Box rail versus round rail?

[Ball Ground]

I am going to put up some sliding doors on my 50' x 36' shop and need some help deciding which way to go concerning the hardware. On one side of my shop I have a 12' x 9' opening and plan to use two 6' wide doors. On the other end I have a 9' x 7' opening and plan to use one 9' wide door. The question I have is which style sliding door hardware is preferred, round rail or box rail? Thanks for any advice you can offer

 

[Gary Fowler]

I never liked sliding doors with any kind of hardware. I prefer roll up doors as the seal much better, don't get wedged with snow or track fouled up with dirt or other debris.
I think you would have less problems with round rail and rollers travelling the top rather than rollers running inside a box tube.

 

[FarmWrench]

Those are small doors for slider. 20' is as small a slider anyone should consider.
If you insist, go by brand vs shape. Lots of round junk but true round track by Cannonball is really good.

 

[BHD]

the old doors on the barn (still have one of them on the building) have round rail, besides drilling a hole in the top of it to be able to oil the rollers from time to time it has done well for over 100 years and the granary was put up in late 1930's and it is round and has done well, (drilled so I could oil it as well) one thing I see about the round is dirt will work it way out of it, the box I have seen has lips on the opening in the bottom and besides the ends I see no way of dirt working it way out of it, I did have a door with the boxed rail and it worked good until we replaced the door it self,

for that small of doors I would consider roll ups as well, but do under stand the cost aspect,

on the 9wx7H door the roll up door may be cheaper than materials and the rail/track, and rollers,

the taller unit will set you back some but in time putting a power opener on it is nice, (I am dreaming of my own some time), if your openings are not all ready built checking with a door company you may be able to get some sizes lower cost than others if there not Odd sized, and then construct your openings to those sizes,