“The ChainMax 1000’s powerful 3/4 HP motor is more than adequate for most heavy solid
wooden garage doors and carriage house doors.”
| Price: $200 (est.) | |
 |
|
| ChainMax 1000 3/4 HP DC Garage Door Opener |
|
The Genie ChainMax 1000 is a 3/4 HP DC garage door opener with enough power for heavy garage doors. It is quieter than many other chain drive garage door openers because of the DC motor.
Like all modern Genie garage door openers, the ChainMax 1000 has an impressive set of safety and security features and comes well equipped with two 3 button garage door remotes, a deluxe wall console and wireless entry keypad.
At about $200, the price is competitive, especially for a DC garage door opener. Just remember the standard setup is for a 7 foot tall garage door. If you have an 8 foot door, you can expect to spend another $40 or $50 for a rail extension kit. Without the extension kit your door will not open completely.
Add an optional Genie Closed Confirm Remote and tack on another $50 (skip this if you aren’t in such a hurry to watch your garage door close). All in all, this is an solid chain drive garage door opener from the screw drive experts.
DC garage door openers have several advantages over their AC counterparts. For safety, they offer constant monitoring and adjustment during the opening and closing cycle. Soft start and stop eases the wear and tear on your garage door and makes for quieter operation. And, although garage door openers are not considered energy hogs, DC motors are more efficient and use less energy.
NOTE: If you prefer a belt drive garage door opener, take a look at the highly rated Genie SilentMax 1000 belt drive model. It is a near twin of the ChainMax 1000 except that it uses a belt rather than a chain drive lifting mechanism.
Genie ChainMax 1000 Garage Door Opener features:
| Horsepower: 3/4 HP DC Lifting Force (comparable to a 3/4 HP AC motor) Type of Drive: Chain Light Source: 200 watt lighting system (Two 100-Watt bulbs, max.) Includes: Two 3 Button Remotes, Multi-Function Wall Console, Wireless Entry KeypadSecurity Features:
Safety Features:
Warranty:
Special Features:
Options:
|
Genie ChainMax 1000 Consumer Reports, Pros and Cons
The ChainMax 1000 and its near twin the SilentMax 1000, are both newer Genie models, but the SilentMax has received the most hoopla. The Home Depot and Sears websites have over 40 reviews on the belt drive SilentMax with a solid 4 1/2 out of 5 star rating, but the ChainMax has yet to receive a review.
The ChainMax model is the identical unit, but has a chain drive mechanism instead of a belt. For the die hard chain drive lover, this is a good choice. If you want the quietest garage door opener, go with the SilentMax 1000.
Pros + |
Cons – |
|
|
The newest generation of Genie garage door openers uses 140 Volt DC powered motors and include an updated and robust set of safety and security features. This reviewer is very glad to see Genie offering a DIY model comparable the the excellent Genie Pro line.
The Genie ChainMax 1000’s powerful 3/4 HP motor is more than adequate for most heavy solid wooden garage doors and carriage house doors.
NOTE: If you want the same features in a slightly more powerful model (a little more than 3/4 HP), consider the Genie ChainMax 1200. What is the difference between the ChainMax 1200 and the ChainMax 1000? There are actually 2 notable differences:
- The ChainMax 1200 features the “Power Plus” DC motor with power exceeding that of a 3/4 HP AC motor while the ChainMax 1000’s power is about equal to a 3/4 HP AC motor.
- The ChainMax 1200 opens faster at about 9 inches per second rather than about 7.5 for the ChainMax 1000.
Genie ChainMax 1000 – Advantages over AC Models
The latest DC powered Genie garage door openers have a number of advantages over AC powered models, including:
Soft Start and Stop – DC powered motors can slow down when the garage door is nearly open or nearly closed, which makes for an “easy landing” for the garage door. This “soft start and stop” action not only makes for a quiet garage door opener, it also reduces wear and tear on the door.
GenieSense™ Constant Monitoring – Genie’s new “GenieSense™” diagnostic system is another feature of DC motors that constantly monitors movement of the garage door when it is opening and closing. This not only helps reduce wear and tear, it also improves safety.
If the garage door encounters an object or person (or animal) in its path, the DC-powered motor will stop and reverse. When coupled with the Safe-T-Beam® infrared garage door sensors standard on this and most other garage door opener models, garage door safety is greatly improved.
