Stairlifts - Which make?

[Phil Addison]

Looks as if the wife's going to be needing one soon. Our stairs are a straight run of 4m x

13 steps and power is available at the top so should be straight-forward to fit. Anyone got any views on which make to go for? I've only just started looking but google's thrown up Acorn, Stannah, Bison, Brooks, Minivator, Platinum, and Meditek so far.

Options appear to be to buy from manufacturer direct or via a referrer site, or buy used from a refurbisher or off eBay etc. A quick look at eBay shows quite a few at around 1/5 the new price but mainly buyer collect so that considerably reduces the availability.

I guess I want to know about convenience of use and any reliability, installation, maintenance issues. If I go for an eBay 'buyer collects', how do I go about finding a courier that will fetch a 4m long rail? though I suspect the rail will split into 2 x 2m lengths.

Phil

[meow2222]

run of 4m x

google's thrown

Beware of width, even slimline ones can be far too wide when folded up.

NT

[meow2222]

straight run of 4m x

fit. Anyone

google's thrown

And speed, taking all day to do one trip isnt the most practical

NT

[John Rumm]

run of 4m x

google's thrown

or buy used

around 1/5

into 2 x 2m

I played this game a few years back... I had a friend in dire need of one, and uk.d-i-y sprang to the rescue with a rather spectacular bit of coincidental timing, as our own Mr Bignel was attempting to dispose of one. So I can confirm that they are quite transportable if you slap the gubbins in the back of an estate car, and strap the rail to the roof bars much like it was a ladder (this was a minivator with a single piece rail, about 4m long IIRC) BTDTGTTS ;-)

Fitting took a few hours by the time I had stuck in the wiring for a RCD spur at the top of the stairs. It was mostly a case of fitting the brackets to the stairs, and then mounting rail on them. Finally mounting the chair on the rail, and wiring it up. Certainly DIYable with fairly modest tools etc.

If you can't find someone with a suitable car to shift it, then there are couriers that will handle long stuff. You could probably check with one of the internet ladder retailers which they use ;-)

Older ones are directly mains powered, newer ones use a rechargeable batter on the chair to drive it, and then it charges when "parked".

[Owain]

aight run of 4m x

to fit. Anyone

google's thrown

Always worth checking with your local social work occupational therapy department. Their advice is free, they usually have a preferred contractor, and grants or funding /may/ be available.

Owain

[Brian Gaff]

And second hand back up batteries are a nightmare quite often, from what I've heard.#

Brian

[meow2222]

straight run of 4m x

Batteries fail every so often, but you see it coming. If its on an RCD, make sure its one that stays on when power is lost, otherwise you can be stranded far too often.

NT

[Bill Wright]

The better ones charge even when stopped at anywhere, not just at the top or the bottom.

Bill

[Bill Wright]

Funding is means tested, which means that anyone who's worked hard all their life and saved up instead of doing f*ck-all and pissing all their money away don't get a cent.

Bill

[Bill Wright]

run of 4m x

google's thrown

or buy used

around 1/5

After looking at the second-hand market I bought new because: I didn't want the work I did want a warranty

Many local councils' SS dept will recommend an expensive make (those of you who know how things work at the council will know why).

For instance I got a quote of £3,600. In the end I got the same product but unbadged for £1,600 fitted. Thing is, the big firms sell their products with their badge at a high price but also into the independent installer market for much less.

Your stairlift should Have battery back-up Have a long warranty on the gearing assembly Have recharging rails so the battery is charged no matter where the chair is parked Have two remote handsets so you can call the chair from top and bottom.

I can recommend Leodis Stairlifts.

Bill

[John Rumm]

Yup, sorry reading that back it is somewhat ambiguous. Parked in this case is stopped anywhere and not in use - not necessarily at either end

- although that is where it most likely will be.

[Nick Odell]

run of 4m x

google's thrown

I feel that Wallace and Gromit ought to be involved in the stairlift business.

Nick

[Phil Addison]

Thanks all for the advice - valuable tips there. Now to to start checking specs for all those things. One thing that I've not seen any info on is the merits of the various rail styles, i.e. a pair of tubes one above the other fixed to the wall, or horizontal extruded rail screwed to treads, or variations. Most websites have little technical information and those that do concentrate on the carriage dimensions ignoring the rail - if you're lucky there may be a glimpse of the rail in a photo. For more information they mostly want your address to send a 'brochure', presumably followed up by a sales pitch.

Phil

[John Rumm]

various rail

horizontal extruded

information and

you're lucky

mostly want your

A rail the screws to the stair treads is probably easier to fit than one that fixes to the wall. The tube riding ones are probably easier to get round corners etc.

[Frank Erskine]

horizontal extruded

information and

want your

Isn't this always the case with products aimed at people (generally at the older section of the market), especially in the pseudo medical field, that the well known (well advertised) products must be the most superior?. Technical specifications matter little to the "sell to the old people" (get their money before they die!) brigade.