Picked the older traction machine over the new MRL for a modernization last month

We had a job at a 12-story building downtown and the owner gave me the choice between keeping the old traction setup or swapping to a machine-room-less. I went with the traction because I know those old Dover units inside and out, plus the building had plenty of machine room space anyway. The MRL would have saved some floor area but the retrofit cost was about $8,000 more for the rails and guides. Took us 4 days to pull the old motor and controller, install the new microprocessor drive, and get the car running smooth again. The leveling is actually within an eighth of an inch now which is better than the old relay logic ever did. My helper asked why I didn't push for the MRL and I told him sometimes simpler is just smarter in the long run. Anyone else run into this choice and regret going one way or the other?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_rose4d agoTop Commenter

My buddy's 20 story building went MRL three years ago. The install crew had the whole thing running in 6 days flat. No machine room to renovate, no concrete pad to pour. Saved the owner $40k on construction alone. Those savings paid for the nicer cab interior the tenants love. You guys act like every MRL is gonna need a crane next week. The new gearless machines are way quieter too. The old traction units rumble through the whole building. Plus the MRL uses 30% less power. That adds up quick on a high rise with 8 cars running all day.

kai8394d ago

Honestly, you're not wrong about the install going smooth. I did a 12 story office building five years back that went MRL and we were done in 8 days including the inspection. The owner was thrilled because he didn't have to give up a whole floor for a machine room. That saved him enough to put in those fancy glass cabs everyone stares at in the lobby. And you're right about the noise, the old geared units sounded like a truck idling in the basement. The MRL is barely a hum.

corap614d ago

Makes me wonder about the long term service side of things nobody talks about. You had to pull that old motor but with an MRL you're looking at having to bring in a crane or a gin pole just to change a sheave someday. We had a building manager tell me once they regretted the MRL because the contractors had to cut into the roof to get the machine out when the bearings went. Your helper probably doesn't realize that old traction units can be worked on with just a come-along and some pipe wrenches. Sometimes the cheaper upfront cost ends up costing more down the road when you can't get a truck close to the building.

bell.jessica4d agoMost Upvoted

That MRL nightmare is real. Saw a building where the machine room was a closet, and they had to bring in a crane just to swap a brake rotor. The roof didn't have a hatch, so they cut a hole through the drywall ceiling to get it out. Meanwhile the old hydraulic in the basement we could just unbolt and drag through the parking lot with a forklift. High rise buildings with no truck access are the worst for MRLs. People don't think about that stuff when they see the cheap install price.