Farming with Diabetes

Lectra Aid® Person Lift by SFH Products

A Lectra Aid® Person Lift can have a chair seat or step platform on which the operator stands that rises on a vertical lift tube, and swings around to the door frame. The user sits on the chair or stands on the platform, pushes the control button, rises slowly, and swivels the chair or platform into the door opening, where he or she can transfer into the vehicle. The manufacturer understands that each person’s situation is unique, therefore, customizing is a regular part of the business.

Farmer standing on lift attached to tractor.
A farmer tries out the Lectra Aid® lift.
Photo courtesy of SFH Products

Specifications & Costs

The Lectra Aid® Person Lift (available in a step platform or a chair model) is installed next to the door of a recreational vehicle (RV) or inside the door of a van. On a tractor the lift is mounted next to the cab door. Although designed first for use with RVs, only minor modifications are required for use with tractors in most cases. The lift is powered by on a reversing 12-volt DC motor that is powered by the tractor’s battery. Two gear speeds are available. The chair and swing arm bracket can be removed quickly and easily for storage during travel. The double-hinged design of the swing arm bracket allows the durable aluminum chair to turn to any angle for easy loading.

The operator controls the lift with a rocker switch on the motor or an optional remote cable. The operator raises the lift to the desired level where it can be swiveled into the door. To get out, the rider transfers to the chair, which is then swiveled away from the door, and the control switch is pushed causing the chair to descend. The Lectra Aid® Person Lift is engineered for durability and ease of use. Installation requires a minimum of modification to a vehicle, making it an economical solution. Prices for the 48" lift with step start at $2874 plus UPS shipping and for the 48" lift with chair start at $2976 plus UPS shipping.

The lift is a compact 52-60" high with a lift tube of 2.25 inches in diameter, and weighs approximately 50 pounds. Custom options include lift tubes available up to 12 feet long, chairs with 22" width and with extended backs (additional cost is $460). Seat belts and chair padding must be added by the customer. Installation is an additional charge and varies depending on who does it. Complete instructions are provided with the lift.

Safety Considerations

During the past 15 years, over 1500 lifts have been built and installed. Of that number, 30 have been installed on tractors, one on a hay swather, and one on a combine. While the lift raises the operator to the height of the operator platform, and the seat swivels, it does not extend forward to the tractor seat for easy transfers. Therefore, special care should be taken during the transfer process. For the operator to transfer safely from a wheelchair to the lift chair and then to the vehicle seat, he or she must have good upper body strength and stability.

Kentucky Farmer Uses Lectra Aid Lift

David Watkins is a 38-year old Kentucky farmer, who with his mom and dad, runs a 435-acre cow/calf operation. As a result of a fall from a 3930 Ford tractor, he sustained a C5-7 and T12 spinal cord injury.

After conducting a worksite assessment with Watkins, Kentucky AgrAbility staff put him in touch with the state division of vocational rehabilitation (VR). VR purchased a Lectra Aid Person Lift for Watkin’s 3930 Ford tractor with ROPS.

He is still undergoing rehabilitation therapy to help him gain upper body strength and control, which he needs in order to use the lift regularly. Although he is not yet ready to use the lift on his own, he tried accessing the tractor using the Lectra Aid Person Lift and the help of two people. He feels that once he gains the needed strength, the lift will work for him. In the meantime, when his father uses the 3930 Ford, he only has to remove one piece from the lift in order to access the driver’s seat easily.

BACK: Commercial Lifts–Freedom Technologies

NEXT: State Project Feature—Delmarva Project

In This Issue
Section 1: Client Story—Filer Uses Pilot Lift to Access Tractor Section 2: Focus—Commercial Lifts Section 3: Assistive Technology Notes—Commercial Lifts	Section 4: State Project Feature—Delmarva Project Section 5: Tips for Preventing Slips or Falls When Using Tractor Chair Lifts Section 6: Contacts