Lift-o-Matic Rotary

If I could give this more than 5 starts, I would. I have had my clothesline for about 3 weeks now. Putting the base in the ground wasn't too bad. I put a board on top of the base and used a 10 lb sledge to drive it in, checking regularly to ensure I was keeping it straight. Very important to keep it straight. Once it was in the ground and the pole was in place, I am careful to load the lines up evenly to keep the weight distributed. And I put the heaviest laundry closest to the pole. Putting the pole into the base is easy, all of it is lightweight but sturdy at the same time. When the pole is not in place, the cover for the base works wonderfully. It stays in place and keeps rain and debris out of the base, as designed. I always put the cover on the pole and lines and then remove the pole to my garage when it is not in use. I love the easy of loading this unit up with wet laundry. It spins very easily and I just stand in one spot with my basket while putting the laundry up. The height adjustment is a little misleading since the lines get tighter the higher you go. I want my lines tight so I go as high as I can. The unit spins itself as well when it is breezy. I'm not worried about that though since it seems to not damage the pole in any way. I have no idea about how it will hold up over time but I expect that it will be just fine since I do store it inside.

The one I bought is the 196-foot Lift-O-Matic, the one with the greatest capacity. Very rare for most products, this one actually is as good as the packaging and on-line promotional language says it is. I received mine a week or so ago and have used it twice. It functioned exactly as described, and it was constructed exactly that way as well. I did not purchase this until I had spent hours investigating what appeared to be the leading outdoor clothes dryer devices, including much reading of many reviews on all sorts of sites, both independent and not. This unit is well worth the investment, so far as I can see. One matter, not addressed anywhere that I found in all my site-jumping and reading, deserves attention, which I will give it because it applied to me and surely will apply to others, even if not many. The soil here is infused at its top layer with the heaviest sort of clay-ish deposit, called caliche. It is extremely difficult to dig through, especially when trying to drive the Brabantia hollow heavy-duty anchor spike into it. Using a board between the hammer and spike top as directed (I used a 2 x 4) to keep from deforming the spike, I pounded and pounded until my arm was ready to fall off. I had driven it in maybe three inches at the end of 45 minutes. Next, I resorted to a 5.5-foot, 17-pound steel digging bar with a pointed tip, driving that repeatedly into the ground. After exhaustive (and exhausting) effort, I had gone another few inches, but I still was not halfway deep enough. Now what? Someone long ago had left a very corroded long-shank one-inch wood drill bit---maybe 20 inches in total length---in my garage. It probably had been used decades ago to drill holes through studs for electrical conduit. Somehow, I had not thrown it away, and it occurred to me that perhaps this would help. I attached it to an old manual drill brace and began to drill. Amazingly, it drilled down past the necessary distance within maybe one minute. I drilled another hole right next to it the same way. With those two one-inch holes drilled, the anchor spike was in place at the proper depth within maybe five minutes of vigorous pounding. I immediately put up the dryer to ensure that it was decently plumb, which it was (I had used a level along the way), and soon had the first load of wash fluttering on it. It is a grand piece of machinery very cleverly designed. If you need an outside dryer and don't want to put up T-poles with rope in between for a permanent setup, this or one of its smaller brethren is the one to get.

Make sure you know where to place this amazing drying rack in your garden. Installation was very easy and clearly detailed on packaging. Once I had the stake in place the umbrella drying rack easily slid in. Very sturdy. Easy to open up. It arrived quickly and I placed it in my garden the very next day and tried it out. Very, very happy with my purchase. Although my rack is a bit leaning because I didn't go in straight like I should have. Fixing that next weekend. But that had nothing to do with the product itself.

I bought this to use on my deck. (There are too many deer where I live to put it in my yard!) I'd installed it in an umbrella stand, and with the rack only half-filled, it tipped over and two of the arms got bent. It took some doing, but I finally got them straight enough to use again, though they're still obviously bent. At that point, I got a different stand where the sheath for the pole was much longer and the stand is also a planter box with two wheels to make it easier to move when needed. That was not only very sturdy, it made it so I could roll the whole thing indoors when I needed to do laundry when it was too wet or cold outside. I like the fact that it can be folded up and covered when not in use. It keeps the lines clean, and has a more attractive profile that way, especially with it indoors for the winter. The cover happens to be in a color that works with my furnishings (indoors and out), helping it to blend in rather than stick out. I like that it's waterproof, has a good zipper that slides easily, and even though I'm on the short side (5'3"), I can take it off and put it back on without difficulty. I love the smell of laundry dried on a line. Nothing is better than sleeping on sheets dried outdoors on a clothesline! I particularly love the fact that my electric bill went down 25%, even though there were more days in the billing cycle, and the average temperature only went down 1%, according to the bill I got the month after I started using it. I'd no idea the dryer used that much electricity! I'll be moving soon, and I've told my realtor that my new home must be in an area that will allow me to keep using this clothesline. Anything else is a deal-breaker!

