With a bit of class and certainly power the Liftmaster 8500 elite series takes its name to heart. On both sides, this garage door opener contends for one of the best on the market. The jackshaft operation makes it better for smaller garages or one’s with minimal vertical clearance. With attention to both security and noise reduction pretty much every box is checked. Though that comes along with a price to fit its capabilities. Fairly easy to install and conveniently fitting almost anywhere this garage door opener is pretty versatile. It won’t work for every type of door but for what it delivers the Liftmaster 8500 is definitely elite.
- Quiet and compact motor with considerable power
- Takes up very little space while packing solid security settings
- Intelligently learns to increase efficiency
- High price for jackshaft design
- 660 weight limit stops you from lifting the heaviest doors/li>
- Addon WiFi gateway required for full internet capabilities
Design
The only place to start with the LiftMaster 8500 is the jackshaft mechanism that allows it to fit easily on the side of your garage. With this red and black two-foot machine, you won’t need a garage opener rail anymore. This leaves extra headspace which is especially nice for smaller garages. You just mount it on the wall beside the garage door and the opener attaches to the spring bar. When it is activated it will turn the spring bar opening the garage door. This simplicity helps to make for a durable build with very few moving parts.
Price
You can’t expect a solid jackshaft garage door opener to be cheap with it being one of the newer styles on the market. The LiftMaster 8500 is no different with a hefty price tag to match its innovative and compact operation. You are going to be lucky to find this garage door opener for under $340. That makes it towards the high-end for garage door openers and certainly a luxury buy. With such a high price tag you’d hope to find every feature available. With jackshaft rising to be the most popular style of garage door opener you will have to pay to follow the trend.
Power Source/Battery
With its small profile finding power is pretty easy for a LiftMaster 8500. As long as you have a grounded outlet within 6-feet of its power cord you are good to go. The use of an energy-efficient DC motor helps to keep your power bill down. You won’t find a battery backup built into the 8500 though you can purchase the accessory as an addon. Overall this model offers a pretty standard power system that you’d expect to find in a high-end garage door opener.
Horsepower
While horsepower is a factor for the majority of garage door opener it isn’t a determining factor here. Instead, you are relying on powerful p3 motors to accomplish a different method of opening and closing. You can also rely on a quick lifting garage door at over 7-feet a second. The strength of the motors will allow you to lift doors of up to 660 pounds. All of this is accomplished with very little noise for one of the quietest motors on the market, of course not as little as in the best noise canceling headphones, but still.
Smartphone Control
Despite a pretty noteworthy price tag, the smartphone capabilities of the LiftMaster 8500 aren’t quite as eye-catching. On the positive side, this model is equipped with MYQ technology for control through the smartphone app.
With this app, you will be able to remotely control your garage doors opening and closing. This app will also give you the option for alerts that will let you know when your garage doors shift positions. You’ll even have the ability to turn the light on and off from your phone. The MYQ app is available for most phone operating systems. The negative part is you don’t have built-in WiFi capabilities. You will want to buy an additional internet gateway addon to achieve full smart garage door functionality.
Other Features
Beyond just the basics this model has its own unique features as well for an interesting collection to work with. The first thing worth mentioning is the basic start and stop functionality. Two sensors allow the garage door to stop and start when obstacles are detected.
A more high-level feature is Auto-Force technology. This will constantly monitor your garage door system while adjusting forces for temperature fluctuations. This allows it to detect changes in floor height and door track movement. Deadbolt power lock gives extra security by locking down access. While rolling code technology allows for over 20 codes to thwart intruders. Finally, a 380LM remote light kit can be mounted anywhere in your garage for precision lighting.
Warranty
The LiftMaster 8500 has a pretty impressive 2-part warranty package. The first part which gives this model the value that matches its price is for the motor. The motor has a lifetime manufacturer warranty making the main working piece easily replaceable. You’ll find a 5-year warranty for the other parts. Due to its direct driving jackshaft style, the motor is the only continuously moving part.
Liftmaster 8500 Review Conclusion
With the LiftMaster 8500 series, you get pretty much everything you would want in a jackshaft garage door. The efficient DC motor gives considerable strength to lift most garage doors. The minimal design also gives you more garage room as it conveniently fits on the wall. For doors up to 14 feet tall this is a solid solution for a jackshaft design. You are certainly paying for the design, however, so you might want to save some money if that doesn’t matter to you.
Liftmaster 8500 Garage Door Opener
