15 responses so far ↓

• 1 Tchen

  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.br /br /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.br /br /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.br /br /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.br /br /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.br /br /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.br /br /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.br /br /Other than that, the mount is very solid and I would certainly buy one again if I needed to get an articulating mount.br /

• 2 McElhaney

  I have a 50″ Samsung plasma that weighs just over 80 pounds, so the specs are well within the range of this mount. The directions are OK, but lack some detail and any illustrations would be helpful. That being said, it is not rocket science to figure it out. Spending some time looking over the product, the tv and the mounting location, I figured out the items I would need.br /br /The mounting hardware was a collection of items that did not work with this mount, such as: wood lag screws too short and smallish; no screws to mount tilt arms to back of tv; dry wall mounting inserts (per instructions common sense, this should never ever be installed just to drywall); and a plethora of various other screws, washers, spacers, etc. that could not be used with this application or mount.br /br /So, I made a trip to my local Home Depot Lowe’s to pick up the necessary items.br /br /I bought some M8 (1.0 threads) x 30 mm machine screws, 5/16″ x 1″ flat washers (could not find M8×1″ washer, but these work) M8 locking washers to mount the tilt arms to the back of my tv. The instructions suggest using the screws that previously occupied the mounting holes on the back of the tv, but when you add the tilt arms and both washers (which are necessary, flat washer to distribute the load more effectively across the width of the arm the locking washer to make sure the screw will not back out at all), the screws were not nearly long enough to mount. My tv will accommodate a 600×400 Versa mount. The tilt arms have various mounting holes on the bottom of the arm and slots on the top. Based on the size and weight balance of your tv (i.e. where the heaviest areas of the tv are, mine is in the bottom), you need to move the arms up or down to position where on the wall mount the bulk of the tv weight will rest (more on this later…..). Unfortunately, the slots have dividers in them (separates into three slots and they limit the number of holes that are usable on the bottom of the tilt arm). The importance of having flexibility to move the arms up and down on the back of the tv is not limited just to the weight distribution of the tv, but also to slightly adjust the vertical position of the tv on the wall. No matter how many measurements you make, you never know exactly how the tv will rest as it is so much weight to support that it will pull down slightly and affect the vertical position and there are various tilt options (which is critical if you are trying to center it in a specific location-mine is in a custom built wall/cabinet unit). My suggestion to the manufacuturer would be to make both the top and bottom mounting positions with open slots for their entire length to give ultimate flexibility.br /br /Now, on to mounting the wall bracket. My mount came assembled, arms attached to wall plate. Together, they are very heavy and awkward to hold with the arms extended. My initial plan was to mark my first hole, have my wife hold the mount up and I would screw the upper left corner screw in, level the wall plate and then drill the upper right hole. My wife said, “I can’t hold that up, why don’t you just take the arms off…….” What a great idea (which I can honestly say I did not have)…….Just a simply ratchet on four screws and off the arms come and you are left with a wall plate that weights much less and not awkward at all to hold for install. The hardest part of this was putting wood screws all the way in……..I bought four 1/4″ x 2.5″ galvanized wood screws, 1/4″ x 1″ flat washers 1/4″ locking washers to mount the wall plate to studs. The biggest issue here was not the mount itself, it was the location of the studs relative to where the center of my built in cabinet was. The wall plate allows for some flexibility by having slots for the mounting screws. The wall plate is made for 16″ O.C. studs (standard for home construction), but