Saturday 30 August 2008

Summit Stair Lifts - For Those On A Budget

A home stair lift can give someone back their house and independence. But stair lift prices can be very high and beyond the reach of many. Some stair lift manufacturers make money by selling their products that have 'many features'. Having a plethora of features may be good for some people but many who really need a stair lift have a very small budget. Summit specializes in making no-fuss cheap stair lifts that are reliable.


Although Summit stair lifts are considerably cheaper than other brands you still get many features as standard. The most important of these features are the safety systems on the stair lift. The Summit stair lift comes with constant-pressure controls to stop the lift the instant the control is released. There are limits that ensure the carriage will stop at both the top and bottom of the stairs. And, like most top brands of stair lifts, there are sensors on the footrest to stop the carriage if any obstacles are encountered.


Unlike most other brands the Summit stair lift uses a cable system, rather than a rack and pinion one, to move the chair along the rack. Most companies feel that rack and pinion gives a smoother ride, especially when starting and stopping. This is possibly true but rack and pinion stair lifts need to be cleaned and lubricated regularly to prevent damage to the components. Cable systems require far less maintenance.


Also, the cable used in the Summit stair lift is aircraft cable rated for 4,200 lbs. This means the chair can carry a maximum weight of 350 lbs - the more costly Stannah stair lift can carry a maximum load of less than 300 lbs.


All in all, the cable system used in the Summit stair lift might not give you the perfectly smooth ride but it needs less attention and can carry a hefty load.


The Summit stair lift operates on standard household AC current, 115 VAC, 15 AMP minimum grounded circuit. Most stair lifts on the market today use DC rechargeable batteries. Again, the argument is that DC power gives smoother starts and stops than does AC electric power. This may be true, but there are also disadvantages to battery units. They need to be replaced every so often - there isn't this additional expense with an AC mains powered stair lift. Also, rechargeable batteries need charging after about 20 round trips of the stairs. If a stair lift is going to be used many times during the day or if more than one person will be using it, then AC mains powered stair lifts really are the better option.


The simple design of the Summit stair lift makes it easy to install, even someone with basic DIY skills is supposed to be able to fit one. However, it is always recommended that a customer never self-installs a stair lift.


Apart from the ride being a little less smooth than other brands, are there any other drawbacks?


Well, today there is quite a large market in used stair lifts. Later, should you want to sell your stair lift, you'll find that it may not be in so much demand as other used stair lifts.


You won't get many of the extras that are available with more expensive stair lifts, even if you request them. For instance, you only get a manual swivel seat; you can't get a motorized one like you can with a Stannah stair lift. You can't get the range of safety belt options like some other brands. The look of the Summit stair lift is very basic, but if you're on a budget, how it looks, won't be top of your list of requirements.


Many consumer reviews of stair lifts concur that the Summit stair lift may not be the best of the market in terms of style or functionality but it's as safe as others however the price of the Summit stair lift is its biggest selling point.