Most buyers take a quick trip to Europe or Canada or a one-day trip in North America to look at the latest lift technology. In spite of this cursory research, the lowest bidder usually wins. Why even look at a lift if the dollar is the bottom line?
What area buyers should do is use a checklist to make comparisons and even send mechanics and electricians to fill in the blanks. This method helps the buyer look down the road a couple of years, as well as estimate parts and labor costs.
Here are some guidelines to help buyers compare lifts before purchasing. Each buyer should prepare his own lists and charts
Background Checks
Call managers at ski areas where lifts that interest you have been installed. The lift manager generally is in touch with problems associated with each lift and can answer questions like these:
Lift Installer
- a) Was it a satisfactory turnkey project? How much ski area labor and equipment was involved?
- b) Did the area install it? How easy was it to construct? Were blueprints easy to decipher? How did everything fit? Were questions answered correctly by the manufacturer?
- c) Were there problems during the first weeks of operation?
- d) What was the service-response time from the manufacturer?
- e) Service bulletins from the manufacturer and timely notification of problems?
- f) What kind of summer maintenance was required?
- g) Grip maintenance?
- h) Estimates of costs per year in parts and maintenance labor.
Time Table
- a) When was the contract signed?
- b) Was there a penalty clause on the finish date?
- c) Did parts arrive on time?
- d) Was the lift completed on time?
Maintenance
- a) How many hours of operation before maintenance?
- b) Were there recurring problems?
Aesthetics
- a) How does the lift look?
- b) Finish paint?
- c) Detail work?
ANSI and/or Applicable State Codes
- a) Did the lift meet all ASNI and/or applicable state code requirements?
- b) Did the area need to get a variance to install the lift?
On-site Comparison Checklist
Trips to look at lifts are usually very rushed. A checklist helps buyers cover all points without missing anything. Because there is a lot to see, the trick is to decide what is most important and then determine what is good or bad about a particular lift.
Listed below are points to begin with in preparing a comparison checklist:
- Area name
- Lift capacity
- Vertical rise
- Slope length
- Lift manufacturer
- Model of lift
- Rope speed
- Loading interval
- Carrier spacing
- Line gauge
- Drive terminal top or bottom
- Tension terminal top/bottom
- Gear reducer
- Horsepower
- Control logic
- Primary drive
- Secondary drive
- Evacuation drive
- Tensioning device
- Haul rope manufacturer
- Haul rope size
- Rope stretch first year
- Control cable and extra pairs
- Grip
- Bullwheel size
- Bullwheel retention
- Loading or unloading speed
- Customer comfort in loading and unloading
- Personal comfort
- Carrier comfort
- Carrier provisions for evacuation
- Restraining bar and bubble operation
- Carrier comfort through hold-down tower
- Normal lift speed
- Drive terminal noise level
- Drive terminal layout
- Drive terminal maintenance
- Drive terminal safety
- Carrier spacing system
- Anti-collision system
- Grip-force tester
- Grip profile switches
- Grip coupling safeties
- Grip-to-rope speed synchronization in coupling area
- Grip maintenance
- Grip non-destructive testing
- Grip wear
- Replaceable parts on grips
- Power take-off for acceleration and deceleration tires
- Acceleration and deceleration tire banks
- Carrier storage and maintenance rails
- Terminal aesthetics
- Length of terminal
- Secondary and evacuation-drive hookups
- Available carriage travel
- Options specified by the ski resort
- Ease of making adjustments on towers
- Sheave loadings
- Sheave liners
- Walkways, crossarm and sheave train
- Tower derailment circuits
- Type of sensors
- Tower diameter
- Rattles and other noises
