Well, as all good geekparents know, not every gadget lasts forever. Recently, my ATOMS Garage Door Opener decided that the Texas summer and some of its components were not compatible. Seems that the circuit board that picks up the signals from the remotes and the wifi, completely failed. Don’t get me wrong, the unit still works with the wired button that it comes with, but to make it work as purchased, requires removal and replacement – no easy fix. If you would like to read the review on the install and specs of that unit, check out my review here.
Since I have to replace, I picked up a new Mighty Mule Smart Garage Door Opener. One great addition to this opener is that it comes with a battery backup. This is extremely handy in south Texas, due to the problematic weather that can pop up, you know, like a hurricane. Another major upgrade is that this is a 1 1/2 horsepower motor, compared to the 1/2 horsepower ATOMS. They both can lift door sufficiently, but that extra bit of horsepower allows it to operate with ease.
As I have stated in other reviews, installing a garage door opener is something that any somewhat handy person can probably handle on their own; without the need for a professional installer. It is even easier if you are replacing an existing unit! All the really hard work is done. As I have noticed with this install, all of the mounted pieces like the door connection, the header mount and the door opener bracket from the ceiling, all can be reused without replacing. I am not going to go too deep into the install feature, because it is pretty straight forward.
Now for the part of the review where I tell you about the awesome features of the Mighty Mule Smart GDO.
- Quiet – This thing is super quiet. If it wasn’t for the squeakiness of my garage door, you would be pressed to hear it working. I am told a bit a white grease will fix the actual door wheels, so I will let you know how that goes.
- Bright – The Mighty Mule has 3 LED lights compared to the one that I have been used to, so now I barely need any other lights in my garage. Also, they are dimmable – I guess in case you want to set the mood.
- Sturdy – It is very well made. The hardware is very heavy duty and does not feel like it was cheaply made. I guess since Mighty Mule as a company started with making gate openers, they have adapted those construction principles to their garage openers.
- The App – The Mighty Mule app is pretty cool. After creating another login, you gain all of the features that you would expect from a “smart” garage door opener. It alerts the user to the current state of the door (opened or closed) and allows for the operation of it from anywhere. It also allows for operation of the lights and allows for the inviting of others to operate. The invitation can be used as a temporary opener also, like if you need to give access while you were on vacation or such.
- Voice Controls – It natively works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Unlike most doors that have previously need controls set through ITTT or a secondary app, the Mighty Mule works right out of the box. It is great to say, “Alexa, close the garage.”
If you would like to read more about the Mighty Mule Smart Garage Door Opener, check them out here. They also have a great Amazon store also.
