Ryobi has come out with a new garage door opener, model GD200, that has so many features I almost don’t even know where to begin.
It’s powerful, with a 2HPS* motor. But it’s also ultra-quiet, with Ryobi saying it’s 20% less noisy than “leading garage door openers.” It features a steel-reinforced belt drive system, for longer life. That should help cut down on the noise as well, compared to chain-driven systems.
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It also has a bright LED light with motion sensor control and adjustable illumination duration control. Plus it’s WiFi-connectable out of the box, allowing you to control it via your iOS or Android smartphone. It is also HomeLink-compatible.
And it’s said to be easy to install.
Plus you can pop in a Ryobi 18V One+ Li-ion battery pack as a battery backup that’s capable of operating the door over 100 times.
* HPS stands for horsepower strength, to indicate an opener’s lifting force equivalency.
Here are the accessories it comes with:
- Multifunctional wall control
- Wireless keypad
- 2 remotes
- Safety sensor
Oh, but that’s not all.
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Ryobi’s new garage opener allows for plug and play connection with various modules. There are attachments!
When the new Ryobi garage door opener launches next month, here are the modules you’ll be able to add to it:
- 3-outlet retractable 30 ft cord reel with GFCI protection and 10A breaker (GDM330, $64)
- Bluetooth speaker module (GDM120, $54)
- Adjustable speed pivoting fan (GDM421, $54)
- Carbon Monoxide alarm with temperature and humidity sensors that report back to you via the app (GDM920, $58)
- Laser assist parking module (GDM222, $44)
Price: $248 for the garage door opener, modular accessory prices are listed above
ETA: April 2016, July for the CO alarm, at Home Depot
More Info(via Ryobi)
APRIL FOOLS! Just kidding, this is a real product!
First Thoughts
Although I initially thought that the March 31st press release was a not-so-obvious April Fools Day gag, the benefits of the new Ryobi garage door opener soon became apparent.
When talking about just the garage door opener, it looks to be a good value compared to competitive offerings.
But the modular attachments? That’s completely different but seems like a great idea. Why not save space, and mount a 10A hose reel, cooling fan, or Bluetooth speaker right to the garage door opener?!
Wow, just wow.
I don’t believe that Ryobi has ever entered the garage door opener market before now. Regardless, this looks to be one heck of an innovative new offering. It takes a moment or two for the full reality to sink in.
What else would you want to see be made into a Ryobi garage door opener attachment?
An LED worklight module might be nice. Maybe it’s possible for a built-in tire inflator module?
mikedt
If it’s not an April Fools Joke (I hate the internet today) then it’s a damn interesting unit. The battery backup is great – especially so if you already own Ryobi cordless tools and the accessories include a few things that a lot of homeowners/DIYers would like.
Stuart
“APRIL FOOLS! Just kidding, this is a real product!”
I made sure it wasn’t a joke product. It’s real.
Doresoom
I call April Fools BS. This oddball release and the timing are too much to be a coincidence.
Doresoom
…and I stand corrected. Ryobi confirmed via Twitter that it is indeed real.
Jimmie
Aren’t garages on the list of locations to NOT put CO detectors because of false alarm potential?
Farid
You can have a a detector with higher spike limit or with longer integration period to minimize false alarms from spikes during normal car operation. I can see benefit in having a CO monitor in the garage, but standard residential monitors as currently designed are not suitable.
Mahalo
Not to mention the questionable placement of a CO sensor so high off the ground, where CO is unlikely to accumulate. A false sense of security can be worse than a false alarm.
mizzourob
I had never even thought about something like this. I could see where this could be a major factor in deciding on a battery platform. If DeWalt, Makita, or Milwaukee had this for their 18/20v batteries this would convince me to move that direction. I applaud Roybi for a really innovative product (assuming it is real, and if not it should be), but I am just not interested in their dated battery platform and cheap tools.
Damian
Create an adapter?
That’s how I run my ryobi drain auger. Rarely need one. Didn’t want to invest large amount into a drain auger. Saw ryobi had one. But I own Milwaukee. Bought a refurbished ryobi auger for $35, bad battery off a buddy for $10.. Bad M18 Milwaukee tool on eBay, $20-35… About 1-2hrs of time.. Ryobi adapter for M18 battery completed.
