DORMA 8956 Series Surface Clos...
IN STOCK (leaves warehouse same day if ordered before 3pm ET)
$748.00
$393.04
Dormakaba DORMA 8956 Series Surface Closer, DS-Door Saver Parallel Cushion Arm, Adjustable Size 5-6 DOR-8956-DS

DORMA 8956 Series Surface Closer, DS-Door Saver Parallel Cushion Arm, Adjustable Size 5-6

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Model: 8956-DS-FC-SN1-689
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$393.04
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DORMA 8900 Series door closer

Heavy-Duty Surface Applied Door Closer

The 8900 door closer series designed to provide a highly flexible door control system suitable for institutional or high-traffic commercial applications. Its hydraulic control system features a full range spring power adjustment and backcheck, along with a narrow projection full cover and flatform style arm.

Door closer ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 certified.

  • Long term performance
  • Adjustable spring sizes and power
  • Meets barrier-free requirements
  • Adjustable backcheck
  • Backed by 25 year warranty

Product details

Features

Controlled opening with backcheck feature

The 8900 Series hydraulic backcheck feature protects doors and their adjacent structures. It’s valve adjustment regulates backcheck intensity. In addition, a backcheck positioning adjustment for parallel arm applications provides a consistent range similar to regular and top jamb applications.

Long term performance

The 8900 Series heavy-duty, 10 million cycle closers represent the latest in door control technology, combining over a quarter century of proven performance with its hydraulic control system and modern architecturally styled aesthetics. It results in the perfect combination of durability, reliability, and appearance.

Barrier-free

The 8900 Series, with the fully adjustable spring, also meets barrier-free accessibility requirements.

Product downloads

Architectural documentsInstruction sheetsTechnical BrochureTechnical drawings CAD PDF

Manufacturer Resources

Product Specs

Product Group:
Door Controls
Series:
8900 Series
Grade:
Grade 1
Duty Level:
Heavy Duty
ADA Compliant:
Yes
Warranty:
25 Year
Closer Size:
5 to 6
Product Subgroup:
Door Closers - Surface Mounted
Product Type:
Surface Mounted Door Closers
Subcategory:
Surface Mounted Closers
Door Weight:
180
Endurance Cycles:
10,000,000
Fasteners:
Sex Nuts for 1-3/4" Door
Commercial/Residential:
Commercial
Product Model:
8956
Product Function:
DS-Door Saver Parallel Cushion Arm
Door Hand Direction:
Non-Handed
Product Size:
48"
Product Category:
Door Controls
Product Substrate:
Aluminum
Department:
Door Hardware