More Efficient – DC motors do their job with less energy. While the savings may not turn your household budget into a cashflow machine, it is nice to know you are using less electricity (unless you own the utility company).
Genie ChainMax 1000 – Other Notable Features
What else is worth mentioning on the ChainMax 1000? A dual frequency system, Genie’s SmartSet™ programming, the latest multi-function wall control and a 200 Watt (max.) time delayed lighting system to name four.
SmartSet™ – This easy-to-use programming feature allows for simple adjustments to speed, force and limits (when the garage door stops at the top and bottom of its cycle). No screw driver needed. Just use the clearly marked buttons to make simple adjustments.Dual Frequency System – Also known as “Auto Seek,” this frequency hopping feature causes the opener to choose either the 315 or 390 MHz transmission frequency, depending on which one offers the least interference.
Multi-Function Wall Control – The Genie ChainMax 1000 wall control goes far beyond the old doorbell-style button. There is an open/close button, of course, but there is also a separate button to turn the light on an off and another button to engage the Sure-Lock™ feature.
Sure-Lock™ literally locks down the opener and will not allow it to be controlled by garage door remotes or the wall control. This is a nice feature to have when you go on vacation or leave for an extended period of time.
High Output Lights – The ChainMax 1000 features a 2 bulb 200 Watt (max.) lighting system that automatically shuts off after 4 minutes. This is more than adequate light if you just park your cars in the garage. However, if you plan to work on your cars in the garage, do crafting or other hobby projects, etc., consider extra or specialized garage lighting. In my opinion, you can never have enough light.
OPTIONAL Closed Confirm Remotes – If you have ever wondered if your garage door closed completely as you were driving away from your home, the Closed Confirm Remote will help. When the door closes completely, the remote beeps and flashes a green light. If there is a problem, you hear a warning tone and see a flashing red light. Simple. At almost $50 each, the only down side is cost.
Genie ChainMax 1000 Safety and Security
Standard safety and security features on the Genie ChainMax 1000 are similar to other Genie garage door openers. However, some are improved over older models. For example, Safe-T-Beam® infrared garage door sensors and a manual door release are standard on all Genie models.
Infrared garage door sensors emit an infrared light across the bottom of the garage door opening. If the light beam is interrupted, the garage door opener will either not work at all (it won’t start the closing cycle), or it will stop, reverse direction and open to the fully open position.
What is not found on older, non-DC powered Genie models is GenieSense™ technology. Exclusive to DC powered openers, GenieSense™ continuously monitors door movement and will stop and reverse the garage door if it encounters a person or object (or your pet).
Security is also improved with Genie’s new Intellicode® 2 standards, which improve signal encryption. This “rolling code” technology is found on most garage door openers and it changes the transmission code after every use to keep the code and your stuff safe.
Genie ChainMax 1000 Garage Door Remotes
The ChainMax 1000 comes with the newest Genie 3-button garage door remotes that are backward compatible with Intellicode® 1 remotes. This is important if you have an older Intellicode equipped Genie garage door opener operating one of your other garage doors.
The ChainMax 1000 is also compatible with the HomeLink® and Car2U® home automation systems if your car is equipped.
NOTE: For the technically minded, DC power is not measured in horsepower. It is measured in Newtons and the ChainMax 1000 has about the same power as a 3/4 HP AC motor. The very similar ChainMax 1200’s Power Plus motor is a little more powerful than a 3/4 HP AC motor.
Genie ChainMax 1000 – Professionally Installed Option
If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, the comparable Genie Pro model is called the Genie IntelliG 1000. What’s the difference? There are 2.
Difference #1 – The rail for the DIY ChainMax 100 must be assembled by the homeowner and the Genie Pro IntelliG 1000 rail comes pre-assembled.
Difference #2 – The IntelliG 1000 can be mated with either a chain drive or belt drive lifting mechanism. The ChainMax 1000 is exclusively a chain drive garage door opener. For DIY belt drive fans, the Genie SilentMax 1000 belt drive garage door opener is a near twin of the ChainMax 1000, except that is uses a belt rather than a drive drive lifting system.
There is actually one more difference, and the Genie Pro dealers will tell you it’s a big one. The Pro models are supported by an independent dealer network. If you aren’t the DIY type, This is a big difference.
Genie ChainMax 1000 Owner’s Manual