1. Elevation Innovation Inc.

PROS:

Elevation Innovation Inc, also known as Eilifts, is another major residential dumbwaiter manufacturer. Their dedication to safety is a major pro that sets them apart from their competitors. They personally hired Underwriters Laboratory, a worldwide safety science company, to test and certify their dumbwaiters. They are certified in both the USA (ASME A17.1) and Canada (CSA B44). When they hired Underwriters Laboratory to do exhaustive safety testing on their dumbwaiter models it was completely voluntary and out of their own pocket. UL tested the safety, durability, and efficiency of Eilifts residential dumbwaiters. While some dumbwaiter manufacturers have had their parts UL certified not one of them has put their products through such exhaustive testing.

Eilifts has also hired Underwriter’s Laboratory to perform 4 surprise inspections a year. UL can arrive at any time on, any day and give absolutely no warning. Eilifts has set up these inspections specifically to ensure that each and every one of the residential dumbwaiters they produce is not only safe but of the highest quality.

Another definite factor in favor of Eilifts is that they provide several wood options for the doors as well as stainless steel to their residential dumbwaiters. Every home has a unique style and design and Eilifts has sought to provide multiple options in order to meet each of their customer’s specific tastes. Eilifts offers unlimited customization to ensure your project is a success. The customer service I received was second to none.  They also offer the industries longest warranty of five years on their residential models.

CONS:

Eilifts has only been in business for 14 years. Considering the length of time many of their competitors have been in the industry, this can be seen as a negative trait. While in most areas but not all, they rely on a dealer base to sell their products, though the relationship they have with their dealers may not be as well established as other manufacturers. Eilifts also does not offer the option of residential elevators like several other manufacturers. If a customer was seeking to buy both a residential dumbwaiter as well as elevator they would have to go through two different manufacturers if they chose to purchase a dumbwaiter from Eilifts.

There are multiple other dumbwaiter manufacturers on the market that I did take the time to research. Ameriglide, US Medical Supplies, Universal Accessibility, Summit and Harmar Ascent all sell the same model of dumbwaiter manufactured by Harmar. While these models are affordable they are quite cheaply made. The motor is a 90 volt DC motor from China which is cheap compared to other models sold by their competitors. The motor and controller on these slow moving units is attached to the car.  This makes trouble shooting and repair very difficult as a technician needs to climb into the shaft and get to the car. They use GAL door locks and a cheap car and car gate. Each of these is of sub-par quality. These dumbwaiters are a mass produced, modified stair lift. The models sold by Assisted-Living Staying at Home and Nutrend are battery operated. This is an inefficient set up, especially when it could be more logically powered electrically. These models have very few pros to even mention.

2. Matot Commercial Dumbwaiters

PROS:

Matot Commercial Dumbwaiters is a dumbwaiter manufacturer that offers both commercial and residential dumbwaiters. One of the pros of this particular residential dumbwaiter manufacturer is that they offer several sizes of dumbwaiters. They have three options available, their light duty dumbwaiter has the ability to lift up to 200lbs. This is their model most commonly used in homes. The medium duty model has the ability to lift up to 500lbs. The heavy duty model has the ability to lift up to 2,500lbs but this is specifically designed for commercial use and is classified as a material lift.

Matot has been in business for 125 years, a definite factor in their favor. They are the longest running dumbwaiter manufacturer in the industry. The longevity of their company proves that they have a successful business model and a multitude of experience. Their dealer base is extremely dedicated as they have had the ability to build long lasting relationships during their mutual time in the industry.

CONS:

Matot Commercial Dumbwaiters are expensive. For those wanting to buy one of their in home models they will be charged quite a high cost. Several of their competitors offer more affordable pricing. While this manufacturer has been operating for quite some time their residential dumbwaiter designs are decades old and out of date. Compared to the newer models on the market, Matot dumbwaiters take twice as long to install. The installation time required for these older models simply adds to the already expensive cost of the dumbwaiter as you are paying for twice the amount of labor.

