Does the GoLift ceiling hoist work with other branded tracks?

The GoLift ceiling hoist is one of the most popular hoist systems on the market, ideal for a different care environment, such as care homes, educational settings and in Changing Places.

But for lots of venues, upgrading to a modern hoist can feel like a huge investment — especially if you’ve got a complex track system to replace.

Luckily, there’s an answer:

You might not have to replace your tracks at all.

Here’s what makes the GoLift compatible with a wide range of track systems — and how a simple retrofit could help your venue save money.

Why would you use a different track?

Some hospitals and care homes have had their ceiling hoist track systems in place for years.

Over time, you might be looking to upgrade your hoists — with new models that use advanced tech to give you and your clients more features and improved safety.

But in many cases, the tracks you have in place are in perfect working order. And replacing them would be an unnecessary waste.

Replacing the tracks means extensive work (and extensive costs!). So instead of upgrading the entire system, lots of care homes will simply upgrade their hoists — and keep on using the same track system that’s already installed.

What types of tracks does the GoLift work with?

The GoLift is primarily designed for its own branded track system — the GoTrack.

Like lots of other branded tracks, GoTrack can be installed with a wide range of track layouts, including:

• Straight or curved tracks
• X-Y tracks (‘H’ system tracks)
• Fixed tracks or gantry tracks
• Tracks spanning multiple rooms
• Transition gates and turntables.

You can find similar features and layouts in the track systems used by other brands — such as Prism, Arjo, MoLift, and Freeway.

So, no matter how complex your existing setup is, the GoLift ceiling hoist is already designed to handle a similar track layout.

Does it work straight out of the box?

While the standard GoLift is compatible with lots of other branded tracks, it does need a retrofit before it can be used.

In most cases, it’s a small modification to the trolley (the part that sits inside the track itself).

So, if you’ve been using a ceiling hoist from another brand — and you’re upgrading the hoist to a GoLift — our teams can give your new hoist the tweaks it needs to work perfectly with your existing tracks.

With the GoLift Portable, switching over to a new mobile hoist is easy:

If you’ve been using a mobile hoist from another brand — one that detaches from the track — you won’t need any modifications or retrofitting to start using the GoLift Portable on your old track system.

Because these portable units are designed to clip in and out (leaving behind the trolley inside the track), there’s nothing on the hoist unit that needs to be compatible with the track.

But watch out:

If your existing track system is for a standard (non-portable hoist), you won’t be able to use the GoLift Portable straight out of the box.

If you’re upgrading from a non-portable track to a portable hoist system, you may need to change the trolley inside the track to make it compatible with the clip-on GoLift Portable.

What about charging?

With a standard GoLift, you’ve got the option of in-rail charging — something that makes life easier for your teams and reduces the chance of your hoist running out of power.

It’s a huge benefit for convenience and reliability. But it’s a feature that only works with hoist tracks systems that have charging strips built into the tracks.

If your existing tracks weren’t designed for in-rail charging, you won’t be able to use this feature when you fit a GoLift onto your track system.

But that doesn’t mean the GoLift won’t work with your tracks:

You can also charge the GoLift with the included battery charger — without using the optional in-rail charging.

So, if you’ve been shopping for a new hoist system — and in-rail charging is a must-have feature?

You may need to replace your existing track system, as well as replacing your hoists.

How can I get a retrofit for a GoLift?

If you’re looking to upgrade your hoist systems (without the huge costs of replacing your tracks), we’re ready to help.

Our expert teams can make the modifications you need to get your GoLift up and running with almost any branded track on the market — so your practice can save time and money and avoid the disruption of extensive installations.

Start a chat with one of the team to find out more — and we’ll help you find exactly what you need.

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