Polycarb Doors - Ultimate vs. Airlift

[GoBuckeyes]

Hi Guys,
We're in the market for four doors and I've gotten quotes from Ultimate and for Airlift. Can anyone share their opinion on either company's door...what you like or don't like....Aluminum track, Plastic Track, Plastic Hinges, Operators etc. It would be great if someone has or had both to compare/contrast. I'm actually running an Airlift Polycarb that is about 15 years old. Its their door with a bunch of Ultimates hardware and kevlar belts so I guess I'm kind of already using both. These new doors will be air operated whereas my existing one is direct drive.

The reason I'm looking for opinions is because the Airlift quote is significantly more expensive than Ultimates. I have zero experience with the air operators but I've heard that Airlifts Magnaglide is the benchmark while the smaller cylinder and chain set up (Ultimate) is less reliable. Has anyone retrofitted a Magnaglide to an Ultimate Illuminator door?

Thanks

 

[boywonder]

Call American Garage Door. www.carwashdoors.com I think they have the best customer service in the business. I have had airlift before, but never again. Not really anything against the product, but it comes down to customer service. Anytime we have had an issue with American doors they have taken care of my issue, quickly. I will never buy another door from anybody except American. Over the last 20 years, ive bought over 20 doors of different sizes.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I've got a magna-glide cylinder that is bad. Rather than spend a couple grand on replacing it, I bought a retro-fit from ultimate at the ICA show that will work on any 1" shaft door. It's an electric gear motor, similar to what the curtain type doors use.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

I.B. What happened with the MagnaGlide?

Have you gotten the Ultimate Motor/Gearbox in yet? If so what do you think?

 

[I.B. Washincars]

It was blow-by. The tech from my distributor was conversing with them since this was the first one that they had had trouble with. He was told that if there was blow-by, it was not repairable since the cylinder is welded together. It failed right at the end of winter, so I thought that I might investigate getting it repaired this summer. When I was at the ICA show I saw and liked the Ultimate retro. My distributor was at the show so I had him come and look at it as well. He was impressed and said he would like them at his own washes. I told Ultimate to ship it directly to him so his techs could uncrate it and see what they would have to deal with, instead of just showing up at my wash cold. I don't know if it has arrived yet.

 

[washzone]

ultimate doors

In Nov of 2015 purchased 2 vinyl doors with openers from ultimate. By Feb of 2016 started having problems with opener, after spending 4 hours on phone with tech which included him having us rewire new wire from control box to opener, rewired wire on the control box, taking plate off the top of motor stripping those wires then with him then telling us to send motor in because it was moisture damage. Then by april or may of 2016 the other motor went bad. Ultimate Supplies wanted $2000.00 for just one opener said it was moisture damage and the plate on top of the motor had been opened up which the tech told us to do so, after months of arguing with them they covered it, only after calling calling not returning my phone calls and avoiding us. Then less than 6 mo later doesnt work again so it went in the trash. Talked with owners of car washes in Ia, and Kansas City who had same problems

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Washzone, I feel your pain. We also have four vinyl doors from Ultimate bought probably around the same time. We had all kinds of problems with the curtains, the tracks and eventually the motors. It was a lot of aggravation to get things right. We both bought too early in the products life cycle.

The electric opener/gearbox that they're using now is different than what we got. There is no way I would have considered putting in the original version anywhere.

 

[DavidM]

I have had better experiences with American and Airlift than Ultimate. We had both American and Ultimate polycarbonate doors but have been switching over to Airlift XRS rollup doors. We have rollup doors that are 12 years old with no maintenance.

David

 

[BBE]

I'd check out gallop's clearview doors. I have 4 airlift xrs doors, I would never buy another one, and just bought my second clearview from gallop.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

I'd check out gallop's clearview doors. I have 4 airlift xrs doors, I would never buy another one, and just bought my second clearview from gallop.

Out of curiosity what kind of problems did you have with the XRS? What is so different about the Gallop?

We have 5 Wyndstar doors that are 11 years old that have given us very few problems. One door had a circuit board issue and several of the curtains could stand to be replaced but otherwise pretty trouble free. We also have four Ultimate Vinyl doors which have had quite a few problems.

The whole reason I am looking at Polycarb doors is because the vinyl doors, probably regardless of manufacturer, have a tough time lowering when there is a stiff wind on them. Ice build up is a separate issue also. At our one location the predominant wind is into the automatic bay entrance. There isn't much wind break at this wash so when there is a 20-25mph wind it pins the curtain against the track causing it to not lower and bunch up. It has also blown the door completely out of the track. And anyone with vinyl doors knows that the 'reset' feature of putting the door back in the track automatically only works like it supposed to at the tradeshow. If the vinyl has any tears on it, the track is less than perfect or the curtain is stiff because it's 10 degrees out its not going to work smoothly. So I figured adding Polycatb doors to the entrance and moving the vinyl to the exit where there was no door will hopefully fix this problem.

 

[washnvac]

Resurrecting an old thread here---has anyone tried Goff's Doors? If yes, how do they price compared to the others?

The Ultimate Solution for Car Wash Doors - Goff's Wash Guard Doors

Eliminate costly maintenance and increase the profitability at your car wash. Goff's Wash Guard are built to fit your car wash door needs.

goffscurtainwalls.com