Hydraulic or traction: which suits your building?
HLA supplies both. Our advice follows your building's height, how often the lift is used and your power supply, not what is easier for us to sell.
How each one lifts
Oil pushes the car up
- A pump sends oil to a cylinder, and a ram lifts the car.
- A valve block controls the start, the stop and the descent.
- Going down uses gravity, so it draws no power.
- Smooth and cushioned. Best for villas and low-rise buildings up to G+4.
A motor pulls the car
- A motor in the shaft pulls the car on ropes or belts, balanced by a counterweight.
- No machine room above the roof.
- Steady travel at higher speeds.
- Best for taller and busier buildings, from about G+3 upward.
Side by side
| Parameter | Hydraulic | Traction (MRL) |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited for | Villas, duplexes and bungalows, G+1 to G+4 | Apartments, clinics and commercial buildings, G+3 to G+10 |
| Pit depth (starting reference) | 150 to 300 mm | 400 mm for belt-driven |
| Headroom above top floor | From 2,400 mm | 2,700 to 3,000 mm |
| Machine room | None overhead. A small cabinet sits at ground level. | None overhead. The machine sits in the shaft. |
| Home speed | 0.30 m/s. About 20 seconds for 6 m of travel. | Higher speeds suit taller buildings |
| Ride | Cushioned starts and stops | Steady, even travel speed |
| Power use | Uses power going up only. Going down uses gravity. | Uses low power continuously, balanced by the counterweight |
| Footprint | Makes good use of a narrow or shallow shaft | Needs extra shaft width for the counterweight |
| If the power fails | Returns to the nearest floor, with a manual release knob on the power unit | Battery-powered automatic rescue |
| Drive unit | Blain Hydraulics valve block, Heilbronn, Germany | Traction machine |
| Warranty | 3 years | 1 year |
Does a hydraulic lift smell of oil?
No. The oil stays in a closed circuit, the same idea as the brake fluid in a car. Oil only gives off a smell when it overheats, as it can in a factory machine that runs all day. A home lift makes around 15 to 40 trips a day, so its oil stays close to room temperature.
Speed in a home: why slower is fine
Commercial lifts are sold on speed, 0.6 or 1.0 m/s. In a house that buys very little.
Faster lifts need more headroom and a deeper pit to slow down safely. For a family home, a soft start and a stop level with the floor matter far more than saving a few seconds on a two-floor trip.
How we advise
- Up to G+4 and a private home: usually hydraulic.
- Taller, or very busy: usually traction.
- Short on pit depth or headroom: tell us the numbers and we will say what fits.
Not sure what fits your building?
Send your floors, travel and plan. Our engineers reply with what will work and a written quote.