Saw something weird at a hospital in Phoenix last week. Changed my mind about MRL elevators.

Always thought machine-room-less lifts were a pain. Hard to service. Tight spaces. But I was doing a callback on a 10-year old Kone MonoSpace. Had to check the brake. Got up there. Was actually able to stand. Had room for my tools. Belt was in decent shape. No oil leaks everywhere. Made me think. Maybe they're not all bad. Any of you guys had good experiences with old MRLs?

2 comments

2 Comments

amymiller16d ago

Nah, hard disagree. Ten years is nothing. Wait until those belts start fraying at year 12-15. Then you can't get parts. Kone already changed the belt design twice. You'll be stuck retrofitting the whole machine. And the controller placement? Still a joke. Half the time you're working blind with a mirror. MRLs save floor space for the builder. That's it. Everything else is worse for us.

mark_lane16d ago

The 2007 Otis Gen2 install I worked on last month had belts that looked brand new at 17 years. Not all belts are the same quality and a lot depends on the building conditions. I will give you the controller placement being a pain though. That's a problem across all MRLs, not just Kone. The mirror trick is getting old fast but I've seen worse setups in some old hydraulic rooms I've worked in.