If you have a straight stairway, then a stair lift is an affordable and very popular alternative to a personal elevator. The popularity of do-it-yourself stair lifts has grown tremendously over the past fifteen years and one company, Acorn Stair Lifts, has been a well known name in the industry for many years.
A stair lift is a type of device that is used to allow a person to move safely up and down the stairs. There are two main types of stair lifts. The stair chair is the most common type of lift, which carries a person up and down the stairs in a chair. A perch lift is used much less frequently and uses a small platform to transport a standing individual up and down the stairs. Since the individual must remain standing as they are carried up or down the stairs, a perch lift is generally only used by those who, due to medical reasons, can not use a traditional stair chair, but perch lifts are sometimes also used on narrow staircases.
Acorn Stair Lifts was established in 1992 and began to buy new and used stair lifts and resell them. They refurbished the used staircase lifts at their facility in the United Kingdom, but quickly realized that they would not be able to meet demand and ensure that they customers received quality lifts without manufacturing their own lifts.
One of the deciding factors that contributed to Acorn manufacturing their own lifts, was the many designs and poorly made lifts they came across when they were purchasing them from other companies. In order to guarantee the safety and quality of the products they were selling, they realized that they would need to begin manufacturing their own lifts.
Creating a lift that could be easily and quickly be installed was one of the chief concerns of the founders of Acorn. They wanted to be able to provide a very safe, reliable, and dependable lift that could be installed by the homeowner without requiring in-depth knowledge of construction.
In addition to striving to provide an easy to install lift, the designers and founders of Acorn also wanted to create a lift that was able to work even if the power went out. They implemented some of the first battery powered stair lifts on the market, which in addition to providing functionality when the power went out, also were found to provide a smoother and safer operation.
Acorn is headquartered out of Yorkshire, New England, which is also where their main manufacturing facility is located. They have a distribution hub located in Orlando, Florida, and one also located in Ontario, Canada. They manufacture more than 30,000 lifts every year and are the largest supplier of lifts in the United Kingdom.
Acorn is one of the largest suppliers of lifts overseas and they are gaining popularity in the states. In addition to being one of the few companies to offer a perch lift, they also offer an outdoor lift that is resistant to the elements.
Brad Brubaker is a technical writer. Learn more about Acorn Stair Lifts, like the Acorn perch lift, by visiting USMedicalSupplies.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brad_Brubaker
Acorn Stair Lift
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Acorn Stair Lift - How Does It Rate?
(Acorn Stair Lift)
The Acorn Superglide 120 is the number one selling stair lift on the market. But is the number of home stair lifts sold by the company due to hype and slick marketing, or does Acorn sell in large numbers because it's the best?
Safety should be the buyer's first concern when looking for a stair chair lift. It should be a mobility aid and not a health and safety hazard. Also, you need to determine what features it should have to best serve your requirements. The price of the it should be your last concern.
Acorn models come fitted with many safety features as standard. Like most top rated stair lifts, the Acorn Superglide is powered by DC 24 volt rechargeable batteries. This ensures that you're entirely safe from electrocution. Pressure sensitive sensors are fitted to 5 surfaces on the chair; on the footrest and carriage. This ensures that the chair will immediately stop should any obstacle be encountered.
The swivel seat is standard and will only operate when the seat is in the correct locked position.
As standard, an inertia lap belt is supplied, but there is the option of fitting a static, 3-point fixed-over shoulder harness.
Most importantly, electronic and mechanical breaking systems are fitted as standard to prevent any uncontrolled descent of the chair.
One shouldn't assume that all companies provide the above safety features. The Summit stair lift, which is cheaper than the Acorn Superglide, only comes with sensors on the footrest - there is nothing to detect any obstacle on the rail itself. Also, the Summit does not feature a breaking system anywhere as near sophisticated as the Acorn machine.
The Acorn also comes with mechanical joystick and two wireless remote controls. The chair is of a slim line design and can be folded to free up space on the stairs. You can also get outdoor versions and you can get an Acorn Superglide Perch stair lift, which is great for those who have trouble in bending knees.
Few other manufacturers offer so many features as standard and at the same cost of an Acorn machine.
Well, it all sounds too good to be true, but does the Acorn stair lift have any negative points?
