I just got my Lifthor V3 and I have to say - I am not impressed by any means. For $70 the overall quality and value is just not there.
Not to be that guy, but, I have a BS in Plastics Engineering (UW-Stout) and extensive manufacturing experience directly involving thermoplastic component production and assembly process flow. The design itself is cloogey, clunky, and the components are of sub-par build quality with inexpensive raw materials. The components of the V3 are made from acrylic, or PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate). This is a commodity based resin; acrylic is cheap and the structural and mechanical characteristics reflect that fact. Pelican hard cases aren't made out of PMMA for a reason (they are made from some type of glass-reinforced engineering grade polymer). If the Lifthor V3 were made out of a higher quality engineering grade resin, such as ABS, PC, PC-ABS, glass-reinforced nylon, etc., I probably wouldn't be motivated to write this. It's obvious by looking at the curled edges of the frame how this part was manufactured. It began as a standard acrylic sheet from which the initial shape was cut out with an automated laser (accounting for the slightly jagged edges). Next, the acrylic template is heated to the glass-transition temperature of said material, thereby allowing it to be shaped around forms or male molds. This manner of processing can be stressful to thermoplastics on a molecular level, and inherently creates weak points. I have very low expectations for the life span of one of these mounts. If the Lifthor V3 frame were injection molded as opposed to heat formed, I may not be motivated to write this. What's more, if you weren't using a lanyard, and one of these inherently weak joints decides to fail - there goes your monitor device falling to the pavement. Additionally, without the lanyard, this thing is awkwardly balanced, and doesn't feel very comfortable to hold. The mount is not intuitive to fasten to the controller, and I had to fumble with it more than I wanted in order to secure it on the controller. A widget that performs such a simple task should do it well, at least for $70. The mount consumes a large amount of space and requires being broken down into multiple pieces for each use. It almost needs a case of it's own it's so oddly shaped. If the Lifthor V3 were better designed such that it were collapsible and didn't take up such a large footprint while at the same time being easier to use, I may not be motivated to write this.
I almost want to CAD one up myself in Solidworks and spin it on my 3D printer.. if only I had the time.
tl;dr $70 is highway robbery for the overall value and quality of the Lifthor V3. I would not trust your expensive equipment to this cheaply made mount. The irony is the claim they make on their website "cause it's more than just a toy" because their product is made from the same materials as children's toys.
Not to be that guy, but, I have a BS in Plastics Engineering (UW-Stout) and extensive manufacturing experience directly involving thermoplastic component production and assembly process flow. The design itself is cloogey, clunky, and the components are of sub-par build quality with inexpensive raw materials. The components of the V3 are made from acrylic, or PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate). This is a commodity based resin; acrylic is cheap and the structural and mechanical characteristics reflect that fact. Pelican hard cases aren't made out of PMMA for a reason (they are made from some type of glass-reinforced engineering grade polymer). If the Lifthor V3 were made out of a higher quality engineering grade resin, such as ABS, PC, PC-ABS, glass-reinforced nylon, etc., I probably wouldn't be motivated to write this. It's obvious by looking at the curled edges of the frame how this part was manufactured. It began as a standard acrylic sheet from which the initial shape was cut out with an automated laser (accounting for the slightly jagged edges). Next, the acrylic template is heated to the glass-transition temperature of said material, thereby allowing it to be shaped around forms or male molds. This manner of processing can be stressful to thermoplastics on a molecular level, and inherently creates weak points. I have very low expectations for the life span of one of these mounts. If the Lifthor V3 frame were injection molded as opposed to heat formed, I may not be motivated to write this. What's more, if you weren't using a lanyard, and one of these inherently weak joints decides to fail - there goes your monitor device falling to the pavement. Additionally, without the lanyard, this thing is awkwardly balanced, and doesn't feel very comfortable to hold. The mount is not intuitive to fasten to the controller, and I had to fumble with it more than I wanted in order to secure it on the controller. A widget that performs such a simple task should do it well, at least for $70. The mount consumes a large amount of space and requires being broken down into multiple pieces for each use. It almost needs a case of it's own it's so oddly shaped. If the Lifthor V3 were better designed such that it were collapsible and didn't take up such a large footprint while at the same time being easier to use, I may not be motivated to write this.
I almost want to CAD one up myself in Solidworks and spin it on my 3D printer.. if only I had the time.
tl;dr $70 is highway robbery for the overall value and quality of the Lifthor V3. I would not trust your expensive equipment to this cheaply made mount. The irony is the claim they make on their website "cause it's more than just a toy" because their product is made from the same materials as children's toys.
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