For an emergency situation where power is out, Shouldn’t have any problems opening and closing the garage door a few times (for those worried about items not from factory).
Jim D
So there is an official Ryobi location on their site for this unit and supposedly a dedicated customer service department just for their garage door openers. I called the 800 number and after a moderate hold time there was still no answer. I did not wait to talk to someone but if you ask me, as fake as this seems, there is just too much additional marketing information for them to spend the time and money on. My vote is that this is real… and I want one!
mike aka Fazzman
If its as bad as the rest of their stuff they can keep it. Ill keep my chamberlains.
mizzourob
The more I think about it the more I question if this is real or even code compliment. I would like to know the amps drawn by the unit as that may require a dedicated circuit depending the branch-circuit amp rating and the rating of this unit. The LED light and CO alarm is fine but the real issue become the cord reel and what could be plugged into that. It would need an overload protection circuit built in to limit amps drawn to not exceed that of the branch circuit. Given the wide spread use of 15A and 20A circuits for garage outlets it would need to be designed for the lower amperage.
I am probably over thinking this but Ryobi maybe pulling a April Fools day joke here with a great concept that probably would only work with new wiring and construction.
Nathan
2hp motor with 100 activations out of a 18V battery pack? I like the idea – don’t get me wrong but seems overly quoted.
now if they said 10-30 I’d probably believe it more. Gratned what door. short- light- stamped AL non insulated door. vs solid wood door.
I recently started with some home automation stuffs and one of the bits I got was a garage door opener device. it’s Zwave not wifi. Does this unit happen to report if the door is open or closed also? Would be a neat feature.
P
Their website carefully states “@ HPs*”
“*Horsepower Similar (HPs) designates that this system meets RYOBI pull-force specification for a 2.0 horsepower garage door opener”
So this is a new level of HP-rating BS. I was actually kind of intrigued until I saw that.
Jon
The most powerful residential garage door opener I’ve ever seen is 1 HP. Most are 1/2 HP, and some, like the one for my tiny 1950’s-excuse-for-a-single-car-garage door are 1/4 HP. 2 HP on 110V is always a red flag, but even if it’s only 1/4 as powerful it should be plenty for most non-insulated 2-car garage doors. Outside of serious commercial suppliers I don’t believe any HP rating anyway. (Also, it’s such an antiquated and vague term.)
I wondered if the weird power rating and quiet function meant that it’s geared very low so it it will open slower than other door openers, but it can handle a heavier door as a result. That would explain the “similar” label. But their site says more power for faster opening. So that’s curious…
I REALLY like the idea here. Especially with the semi-integrated extension cord with integrated pigtail. I’ll pass on the Bluetooth speaker module (Bluetooth sucks for audio quality, and I have four serious speakers mounted in the rafters of my garage, with an appropriately powerful amp), and the LED light looks like a “don’t run into things in the dark” grade light, which is certainly better than no light, but the fan could be a handy addition since it’s fully aim-able. Expensive addition, though.
I have been very pleased with my Ryobi yard tools. If this were made by the industrial version of Ryobi (as opposed to the TTI-licensed Ryobi name for power tools) I wouldn’t hesitate to believe the claims. But as it is I would wait for hands-on reviews, especially long-term durability.
Esteban Lago
They use the HPS designation since this unit has a DC motor. DC motors are rated in Neutons. AC motors are rating in Horse power. For comparison sake they use the HP Similar rating so that you can compare the lifting force of one unit over another. The key here is that lifting force doesn’t matter that much. All doors are balanced by the spring system. It should only take 7 lbs of lifting force to operate any residential door no matter the size or construction. A higher HP or HPS rating has more to do with duty cycle. The higher the rating the longer the unit will last in theory. Usually a poorly maintained door causes the operator to fail long before the motor wears out. 2 HPS is most definitely over kill. IMO.
dduff617
newton is a unit of force.
horsepower is a unit of power.
they are not comparable.
Stuart
That’s what I thought too, but I did a quick check and some brands do rate their garage door openers in Newtons. One brand says 800 Newtons is equivalent to 1 HP, and 550 to 3/4 HP.
