The idrive Garage Door Opener from Wayne-Dalton ®

The idrive ™ has got to be one of the greatest innovation in garage door operators ever!

But sadly, I can only recommend this unit if you have a Wayne Dalton Garage Door with their patented TorqueMaster spring tube. The iDrive is available in two version (for now), one for the TorqueMaster (works Great) and one to retro-fit all other standard torsion spring garage doors.

This unit is called the Torsion model and most reviews are not very kind.

Wayne Dalton support was fairly good on these units, but not now since Overhead Door Corporation bought them out. In fact, the iDrive and all Wayne Dalton Classic branded openers are no longer even listed on the Wayne Dalton Website. Now they are selling Genie garage door openers! I can only hope that Overhead Door Corporation/Wayne Dalton will redesign this revolutionary garage door opener to be the very best.

In the mean time, if your looking for a dependable operator without a chain, screw, or belt, I recommend you check out the LiftMaster 3800 JackShaft Opener.

So what Made the iDrive so Cool?

Here's a great 8 minute Video showing the benefits of the iDrive and the easy installation.

There are also several other benefits to its small size. Garages with low ceilings and little headroom (distance from garage door supports to ceiling) can now install a garage door opener. Garages with less than 11" of headroom have a difficult time installing openers. Not any more. The unit needs less than 5" of headroom above the counterbalance system. Since the unit mounts to the header above the garage door, you need not worry about locating or cutting support joists or installing unsightly brackets in the ceiling.

The gear drive system is simple to install by yourself. With 80% few parts, installation can be performed in less than half the time of a conventional garage door operator. Heck,it took me longer to remove my old one than to install the idrive. The wall station controller, keyless entry pad, and security light are all wireless. There are no wires to run other than power and the safety IR photo eyes. The IR eyes are not even required if installed on a Wayne-Dalton® pinch resistant door with the TorqueMaster counter balance.

(TorqueMaster™ adjustment made easy)

The idrive is also very speedy. It lifts your door 12" per second.

So what about the idrive features?

Wireless Wall Station - Eliminates unsightly wires running from switch to powerhead.

Door Closing Delay - Ever bonk your head trying to beat a closing garage door while leaping over IR beams? Well ok, I admit I used to do this stupid trick — not recommended! Now, however, I just press the 10 second delay button on the wall station and casually walk out of the garage.

Programmable Pet Opening Button - Summer time in Arizona can be in excess of 110° F. To cool my garage after parking 2 hot cars inside, I run a fan that exhausts the heat out of the cracked open garage door. This used to require a watchful eye and a hair trigger finger to stop the door at precisely the correct position. With my new idrive, I simply press the pet button. The door automatically stops at the correct position for fresh air and security. You can program the distance from 6"-30".

3 Button Remote Control Transmitter - Keychain sized remote activates up to six different doors or devices. Compatible with HomeLink® Systems.


Included Wireless Keypad Entry

Wireless Security Light - Lights automatically when the opener is operated and stays on for 5 minutes. You can also manually operate the light from the wall station.

No Operating Arm - Reduces stress on your garage door. Since the idrive mounts to the couterbalance spring, the garage door is not pulled from the top like conventional garage door openers. It is lifted by the torsion bar cables. This save wear and tear on your garage door panels.

Emergency Release Handle Located on the Side of Door - Occasionally I park my Chevy Tahoe in the center of the garage. One time my roof rack snagged the emergency release disabling the opener. This is how I discovered my counter balance spring was broken. The garage door slammed shut behind me. Lucky me--I was pulled in far enough and no one was in the way. I now inspect my garage door for safety often and recommend you do the same.

Soft Start and Stop Control - Decreases wear and tear on the door by smoothly and gently operating the door without jarring starts and closing.

Automatic Travel Limits - The idrive automatically compensates for temperature changes and floor level variations ensuring the door is properly sealed and eliminating door adjustment.

Security - Rolling Access Codes and Self Locking - The remote system automatically programs a new access code during each activation. After the door closes, the motor rotates down in a locking position making forced entry nearly impossible. If an attempt to manually lift the door is made, the motor further tightens against the door.

The newer Torsion model is available for homeowners without a TorqueMaster counterbalance system. If your garage door is like the majority of torsion sprung multi-sectionals I've seen, it has industry standard components and the Torsion idrive will work. However, measure to ascertain your garage door meets the following requirements:

• Install only on multi-sectional doors 8' or less in height and up to 18' wide.
  
• There must be a minimum of 7.5" of clearance between the top of the garage door and the center of the torsion tube.
  
• The cable drums on the end of the torsion tube must be 4" in diameter.
• The torsion tube diameter must be 1".
• 30 3/8" of clear torsion tube must be exposed between the right side cable drum and the  counterbalance spring (inside garage looking out).
  
• The motor requires between 3 1/4" to 5" of headroom.
  
• A 2 5/8" or 3 3/8" distance from the center of the torsion tube to the idrive™ header mounting location is required. Take into consideration that often a 2 x 6 board is mounted to the front header wall of the garage to create a solid mounting surface for the idrive™. 
• Finally, your garage door must be properly balance and lubricated. The door must not be too heavy to lift, nor lift by itself.
  

ALTERNATIVE: Check out the LiftMaster 3800 JackShaft Operator.