Drive types compared
Hydraulic vs electric home lifts: which drive suits your home?
Quick answer
A hydraulic lift uses an electric pump to push oil into a cylinder, and a ram lifts the car. It is smooth, proven and forgiving of irregular structures, and uses hydraulic oil in a sealed system. Modern designs like our Vector Pro need only a small cupboard for the pump, with no machine room.
An electric lift (traction, belt or screw drive) moves the car directly with an electric motor, with no hydraulic oil. Electric drives suit compact, fully contained installs and, with traction, taller buildings and faster speeds.
Our hydraulic and electric home elevators are all built to AS 1735 and run on single phase 230VAC. The right choice comes down to your space, floors and the ride you want.
Side by side
Hydraulic vs Electric (traction, belt, screw)
| Feature | Hydraulic | Electric (traction, belt, screw) |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | A pump pushes oil into a cylinder and a ram raises the car. To go down, a valve releases oil and the car lowers under its own weight. | An electric motor moves the car directly: over a sheave with ropes or belts (traction and belt), or along a rotating screw (screw drive). |
| Space and machine room | Depends on the design. The Vector Pro needs no machine room: thanks to its submerged worm screw hydraulic motor, the pump fits in a small cupboard. | Usually no machine room. The drive sits in the shaft or lift tower. The Atlus is a fully contained screw system. |
| Pit | Vector Pro 120 mm. | Depends on the model. Atlus 50 to 150 mm, Zenith Ultra 150 to 300 mm. The belt-driven Levare range needs no pit. |
| Ride | Known for a smooth, gentle start and stop. Vector Pro: 0.25 m/s. | Smooth, with speed set by the drive. Atlus 0.15 to 0.30 m/s, Zenith Ultra 0.3 to 0.4 m/s, commercial traction up to 2.0 m/s. |
| Power | Single phase 230VAC. The Vector Pro draws around 14 A depending on configuration, less than the standard 32 A typical of electric traction. | Single phase 230VAC for every Lift Ease home lift and the Zenith DDA. The E1 commercial lift is three phase. |
| Maintenance | Regular servicing, including checks on oil level, seals and fittings. | Regular servicing of the motor, belts, ropes or screw. No hydraulic oil to manage. |
| Noise | Depends on the design. The Vector Pro is one of the quietest hydraulic lifts in the Australian market: 42 dB measured on our showroom unit, with no oil smell. | Generally quiet. The Zenith Ultra belt drive is near-silent; the Atlus is a fully contained system. |
| Typical uses | Homes of up to a few storeys, including retrofits with irregular structures. Vector Pro: up to 10 m and 4 stops. | Homes of all sizes, compact retrofits (screw, belt), and commercial and multi-storey buildings (traction). Every Lift Ease commercial passenger elevator is electric traction. |
Maintenance: we recommend at least one service a year for any lift, or twice a year for heavily used lifts.
How a hydraulic home lift works
An electric motor drives a pump that pushes hydraulic oil from a tank into a cylinder. The rising oil pressure extends a ram, which lifts the car. To go down, a valve opens and lets oil flow back to the tank, so the car lowers under its own weight in a controlled way.
Because the motor only works hard on the way up, hydraulic lifts are simple and robust. The trade-off is that they need oil, a pump unit near the shaft, and servicing that includes the oil and seals.
Older hydraulic lifts often needed a machine room. The Vector Pro uses a submerged worm screw hydraulic motor, so its pump needs only a small cupboard, and it is one of the quietest hydraulic lifts in the Australian market.
How an electric home lift works
“Electric” covers several drives. In a traction lift, a motor turns a sheave that moves ropes or belts, usually with a counterweight balancing the car. Belt drives work on the same principle with flat belts. In a screw drive, a motor turns a long threaded screw and the car travels up and down it.
Electric drives need no hydraulic oil, and many are machine-room-less. Traction is the usual choice for taller buildings and higher speeds. Every Lift Ease commercial passenger elevator, including the Zenith DDA and E1, is electric traction, for its superior duty cycle and long-lasting reliability in high-use settings.
Our range
Which Lift Ease lifts use which drive
Every model below is listed with its published drive type. Tap a model for full specifications.
Hydraulic
- Vector Pro Hydraulic
400 kg (5 person), 0.25 m/s, up to 10 m travel and 4 stops, 120 mm pit. Submerged worm screw hydraulic motor: no machine room, just a small pump cupboard.
Electric home elevators
- Zenith Ultra Electric belt drive
450 kg (6 person), 0.3 to 0.4 m/s, up to 15 m travel and 6 levels (G+5), 150 to 300 mm pit. Near-silent advanced belt drive with an energy recovery system and automatic glass doors. Machine-room-less.
- Atlus Electric hybrid screw drive
400 kg (5 person), 0.15 to 0.30 m/s, up to 12 m travel and 5 stops, 50 to 150 mm pit. No oil, battery backup drive. Machine-room-less.
Electric commercial lifts
- Zenith DDA Electric traction (MRL)
Commercial passenger elevator. 1100 × 1400 mm car, 0.3 to 1.0 m/s, up to 10 levels (G+9), built for high cycle counts. Machine-room-less. Single phase 230VAC.
- E1 VVVF traction (MRL)
Commercial. 1.0 to 2.0 m/s, up to 2,500 kg, up to 35 m travel, passenger and goods. Machine-room-less. Three phase power.
