If you’ve ever found yourself waiting an extra minute for a small goods lift to carry boxes from your stockroom to the shipping counter, or worrying that its speed is too fast and items might tip or jam, you’re not alone. As a small goods lift supplier, I get at least three or four calls a week from customers saying the lift they installed last month feels too slow or too jerky, and they’re not sure how to fix it. The good news is that adjusting the speed of a small goods lift isn’t as complicated as it sounds—especially for the compact, reliable models we design for small businesses like cafes, retail stores, and small warehouses. Most of the time, speed issues come from small, easy-to-adjust settings, not major mechanical problems. Today I’m breaking down exactly how to adjust your lift’s speed safely, what to watch for, and when to call our team for help. Small Goods Lift
First, let’s get a quick basics: small goods lifts (sometimes called dumbwaiters, though our models are built with way more safety features than traditional dumbwaiters) run on one of two main systems: electric hydraulic or electric traction. The system type is the biggest factor in how you adjust speed, so I always ask customers to confirm which they have before walking through steps. Most modern small goods lifts for small businesses use electric traction—think of a system with a motor, steel cables, and a counterweight that works like a giant pulley to move the lift car smoothly. Hydraulic models use a fluid pump to push a ram that lifts the car, which is common for lifts that carry heavier items, like 50 or 70 pound boxes, instead of the 25 or 35 pound limit for most traction models. I’ll cover both, starting with the more common traction models since that’s what 70% of our clients install.
Before you touch any part of your lift, safety has to be your number one priority. I learned this early on when a new customer tried to adjust their lift while it was still plugged in, and accidentally pressed the call button, sending the car lurching and almost hitting them. Always start by cutting power to the lift. Our models have a dedicated power switch usually located near the lift control panel, or sometimes in the ceiling of the top level or the floor of the bottom level—never adjust speed with the power on, even if the lift is stopped. You should also make sure the lift car is all the way at the bottom level before starting any work. If it’s not, you can use the manual release function (it’s clearly labeled in the user manual that comes with every lift we sell) to lower it to the ground floor, just in case something shifts while you’re adjusting parts. Also, never adjust the lift’s speed beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Every small goods lift we ship has a maximum safe speed printed on the technical spec sheet—usually between 20 and 30 feet per minute for traction models, a bit slower for hydraulic ones. Going faster than that can put too much strain on the motor, wear out parts faster, and even cause items to slip out of the car mid-lift.
Now, let’s dive into adjusting a traction small goods lift, which is what most of our commercial clients have. The main speed control here is the variable frequency drive (VFD), a small, box-shaped component usually mounted near the motor or the control cabinet on the top level of the lift. Think of the VFD as the lift’s “brain” for speed—it regulates how much power the motor gets at different points in the lift’s run: accelerating from a stop, cruising in the middle of the shaft, and slowing down as it approaches the next floor. If your lift feels jerky when it starts or stops, that’s usually a VFD issue, and if it’s consistently too fast or too slow, that’s also a VFD adjustment.
To access the VFD, you’ll usually need to remove a small cover from the motor housing or the control cabinet—most covers twist off with a simple screw, no special tools needed. Once you have it open, you’ll see a series of small knobs or a digital display with settings for acceleration, deceleration, and maximum speed. Let’s take this step by step: if your lift is consistently moving too slow, you’ll adjust the maximum speed setting first. The VFD has a label that will say something like “max speed” or “Vmax” next to the relevant pin or digital input. Use a small flathead screwdriver or the included adjustment tool (we include one in every maintenance kit we send our clients) to turn the knob or type in a new number. Start by increasing the max speed by 5 feet per minute increments—don’t jump up more than that at a time, because it can throw the lift’s balance off. After each adjustment, put the cover back on, turn the power back on, and test the lift by carrying a light test load (we recommend empty boxes or a 10 pound weight, so you don’t risk breaking anything) from the bottom to the top and back. If it’s still too slow, add another 5 feet per minute and test again. If it’s too fast, dial it back 5 feet per minute until it feels smooth.
If your lift feels jerky when it starts or stops, that’s an acceleration or deceleration issue, which is also adjusted on the VFD. The labels here will say “acceleration” or “Acc” and “deceleration” or “Dec”. Acceleration is how fast the lift gets up to speed when it leaves a floor, and deceleration is how slowly it slows down when approaching a new floor. For most small goods lifts, acceleration should be between 1 and 2 seconds to get to max speed—any faster than that and the lift will lurch, any slower and it will feel like it’s dragging. To adjust this, turn the acceleration knob slightly clockwise to slow it down, or counterclockwise to speed it up. Do the same for deceleration—we recommend deceleration be a bit slower than acceleration, around 2 to 3 seconds, to make sure the lift stops smoothly without jostling items. Again, test after every small adjustment. I always tell our clients to do three test runs: one empty, one with a medium load, and one with a full load, because heavier items will feel the effect of speed and acceleration more than light ones.