Dormakaba 8956-DS-FC-SN1-689 – Frequently Asked Questions

1) What does the DS door saver arm on the DORMA 8956 actually do, and do I still need a floor stop?
DS is the Door Saver parallel cushion arm. It builds a cushioned stop into the arm itself, so the arm absorbs the door at the end of its swing instead of letting it slam into a wall or an overhead stop. Paired with the 8900 Series adjustable backcheck, which slows the door before it gets there, it protects the door and the adjacent wall. It mounts parallel arm, on the push side of the opening. If your opening already has a floor or wall stop you can keep it, but the cushion arm is what lets you skip one where a stop is not practical.
2) Is the DORMA 8956 handed, or does one closer work on left and right doors?
Non-handed. One 8956 works on either a left or right hand opening, so a property manager standardizing across a building can stock a single part instead of two. Note that it is a parallel arm closer, which means it goes on the push side of the door.
3) Does the DORMA 8956 closer come with mounting fasteners, and what door thickness are they for?
Sex nuts sized for a 1-3/4 inch door ship with the closer. That is the standard commercial door thickness, so on a typical hollow metal or solid core commercial leaf you have the through-bolt hardware in the box. Sex bolts are the right fix on a wood or composite door where machine screws into the leaf would strip out under a size 5-6 spring.
4) Does the DORMA 8956 meet ADA opening force requirements?
Yes, the 8956 is ADA compliant and the 8900 Series is built to meet barrier-free accessibility requirements through its fully adjustable spring. Because spring power is adjustable across sizes 5 and 6, you can dial the opening force down on an interior accessible route and still have the reserve power for a heavy leaf. Institutional buyers specifying to accessibility requirements can use it on both.
5) What is a heavy-duty Grade 1 alternative to the DORMA 8956 door closer?
The DORMA 8956 is a Grade 1, heavy duty surface closer rated for 10,000,000 cycles. Two peers carry the same Grade 1 plus heavy duty pairing in a surface-mounted closer: the BEST HD8000 Series and the BEST EHD9000 Series, the latter offering adjustable spring sizes 1-6. The Sargent 1431 Powerglide and the Falcon SC71A Series are also Grade 1 heavy duty surface closers. Any of the four covers the same duty class of opening; the 8956 differs in that its DS Door Saver parallel cushion arm builds the stop into the arm itself.
6) What door closer should I use instead of the DORMA 8956 on a light-traffic interior door?
The DORMA 8956 is built heavy duty for institutional and high-traffic commercial openings, with size 5 to 6 spring power for doors around 180 pounds. On a light-traffic interior opening that power range is more closer than the door needs. Light duty Grade 1 surface closers in the same family include the BEST SL6000 Series with adjustable spring sizes, the Arrow DC314 from the DC300 Series, and the Norton Rixson 160 Series. The LCN 1250 Series is a light duty surface closer covering sizes 1-5 with all-weather fluid and ADA compliance.
7) I need a hold-open door closer, not a cushion stop arm. What are my options?
The DORMA 8956 is furnished with the DS Door Saver parallel cushion arm, which cushions the door at the end of the swing rather than holding it open. For an opening that has to stay open, the Accentra 51 Series is a hold open closer with tri-packed mounting covering sizes 1-6, and the Orca Hardware BHDC1958 hold open model comes with a parallel bracket for doors 1-3/4 inch thick. The Stanley Security A45-501HL is a long hold open arm in a top jamb configuration.
8) Does a tri-pack closer do the same job as the DORMA 8956 Door Saver arm?
Not the same job. A tri-pack closer such as the Arrow DCN325, which covers adjustable spring size 1 to 6 with a regular or parallel arm, ships with the brackets to mount three ways but the arm is a plain closer arm. The DORMA 8956 is supplied with the DS Door Saver parallel cushion arm, which is a parallel arm that cushions the door at the end of its swing in place of a separate overhead stop. Choose a tri-pack such as the Arrow DCN325 or the Norton Rixson 8501A when mounting position is still open; choose the 8956 arm when the opening needs stop control built into the closer.
9) Is the DORMA 8900 Series closer Grade 1?
ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 certified, and tested to 10,000,000 cycles. For a facility spec that calls for Grade 1 surface closers on entry and corridor doors, the 8956 meets it. If your spec sheet also calls out a cushion stop arm, the DS function is that arm.
10) Should I use a parallel arm cushion closer or a regular arm closer?
It comes down to which side of the door you can mount on and whether you need a built-in stop. A parallel arm closer like the 8956 mounts on the push side with the arm tucked against the door face, which is what you want where the pull side is exposed to weather or vandalism, or where the arm would be in the way. The DS cushion arm adds a stop at the end of the swing. A regular arm closer mounts on the pull side and does not include a stop, so you need a separate floor or wall stop. If a regular arm is what your opening calls for, the Corbin Russwin DC3200 is a Grade 1 regular arm surface closer, and the Corbin Russwin DC6200 Series is a double lever regular arm, pull side mounted.
11) What other heavy duty Grade 1 surface closers could I use instead of the DORMA 8956?
Several heavy duty Grade 1 surface closers cover the same duty class. The BEST HD8000 Series and the BEST EHD9000 Series are both heavy duty Grade 1, with EHD9000 offering adjustable spring sizes 1-6. The Falcon SC71A Series is a heavy duty Grade 1 surface closer. Sargent's 1431 Powerglide is heavy duty Grade 1 with adjustable spring power, and the Sargent 281 Powerglide is a cast iron heavy duty body. None of those is specified with the Door Saver cushion arm, so if the built-in cushioned stop is what you are buying the 8956 for, that is the difference.