Jon
Horsepower is a silly rating anyway. Note that there are different figures and conversions for horsepower (mechanical), horsepower (electric), horsepower (water), etc. People complain that manufacturers misrepresent horsepower, but it is not a unit of measurement which easily translates to different tasks. Ironically HP is very specifically appropriate for lifting power, as that is precisely how it was first defined.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsepower
Note also that the EU has prohibited the use of HP as anything other than a supplemental power rating.
Esteban Lago
Exactly. Look at the spec plate on an opener with an AC motor. It will have an HP rating. Now look at an operator with a DC motor. It will have a newton rating. Since it’s hard for the average consumer to compare the two, (because they really are different measurements) garage door opener companies have developed a “comparable” measurement for their DC motors. Chamberlain/Liftmaster uses HPS or horsepower Similar. Genie/Overhead Door uses HPc or Horsepower Comparable. Ryobi appears to be going the HPS route. Some companies have tried to use the more accurate Newton rating but most people don’t really know what that means or have any frame of reference to that rating. So dduff is right they really are not comparable but opener companies are trying to find a solution to compare AC motor lifting force to DC motor lifting force that the average consumer can understand.
James C
M12 version?…
Actually, I just bought a house with an ancient garage door opener (no remotes, even). The garage also currently suffers from poor lighting and not enough electrical outlets where I need them. This is an interesting product.
Jacob Edmond
Same here. I need lighting and more circuits. If this is real, and does well enough, I might be interested in a v2.0, or maybe a Ridgid version of it.
Nathan
SO had to look up another garage door opener.
1) what the hell 2 HP device is out there on the market. Biggest Baddest Garage Door opener I can find residential is 1HP and it’s a big boy.
2) battery system. 18V one + or the 36V outdoor equipment piece?
and if the thing is so beefy why is the retractable cord only good for 10A
P
Pure marketing BS, they don’t actually list the HP, they list a made-up HorsePower Similar number, based on their own made-up rating.
Stuart
18V One+ – I mentioned this in the post.
Why 10A? Probably because they anticipate there being other loads on the outlet, such as the fan, LED light, and maybe the door’s in operation too.
For higher amperage, that would mean thicker gauge wire, which means more weight and higher cost.
10A is still plenty for a lot of corded tool types.
Stuart
As for the HP, I made an edit to reflect that it’s HPS, which is apparently “horsepower strength,” which is supposed to reflect lifting strength equivalency.
For instance, a 3/4 HP motor that’s described as 2 HPS is supposed to have the same lifting strength as a 2 HP opener. But there is no transparency into what different brands are using as a reference when coming up with these ratings.
I’m thinking (hoping) that the Rypbi garage door opener is at least competitive with like-priced residential openers.
Nathan
OK didn’t notice the HPs bit. I mean the strong and expensive Genie and Liftmasters are only 3/4. ON the battery bit – I could see that working but not 100 times.
4free
Chamberlain is not even consistent within itself on motor ratings. Their similar system is rated at 1 1/4 HPS when most of their other products are 1/2 or 3/4 HP.
Kurt
2 HP ??? They must measure that the same way they do small air compressors and power tools. Where 2 HP = ~ 1/2 real HP.
Most openers are 1/2 – 3/4 HP.
David
I really didn’t expect to ever geek out to a garage door opener. If this integrates well with my HA system, it looks like something I’d be interested in.
John
I hope they have some “smart app” module. Preferably one that lets me know if the door is open or closed when I’m away, alert me if it opens, and bonus for letting me close it away from home. All the other modules are neat but really the most important features for me are what I just described.
Jacob Edmond
This can be pre-ordered at HD
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-Ultra-Quiet-Garage-Door-Opener-GD200/206830652;jsessionid=152358F9B5D7CA60AC61EE91888BF275
Jason
I might wait and see if they end up doing a promotion in the future. HD and Ryobi seem to always do that. They might run a but the opener get a free add on type deal down the road potentially.
Matt E.
So, as someone who doesn’t have a garage (next house 🙂 ), I’d love to see a version of this without the motor function. It seems like a great wood shop companion, which would provide light, a fan, corded power, environment monitoring, and even music.
