Commercial door operator selector
Which operator does a commercial door need? Enter the door type, lift, and how hard it runs, and get the operator type (trolley, jackshaft, or hoist) and the duty class to spec.
Trolley vs. jackshaft vs. hoist
- Trolley (ceiling-mount): pulls a standard-lift sectional along a rail. Lowest cost, lower cycles, needs ceiling room.
- Wall-mount jackshaft: mounts at the torsion shaft. The commercial default: required for high-lift, vertical lift, and rolling doors, and it frees the ceiling.
- Gearhead / hoist: heavy-duty wall unit with a chain-hoist backup for large, heavy rolling steel and full-vertical doors.
Duty classes: match the operator to how hard the door runs
| Duty class | Rated for |
|---|---|
| Light duty | ~50,000 cycles · up to ~12/hr |
| Medium duty | ~100,000 cycles · up to ~25/hr |
| Heavy / standard-plus duty | ~250,000 cycles · up to ~40/hr (Logic 4.0-class) |
| Industrial / continuous duty | 500,000+ cycles · unlimited cycles/hr (Logic 5.0-class) |
Under-spec the duty class and the motor overheats and fails early; a busy loading-dock or drive-through bay wants heavy or industrial duty even if the door is small.
Don't forget UL 325
Commercial operators must provide UL 325 monitored entrapment protection: a reversing edge and/or photo-eyes matched to the control type (momentary vs constant-pressure). Spec the sensing devices with the operator, not as an afterthought.
Want the full walkthrough, not just the tool? Read the field guide: Trolley, jackshaft, or hoist: how to spec a commercial door operator
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between trolley, jackshaft, and hoist operators?
A trolley operator mounts on the ceiling and pulls the door along a rail (standard-lift sectional, lower cycles). A jackshaft mounts on the wall at the torsion shaft (high-lift, vertical lift, and rolling doors; frees the ceiling). A gearhead/hoist operator is a heavy-duty wall unit with a chain-hoist backup for large, heavy rolling and vertical-lift doors.
What is operator duty cycle?
Duty cycle is how many times per hour and over its life an operator is built to run. Light duty suits a few dozen cycles a day; industrial/continuous duty (e.g. a busy dock or parking gate) needs an operator rated for unlimited cycles per hour and 500,000+ cycles, or it burns out early.
What operator do I need for a rolling steel door?
Rolling steel and grille doors use a wall-mount jackshaft operator as the default; large or heavy rolling doors step up to a gearhead or chain-hoist operator with a floor-level manual disconnect.
Do commercial operators need 3-phase power?
Many heavy and industrial operators are 3-phase (208/230/460 V), while light and medium units run on single-phase (115/230 V). Confirm the available power at the opening before ordering.
Audrey does this in the truck, hands-free.
This calculator runs the exact logic built into Ask Audrey, where your techs just ask out loud and get the answer cited to your own manuals (plus spring cycle life and high-lift sizing). Every tech, a senior tech.