the slots are wide enough for about 18″. Additionally, the bracket that the tilt arms hang on is wider than the wall mount and gives you an additional couple of inches of flexibility. Unfortunately in my situation, I was still approximately 1.5″ off center…….but again, this is all based on the stud location, not the mount itself. The mount is solid on the wall, and when you hang or pull the tv out, you can hear the wood creaking a little bit but there is no sag…….and with 80+ pounds extended about 2′from the wall, to not sag or twist is impressive…….the mount will hold. As several of the other reviewers have suggested, mounting plywood to the studs or solid blocking between the studs can alleviate this issue……..Once the wall plate is on, I just reinstalled the arms very easily.br /br /Now, the biggest issue I have…..the tilt……..I followed the instructions and tightened the center bolt and nut on the tilt arms as tight as they would absolutely go. I also tightened the plastic knobs as tight as they would go. When we placed the tv on the bracket, the tilt was automatically pulled all the way down so the tv was all the way at the bottom of the tilt angle and did not work for my location. We must have taken it off the mount a half dozen times, retightend the bolt and knobs, moved the arms up and down on the various mounting holes (on mine, I can only use about 3 of the 10 holes as discussed above) and nothing worked………no matter how tight, due to the weight of the tv, it would always slide to the lowest tilt angle. So, I logged on yesterday afternoon to start scouring the reviews…….and low and behold, others had suggestions……..I have to give credit to Joseph from IL for his fix of this problem (thanks Joseph)……..I bought various diameter Cleve pins (machine screws will work as well, these Cleve pins are smooth so they sit flush and won’t scratch the arms) to slide into the tilt slot to limit it’s motion…….They have to be at least 2″ long to pass all the way through…..I tried 1/2″, 3/8″ 1/4″ diameter and settled on the 1/4″ as it had just the right amount of tilt. This is a permanent fix, granted it removes your ability to adjust the tilt frequently, but due to the difficulty to grab and tighten/loosen the knobs (the mount bracket gets in the way) and how hard you have to crank down on the knobs, I do not believe that you actually can use the tilt function on the fly…..you pretty much have to take the tv down, set the tilt and put it back up…….you can very easily pull the tv away from the wall, and rotate it side to side, but tilting is difficult……..although, my thought is that you can set it and forget it on the tilt angle for the most part…….br /br /The final issue I have is that after getting through all of this, my tv is about 1/2″ out of level from left to right (which is really bugging my wife)……not sure exactly the cause because I know the wall plate is dead level (I checked it many times)………I believe it is a combination, of sliding the tv to one side of the hanging bracket to try and get it in the center of my built in cabinet and maybe the mounting holes on the back of the tv being a little uneven…….just not quite sure, but understandable………I am now going to move the mount over slightly (to center it on the built in cabinet) and mount the wall plate to accomodate the amount that it is out of level………kind of a pain at this point, but after all this I (ok, my wife) really wants it right……..br /br /Unfortunately, it is impossible to diagnose many of these issues until you actually have it hung on the wall……..you really need the entire weight of the tv to be supported by the mount and see what gravity does. So, you are likely going to mount the wall bracket twice, unless you have a smaller tv on the lower end of the specs for this mount…….br /br /Overall, my only issue with this mount is the tilt angle issue…..but that is very easily over come with a couple of pins that cost about $4…….I did have to adapt to my specific install and buy some additional hardware, however, all said and done I have about $15 in additional hardware and the initial cost was less than half of what a similar (with less features) one cost at Best Buy……..this mount is extremely sturdy and well built…….hanging a 80+ pound tv about 2′ from the wall is very impressive…….I would recommend this mount, for the cost and features, it is hard to beat…….Just thought I would pass along some tips to make the install easier…..