Sure, you easily do all those seperatly, but this lets you do the electrical run once-and-done for all those things in one nice location.
A motor-less unit would also make a fantastic bolt-on for a generator unit; having efficent lighting, the ability to charge one+ batteries, retractable ext cord, blue tooth, and even CO2 Monitoring would be great.
I’d be very surprised if we don’t see more docking solutions soon, as otherwise the market for the add-ons becomes pretty narrow.
Eric
I would love to see a winch attachment. Disconnect the garage door belt and use the motor for some light duty lifting.
Rick
I want my garage door opener to open the door, that’s it. For the rare times that the power goes out, I just pull the rope to disengage it and lift up the door.
Jon
Then this product wasn’t designed for you.
4free
That only works if you can get IN the garage to pull the cord. At my house, the garage door is the only way into the house – my wife doesn’t even carry the key for the front door! Granted, the power does not go out often, but this gives you a charger and a place to store you spare tool battery too, always ready.
mikeh
This product won’t be for everyone and the price point is a bit high (i will be buying one) and ryobi is certainly not the dewalt of tools but let’s face it, they keep innovating around this platform and have some cool useful tools – i have used some of the ryobi equipment and it has performed quite well – hard to be overly critical of the team that’s certainly trying hard for the consumer at a great price point on most things
Jon
What is “the DeWalt of tools”? Is that anything like “the Lincoln of cars”?
DeWalt is not a very high end brand. I like my DeWalt stuff, but they really are not the best built. They’re actually closer to Ryobi than they are Hilti or anything like that, though their warranty and repair service is better than Ryobi’s, but then nearly everything is.
MANY tradesmen I know who have been DeWalt fans have seen Makita and Milwaukee beating DeWalt in every sort of performance test, and are now switching to one of those brands. But none of those brands do much to target homeowners, specifically, the way Ryobi does. Ryobi and Craftsman are about the only brands I can think of who would be positioned to offer something like this.
fred
I think that I’ve seen statistics that Dewalt is the best-selling brand of small power tools worldwide. If true – that still doesn’t say that they are the best – only that they sell more. From a company that essentially started many years ago with one product (their Radial Arm Saw) they certainly have a presence in the US market today as Stanley-Black and Decker’s flagship brand targeted at professional users. I guess that was based on marketing gurus at B&D – and probably makes sense – since over the years they had focused the B&D brand (once an innovator in professional tools) on lots of homeowner-quality stuff. Then when they acquired Porter Cable (then a premier innovator/maker that seemed to target woodworking trades), I guess they decided that the Dewalt brand had broader name recognition. As you say – with the cordless revolution – Dewalt seems to have lost some ground – and my own experience for a business and personally our cordless tools are a mix of Teal (Makita) and Red (Milwaukee) not Yellow (Dewalt)
4free
BTW, Ryobi owns Milwaukee now . . .
Jon
Actually TTI owns both. Swing and a miss. 😉
Stuart
Technically, TTI doesn’t own Ryobi, they own the Ryobi power tools and accessories division in the USA, North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Foul ball.
https://toolguyd.com/tool-brands-corporate-affiliations/
Jon
I actually already acknowledged that distinction elsewhere in this discussion. Within the context of this discussion of power tools there’s no question to what I was referring.
Bad call, Ref. 😉
Stuart
You mean umpire? =P
Sorry, I must have missed the other comment.
Jon
You caught that, did you? I’ve never had the attention span to follow sports. 🙂
chad
That is a genius idea. I have two Chamberlin 1-1/4 hp with wifi. I mounted a cordreel next to them. I installed an 18 air king fan between the two doors. I also ran wire for two speakers near the ceiling on opposite ends of the garage. I would have been happy to purchase two of these with those accessories already on them.
Jerry
Seems very innovative for the homeowner who does some DIY work in their garage. If you have ever used a sander or even jig saw with a drop cord vs. regular extension cord, you will know about the advantages of a cord from above where it won’t continually catch the edge of the door or panel you arem working on. I understand the 10 amp rating, most residential lighting circuits are rated 15 amps, and this would allow for the light & fan to be on without maxing it out. Most new construction puts 20A circuits for running garage door opener, many older garages do not. An average 1/2 HP motor will have roughly a 10A spik!e at startup, keeping with that idea. The carbon monoxide sensor might not be an all badx idea, I know people who run a power washer or even a generator inside the doorway of their garage (not a good practice, but they do). A little chirp on their phone would remind them to pull it clear outside.
