question regarding purchase of used electric lift

[avnl]

I have the option of ourchasing a 4 yr old electric viking lift that is described as nearly new condition for 1000 dollars. The woman selling lost her husband who suffered from a nonals nerve condition. She has kept the battery plugged in and functional. She was asking 1200 dollars for it but will sell it for 1000.00. Is this a reasonable price given purchasing a new one would be about 2500 minimum and are there any questions I should be asking? (i do not have a model number).
Thanks to those who respond
Anna

 

[affected]

Anna you need to know exactly what model it is.

That way you can check what the new price truly is and what functions it truly has. Then we can also give an opinion. Why would the seller not give you this information?

 

[avnl]

It is a Viking M lift. New they would appear to be 3800 to 4000 us dollars

 

[affected]

One thing I notice is that it does not seem like the feet separate? I would ask about this as if you want to use it for getting your PALS in and out of a recliner chair the feet separating will be needed.

It seems it has a remote as well as control panel, so ask if the remote is functioning. I always used the remote as you are not always standing behind the lift.

Will you be able to test it out before purchasing?

 

[lgelb]

1) I would try your ALSA's loan closet first, if you haven't.

2) Viking (Liko) lifts come in several sizes, from XS to XL, essentially, so you would want to be sure of the dimensions for your setting. And I think only one version, if any, folds for travel.

3) While they are nice lifts, if you are going used you can definitely pay less. Check out new prices, e.g. I see what looks like a perfectly functional (assuming dimensions work) lift for $1K at SpinLife. Likos are not cheap. They can be lighter, which doesn't matter unless you're traveling or are pushing on fluffy carpet, and sleeker, but most of us were uninterested in form factor.

Lifts should last a while, so I'm not arguing against this purchase as much as pointing out it's not a slam-dunk.

 

[Diane H]

The brand of lift you buy makes little difference. A manual lift is a bit more work but is less expensive and doesn't have the electronics that could break down. But for frequent use every day, electric is nice. It is the choice of a sling that makes a lift workable! A hygiene sling, also called a split leg sling or toileting sling with a headrest is by far the best. Again, brand is far less important than the type. Compare prices for used equipment on Craig's List. There is a lot of used equipment there. It is often minimally used and cheaper than buying new even if you have insurance/Medicare to cover a new one. Because you can buy locally, you can try out the equipment and don't have to pay shipping.

 

[affected]

Another difference between lifts you may wish to consider is whether or not it can pick your PALS up off the floor.

Of course we want to avoid our PALS being on the floor, but not all types of lift will be able to do this.

I found there was quite a difference between the 2 lifts we had. First we had one hired for us by our MND association until they had one from their own loan closet available. We were so impressed with that first lift that we couldn't believe how much better the second one was.

 

[avnl]

Thanks for all the input. I would not be traveling with this lift. The legs do separate. It does lift from the floor. And Compassionate Care has nothing available right now. I have talked with someone from mobility 101 who has given me pointers on how to test this lift out before purchase. Anna

 

[affected]

I'm glad about the legs as they looked fixed and that was a function I used a lot, even to get him out of the wheelchair.

I think if you test it out, and you can't find anything cheaper you might be making a good choice there