[h3xadecima1]

I was previously an elevator mechanic and the cost to keep an elevator serviced is not cheap. Major breakdowns can cost an insane amount. Insurance is extremely expensive for businesses that service elevators and its often less lucrative to service passenger elevators. Freight elevators are even more expensive and the repairs are far more frequent due to equipment tearing them up. Consider the current laws on handicap access to a building and how costly keeping these units serviced could be, just to stay compliant. Cable driven systems are most common type for buildings above 3 stories and regulations require cable changes every 5-15 years. Inspections are due every year and some areas will shut down your elevator for noncompliance. Hydraulic elevators usually require the hoistway roof removed and cranes are required. The work is dangerous and even seasoned mechanics die for making a single mistake. Dont even get me started on how the big guys like Thyssen turned their systems into proprietary designs that require special software and interface hardware, all for the sake of locking in clientele. An old dover controller was made to last and be serviced, but all the old systems are becoming more scarce each year. It may not be a crisis, but there's more to this than you think. Regulations and corporate meddling has turned a once stable ecosystem into a money pit. I'm all for the regulations, there's a reason I'm a previous elevator mechanic.

[emchammer]

What is your opinion on machine room-less elevators? The newer ones with a relatively small motor at the top floor of the shaft or on the car? I think that they use a rubber belt? They seem slower and less sturdy to me. I prefer riding in a hydraulically- or cable-driven elevator.