I am writing this review after over a year of usage and can truly swear by the following qualities. 1. Exceptional Build Quality & Stability This model is absolutely sturdy—it feels rock-solid, even when fully loaded. The robust base and solid frame ensure it won’t wobble or shift when standing freely outside. The sturdy construction inspires confidence. You can load it heavily without worrying about it tipping over or sagging. No flimsy joints or wobbly lines here—it’s built to last. 2. Adjustable & Family-Friendly Design It's delightfully easy to adjust, especially appreciated by households with varying user heights. The crank height can be lowered for shorter users—this means every member of the family can conveniently adjust the line tension without needing a step stool or running an inclined arm workout. Tightening or loosening the line system is a smooth, effortless process—no jams, no awkward movements. This enables efficient use, especially when you're in a rush between school runs or batting orders in a four-person household. 3. Premium Line Material Each line is crafted from thick, durable material—far superior to many alternatives. The lines remain taut under the weight of heavy, soaked laundry, yet they resist sagging or fraying even after many wash cycles. This definitely increases longevity—it’s built to withstand consistent, heavy use without compromising quality. 4. Generous Capacity for Family Use For my family of four, this airer comfortably accommodates 3–4 full loads of weekly washing. Bulkier items like bath towels or sheets don't flip, fall, or crowd out the rest—you can rotate the arms without dislodging items, so everything still dries efficiently. The 60 m drying length means no single item is compromised for the sake of fitting it all—you get full coverage with adequate spacing for airflow. 5. Down-to-Earth Day-to-Day Usability Lowering and raising the airer’s handle is consistently smooth and noiseless—a small detail that makes a difference during everyday use. There's no fiddling or force required—cleaning becomes less of a chore and more of an efficient routine. It is very strongly made which means it lasts a long time

super solide et très pratique conforme a tout

Our rotary clothes line finally gave up the ghost so it was time to buy another. After some searching, the Brabantia - Lift-O-Matic Advance looked really sturdy albeit a lot more expensive than the others. Ideally I wanted it to fit in hole that the old rotary dryer used. I measured up as best I could and it looked like it might fit. Unfortunately, it didn't. The 'Advance' needs a 50mm hole but our existing hole was about 4mm too small. After looking on the Brabantia web site, it turns out that they make similar non 'Advance' rotary dryers which use a 45mm hole - Amazon sell them as well. I wish I had checked that first! I wasn't about to return the 'Advance' so I decided to use the supplied spike and make a new hole (the old hole was in concrete so that wasn't coming out easily). First I made sure that the fully extended dryer had enough room to turn. I would say you want to allow a radius of at least 1.6m from the centre. The spike seems huge - somewhere around 45-50cm, I wasn't sure if was going to be able to push something that big into the ground. I started by giving the area a light watering, then I used a spade to make a cross pattern in the grass. Next I started drilling as deep as I could with a 16mm x400mm drill bit to loosen all the soil in a 20mm radius (don't make it too big) around the centre and also make sure there was nothing really hard 'down there'. Once the soil was loose, I started scooping it out as best I could with a spoon, getting rid of as many stones along the was as possible. I could only get down around 25cm that way but it was a good start. So, next was the spike. I pushed it in as far as possible then put a piece of wood across the top of it and started hitting the wood gently (at first) but firmly with a hammer (I didn't have a mallet). This was a slow process as I also needed to make sure the spike was going in straight. I guess it took between 20-30mins of almost continuous hammering but eventually, the spike was all the way in. Finally it was time to put the actual dryer in the spike. Although the spike was very firmly in the ground, to my surprise, the dryer fit inside the spike was quite loose (maybe by about 2mm) and I needed to put a few small sticks in keep it rigid. It was worth all the effort. The dryer looks very impressive; sturdy and easy to push up & down. We especially like that it comes with a nice looking cover and matching peg bag. it is still very new so there may yet be an issue with something. If there is, I will update this review. But, for the moment, we really like it

Great feature with adjustable height useful for smaller persons, well worth the extra cost for a great product

It's good. It's made of quality materials and is very sturdy. The grounding stake pounds down easy enough, just use common sense and follow the directions. I left mine up out of the ground about 1 inch to keep sand from sliding into it. The lines are as strong as you want to push up to make them. I did 2 or 3 loads and it held everything. It looks like it can hold a comforter easily... I mean not vertically, but if you aren't speshul you can fold it over a few of the lines and give it more room to dry. Other reviewers are super picky, this thing is a good buy. One thing: I can't seem to put it up or down without it grabbing my neck. I have to crouch under it to raise and lower. Also: it covers a very large area. be prepared with about the size of a shed.