Acorn Superglide Stairlift | Old / New Version - How To Tell The Difference
We have noticed a lot of Acorn stairlifts for sale on various sites such as Ebay, Gumtree and the Facebook Marketplace which are incorrectly listed. Some sellers are advertising the latest Acorn stairlift model for sale when what they are actually selling are much older versions.
Making sure your buying the latest Acorn stairlift can be tricky as they can look very similar. You can however tell them apart by some visual differences which can be spotted or asked about before buying.
Below are details on how to spot the difference between each Acorn model.
Don't get ripped off!
If you are considering buying an older Acorn Stairlift model you should be fully aware of it's age and consider that replacement parts for these models can now be hard to obtain or even obsolete. This could hinder any potential repairs going forward leaving you stranded. Below is a guide on how to spot the different models.
Remember Brooks Stairlifts and Acorn Stairlifts come under the same ownership so the below guide is also applicable to the various Brooks Stairlift models. The only difference between Brooks Stairlifts and Acorn stairlifts is the colour and the badge - everything else is the same.
ACORN SUPERGLIDE STAIRLIFT
The Acorn Superglide is one of the earlier models still appearing for sale. It was released in the early to mid 90's so is now over twenty years old. Parts for these models are hard to come by so try to stay away when buying.
Look for: One control stick (usually black) on top of the arm Key switch on underside of arm Oval hole in the back rest One black swivel lever Pink Fabric seat and backrest |
Also the depth of the carriage (the bit under the chair) is much bulker than the newer models.
ACORN 120 STAIRLIFT
The Acorn 120 stairlift, also known as the Acorn 120 Superglide is fairly common on Ebay, Facebook and Gumtree because it is a reliable machine even after all these years. But beware lots of parts for the 120 are no longer manufactured and this model and can potentially be to up to 10-15 years old.
Look for: One black swivel lever Pink Fabric seat and backrest Longer arms, less swivel radius Dual toggles switches |
Also look for things like the serial sticker which is located on the downside of the carriage (the bit under the seat), the sticker usually indicates the model number.
ACORN 130 (T502 VERSION) STAIRLIFT
The Acorn 130 (T502 version) stairlift was released around 2014. The 130 T502 features a number of aesthetic upgrades and internal refinements over the 120 model. Updates include fire retardant upholstery, dual toggle paddle switches, dual paddle swivel levers and arm safety sensors. Spotting the difference between a 130 model and the newer 130 T700 is tricky because there are no obvious differences without opening the stairlift to check parts such as the Printed Circuit Board - most of the T700 upgrades are internal.
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The only visual thing to look out for without opening the stairlift is the plug transformer (black means it's the T502 model and White means it's the newer T700 model) and also look for the serial sticker (as shown above) which is located on the downside of the carriage. The sticker usually indicates the model number - if it doesn't say T700 then it's the older model.
ACORN 130 T700 (LATEST MODEL) STAIRLIFT
The Acorn 130 T700 stairlift is the very latest and up to date Acorn stairlift model on the market. The 130 T700 model was introduced around late 2016/ early 2017.
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How do you tell the difference between 130 (T502) and the 130 (T700)?
Unfortunately the T700 and the T502 look near identical so telling them apart can be difficult. You should look for the serial sticker which is located on the downside of the carriage, this should state if it's a T700 model. If it doesn't say T700 then it's not the latest model unfortunately. Also look for the plug transformer, the T700 transformer is white, the older T502 model is black.
So why did they revise the 130 model so soon?
The main revision was to the battery charging system. On older Acorn stairlift models including the T502, if for example the stairlift was left off charge from the mains for a very long time the batteries would eventually deplete completely. Once depleted fully the batteries would no longer recharge meaning replacement batteries would be required for the stairlift to work again. The T700 introduced a new system where the batteries can no longer deplete fully. If for example the T700 is left off charge for a long period then the stairlift will automatically go in to sleep mode. Once in sleep mode, the batteries retain charge so that when a charging connection is re-established the batteries can be fully recharged again.
Did you know that we offer the latest Acorn 130 T700 version stairlift for only £995.00 fitted with 12 months warranty. To see details on this stairlift, please click here Acorn 130 T700 Stairlift