Cheetah Mounts Plasma LCD Flat Screen TV Articulating Full Motion Dual Arm Wall Mount Bracket For 32-65" Displays Up To 165LBS Black With 10' High Speed HDMI Cable With Ethernet Fits Up To 24" Studs by Cheetah Mounts LLC
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Digital camera reviews of Cheetah Mounts Plasma LCD Flat Screen TV Articulating Full Motion Dual Arm Wall Mount Bracket For 32-65" Displays Up To 165LBS Black With 10' High Speed HDMI Cable With Ethernet Fits Up To 24" Studs
Digital camera Review: Actually a 4.5 out of 5...
Summary: 4 Stars
I recently purchased a new 42" plasma TV for my living room: the Panasonic TC-P42X1. I bought the TV with the intention of hanging it above my fire place, but was shocked to find out that an articulating mount at Best Buy was $300! So I did what any sane, sensible American would do; I told Best Buy where to stick it and went to browse on Amazon.
After some consideration and reading all of the reviews for various mounts, I decided to go with this Cheetah two-arm articulating mount. Not only was the price less than half of the Best Buy mount, but I also liked the idea of two arms holding my brand new TV.
So I got the mount and found that it was really easy to install. I don't see what all the fuss is about with the directions being "difficult". I think it helps if you have a technical mind (I'm an electrical engineer) because I had no problems with the directions at all. There are no assembly pictures in the directions, so if you are a visual learner, that might be why it's difficult.
Now, on to the mount. It's of very, very, very solid construction. It is made completely out of a steel frame and steel hardware. I had no trouble hanging the mount on my wall studs (and yes this mount is made specifically for 16" spacing, but can go up to about 18"). I would recommend picking up some new lag bolt hardware to hang the mount on the wall, though. I got some 1/4" lag bolts with lock washers from Lowe's pretty cheap. I would also suggest getting a second pair of hands to help you mount this beast. It is quite heavy.
I would also recommend tightening all of the hardware that comes pre-assembled on the mount BEFORE YOU HANG THE MOUNT. I say this because I did not do this and I noticed that one of the bolts that holds the arm was on its way to falling off after I had the mount on the wall and the TV hung. And it's rather difficult to get on those bolts and give them a good torque-ing.
But the action of the mount is fairly smooth. It is a little difficult to move the TV where you want it, but once it's there, I have no worries about it falling down. And the range of motion is superb for my use. I'm able to swing the TV screen approx. 60-70 degrees in either direction.
Now my one complaint about the mount (and the reason behind the 4.5 of 5 stars) is the way the TV sits on the mount. The mount comes with two brackets that attach to your TV and then the TV hangs on the mount via these brackets. The only thing that holds the brackets to the mount is the weight of the TV and a metal bar that runs along the bottom of the brackets to keep the TV from tilting off. This would be okay if I wasn't moving the TV constantly, but I find that with this setup, whenever I push my TV back flat against the wall it always moves a little bit on the mount. It's a little unnerving and a little annoying too since I like the TV to be in the center of the fireplace.
Other than that, the mount is very solid and I would certainly buy one again if I needed to get an articulating mount.
Digital camera Review: Almost 5 Stars, EXCELLENT Mount!
Summary: 4 Stars
Bought this one to mount a 40" Sony Bravia LCD to my wall above my fireplace. Found the studs, drove the screws in with a socket wrench. It's solid as hell. The hardware kit comes with a variety of different sized bolts/screws to secure the mounting arms to the rear of your display panel, which was nice because Sony only included the ones for the supplied base for use on a table/shelf.
This mount is literally heavier than my TV, and solidly built. I was able to install it myself, but I would recommend having someone help, it would make it easier! I've helped friends/family install other flat screens on various entertainment consoles/wall mounts and this one has been the sturdiest and most bulletproof I've seen.
The only reason I gave this 4 stars, the included levels are junk. I know they include them in the pictures/descriptions as features but neither one was accurate. I have a lot of tools as I'm a DIY type guy (obviously) so if you have a good long homeowner's level to accurately lay out the holes you drill in your studs, you will have a clean install. It turns out my TV is now more level than the mantle on the fireplace it sits over, lol.
My only other gripe is the articulating arms do not move very easily. I mean, you really have to put some pressure on the unit to move it around. This is also a plus, since you know your setup won't be shifting around - but I think they went a little overboard on making it tight.
Other than that, for the price, if you know how to use a stud finder, power drill, and socket wrench you can put this thing up in no time!
Digital camera Review: Almost overkill
Summary: 5 Stars
Had to have a cabinet redone to accomodate new TV, so the carpenter installed the bracket. He was really impressed with the quality and ease of installation.
The bracket is so well made almost seems overkill for the 42" Tv installed.
Digital camera Review: Almost perfect...
Summary: 4 Stars
The bracket arrived on time and in good condition. Once I began to install the mount I ran into several issues. 1st: The instruction manual is horrible. The "lag screws" and "lag bolts" are completely incorrect. If you are trying to mount using the drywall anchors DO NOT follow the instructions. It has you use the screws which destroy the anchors...of course you don't find out until after the mount slides back out. It's deceptive because they give you 6 large screws with 6 large drywall anchors then the instructions have you use both together! The inventory count in the manual is also incorrect. 2nd: Leveling the mount is also a challenge...use your own level and an extra set of hands. Pay attention to the level both OPEN and CLOSED. The base plate (attaches to wall) will be level with the bracket in the closed position. Once you extend the bracket, the front plate (where TV attaches) is crooked. You need an allen wrench and socket wrench set up to loosen the front plate and level. 3rd: If you need to replace the drywall anchors there are no spec's in regards to load bearing pressures. The manual has the gross weight at 28 lbs...but this piece feels much heavier than 28 lbs.
Bottom line: Once installed it looks and works great...but try your best to put it into studs or add some "nailer" material (lumber in between the studs) to mount the base plate to....try and stay away from the drywall anchors...and only use the manual as a guide but you MUST use your head for install as the manual is really bad...
Digital camera Review: Awesome LCD mount
Summary: 5 Stars
The mount arrived in excellent shape, easily installed in about 30 minutes, and has no problem holding my 46' LCD tv when fully extended from the wall. My girl friend can easily push or pull to change the angle of the tv for viewing in another room. This is a great product!