We have installed a few symmetry Lulas they seem pretty decent

Ok thank you. I will check them out.

We install Garaventa too

IMO Savaria makes the best one. They use the and door operator , the mrl is pretty nice.

I've installed symmetry and a lot of savaria.

Savaria, good solid equipment IF installed very meticulously and well. It's easy to do a not top notch install and it'll show. If you do a good job they are good solid units. The biggest issue with them is the crappy valves they use. Poor ride quality. They use a two coil valve, down valve stem and proportional valve which is a variable speed valve which controls speed by varying coil voltage. They had a quite poor ride quality usually
and after years their upgrade was to replace the in house valve control board with an entire dedicated PLC to control the valve better. Still not as good as a real elevator valve (blain/maxton). The biggest issues stem around leveling and releveling. Get the jig for squaring the rail leaf brackets. It'll be well worth it. Easiest installed off small scaffolding, cut down baker scaffolding to only 36" long walk boards. Door operator is a PITA. Again, you must be meticulous and be very consistent to get their door equipment to work well. Have to shim the hanger rollers to the door to get clutch to be plumb etc. PLC based controller with a second PLC for the valves and a serial network to connect devices.

Symmetry is good quality equipment. IMO better than savarias. Good quality Blain valve with 4 coils. Top to bottom more well designed equipment. GAL operator and door equipment. Simpler controller with alot less to fail. PLC based controller.

Either manufacturer, get a rupture valve instead of a governor. They both work but it's alot easier to do 5 Years with a rupture valve than all you need to do with the governor which is always in the top of the shaft and a PITA to get to.

I no longer work for either of those companies or install savaria or symmetry, I have no skin in the game but if I was in the position to choose between those I would pick symmetry for sure.

Symmetry also makes IMO the best home elevators out there. I've installed inclinators (every kind), Waupaca (POS), Cambridge, symmetry and worked on a host of other home elevators like Matots, savarias, Otis, them vacuum tube deals. If I was putting a home elevator in my home, out of what's currently on the market it would be a chain drive Mrl symmetry. (Really though I'd buy my own components and make my own relay logic controller and buy a winding drum machine/rail/cab from inclinator and build my own).

Hey eelevator how were the Cambridge elevators for residential. We used to install savaria but now only really install savaria commercial IPL's since they were tough to deal with on a few jobs and thebonly other choice for a commercial ipl is garaventa. For residential we install symmetry now, the inline gear is nice that's what we always push for. Recently Cambridge reached out because they have no one in Alaska currently and their e50 little 500 lb elevator looked like it might work in a few of our installs. Was curious on how they were.

Our experience with Cambridge has been top notch. They are hungry and really going after everyone's business. Great group of guys to deal with and very responsive.

Savaria Orion MRL LULA . This is a nice package, I have installed several MRL traction and worked on a few of the hydro setups.
Its a Virginia Controller. 24vdc
I think some of the management have their head up their butts but I overall like their products.
My install is Orion LULA MRL package should arrive next week.

I like those savaria delta lifts.

Cambridge has been a good product so far. I have installed a few of their roped hydro residential. Not a fan of their rail brackets design (no adjustment, must be shied) or ridiculous sling for installing, but mechanically they are well designed solid cars. I do not like their controllers, I just think they are too finicky. I don't use their cop floor level adjust buttons, had cars loose floor levels after a power outage, I treat the slotted vanes like a magnet and measure then move the whole vane. Side slide doors are nice when installed well. Overall good elevators.

My biggest issue with Cambridge is their dirty sales tactics. Most companies will only allow one dealer for a product in an area. We install Cambridge obviously but Cambridge is selling to a second dealer in the same town and it's a huge conflict of interest. Jobs we should be getting they get the leads on, and who knows whose getting the good leads and who the scraps. If I was the boss I would be done with Cambridge on that alone. Case in point, last company I was with we wanted to sell savaria residential elevators. We sold a ton of Orion LULAs, but since they already had a dealer in the area selling the residential elevators they refused to allow us to sell them, as they should have.

Those symmetry chain drive MRLs are my favorite residential elevator. I also have to give symmetry alot of credit for their willingness to listen to the mechanics and make changes to their products. They send a feedback form with every car and really will change something if you give them a good idea. Like their rail brackets now are adjustable so no time wasted with shims and they added the rubber isolation mounts to the motor mounting plate.

Alto, I aint seen one of their MRL traction cars. What motor type and motor control are they using?

they are all trash. Just ADA compliant and not considered a "real elevator"

I see custom elevator makes a small package that basically and ESI (elevator system inc) controller

It is true LULAs are marketed for ADA compliance. It's also true some guys think they're not "real" elevators. But for alot of building owners the cost difference is substantial enough to justify the lesser capabilities of a LULA. Not only is the equipment cheaper, but the required shaft and machine room size and electrical service required are smaller too, adding to cost savings.

I've seen alot of the time a building owner is being forced to Install a LULA by the local government even though its completely not needed. Example of an industrial packaging facility where they stand and move boxes on a mezzanine onto conveyors 6 feet tall, why do you need a LULA when the area your being forced to provide ADA compliance will never have a handicapped individual work there? If I was the building owner I'd spend the least amount of money to get them out of my hair.

I've had the joy of working on everything in this industry from installing stairlifts in homes and seeing the elderly excited at how much easier their life will now be, all the way to taking care of multiple hospitals on my route with large banks of fast gearless cars and keeping the hospitals happy with low breakdowns and smooth running equipment. I look at it as it's all a machine that someone is depending on. Lots of people who have never seen me or know me simply depend on me doing my job well so their life isn't interrupted. I think it's an ego issue to look at a hydro or LULA and scoff at it because it's not a "real" elevator. It's a real elevator to someone who rides it.

LULAs also get inspected just the same as other elevators (including 5 year full loads) and are in the same code book..

Interesting discussion. One thing I’d add is that the best solution really depends on the application rather than just the manufacturer. LULAs and residential elevators certainly have their place, but for a homeowner who mainly needs help getting between two floors, a stairlift can sometimes be the simpler option if the staircase and the user’s mobility make it suitable.

Cost is another consideration. For residential applications where the budget doesn’t stretch to new equipment, professionally reconditioned stairlifts can be worth looking at as well. Companies such as All-Star Lifts offer reconditioned options, but regardless of supplier, I’d want to know how the equipment has been inspected, what warranty comes with it, and who will handle installation and servicing afterward.

I’d put quite a bit of weight on the installer and after-sales support. As others have mentioned here, even good equipment can become troublesome when the installation isn’t done properly.