I could not imagine not having this lifter. It makes opening our hot tub a breeze. Easily a one person job. Second best investment we’ve made( hot tub was #1). Took us less than an hour to install(tub was empty) even if filled, lift a little bit of siding and the plate will slide underneath. We used a block of wood and tapped with hammer. Open lid half way, push on the bar and lid lifts off. We actually like that it doesn’t completely fold away from the tub. It’s not in the way at all but gives us a little privacy/wind block.