In fact, it does. Acorn only makes a straight stair lift. Therefore, you won't be able to use this company's product if your stairs are curved, have middle landing, half turns etc. Other manufacturers like Bruno and Stannah make curved stair lifts. In order for a manufacturer to claim to make the best machines, it really should be making curved models. Curved machines require more advanced manufacturing techniques and one would have to ask if Acorn lacks these.
Also, the Acorn website touts that the Superglide is very easy to install. The company says that if you can put up a set of shelves you can install an Acorn stair lift. The Accessibility Equipment Manufacturer's Association strongly recommends against self-installation for many safety reasons as well as local law violations and lack of warranty. Both Stannah and Bruno advise against self-installation and state that installation of any kind should only be carried out by a qualified technician.
One can't help thinking that Acorn promotes self installation because it helps boost sales.
The Superglide is one of the best stair chair lifts for straight stair cases. Most consumer reviews seem to back this up. But, if you do buy an Acorn stair lift, do have it professionally installed. If the dealer tells you that there isn't any need and it will only add to cost, find another dealer who will install it for you.
Follow the links for the Acorn stair lift and the Bruno stair lift and other stair chair lifts.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_O'Brien
Acorn Stair Lift
The Acorn Superglide 120 is the number one selling stair lift on the market. But is the number of home stair lifts sold by the company due to hype and slick marketing, or does Acorn sell in large numbers because it's the best?
Safety should be the buyer's first concern when looking for a stair chair lift. It should be a mobility aid and not a health and safety hazard. Also, you need to determine what features it should have to best serve your requirements. The price of the it should be your last concern.
Acorn models come fitted with many safety features as standard. Like most top rated stair lifts, the Acorn Superglide is powered by DC 24 volt rechargeable batteries. This ensures that you're entirely safe from electrocution. Pressure sensitive sensors are fitted to 5 surfaces on the chair; on the footrest and carriage. This ensures that the chair will immediately stop should any obstacle be encountered.
The swivel seat is standard and will only operate when the seat is in the correct locked position.
As standard, an inertia lap belt is supplied, but there is the option of fitting a static, 3-point fixed-over shoulder harness.
Most importantly, electronic and mechanical breaking systems are fitted as standard to prevent any uncontrolled descent of the chair.
One shouldn't assume that all companies provide the above safety features. The Summit stair lift, which is cheaper than the Acorn Superglide, only comes with sensors on the footrest - there is nothing to detect any obstacle on the rail itself. Also, the Summit does not feature a breaking system anywhere as near sophisticated as the Acorn machine.
The Acorn also comes with mechanical joystick and two wireless remote controls. The chair is of a slim line design and can be folded to free up space on the stairs. You can also get outdoor versions and you can get an Acorn Superglide Perch stair lift, which is great for those who have trouble in bending knees.
Few other manufacturers offer so many features as standard and at the same cost of an Acorn machine.
Well, it all sounds too good to be true, but does the Acorn stair lift have any negative points?
In fact, it does. Acorn only makes a straight stair lift. Therefore, you won't be able to use this company's product if your stairs are curved, have middle landing, half turns etc. Other manufacturers like Bruno and Stannah make curved stair lifts. In order for a manufacturer to claim to make the best machines, it really should be making curved models. Curved machines require more advanced manufacturing techniques and one would have to ask if Acorn lacks these.
Also, the Acorn website touts that the Superglide is very easy to install. The company says that if you can put up a set of shelves you can install an Acorn stair lift. The Accessibility Equipment Manufacturer's Association strongly recommends against self-installation for many safety reasons as well as local law violations and lack of warranty. Both Stannah and Bruno advise against self-installation and state that installation of any kind should only be carried out by a qualified technician.
One can't help thinking that Acorn promotes self installation because it helps boost sales.
The Superglide is one of the best stair chair lifts for straight stair cases. Most consumer reviews seem to back this up. But, if you do buy an Acorn stair lift, do have it professionally installed. If the dealer tells you that there isn't any need and it will only add to cost, find another dealer who will install it for you.
Follow the links for the Acorn stair lift and the Bruno stair lift and other stair chair lifts.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_O'Brien
Acorn Stair Lift
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