DORMA 8956 Series Surface Clos...
IN STOCK (leaves warehouse same day if ordered before 3pm ET)
$812.00
$425.47
Dormakaba DORMA 8956 Series Surface Closer, DST-Door Saver Parallel Cushion Arm Thumb Turn Hold Open, Adjustable Size 5-6 DOR-8956-DST

DORMA 8956 Series Surface Closer, DST-Door Saver Parallel Cushion Arm Thumb Turn Hold Open, Adjustable Size 5-6

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Model: 8956-DST-FC-SN1-689
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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:
DST-Door Saver Parallel Cushion Arm Thumb Turn Hold Open
Door Hand Direction:
Non-Handed
Product Size:
48"
Product Category:
Door Controls
Product Substrate:
Aluminum
Department:
Door Hardware

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

1) Will the DORMA 8956 DST closer handle a heavy exterior door, and how big a door can it take?
The 8956 is a heavy duty closer with adjustable spring sizes 5 to 6, rated for doors up to 180 lbs and a 48 inch door width. That puts it in the range for wide, heavy exterior and stairwell doors rather than light interior openings. If your doors are lighter interior leaves, a smaller spring range closer is the better match, since a size 5-6 body will feel stiff on a light door.
2) What does the DST arm on the DORMA 8956 actually do?
DST is a Door Saver parallel cushion arm with thumb turn hold open. The cushion arm gives you a built in stop at the parallel arm shoe, so the arm absorbs the force of an over-swung door instead of the door slamming into a wall or a floor stop. The thumb turn lets a user hold the door open at the stop position by hand and release it the same way, no separate overhead stop or wall bumper needed. It is a parallel arm application, mounted on the push side of the door with the arm running back along the face.
3) Do I need to order a left hand or right hand DORMA 8956 closer?
No. The 8956 is non-handed, so one unit covers both left and right hand doors. That is useful when you are buying a batch for a building and do not want to track handing per opening.
4) What mounting fasteners come with the DORMA 8956, and will they work on my doors?
It ships with sex nuts sized for a 1-3/4 inch door, which is the standard commercial door thickness. Sex nuts bolt through the door so the closer is not relying on wood or hollow metal screw threads, which is what you want on a high-traffic opening. On a door that is not 1-3/4 inches, the through-bolts will not be the right length.
5) Does the DORMA 8956 meet ADA opening force requirements?
Yes. The 8956 is ADA compliant and the fully adjustable spring lets you dial opening force down to meet barrier-free accessibility requirements. It is also ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 certified, which is what most institutional and government specs call for.
6) What is the closest heavy-duty Grade 1 alternative to the DORMA 8956 surface closer?
For a heavy-duty Grade 1 surface closer in the same class as the DORMA 8956, the BEST EHD9000 Series is an extra heavy-duty surface mounted closer with adjustable spring sizes 1-6 and Grade 1 certification, and the BEST HD8000 Series is a heavy duty surface mounted closer with Grade 1 certification. The Sargent 1431 Powerglide and the Falcon SC71A are also heavy duty Grade 1 surface closers. The 8956 itself is heavy duty Grade 1 with an adjustable size 5 to 6 spring, so if you need power at the top of the range on a wide or heavy door, confirm the substitute's spring range covers size 6.
7) I need a hold-open closer but not the cushion stop arm - what else works?
The DORMA 8956 DST uses a door saver parallel cushion arm with a thumb turn hold open, which combines the hold open and a cushioned stop in the arm itself. If you want hold open without the cushion stop arm, the Accentra 51 Series offers a tri-packed hold open arm with adjustable sizes 1-6, and the Orca Hardware BHDC1958 HO/PA is a hold open door closer supplied with a parallel bracket for 1-3/4 inch doors. Neither provides the arm-integrated cushion stop, so on an opening with no wall stop you would still need a separate overhead or floor stop.
8) Will a tri-pack closer substitute for the DORMA 8956 DST on a parallel arm opening?
