When it comes to many products and store brands there is always a question of who makes them, as a lot can be presumed about the quality of such products based on such answers. One such question can be asked about the garage door opener brands, is Chamberlain same as Craftsman?
In short, it depends on the model of the garage door opener. The Craftsman models whose names start with 139 are made by Chamberlain Group, but models named starting with 200 are manufactured by Guardian.
But, who are these companies, why you should care about them, and are the parts of these openers interchangeable? Let’s dig deeper.
Is Chamberlain same as Craftsman?
As I’ve said above, some of the Craftsman garage door opener models were made by Chamberlain Group. These ones are very easy to recognize by their names because their model numbers start with 139. Products whose names start with 200 are produced by Guardian, after 2018 when this company took over the Craftsman brand supply.
The difference between Craftsman 139 models and Chamberlain products is mostly in the availability of various models. Craftsman models are available as screw and chain drive powered options. While Chamberlain also has jackshaft and wall-mounted models. Many models of these two companies have some interchangeable parts.
In 2018, the manufacturing of Craftsman was taken over by Guardian.
Who makes Craftsman garage door openers?
Craftsman garage door openers are currently produced by Guardian. And these models you can quickly recognize because their model numbers start with 200. The Sears Craftsman garage door openers were in the past produced by Chamberlain, but it has changed in 2018 when Guardian took over the manufacturing contract of Craftsman branded products.
Older models that were produced by Chamberlain are also easy to recognize by their model numbers. They start with 139. SO, you can be certain only based on this fact which of these two companies has produced your garage door opener. Which should be very helpful if looking for replacement parts.
Who is Guardian?
Guardian Access Corp. or just Guardian for short is a multinational company that is specialized in Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) of garage door openers and other equipment related to these products. Its presence in the North American markets started in 2011 as a parts manufacturer for other companies.
They are a global company, with locations in China, Mexico, and the USA, with the US headquarters located in Richardson, Texas. Since 2018 they are the manufacturer of the Craftsman brand of garage door openers.
Since they took over the brand, they have started a new line of model numbers, to avoid confusion with the models built by the previous manufacturer, Chamberlain.
Who is Chamberlain?
Chamberlain Group is a company owned by The Duchossois Group, since 1980 when they purchased the Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp. which is today the main division of the Chamberlain Group. Currently, Chamberlain Group has a presence, besides America, in Mexico, Canada, China, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Germany.
Besides Chamberlain Manufacturing Cop. and their Chamberlain brand, the group is made of the manufacturing divisions or brands:
- LiftMaster,
- Raynor,
- Merlin,
- Grifco.
Along with these brands, the group is the owner of the Controlled Products System Group, the largest distributor of perimeter access control products in America. The LiftMaster and Raynor brands are dedicated to serving professional installers and developers with garage door openers and related products.
Chamberlain products are geared toward the consumer space and are available around the world. Merlin and Grifco brands are marketed in Australasian markets, primarily in Australia and New Zealand. The former is a specialized brand of residential automatic garage doors, while the latter is a manufacturer of commercial doors and gates.
Who is Craftsman?
Craftsman brand is best known for its line of tools founded as a store brand by Sears in 1927. Products sold under the Craftsman brand were available in both the Sears catalog and department stores. And some in their sister chain Kmart. In 2017 the brand was bought by Stanley Black ; Decker Inc.
With the new owners of the brand, the manufacturing of many products was changed from Chamberlain to Guardian. Like all other Craftsman branded products, since the takeover of the brand by Stanley Black ; Decker Inc. garage door openers are available at Lowe’s, Amazon, and other retail chains across the US.
Craftsman is a brand that is primarily targeting DIY people and consumers, and often is sold at much more affordable prices than the competitors.
Are Chamberlain and Craftsman parts interchangeable?
Because the older Craftsman models, model numbers starting with 139, were produced by Chamberlain, they have many interchangeable parts with them. Some of the models are actually just rebranded Chamberlain models, so for all intents and purposes, all of their parts fit products no matter whether they are branded as Chamberlain or Craftsman.
The greatest level of interchangeability is of the parts besides the garage door opener operator, parts such as torsion springs, tracks, belts and chains, mounting hardware, and so on. But, if you are looking for a replacement part, you should be very careful to find parts that are intended for your particular garage door opener.
Are Guardian and Craftsman parts interchangeable?
For the majority of the models, there is a very low number of parts that are interchangeable between Guardian and Craftsman models. The reason is that Guardian is only serving as a manufacturer, and not a designer of Craftsman branded products.
Conclusion
Knowing who makes some products can tell you a lot about the quality of some brands, but it is also an important fact when looking for spare parts. So, you might be wondering is Chamberlain the same as Craftsman?
No, they are not really. While the Craftsman brand was owned by Sears, the garage door openers of this brand were manufactured by Chamberlain. These models can be recognized by their model number starting with 139.
But after Stanley Black ; Decker Inc. bought the Craftsman brand, the manufacturer of these products was changed, and now it is Guardian. Models produced by this company you can recognize because their model numbers start with 200.