Sanus VMAA18B Articulating Wall Mount for 30″ to 50″ Displays
Posted: November 7th, 2010 | Author: admin | Filed under: Buy 3D TV | Tags: Articulating, displays, Mount, Sanus, VMAA18B, Wall | 5 Comments »
- Weight capacity: 130 lbs.
- Extension arm extends display from 3 1/4″ to 19 1/2″ off wall
- Virtual Axis¿ tilt adjustment system
- Includes mounting hardware
Product Description
Sanus VMAA18b-01 Large Full-Motion Mount for 30-52″ TVs The VisionMount VMAA18-01 is a full-motion wall mount for large flat-panel TVs. Sanus Systems’ Virtual Axis™ tilting system provides effortless tilting movement with the touch of a finger. Full-motion allows tilt, swivel, pan, and extend motions up to 19.75 inches from the wall. Mount can be rotated ±6º after installation to ensure TV is perfectly level. Its extruded aluminum and solid heavy-gauge steel construction offers a sleek, high-tech look while providing strength and durability. Universal mounting pattern fits virtually any 30 to 50 inch LCD or plasma TV up to 130 lbs.
Sanus VMAA18B Articulating Wall Mount for 30″ to 50″ Displays
I got this type wall mount for the swivel side to side and tilt up / down adjustment to view. It has GREAT left / right ( side to side ) movement with OK Tilt adjustment. I have a 50″ Pioneer Elite 1140 Plasma ( 80lbs )
The overall wall mount design is OK, they might have made it a bit easier to get to the connections after the mounting hardware is installed ( that cost them a star ) It appears to be sturdy and robust enough to handle the 50″ plasma.
The manufatcturer does NOT reccomend this unit for brick or mason. ONLY approved for drywall with wood studs installlation
If you are going to DIY : YOU MUST HAVE 2 PEOPLE…you need extra hands to move the TV and mount it. Don’t try it yourself.
Attaching the frame base to the wall: If you are NOT handy with tools and measurements, able to use drills, levels and a stud finder….PAY for installation…this is not time to experiment, a failure will be very expensive.
The wall layout and position of the TV on the wall:
My wall is a drywall and studs 8 feet high, and 8 feet wide to mount against. My TV is 28″ high, 48″ wide ( without the side speakers attached, 52″ attached ) I decided for viewing, the top of the TV was 20″ from the ceiling and the bottom of the TV was 48″ up from the floor. I left 24″ on each side from the TV edge to the side wall. You decide what position will work best for you and locate accordingly. Take good measurements and double check the math.
You MUST BE handy with hand tools and know how to find the studs in drywall. Use a level to be certain, the wall is NOT going to be level / square. Level to the wall frame base, not the wall. The wall frame ( base ) attaches with (4) 3/8″ x 2 1/2″ lag screws. 1 in each corner of the frame and MUST drill into the center of the studs. Use a good quality stud finder and mark you spots to drill. I used a 1/8″ drill bit for a pilot hole to be sure I was hitting wood. I used a 18V drill with a 7/16 socket to drive the 4 lag screws into the 4 pilot holes and left the screw out a few turns. I finished tightening them down by hand with a socket wrench, to make sure it was tight fit, but not overtighten and bust the screw out of the wood as the drill might do. ( Hint put a bit of turtle wax or liquid dish soap on the lag screw threads to make them go in a bit easier )
I was a bit luck here, there was a cross piece of wood between the studs right where I wanted to mount, so I put in an extra lag screw in the frame center from my own screw supply for just in case.
Attaching the mount to the TV: YOU MUST protect the TV face / screen
You have to lay the TV on it’s face to attach the hardware on the back. Lay down a nice soft blanket, nothing rough to protect the surface and screen. I used the dining room table with a soft quilt. The included instructions were OK, not great for attaching the mounting hardware. BEWARE there is a chance of PINCH POINTS as the mounting hardware can swivel.
After the mounting hardware is attached, and the base frame is secure to the wall, now is the time. 2 people to attach the TV to the frame base. It attaches easy, but the bottom screws to tighten were hard to turn. Be prepared to catch the TV after first installing to the wall incase of any screw failure or hardware issues.
Important note: Flush against the wall the TV may be level and when fully extended it may be off just a bit. As the TV get further away from the wall, the arm mount acts more like a lever than a mount and applies force to the base bracket differently than when it is a flush fit.
