LCD TV Reviews Blog

Sanus VMAA18B Articulating Wall Mount for 30 to 50 Displays Black

The VisionMount VMAA18 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 ?6? 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.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars One of the best…
Sanus is probably one of the best wall mounts that I know of–and this particular model is my favorite. The 30″ arm gives you a great deal of flexibility when positioning the TV–which is excellent if you have a living room with different seating options around the room.

5 Stars Excellent product
We installed the Sanus mount for a 50″ Samsung Plasma. Installation was a snap as was mounting the TV to the mount itself. Sanus supplies a wide range of screws for every TV that the mount is recommended for. The mount works smoothly, articulating in all directions and includes the ability to adjust how easily (or not so easily) you want the movement of the arm to be.

After mounting it was not perfectly level and plumb, but close. The mount happily includes fine adjustments for plumb and level which were very easy to use.

Recommended hole size into the studs were a bit tight, as others have noted, but using the old carpenters’ trick of lubricating the lag bolt threads with soap made the job no problem. The lag bolts themselves were definately adequate but it’s easy to see how trying to force the lags into the recommended hole size could snap any lag. I would never recomend going against the manufacturers hole size, however. Just take a bar of soap and scrape the lag across it, getting soap into the threads. The lag will go in smoothly.

Heavy duty construction and quality paint. I would definately recommend this mount.

3 Stars Check your wall stud locations before you buy
Sanus does not mention this anywhere in their product descriptions, specifications, or on the box, but this product can only be installed on walls with studs on 16″ centers, or less. Exterior walls, and some other walls, on many houses built in the last 25 to 30 years will have 2×10 studs on 24 inch centers. Sanus only mentions this deficiency in a small note on page 5 of the installation manual. I discovered this only after I bought the wall mount and unpacked all of the pieces. I ended up having to cut a hole in the wall and building a 2×4 frame to fit inside of the existing studs. This added a extra day to the install, added extra expense, and required 2 trips the home supply center.

Other than this important omission in their product, it’s an ok wall mount.

5 Stars Worth every penny!
This mount looks great above the fireplace. The tilt is so nice i have not had to articulate away from the wall for reviewing. I was looking for a mount that did not protrude too far from the wall and this lines up perfectly over the mantle. I would recommend this to a friend

5 Stars Sanus Flatscreen TV wall mount
Don’t be fooled by a product window that appears unattractive – the Sanus Wall Mount is superbly designed, easy to install, and beautifully functional. One note, however – the “easy installation” does include appropriate anchoring, the tools recommended, a little time and a little care – don’t expect it to pop out of the box and leap onto your wall – it is not like hanging a picture. If you’re not home-renovation ready but want the option of use, I’d recommend purchase and a professional installation: that said, the installer should be done with it inside of 30 minutes, and providing your wall offers the proper support, it’s something of a breeze – easier than hanging a door, for example, but in the same league. The black wall mount has a lacquer finish and the screen rotation is fully satisfying. Perfect for loft use – the design is somewhat adult, and minimal however, and may distress some in an otherwise pretty suburban home, where pastels reign. Do not purchase however if the wall you wish to mount the unit on is anything less than rock-solid secure; and there may be a problem with attaching to aluminum studs.

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