ChainMax 1/2 HPC Durable Chain Drive Garage Door Opener with Battery Backup

I replaced a noisy failing Genie drive-shaft garage door opener with a programable chain-max model. Instructions were easy to read and follow and made assembly relatively simple. I really like having a backup battery for operation during power outages. It runs quietly and smoothly.

This is my third Genie garage door opener I have installed over the past 30 or 40 years. The first one was back in 70's. A screw drive. It has never failed. The second one a belt drive. Installed about a year ago in a new home. Quiet and smooth operating. Love it. This new 1/2 hp chain drive impressively quiet and smooth operating. Installation was straight forward. Just follow the installation instructions. Love the easy adjustment for limits, and safety features, battery back-up, and WI-FI connect ability.

The Genie ChainMax 1/2 Hours Power Durable Chain Drive Garage Door Opener with Battery Backup is an excellent product. The battery backup is an exceptional value if you have ever been locked out of your garage during a storm with the power being out. The installation by my self took 4 hours including reading the directions before starting the project. You may want to get some help from a friend if your mechanical skill and installation ability are in doubt,

Very quiet garage door opener that works even if the power goes out! I’ve had good luck with Genie Garage Door Openers (GDOs) in the past, so this was an easy choice. And the Genie ChainMax 1/2 HPc Durable Chain Drive GDO with Battery Backup (Model # 7035-V) is the quietest Garage Door Opener (GDO) I’ve ever owned! It’s so quiet that, if you’re not watching the door move, you might think you didn’t push the button! But it’s working perfectly. The only noticeable sound is the wheels of the garage door in their tracks (time to oil them ;). The belt drive model might be quieter, but this is so good I’m not sure that’s necessary. It has several nice features, like the pre-programmed remote, wall switch with the option to turn on the lights independent of opening or closing the door (holds 2 60W bulbs), and of course the battery backup. Power out? No problem – the battery keeps the GDO running – I haven’t verified the claim of “up to 30 times”, but it should be more than enough until the power is restored. The instructions are very good and very detailed – Reading them fully before starting makes the job easier. And read BOTH the “Assembly and Installation manual” and the “Operations and Maintenance Manual”. The first manual gets the GDO installed, but the second manual is critical for setting the closing/opening limits (which affect final chain tension). Backup battery installation is also covered in the second manual. Assembling the unit is easy. The actual INSTALLATION depends more on your garage than on the GDO – I had to reinforce the header beam above the garage door before mounting the bracket for the front of the track. And I had to modify the ceiling mounts to fit the Genie (the old ones weren’t the right length). But these do not reflect on the Genie – just things to consider as you plan your install. And while the parts kit is thorough, you might still need “specialty” items, like the reinforcing plate on the garage door itself (see pic) or additional hanging/mounting braces. Having a helper makes life easier, but I managed it myself with two step ladders and some bungee cords to hold things in place. My only minor gripe was with the thin wires for the safety beam sensors. According to the instructions there is a white wire (yes) and a “striped” wire. However the actual wire does not have the claimed diagonal stripes (see pic). Instead it has some text and a very thin line running lengthwise (but with interruptions). You can see this in the well lit close-up picture, but it’s not so easy for old eyes in a dimly lit garage! C’mon Genie – couldn’t you make it a *little* more obvious? But other than that, the sensors, wires, and wall switch are easy to connect, and the result is great!

This is a very nice garage door opener. It is chain drive but is VERY quiet. The installation is fairly easy and can be done by a single person, but for some parts it is nicer to have a second person. Installing the chain on the arm is the hardest part, I used a couple of welding pliers to hold everything in place while installing the chain. It comes with a wired wall remote and a wireless car remote that can operate up to 3 devices. The wall remote can open / close the door, turn on the lights or lock the system.The remotes are pre-programmed to the opener. The setting of the door limits and the closing force is quite easy to adjust and is done from the 3 buttons on the opener, and the feedback is via 2 colored LED's one round and one oval (or as they call it long). It has 2 light fixtures one each side of the opener that are rated to 60w each max, it does not come with bulbs, they recommend their brand of LED bulbs, I used cheap generic LED's and they caused no problems or interference. The instructions are decent but a few areas are a little vague. The instructions are broken into 2 parts, one for basic install and one for programming and adjustments. The installation parts come in colored bags that the instructions have you open as needed, this is nice. The basic install instructions are on a road map size paper which is unwieldy and obnoxious. It took me about 3.5 hours to install and adjust the garage door opener, but I did have a 110 volt wire to the ceiling. The sensors for door obstructions work well but you need to be careful of where the sun is shining of them. The remote works from at least a 200 ft away. The opener on my single wood door takes about 11 seconds to close and about 15 seconds to open. With the battery backup it takes about 26 seconds to close and 37 seconds to open, I was able to open and close the door 7 times with just the battery back up before the battery was discharged. The lights on the sides do not work with the battery back up, but the wall remote is still lit. The wires are connected by pushing a tab and inserting the wires, this is very nice, much better that twisting them around a screw. The emergency door release works well, but it does not automatically reset, you have to pull on the cord at an angle to reset it which is a little annoying. It is supposed to be compatible with Homelink and Car2u systems. which I do not have so I was unable to test. The power cord on the opener is about 3 ft long, the opener head itself is about 16 inches wide (with light covers) about 10 inches front to back and about 6 inches tall. It would have been nice to have a motion light built in. All in all a very nice, super quiet garage door opener that does exactly what you want it to, and the battery back up is a really nice feature.

The Genie brand of garage door openers has been around for a long time and they seem to be well made and functional. This 1/2 horsepower opener has a surprising number of technological features including smart device control compatibility, automatic force profiling (safety feature) and an integrated battery backup system. Garage door openers are a bit fussy to install if you don't do it regularly and this one is no different, just allow yourself plenty of time and be patient.

Genie....a name that means quality in garage door openers. I've owned three Genie garage doors throughout the years. Each one lasted when I sold my three homes and were still working when I moved out. What makes this garage door opener, is utilizes a heavy duty chain drive (similar to a chain drive on a bike) rather than a worm gear. This is a much more trustworthy drive as it is trouble free and requires a spray of lubricate once in a while. Where the worm gear requires a slight coating of grease. This unit has a DC (direct current) motor which also has a built in battery that if the power goes out, you're still able to operate the opener up to 30+ times within a 24 hour period of a power outage. Comes with pre-programed three button remote, a multi-function wall console and a safety beam system that will reverse a door if an obstruction is encountered. Has 2 light bulb sensors that will illuminate the garage when door opens. These light are on a timer that will shut off the bulbs after leaving the garage. Enjoy the added security of the "Intellicode system" that will roll different codes at different openings of the door. Carries a limited lifetime motor warranty (which is a 1/2 hp DC motor, a five year warranty on the chain drive.

First time I have installed a garage opener. It took me longer than a professional installer but I contact the manufacturer for some help and everything came out great. It is a great unit, works great and very quite. I am very happy with the genie.