Only partly. Tri-pack closers such as the Accentra 2701 Series, the Arrow DCN325 with adjustable spring size 1-6, and the Design Hardware 416 Series ship with regular, parallel and top jamb mounting so they will physically mount parallel arm. What they do not carry is the 8956's door saver cushion arm with thumb turn hold open, which stops and holds the door from the arm. If the DST was specified because the opening has no wall or floor stop, a standard tri-pack arm is not an equivalent.
9) How many cycles is the DORMA 8900 Series closer rated for?
10,000,000 cycles. For a property manager or facilities buyer that is the number that matters on a door cycled hundreds of times a day, a school entrance, a hospital corridor, a multi-family lobby. It is rated commercial use, not residential.
10) Why choose a cushion stop arm closer instead of a regular arm closer plus a separate overhead stop?
The cushion arm puts the stop in the closer arm itself, so you are buying and installing one piece of hardware instead of a closer plus an overhead stop or wall bumper. It also protects the door and the adjacent wall, which is the point of the Door Saver design. A regular arm closer, like the Corbin Russwin DC3200 or the Norton Rixson 1601P tri-mount, still needs a separate stop if the opening needs one. Where you do want a stop built in but a lighter spring range, look at a size 1-6 adjustable such as the BEST EHD9000 or the Sargent 1431.
11) What are the heavy duty Grade 1 alternatives to the DORMA 8900 Series closer?
Several, all heavy duty and Grade 1: the BEST EHD9000 and HD8000, the Sargent 1431 Powerglide and the cast iron Sargent 281, the Falcon SC71A, and the LCN 1460T. The Norton Rixson 1600 in the 1600BC series is also heavy duty Grade 1 and is the aluminum storefront option. What none of those are is a factory cushion stop arm with thumb turn hold open, so if the stop and manual hold open are what you need, specify that function on whichever body you pick.
12) Is backcheck adjustable on the DORMA 8956, and does it work in a parallel arm application?
Yes to both. The 8900 Series has a valve adjustment that regulates backcheck intensity, and there is a separate backcheck positioning adjustment specifically for parallel arm mounting so the backcheck kicks in over a range comparable to regular and top jamb applications. On a windy exterior opening that is the adjustment that keeps the door from being thrown open past the arm.
13) I want hold open on a door closer but not a thumb turn. What else is there?
The 8956 DST uses a manual thumb turn on the cushion arm to set and release hold open. If you would rather have a conventional friction hold open arm, the Accentra 51 Series and the Orca Hardware BHDC1958 HO/PA both come as tri-packed hold open arms. If you want delayed action instead of hold open, so the door pauses and then closes on its own, the Orca BHDC1958 DA/PA and BHDC2011 DA/PA are delayed action. Hold open is often restricted on fire rated openings, so confirm the opening allows it before you spec any hold open arm.
14) Can I standardize a whole building on the DORMA 8900 Series if the doors vary in size?
Partly. The series uses a full range adjustable spring, so one body covers a spread of door sizes, but this particular 8956 is the size 5 to 6 build for doors up to 180 lbs and 48 inches. Lighter interior doors need a lower spring range from the same series. For a mixed building, spec the 8900 body across the board and vary the spring size and arm function by opening, which keeps the cover profile and appearance consistent, a narrow projection full cover with a flatform style arm on every door.
15) Is there a heavy-duty Grade 1 closer built for aluminum storefront instead of the DORMA 8956?
The Norton Rixson 1600BC Series is a heavy duty Grade 1 aluminum storefront door closer with tri-style mounting, which is the configuration glass front installers generally look for. The DORMA 8956 has an aluminum body and is non-handed with sex nuts supplied for a 1-3/4 inch door, so it is set up for a wood or hollow metal leaf; on narrow-stile aluminum you would need to verify top rail and stile dimensions before committing to either.
16) What looks like a substitute for the DORMA 8956 but is not a closer at all?