There are mounting adjustments to level the TV after wall installation.
All in all…it wasn’t too bad a project. About 2 hours from beginning to end and watching the TV.
Rating: 4 / 5
This mount seems to be very sturdy. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. Very easy to install, probably took less than 30 minutes. Used to mount my Samsung LSN4051D. Mount fits the LCD perfectly without restricting any of the cables. Mounted on a 40″ diagonal wall in family room. Articulating arm makes it nice to rotate for best viewing anywhere in the room. The bolts used to mount the LCD to the Monitor Bracket were too short for the 4051D. It requires a metric bolt. An M6x12 is provided but barely makes contact, if at all, with the threaded holes on the LCD. An M6x18 would be better and a M6x16 may work. I could not find an M6x18 so I used an M6x20 and an extra washer so the bolt would not bottom out on the LCD but would secure it’s self using all the threads on the LCD. The Wire tie clips, Wire ties Safety bolts and Preventor bolts were missing. Used what I had for now. Called Sanus and they are suppose to be sending replacements. Ordered through Amazon.com. Cost was about 1/2 of what BB wanted. Shipping was excellent. They shipped (plus free shipping)the day I ordered and I received the mount 4 days later. Have always had good experience with Amazon.com.
Rating: 5 / 5
The good: great product, well designed and built, easy to read instructions, relatively straightforward and simple mounting, great price through Amazon (saved about $160 compared to Best Buy), free shipping – and item arrived several days ahead of earliest advertised delivery date.
The bad: some screws and cable ties were missing (I checked under my coffee table three times). I had enough of the right size and length screws to perfectly mount my 50″ Panasonic, but I was given only one of two “safety” screws, and I didn’t receive the “preventor” bolts or “wire clips”. I have yet to call Sanus to see if they will send replacement parts (otherwise I will need to buy some screws at the hardware store, a task made a bit more difficult since the instructions don’t specifiy the size or thread gage of the missing screws).
Rating: 4 / 5
I bought the Sanus mount for my new Sony KDL40XBR6. I needed a swivel mount for my room configuration.
I like the general look and feel of the mount. It fits very well and the swivel works like a charm. The tilt is a little hard to get to and set, but it does the job.
Installing was an adventure, so unless you are a DIY type, spend the extra money and get someone to do it for you.
I did this myself and it took me a good part of the day with the back and forth trips to Home Depot for extra bits and pieces.
It’s possible to do it alone, but you are well advised to have extra hands depending on the size and weight of your main investment… the TV.
I started off by measuring the outline of the TV and using the blue painters tape to tape on the wall where the TV would end up being, so I can visualize it when sitting on the couch. This helps a lot because once the TV is mounted, that’s it.
The first problem I encountered was that this mount does provide appropriate bolts to fit the Sony TV because the included metric bolts are too short for the Sony TV. (Trip to Home Depot – I think I ended up buying 1.5 or 2 inch bolts with 3 or 4 washers)’.
I thought I was in trouble again when the mount covered the electric plug on the Sony. After bolting, I was able to have barely just enough wiggle room to access it).
The next issue: Be warned that the Wall Plate only fits wood studs at least 12 – 16 in. apart. Vital information that is buried somewhere in the middle of the manual. If you have studs that are further apart like I have, you have some retrofitting to do.
Thank goodness I had a 1×10 inch finished plywood board that I had to cut to size, to use as the stud bridge. I initially bolted the wall mount to my plyboard with 8 bolts and nuts and then I bolted the board to the studs with 6 longer lag bolts than provided. This thing ain’t coming down anytime soon. Of course, make sure you constantly measure and use the level over and over, as this is a permanent install.
The extra inch off the wall makes very little difference and the cherry finish of the plywood matched the TV “stand” below the newly mounted and hovering TV.
Last word or advice.. If you measure the height of the TV to eye level when seated, make sure you know the measurements of the space below for your AV euqipment stand. They tend to be on the high side.
The mount looks and works very well, but I dropped some stars because of the pain of installation.
Rating: 3 / 5
Do yourself a favor and throw away the lag bolts they give you and go out and buy 4 new ones. 2 of the 4 sheared off in the stud after pre-drilling the size hole they specified. Other than that the unit works great.Sanus Systems VMAA18B Universal Articulating Mount with Extended Reach for 30″ to 50″ Displays (Black)
Rating: 3 / 5