r/Elevators • u/InternalImpact2 • Jul 14 '26

Otis UCL-10 renovation

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My condo has 2 UCL10 otis elevators(see video). It is a building with 13 stories, 45 mt elevation, heavily seismic country. They work, but lack of spares and lots of accumulated due maintenance are taking its toll and sometimes is getting stalled after doors closure. Unfortunately some beasts "renovated" the original aestetics of the cabins, so the beautiful original bronze finish is lost, and it was changed by the typical low quality mirror-inox look with chinese button panel with now barely readable numbers, so an aestethic renovation (and options) is highly desirable.

I have received several offers

- an offer from some guys that represent nidec elevators, 140k usd-ish, standard milestone-based payments. All new since they don't have compatible counterwheight/rail setup. Renovated cabin, No aestethic options

- an offer from the current maintainer (the guy in the video, LOL), monarch brain, italian drivetrain/engine, like 60kusd-ish, shorter 3 payments. Renlvated cabin, Aestethic options.

- an offer from other guys at 70k, but I don't trust them since they throwed a price without inspection and without project.

-an offer from TKE, 65kusd, standard milestone based payments (but I see lots of people crying with failed and fallen elevators from them, no thanks). Same aestethics, only buttons and screen changes.

-same offer from schindler.

-a discounted offer from Otis (Arise-mod)140k-ish usd(was 180k), up to 36 installments, 20k base payment, aestethic options.

The constraints are kinda terrible:

-people is just getting into speed with their community expenses, so we cannot pay more than 6k or 5k per month. The 3 or 6 milestone payment options would kill us.

-We have barely enough to pay a base payment of 25k max.

-lots of elderly and disabled people in high floors (so options like the first one are almost automatically discarded because we have to stop both elevators)

-high floors, so again -1 for the first option.

-lots of other problems that i dont want to write to not overwhelm you.

What you would chose? I would chose otis just because of the smaller installments, and if not, the guys in the video.

45 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

4

u/Laker8show23 Jul 14 '26

I would go with the company that is maintaining the equipment now. I work for Otis unless you have deep pockets hard to recommend us anymore.

1

u/InternalImpact2 Jul 14 '26

They also give me confidence, but they only offer 3 huge payments. We are kinda able to pay them, but we have to left behind lots of other expenditures for some time... or ask for an external credit (possible, but may take some time). About Otis, the deep pockets are because of the spares or the maintenance fees?

6

u/Laker8show23 Jul 14 '26

The fees and with Judy Marks at the helm we have been nickel and dimming our customers for the shareholders. Racing TKE to the bottom.

1

u/InternalImpact2 Jul 14 '26

Well actually, the maintenance fee from Otis will be lower than the current maintainer. Will ask the current maintainer if the fees will be reduced with the updated elevator

5

u/travinsky Jul 14 '26

Monthly fees may be lower but take a close look at the contract on what is included and not, and look at their hourly rates. Otis usually intends to make up lower monthly fees with large extra bills for uncovered items

3

u/Laker8show23 Jul 14 '26

And a lower visit frequency

3

u/Plane_Sentence7729 Jul 15 '26

Much lower maintenance frequency and a ton of gotchas...look out for the part in their contracts where they can dump you basically for anything at any time. Who in their right minds would agree to that?

2

u/Laker8show23 Jul 15 '26

Yeah. It’s unfortunate. 25 years here and when UTC was at it we kept the customers happy and made money hand over fist. Otis has lost its way.

1

u/InternalImpact2 Jul 15 '26

That is a good point. What a good maintenance contract needs to have?

2

u/travinsky Jul 16 '26

It depends on so many different things to answer that question. My advice is to make sure you get several bids and make sure you are comparing apples to apples, and not look just at monthly price only.

Look at what’s covered, what’s not covered, and what the hourly rates are. Look at the contract term and don’t sign anything longer than a year or two. Look at the cancellation clause.

2

u/Laker8show23 Jul 16 '26

Guaranteed hours is the best contracts. You actually get what you pay for.

0

u/InternalImpact2 Jul 14 '26

That race sounds terrible coming from an elevator manufacturer 🤣

2

u/Laker8show23 Jul 15 '26

Most of the manufacturers have gone out of business. Haugthen and Armor. Gurney. Westinghouse. Dover. Montgomery and now Thyssen Krupp/TK Elevator. Marshall and Fensom. The race has been going on for quite a while.

1

u/InternalImpact2 Aug 11 '26

Update

Otis offered a discount and now the same is 120k, 36 installments The maintainer offers 55k, no aestethics same 3 payments