Several Stanley Security items sit next to surface closers in search results but do a different job. The Stanley Security 327 is a heavy wardrobe pivot for 1-3/8 inch or 1-3/4 inch doors up to 150 lbs, the 341 is a wardrobe pivot for flush recessed or overlay doors, and the Arrow DCN500DP is a parallel drop plate for the DCN500 rather than a closer body. The DORMA 8956 is a complete surface mounted closer rated to 10,000,000 cycles, so none of those replace it.
17) Which alternatives to the DORMA 8956 also meet ADA and barrier-free requirements?
The DORMA 8956 is ADA compliant and meets barrier-free requirements through its fully adjustable spring. Comparable barrier-free options include the Cal-Royal 500S, a Grade 1 barrier free closer with adjustable back-check, the Cal-Royal N900PBF barrier free Grade 1 hydraulic closer, the Imperial USA TC4300 Series heavy duty size 1-6 ADA closer, and the Calibre CA9901 tri-pack arm size 2-5 ADA closer. Where the opening needs top-end power, note the 8956 adjusts at size 5 to 6.
18) How does the DORMA 8956 compare to a slide track closer like the Corbin Russwin DC5230?
The Corbin Russwin DC5230 is a Grade 1 surface closer with a slide track arm standard, pull side mounting, for 1-3/4 inch doors. The DORMA 8956 DST uses a parallel arm with a cushion stop and thumb turn hold open instead. A slide track gives a low-profile arm and a controlled swing limited by the track; the DST arm projects and delivers the stop function at the arm itself. Both suit 1-3/4 inch doors, so the choice is driven by whether the specification calls for a track or a cushioned parallel arm.
19) We standardize on one closer across a campus - what Grade 1 lines cover both light and heavy openings?
For facilities standardizing on a single brand across mixed openings, BEST spans the range with the SL6000 light duty, HD7000 medium duty, HD8000 heavy duty and EHD9000 extra heavy duty, all Grade 1. Falcon covers a similar spread with the SC91A light duty Grade 3, SC81A medium duty Grade 1, SC61A light to medium Grade 1 and SC71A heavy duty Grade 1. The DORMA 8956 fills the heavy duty Grade 1 slot at 10,000,000 cycles for a 180 lb door, so it is the entrance-class member of such a program rather than the interior one.
20) Is a Grade 2 closer such as the Cal-Royal 400 an acceptable swap for the DORMA 8956?
They are not the same certification level. The Cal-Royal 400 Series is a Grade 2 commercial hydraulic closer, while the DORMA 8956 is ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 and heavy duty at 10,000,000 cycles. If the opening was specified Grade 1 - common on institutional and high-traffic entrances - stay within the Grade 1 group, for example the Cal-Royal 700S dual valve sized closer with adjustable tube arm or the Sargent 1331 with a universal aluminum body.
21) What is a delayed action alternative if the DORMA 8956 DST hold open is not what the opening needs?
The Orca Hardware BHDC1958 DA/PA is a delayed action closer with a regular arm and parallel bracket for 1-3/4 inch doors, and the BHDC2011 DA/PA is a delayed action closer in the same arrangement. Delayed action slows the initial part of the closing cycle instead of holding the door open, which suits traffic that needs extra passage time without leaving the leaf latched open. The DORMA 8956 DST instead holds the door via a thumb turn on the cushion arm.
22) What finishes does the DORMA 8956 surface closer come in?
Two: 689 aluminum and 695 dark bronze. The body is aluminum substrate with a painted finish, so 689 matches typical clear anodized aluminum storefront and 695 matches dark bronze frames.
23) Do any alternatives to the DORMA 8956 use cast iron instead of aluminum?
Yes. The Sargent 281 Powerglide is a cast iron surface closer with heavy-duty construction, and the LCN 1261 uses cast iron construction with adjustable spring sizes 1-5. The DORMA 8956 body is aluminum and is offered in 689 aluminum and 695 dark bronze finishes. Cast iron bodies are typically chosen where appearance matters less than mass; the aluminum 8956 with its narrow projection full cover is aimed at openings where the closer is visible.
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Does the Dormakaba 8956-DST-FC-SN1-689 come with a warranty?
Absolutely. The Dormakaba 8956-DST-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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