Due to their outdated design Matot lifts are more complicated to install. Installation takes twice as long as newer dumbwaiters. It’s a tedious and slow process that will drive up the cost of labor. This leads directly to another negative trait of these lifts. They are some of the most expensive on the market and the cost of installation only adds to the overall cost.

3. Waupaca Elevator Company

PROS:

Waupaca is another one of the residential dumbwaiter companies that has been on the market for quite some time. Created in 1957 their company started out with one warehouse but over the decades has turned into a nationwide manufacturer. After so many years in business and the growth of their company, you can be assured that they have a effective business model and a plethora of experience with residential dumbwaiters.

CONS:

One of the biggest cons when seeking to make a purchase from Waupaca is there customer service. While doing in depth research on each of these companies I took the time to call every one of them. It took several days to simply get an employee from Waupaca on the phone. This is after calling several times each day. When I finally did reach an employee it was clear that they did not have an understanding of the residential dumbwaiters that they sold. For most of my questions they couldn’t provide answers and were less than warm. The fact that they have such terrible customer service prevents me from being able to recommend them as a suitable option. Taking into consideration the length of time it took me to get ahold of them it raises concerns over the purchasing process. A difficult to contact manufacturer leads to a slow and frustrating buying experience.

4. Inclinator Company of America

PROS:

Inclinator Company of America not only produces residential dumbwaiters but also residential elevators. This can certainly be an ideal situation for someone who is in the market for both a dumbwaiter and an elevator. The fact that they specialize in both dumbwaiters and elevators does set them apart from some of their competitors. They have also been in business for quite some time. They were founded in 1924 and have become more and more successful as the years have passed. Their dealer base is not only committed but effective. They have had the time to build long lasting relationships with their dealers which has led to repeat business.

CONS:

One of the biggest cons with Inclinator is their outdated design. While they may have been in business for decades, they simply have not taken the time to update their residential dumbwaiter models. They have been using the same models for the last several decades. One of the biggest problems with a lack of improvements is the complicated electrical components and wiring. Not only are they difficult to install but also tedious to repair and perform regular maintenance on.

I also called this manufacturer to seek out more information on their residential dumbwaiters and it took two days to get someone on the phone. While their associate was pleasant they could not answer several of my questions. The lack of knowledge shown by their employee was surprising and a definite red flag.

5. Dumbwaiters.com / Powerlift

PROS:

Dumbwaiters.com specializes in the production of residential dumbwaiters. One of the definite pros of this particular company is the cosmetic features available for in home dumbwaiters. They offer multiple types of wood doors in order to give their customers options that will meet the unique style of their home. Their Powerlift dumbwaiters can also be customized to fit the measurements of each home and they will work with you to ensure it’s a perfect fit. When it comes to buying an in home dumbwaiter customization is a very important service to offer. Another factor that is unique to Dumbwaiters.com is the fact that they will install their own dumbwaiters up to certain distances. Most manufacturers rely solely on their dealer base to perform installations. The fact that they have the ability to cut out the middleman can lead to a more efficient and expedient installation process.

CONS:

While Dumbwaiters.com has several pros I cannot recommended them as their residential dumbwaiters are dangerous and out of date. They have had numerous safety issues and several reported injuries. One such injury was the complete amputation of a woman’s arm at the shoulder. The dumbwaiter was purchased for her home to transport groceries from the bottom floor to the top as she had a second story kitchen. When her Powerlift residential dumbwaiter moved her groceries to the top floor, she opened the door and noticed that a can of cat food had fallen out of the grocery bags. After she removed removed the stuck can of cat food from where it was caught due to no car gate, the dumbwaiter proceeded to fall to the first floor at an accelerated rate, trapping her. Her arm was later amputated after she was stuck there for 21 hours until help finally arrived.

This is only one of the injuries that have taken place when a Powerlift dumbwaiter has been in use. The outdated design and lack of safety devises is one of the major contributors to the injuries. Their dumbwaiter models have not been updated in several decades and has multiple safety hazards. The chain and sprocket system used for operation is no longer an efficient method of operation and clearly an unsafe one. They have sold many units without the proper safety equipment like door interlocks and car gates to keep the goods inside the dumbwaiter.