The more I think about it, the more I think this has the potential to be useful for a weekend DIYer wbo does odd projects in their garage. This could provide lighting, a fan, a power cord, and even background music in one unit, and still keep the wall sockets fee for running high drain tools like a circular saw or router. Also, kudos to who ever put the motion detector on the light. For us (and I am sure others) the opener was wired into the existing junction box for the original light, replacing it. The light on the opener is now the main light in the garage (small single car-i have am separate shop). Run ing a trash bag at night either means finding the cans in the dark or fumbling for the little button on the wall that turns the light on and hoping I hit the one for the light only and not the one that opens the door. Honestly, my only gripe so far is the made up power rating on the opener.
Tim
I love this concept. This would be perfect for my newly constructed small workshop (12 x 16) great space saving option. Radio, fan and drop cord are all items I need in there now.
Give me some kind of motion sensor/ alarm system with mobile monitoring and I will absolutely pay the $$
Paul
If you go to the homedepot link and download the manual, it lists a motion sensor and security camera on page 42 as accessories.
Kent
Does the power go out in your neighborhood often enough to matter? This just seems like a solution in search of a problem.
My opener has a handle that I can use if needed, on the very off chance the power is out when I get home from work.
dduff617
My garage door opener happens to have broken yesterday. I have settled on Ryobi One+ tools for mostly small/medium home improvement-type projects and own multiple tools, batteries, and multi-port charger.
Stumbled across this. Was considering pulling the trigger, but I have a few things making me hesitate:
1. not in-stock yet. soonest i can get it is in roughly two weeks.
2. there’s reference to Wi-Fi capability, but no documentation on what that means.
3. there’s reference to an App (docs refer to it being available at the App Store), but I can’t find it anywhere.
4. I already have a home automation system and don’t really need yet another stand-alone product and app. I need “basic” control (contact closure). If there were an open API or something for accessing it over WiFi, that would be great, though unlikely.
4free
The app isn’t there yet because the app is not finished yet. I was told by Ryobi CS that they were fixing some issues with the app and CO monitoring and that it would be out the end of May. Yes, not documentation on WiFi in the manual at all. Would be nice to know if it used a common standard or not. Or if there will be desktop access/app as well.
Larson
My first thought: this is an April fools (then saw disclaimer)
My second thought: okay pretty cool. For me it all depends on the app if I can open the door if I get locked out, need to let a neighbor in, etc. The modular thing seems a bit gimmicky side but could see myself using the extension cord reel, so maybe not. +1 to whoever mentioned a small compressor on it.
It seems like I saw a garage system like this at Home Depot a few years back minus the garage door opener had a compressor, light, power cord, I believe on close out didn’t give it much of a look.
Stuart
The wireless keypad should help with lock outs. The app is presumably for checking status or operating the door from afar.
dduff617
“the modular thing” larson refers to was probably Chamberlain’s GPS1000.
4free
Some more information I got out of Ryobi Customer Service:
– They demoed the unit for CS folks on 4/1 and they were very impressed with the quality and functionality – super quiet!
– The CO monitor and the smartphone app won’t be available until end of May BECAUSE they have integrated the CO alarm into the app!!! (and the app wasn’t ready yet). The app will notify you that the carbon monoxide levels are higher and allow you to open the door to air out the garage. I could see them further refining the options to allow you to set the garage door to automatically open a set amount without intervention.
– There is an item listed in the manual that isn’t on Ryobi’s site: GDM610 Security Camera. This would be the first INTEGRATED garage cam for an opener!!!
I have one on order. 😀
Jon
Great idea. If you could set it to vent, but only open enough to vent without granting unwanted access, that would be great. It’s the sort of thing people could probably hack even if they don’t publish an API. I doubt they’ve included terribly much security (encryption, authentication protocols), but that’s just a guess until someone more talented there than me gets their hands on it.