Now, if you have a hydraulic small goods lift, the adjustment process is a little different. Hydraulic lifts don’t use a VFD—they use a flow control valve, a small metal valve mounted near the hydraulic pump on the top or bottom level of the lift. This valve controls how much fluid flows into the ram, which directly controls how fast the lift moves. Hydraulic lifts are usually slower than traction models, between 15 and 25 feet per minute, and they’re common for carrying heavier loads like bulk stock or large boxes.
Adjusting a hydraulic lift’s speed is also straightforward, but you’ll still want to cut power and make sure the car is at the bottom first. Locate the flow control valve—it’s a small, shiny metal valve with a flathead slot on top, usually marked “flow” or “speed”. Turning the valve clockwise slows the lift down, and turning it counterclockwise speeds it up, again in small increments. For hydraulic lifts, it’s extra important to test with a full load, because the fluid pressure changes when the lift is carrying more weight, which can make the speed feel inconsistent. If your hydraulic lift is slower on its upward run than its downward run, that’s normal—gravity helps with the descent, so you’ll usually only need to adjust the upward speed to make it consistent. Never adjust the valve more than a quarter turn at a time, because too much flow can cause the ram to move too fast, leading to fluid leaks or even damage to the pump.
Now, what if you’ve tried adjusting these settings and the lift still feels off? Or maybe you’re not comfortable opening the VFD or touching the flow control valve on your own? That’s totally fine, and it’s why our team offers free guidance for all clients within the first year of purchasing a lift from us. I’ve heard too many stories of customers trying to force a VFD adjustment or a valve turn, only to end up with a lift that won’t run at all. Remember, small goods lifts are built for reliability, and they have safety features that will kick in if something’s wrong—like an overspeed switch that cuts power if the lift goes faster than the maximum safe speed. If you test your lift and the safety switch engages, don’t keep adjusting—call us immediately, because that’s a sign you’ve gone too far, and it could damage the motor or the control system.
There are also a few other things that can affect your lift’s speed that aren’t adjustments at all. For example, if you haven’t had your lift serviced in more than a year, worn cables (for traction models) or clogged fluid filters (for hydraulic models) can slow the lift down, making it feel like a speed adjustment is needed when actually you just need a basic maintenance check. We recommend quarterly inspections for all small goods lifts, because small issues like a loose guide rail or a dirty control panel can add up to bigger speed or safety problems. Another common culprit is an overloaded lift—every small goods lift has a weight limit, usually clearly marked on the inside of the car. If you’re constantly carrying boxes that are 10 or 15 pounds over the limit, the motor or pump has to work harder, making the lift slower. That’s not a speed issue—it’s an overload issue, and it’s a safety hazard too.
As a small goods lift supplier, my number one goal isn’t just to sell you a lift—it’s to make sure it works for your business for years to come. I’ve seen so many small business owners waste time and money on unnecessary repairs because they tried to adjust their lift’s speed incorrectly, or ignored a small issue because they thought it was normal. The most important thing to remember is that adjusting your lift’s speed should be slow, methodical, and safe. Never work on a live lift, never adjust beyond the manufacturer’s max speed, and always test with different loads after every change.
If you’ve tried these steps and your lift is still not running the way it should, or if you’re planning to install a new small goods lift and want to make sure it’s set up with the right speed for your specific needs, our team is here to help. We work with cafes, retail stores, small warehouses, and office buildings to build and customize small goods lifts that fit exactly what you need—whether that’s a faster speed for a busy café that needs to move pastries and supplies quickly, or a slower, more stable speed for a small warehouse that carries heavy inventory. We also offer affordable maintenance plans, so you never have to worry about your lift’s speed or safety down the line.
If you’re ready to talk about adjusting your current lift, or if you’re looking to purchase a new small goods lift that’s perfectly calibrated for your space, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to answer all your questions, help you troubleshoot speed issues, and make sure your small goods lift works as efficiently as possible for your business.
Order Pickers References
- National Elevator Industry, Inc. Safety Standards for Small Goods Lifts, 2021.
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Performance Requirements for Material Lifts, 2019.
- Lift and Escalator Industry Association. Basic Maintenance and Adjustment Guidelines for Dumbwaiters and Small Goods Lifts, 2022.
Qingdao Eterlift Machinery Co., Ltd.
Qingdao Eterlift Machinery Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional small goods lift manufacturers and suppliers in China, specialized in providing high quality lifting platforms made in China. We warmly welcome you to buy cheap small goods lift for sale here from our factory. For customized service, contact us now.
Address: Dongguzhen Industrial Park, Chengyang District, Qingdao, China
E-mail: sales@eterlift.com
WebSite: https://www.eterlifts.com/
