This is AutoGoddess.com page

Craftsman Confidence Lives On

Originally Published at on Jan 08 2012 • view original

Before the Christmas Holiday I received a special delivery from Craftsman Tools®. Within the inside of the delivered shipping box was a brand new Craftsman DC Belt Drive Garage Door Opener with DieHard® Battery Backup and AssureLink Connectivity®.

Within my family there are two mechanical brands we have solemnly sworn to never deviate from: one is Die Hard batteries the other, Craftsman. However, with a mission to accomplish, my generational bias was dutifully set aside as my holiday project to install, test, and review this newly delivered garage door opener began.

The person I chose to install the opener was retired homebuilder, now personal handyman, Jim Howerton. Jim is not only well known within my area for doing a good job, he is also revered for possessing over 35 years of construction, mechanical and even garage door opener installation experience. I also knew Jim would give me all of the insights of the unit, install and expert overview I would need.

On a chilly Christmas holiday morning Jim and I met inside my garage and began our door opener installation mission. I then dove into the opener’s box while Jim scrounged his tool carrier to locate the right tools for the job.

Tools Needed:

Jim selected a pair of wire cutters, straight edge cutting knife, large flat head and Phillips screw drivers, drill, drill bits, ratchet set and a small adjustable wrench.

One thing I immediately noticed while rummaging through the opener’s installation components was the black shiny casing of the opener’s body and the thought that this thing was not only top of the line but even looked classy – at least as classy as a garage door opener can look. After setting out the openers components I went on to read everything Craftsman’s door opener model #3043 had to offer and must say I was floored!

The goods:

For starters Craftsman included a DieHard battery backup, so the door could operate for up to 20 cycles in the event of a power outage. I found the mini battery to not only be cute, but perfect if in the event I would be receiving a Power Wheels® for Christmas. Also in the box was a steel reinforced belt drive which is said to provide quieter operation.

The belt gave Jim cause for pause as he inspected and then commented that he was, “Concerned that it is not a chain or screw drive (which he likes better) and it is not metallic but more like vinyl.” Jim said he likes chain belts because in his opinion they are more durable, (although they are also noisier).

As I continued unpacking I noticed the LCD smart motion-detecting wall control with time, temp and GDO diagnostic function. After reading up more about the inside wall controller I was ecstatic to learn that it is not only digital but that its motion detector would sense movement within the garage and turn on the openers light automatically. To me this not only blew my mind but also translated into no more bumping into walls at night when I need to go into my garage! The sensor would also be used to detect when to automatically close the garage door.

Wow, hat didn’t this thing do! Who would have ever thought that garage door openers had become so innovative? As it turns out these thoughtful features were not the only innovations included in this brand new Craftsman model. There is also an automatic sleep mode, which conserves energy while the door is not operating and Craftsman’s AssureLink garage door technology which will allow an owner to monitor and operate the door while off of the premises. With its included gateway (router) unit the owner simply needs to go onto a Craftsman site, link the gateway with their garage door, web site, and smart phone in order to gain access to the AssureLink feature.

With all of this promised state-of-the-art convenience and technology I decided to get Jim’s reaction to the product he was installing. “Well, it is a typical garage door opener and although the brackets are a little different (they seem a little sturdier than most others),” he said. “Craftsman makes a good product and the instructions seem easy to follow.” As Jim began his work he commented that the openers railing was a little difficult to clip together. “I am going to assemble the mounting brackets first instead of the railing and motor and that should make things a little easier,” Jim said.

Although the assembly of the unit was easy for Jim he acknowledged that those looking to install their own garage door openers should have a basic understanding of electrical wiring and mechanics along with ingenuity.

After (the approximately 5 hour long) installation was complete, it was time to start testing all aspects of the door and entire opening systems dynamics and features. The first thing I noticed about the door is how smoothly it opened and closed while the second was the quietness of the motor. “Although I have never seen a vinyl drive belt we will see how long it lasts,” Jim quipped after our first two operational tests. Another thing I liked about the unit is the ability to open it from the outside using the keypad and with no remote needed. This feature makes running next door while securing the house a lot more do-able as opposed to having to search for keys, remotes or anything else that would ensure my home’s security.

Lastly, my most favorite feature of the Craftsman was exactly what I knew it would be – the sensory light located on the garage’s interior control button. Walking into my garage has never been such a convenient and stumble-free experience until now. All-in-all my handyman and I give the Craftsman model #3043 a 9 out of 10 for their high quality top-of-the-line product. My reasoning for the 9 rating was not the same as Jim’s because, “I never give anything a 10,” he proudly said.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 8th, 2012 at 11:53 am and is filed under Auto & Motor News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.