wall switch operation only). I hit that "LOCK" button and throw the physical latch when I won't be home for a time....

I did have the chain drive sort of 'explode' onto my 67 Chevelle overnight though about 6 years back. I found the little drive wheel cog on the ground and various small parts on the hood of the car. They make an overhaul kit for the opener and I used that to put it back in service.

John McGraw

Yep,

Most of the closers are now a "rotating code" and have to be "married" to every remote that opens them. Pretty damn secure now. I have a 3500 jackshaft closer that the main board went south on a couple of years ago, and retrofitted the current control board and wall remote to it. It is a whole lot less expensive to put a new control board in than to replace the closer. These closers are built like a tank, and should last for many years.