RackLift™ Compared To The Competitor
Although our competitors make pretty good products you need to ask yourself, “Are they really right for your data center?”
Stay open minded and stay with us for two minutes to learn facts you’ll want to consider carefully before you make any commitment. If you’re like Data Center Managers we’ve spoken to, you’re about to spend money from a tight budget for a data center lift with the objective of making installs faster, easier and safer for your people. By the time you get part way down this page you’ll want to click that little red “Get A Quote” button on the upper right.
Three Goals – Faster, Easier, Safer
Which Is Faster?
Get your stop watch. An install begins when the lift leaves its parking space and ends when returned. If you have to negotiate tight data center aisles with a 47 inch long lifter, your trip to the rack space becomes a slow, laborious obstacle course. Our competitor is a side-loading unit nearly four feet in length compared to RackLift coming in at two feet, four inches at its widest point. Interestingly, since the publication of this page our competitor has removed length dimensions from their online spec sheets.
RackLift™ is a front-loading “tower style design” that easily spins 360˚ in a two-tile aisle making maneuverability a breeze in the tightest data center. Lifting speed is immaterial since raising the server to the desired height with either unit can be done in less than a minute – whether it is a manual or electric unit. It’s the device insertion and the round trip that take up all the time.
Which Is Easier?
Two huge benefits of RackLift are the front-loading design and the lift table’s rack insertion capability. These factors improve ease of use which greatly reduces installation time. With RackLift the load sits atop a lift table that glides 24 inches into the cabinet instead of being limited to the six-inch travel of our competition. There is no need to strain or get assistance to drag a 650 pound device into the rack. The RackLift table supports the load while you bolt it in.
The RackLift design allows you to approach the rack from either direction then turn to face the cabinet. In fact it will spin 360° in a two-tile aisle. Our competitor must be driven in forward or backward depending on which side the load is facing. Furthermore, because it is a side loading unit, your load must travel perpendicular to the aisle. Imagine the hassle just getting it to the cabinet when transporting long, over-sized devices. The new RackLift 600RS features an open back design allowing you to center over-sized loads on the lift table for safe, easy transport in-line (non-perpendicular) with the aisle. When you arrive at the cabinet you simply rotate RackLift 90 degrees and slide the device into place.
Our manual units can easily be used by anyone with average physical strength. The high-ratio gearing crank enables you to lift and install a 650 pound device into a rack without help.
(See our demo video)
Which Is Safer?
When using RackLift to transport equipment, the load is fastened down with the safety straps. The straps are also used during installation to secure RackLift to the cabinet for safer lifting. To our knowledge, our competitor does not provide safety straps to fasten their units to the cabinet and according to their website they state, about their products “…the stabilizer brake is not to provide braking but to impart sideways stability…”
When cranking the winch to raise or lower a load with RackLift, the user simply releases the handle to automatically lock the load at the desired height. Wheel brakes are engaged as an additional measure of stability during lifts.
Make Your Comparison Checklist
Do Your Really Need An Electric Lift?
Deciding on the right lift for your data center should be made using these logical criteria:
Lifting less than 650 pounds does not require an electric lift – go manual to reduce cost.
If it will be used infrequently – again go manual.
If you need multiple units you can purchase 2 manual RackLifts for about the cost of one powered model from our competitor.
Affordability must incorporate total cost of ownership. A major drawback of of our competitor is the battery warranty. It is limited to only 3 months. *(see Note 1)
* Note 1: Competitor’s owner manual indicates, among other things, (A) you must charge batteries every 2 weeks regardless if the unit has been used or not, (B) change winch oil annually by siphoning oil with a “standard pump”.
Oil or hydraulic fluid is generally not recommended to be used in data centers.
(Source Competitor’s Operators-Manual_CS_11-22-2010)
* Note 2: Length of Competitor Is 51% Longer Than RackLift™.
Sources – Competitor website Specification Sheet, FAQ (January 2016)***