4free
I just installed it! Here are some pics of the unit, the app and some observations:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5674330&posted=1#post5674330
Jon
You have to register to see the pics. I hate that. And site administrators should hate it as well, because it means lots of unnecessary accounts cluttering up their database and skewing their stats.
Stuart
8 years and 10,000+ forum posts ago, wanting to see tool and garage organization pics prompted me to sign up for the GJ forum.
Jon
I’ve seen many things on there that I like. And I certainly have a garage/shop that would benefit from the information there and I could probably even show off a few things myself. But there’s only so much time for so many sites.
4free
Yes, I hate that too, but most forums are set up that way . . . 🙁
4free
I would have posted them here, but I can’t do that at all.
Stuart
https://discuss.toolguyd.com/ *wink*
Bill
I was told by Milwaukee rep today that tire inflator is already in works. Should be out this summer.
George
I can’t get WiFi to work. Called Ryobi, my Router provider (Cable company), and phone provider. Nobody knows why.
BJ
Thought I’d contribute to the conversation. I recently bought a 10 year old house and replaced the two existing garage door openers for the Ryobi’s. As garage door openers go, I couldn’t be more pleased. They’re exceptionally quiet, the modular accessories are fantastic, and the wifi accessibility with the App functions really well. There are a lot of cool features that have been carefully though out, such as not just integrating LEDs, but including motion activated light sensors. I don’t even bother turning on the garage lights anymore for quick trips out to the garage. The Ryobi’s have it covered.
Only downside I have found is when closing the garage door. The opener is programmed to rapidly flash its lights and play a warning alarm (thinking backing up truck).
One last note, I did hire a garage door company (recommended by HD) to install these, and the installer was REALLY skeptical at first. Almost didn’t want to do them. When he finished he kept telling me how impressed he was by them, particularly the construction of the box which is mostly metal. Time will tell how they hold up and the extent to which Ryobi will support them, but very cool units at least for now.
4free
Does yours beep all the time when closing? I though mine beeps when using the app to close – they is also a slight delay before closing when using the app.
Not knowing what other manufacturers do, my only issue with it is that if the sensors are blocked, there is NO indication from the opener or app that they are – when pressing the button in the garage, it just does nothing something, like a leaf, is in the way.
BJ
Mine beeps and flashes every time it closes regardless of the source (i.e app, remote, panel, etc.)
I also don’t get any warnings if something is tripping the sensors other than the sensor lights are red.
BigDan
I just installed one as well and posted my findings over in the forum. Having the same experiences as you guys but overall a great machine.
https://discuss.toolguyd.com/t/updated-anyone-tried-the-new-ryobi-garage-door-opener-i-have/340/13
4free
yes, you are right – it does beep every time when closing. (I guess I don’t notice it that much since my door itself is fairly noisy).
carl albanese
Does the 2hp rating on the vryobi opener mean that it closes at a faster rate than lets say a 1/4 7 1/2 hp openers . reason being my 1/2 hp sears closed at a faster rate than my 1/4 hp model. so is 2 hp faster than 1/2 our sears we inherited at 1/4 hp closes very slower than my 1/2 hp want to buy ryobi only if its faster
4free
HP/motor size makes no difference on speed. That has to do with gearing/motor speed. More HP will let you lift a heavier door.
That said, I had a 35 year old Stanley chain-drive opener that I replaced. The nylon chain sprocket lost a tooth on the far end of the opener. The opener was a “Professional Series” and has a 1/3 HP motor that still works fine.
Also, I didn’t time it, but it seemed that the old opener lifted and closed the door FASTER than the Ryobi. The difference to me seems to by a slight delay when first activating the door in either direction. Not a long delay, but noticeable.
Mike
Guys, we all have our own expectations. You pay for what you want. It’s not a Sherman tank but if that is what you need to get the job done then buy one. I installed a ryobi door opener two years ago and modules along with several power tools, including a 40 v. Lawn mower. Great mower for my tiny house yard, 15 minutes and I’m done. All of the items have performed to my expectations. I own over twenty of their 18 v. items. So for me Ryobi has come out with a reliable line of HOMEOWNERS TOOLS FOR ME. Good job keep trucking for people like me.
Andrew Bannister
How many different attachment spots are there on this garage door opener?
Stuart
I believe 7.