12) Can I mount the DORMA 8956 as a top jamb or regular arm closer, or is it parallel arm only?
The 8956 is built around the DS Door Saver parallel cushion arm, so it is a parallel arm application. If your opening needs tri-mount flexibility, where one closer covers regular, parallel, and top jamb, the Dexter DCH1000 Series and the Norton Rixson 8501A are Grade 1 tri-mount closers, and the 8501A carries adjustable spring size 1-6.
13) Can I adjust how fast the door slows down before it hits the stop on the DORMA 8900 closer?
Yes. The 8900 Series has a valve adjustment that regulates backcheck intensity, so you can tune how hard the closer resists near the end of the opening swing. For parallel arm applications like the DS arm, there is also a backcheck positioning adjustment that gives a consistent backcheck range comparable to what you get in regular and top jamb mounts. On a windy exterior opening that is the adjustment you use to stop the door being thrown open.
14) Which surface closers besides the DORMA 8956 meet ADA barrier-free requirements?
The DORMA 8956 is ADA compliant and its fully adjustable spring meets barrier-free requirements. Among the peer closers, the Cal-Royal 500S is a Grade 1 barrier free closer with adjustable back-check, and the Cal-Royal N900PBF from the 900 Door Closer Series is a barrier free Grade 1 hydraulic surface closer. The Calibre CA9901 is a Grade 1 ADA surface mount closer with a tri-pack arm covering size 2-5, and the Imperial USA TC4300 Series is a Grade 1 heavy duty size 1-6 ADA closer.
15) What is the difference between the DORMA 8956 and a Grade 2 door closer like the Cal-Royal 400?
The Cal-Royal 400 Series is a Grade 2 commercial hydraulic door closer. The DORMA 8956 is certified ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 and rated heavy duty at 10,000,000 cycles. If a specification or a facility standard calls out Grade 1, the 400 Series does not satisfy it. Grade 1 peers in the same surface-mounted class include the Corbin Russwin DC8200 Series and the Sargent 281 Powerglide cast iron closer.
16) What should I use instead of the DORMA 8956 when the door cannot take a projecting arm?
The DORMA 8956 uses a parallel-mounted DS Door Saver cushion arm, which projects from the door face. Where a low-projection arm is wanted, the Corbin Russwin DC5230 Series is a Grade 1 surface closer with a slide track arm as standard, pull side mounting, for 1-3/4 inch doors. The Corbin Russwin DC6200 Series is a Grade 1 surface closer with a double lever regular arm on the pull side for the same 1-3/4 inch door thickness, keeping the arm off the push face entirely.
17) I need a delayed action closer rather than the DORMA 8956. What covers that?
The DORMA 8956 is furnished with the DS Door Saver parallel cushion arm and adjustable backcheck, which slows the door at the end of the opening swing but does not delay its close. For a delayed close, the Orca Hardware BHDC1958 delayed action model has a regular arm with parallel bracket for 1-3/4 inch doors, and the Orca BHDC2011 delayed action model is the same arrangement in that series.
18) Is the Sargent 1131 or Norton 1601P an equivalent to the DORMA 8956?
Both are Grade 1 surface closers, but they sit a duty class below. The Sargent 1131 is a Grade 1 medium duty closer for medium-traffic commercial applications, and the Norton Rixson 1601P from the 1600 Series is a Grade 1 medium duty tri-mount closer with 180 degree swing. The DORMA 8956 is heavy duty at 10,000,000 cycles with size 5 to 6 spring power. For a like-for-like heavy duty swap, the Sargent 1431 Powerglide or the BEST HD8000 Series match on both Grade 1 and heavy duty.
19) What finishes does the DORMA 8956 surface closer come in?
Two: 689 aluminum and 695 dark bronze. The cover is a narrow projection full cover, so on a storefront or interior corridor door it sits close to the frame rather than standing off it. Match 689 to clear anodized aluminum frames and 695 to dark bronze storefront.
20) What is the DORMA 8956 closer body made of?
Aluminum, with a narrow projection full cover over it. The two finishes, 689 aluminum and 695 dark bronze, are painted finishes on that body. If your spec specifically calls for a cast iron closer body, the Sargent 281 Powerglide is cast iron and the LCN 1261 is cast iron construction.
21) Is the DORMA 8956 suitable for residential use?
It is a commercial closer. Rated heavy duty for institutional and high-traffic commercial openings, with size 5-6 spring power for doors up to 180 pounds. On a residential entry door the spring power is more than the leaf needs. Deltana's DC10, DC40, DC50 and DC70 closers are the lighter residential-scale options.
22) Is a drop plate like the Arrow DCN500DP a substitute for the DORMA 8956?
No. The Arrow DCN500DP is a parallel drop plate for the DCN500, a mounting accessory that adapts a closer to the frame, not a closer itself. The DORMA 8956 is a complete surface-mounted door closer with a DS Door Saver parallel cushion arm and sex nuts for a 1-3/4 inch door. Similarly, the Stanley Security 327 and 341 are wardrobe pivots and the Stanley 57-0100 is a box of steel machine screws for architectural hinges, none of which control a door's closing.
23) Which heavy-duty closers can I standardize on across a facility alongside the DORMA 8956?
The DORMA 8956 is a non-handed, Grade 1 heavy duty commercial closer, so one model covers both hands of an opening. For a facility standard on other openings in the same duty class, the Design Hardware 116 Series and 416 Series are heavy duty closers with a tri-packed non-hold open arm, and the Design Hardware 316 Series is rated medium to heavy duty with the same arm type. The LCN 1460T Series is a heavy duty Grade 1 commercial surface closer in a powder coat finish.
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Does the Dormakaba 8956-DS-FC-SN1-689 come with a warranty?
Absolutely. The Dormakaba 8956-DS-FC-SN1-689 is backed by a manufacturer’s warranty. For full warranty terms, check the product documentation or Contact Us.
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