Electric compact lifts
- Levare Compact Electric belt motor
Shaft-less, no pit, 170 kg. Installs in about 2 days.
- Levare Plus Electric belt motor
Shaft-less, no pit, 250 kg, 1300 mm deep wheelchair-friendly cabin. Installs in about 2 days.
Platform access lift
- RB150 Electric screw drive · hydraulic variant
Platform access lift for homes, schools, clinics and public buildings. Lifting height 600 to 3,000 mm, DDA compliant, minimal construction. Single phase 230VAC.
The RB150 uses an electric screw drive as standard, with a hydraulic variant available. Hydraulic suits low-duty access lifts; our commercial passenger elevators are traction because of their duty cycle.
Choosing
Which is right for you?
A hydraulic lift may suit you if
- You want a proven, smooth ride in a home of up to four stops.
- Your structure is a little irregular and you want a forgiving system.
- You can spare a small cupboard for the pump (the Vector Pro needs no machine room).
- You like the Vector Pro’s compact footprint and Italian inspired design.
An electric lift may suit you if
- You would rather have no hydraulic oil in the home.
- You need a fully contained install with a shallow pit (Atlus) or no pit at all (Levare).
- You want a luxury glass cabin with a near-silent belt drive (Zenith Ultra).
- It is a commercial or multi-storey building that needs traction speed and capacity (Zenith DDA, E1).
Not sure? Our team will look at your space at a free site visit and recommend the drive that fits. You get a free quote in 24 hours, and home lifts typically install in 1 to 2 weeks once the site is ready.
Common misconceptions
Myths debunked
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Myth Hydraulic lifts are noisy and smell of oil.
Fact Not a modern design like the Vector Pro, one of the quietest hydraulic lifts in the Australian market: our showroom unit measured 42 dB. Its submerged worm screw hydraulic motor runs with no loud noise, and its leak-proof ram design means zero leaks, spills or odours, so there is no oil smell.
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Myth Hydraulic lifts always leak oil.
Fact A hydraulic lift is a sealed system. Leaks come from worn seals or fittings, which is what regular servicing checks for. The Vector Pro adds a leak-proof ram design built for zero leaks, spills or odours.
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Myth Every lift needs a machine room.
Fact Many modern lifts are machine-room-less, with the drive inside the shaft or lift tower. Every Lift Ease lift is machine-room-less. The Atlus is a fully contained screw system, and even our hydraulic Vector Pro needs only a small cupboard for its pump, with no machine room.
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Myth All lifts use oil.
Fact Only hydraulic lifts use hydraulic oil to move the car. Traction, belt and screw drives are moved directly by an electric motor. The Atlus, for example, uses no oil.
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Myth Lifts are too expensive to run.
Fact Every Lift Ease home lift runs on standard single phase 230VAC household power, and a lift only draws significant power while it is moving. Trips are short, and the motor sits idle the rest of the day. The hydraulic Vector Pro draws around 14 A depending on configuration, less than the standard 32 A typical of electric traction. Your actual cost depends on how often you use it and your tariff.
FAQs
Questions we get asked
Is a hydraulic or electric home lift better?
Neither is better for every home. Hydraulic lifts are proven and smooth, and suit homes of up to a few storeys. Electric lifts need no hydraulic oil and suit compact, fully contained installs, and traction suits taller buildings. The best choice depends on your space, floors and the ride you want.
Do hydraulic home lifts leak oil?
A hydraulic lift is a sealed system, and leaks come from worn seals or fittings, which regular servicing checks for. The Vector Pro has a leak-proof ram design built for zero leaks, spills or odours.
Do electric home lifts use oil?
Not to move the car. Traction, belt and screw drives are moved directly by an electric motor. The Atlus, for example, uses no oil.
Which uses more power, hydraulic or electric?
In general, a hydraulic lift works hardest on the way up because it lifts the whole car, while a traction lift with a counterweight only has to move the difference in weight. Current draw is a different question: the hydraulic Vector Pro draws around 14 A depending on configuration, less than the standard 32 A typical of electric traction, which can matter for your switchboard. Every Lift Ease home lift runs on standard single phase 230VAC household power.
Does a hydraulic lift need a machine room?
Not always. Older hydraulic designs often did, but the Vector Pro uses a submerged worm screw hydraulic motor, so its pump needs only a small cupboard, with no machine room. We plan its location at the site visit.
Are both types built to Australian Standards?
Yes. Our full home elevators, the hydraulic Vector Pro and the electric Zenith Ultra and Atlus, are all built to AS 1735, the Australian lift standard.
Do you offer hydraulic commercial passenger lifts?
No. Our commercial passenger elevators, the Zenith DDA and E1, are electric traction only, because of its superior duty cycle and long-lasting reliability in high-use commercial settings. Hydraulic is fine for low-duty lifts: our RB150 platform access lift comes with an electric screw drive as standard or a hydraulic variant.
How long does installation take?
Once the site is ready, Lift Ease home lifts typically install in 1 to 2 weeks, the Levare range in about 2 days, the RB150 platform lift within a week, and commercial passenger elevators (Zenith DDA, E1) in 2 to 4 weeks.
Talk to a lift specialist
Tell us about your home and we’ll recommend the right lift. Free quote in 24 hours.