• 3 Marsh

  Bought this mount through Amazon. It is heavy and well constructed. However, there were two major flaws in design. On my particular mount, I managed to install the wall bracket level. However, when I mounted the TV, I noted that it was tilted. There is no way to adjust the tilt except for taking the mounting plate off the wall and re drilling the holes into the studs. There is also no way to adjust the tv to go up and down a few millimeters. This is essential if you’d like to mount your TV in a cabinet with a face frame.br / Also, my TV, a 52 inch Bravia, was too heavy for the mount. The TV ends up facing downwards. Even tightening the hinge bolts with a socket wrench and knobs was not enough to stop the TV from tilting down. br /This unit came in a box that had obviously been opened in the past and the hardware pack that came with the unit had double the screws and washers needed to install. I suspect that I got a returned item that was out of alignment and they shipped it out to me anyway.br /br /Overall, a badly designed system.

• 4 Mellin

  I have been looking at TV mounts everywhere for a while and just didnt want to spend $500 for a TV mount. I was a little nervous when I bought it but this mount is solid. It pivots really well and looks great as well. I would recommend this mount to anyone, in fact, I did recommend it to all my family members that are looking for mounts. Just dont use the screws that come with it, get some lag bolts to mount it to the wall, other than that, it is fantastic.

• 5 Noe

  I use this mount for a 46″ Samsung and have had it for 2 months. It is built solid with heavy gauge steel and I believe it will last me for the duration. However, there are some “minor” flaws in mine that had to be taken into account when mounting. br /br /The mounting plate on mine is not welded level to the folding arms that hold the TV. Therefore, the mounting plate has to be mounted on the wall a few degrees off center in order for the TV to be level.br /br /Secondly, the tilt mechanism is weak. The knobs, as seen in the illustration, are made of cheap, thin plastic which tends to crack if much pressure is applied. They are also hard to get a good grip on because of their cramped location. You cannot tighten the locking bolts enough to keep the TV level even if the knobs crack. Consequently, the TV will begin to tilt toward the floor. I solved this problem by putting a bolt into the bottom of the adjusting slot to block the mechanism from tilting. It works for us.br /br /I have no experience with any other mount than the Cheetah so I don’t have any way to compare. br /br /

• 6 Ran

  If you’ve ever mounted a TV before, you know drilling those screws into the stud can be an absolute pain.. pushing hard and risking stripping the screws. This mount had a great system. After you drill the pilot holes, use a socket wrench to install and tighten the screws. Amazingly simple and hassle free. Love it. Yeah watch the levels they are not accurate. Use your own. What a deal for so cheap. The tilt works as designed as well.

• 7 Underlee

  The price on this TV wall mount was too good to pass up, but it is not very sturdy! This mount is barley capable of supporting a 50″ plasma. I am using it now for 4 months, but I worried about it the 1st week. So far it is still holding.

• 8 Fujikawa

  This is my second wall mount that I own and in comparison to the first the quality of the material is definitely not as good. Everything necessary to mount it on the wall was included but I wouldn’t suggest using the included level as it was way off compared to a legitimate one. Overall, for the price it is a good value for a secondary set. I don’t think I would use it for my primary set or one larger than 42″.

• 9 DiSalvo

  It took about five days to receive this product and I only got the metal pieces. I called the company and they shipped the mounting hardware in two days and emailed me installation instructions immediately. I didn’t have to sit on hold forever and they were very friendly and helpful. We used this to hold a 42″ Samsung and so far so good! Oh and like everyone else has also said, don’t use the level because it’s definitely not accurate.

• 10 Talbott

  I had the TV hanging in about 10 mins. Very easy to figure out and it comes with all the mounting hardware.

• 11 Ibarra

  This is a good mount for the price. I dont understand how other mounts could cost 2-3x more. This mount does exactly what you want it to do - hold your TV securely. Plus it also tilts which I think is essential. It included all necessary hardware and even came with a small bubble level. My only complaint is that the base plate is narrow. It was just wide enough to catch two studs. If the base plate was wider you could easily mount a 45″+ TV but I suppose thats why it says it is ony for up to 40″.

• 12 Au

  I bought this wall mount because it claims to fit most 20″-40″ tv’s, but the bracket is not long enough for my new Vizio 37″ LCD. Compare the length of the bracket you intend to buy with the distance between the mounting screws on the back of your tv before buying. Should be at least a few inches longer for correct fit. Otherwise, this product seems to be well made.

• 13 Baxter

  I like laughing at friends who said they got a good deal for $125. This one works great. I have removed my 37″ INSIGNIA TV many time to run different componet wires behind the TV and through the wall. This bracket stays strong and is what I expect to pay for a hidden piece of metal mounting equipment.

• 14 Duval

  I’m using this for a 42″ tv that weighs about 65lbs and it’s working great. I was skeptical of this product because of it’s low price but I took a chance and I’m glad I did.

• 15 Iverson

  I bought this mount based on the positive reviews that were on here. I’m glad I listened to everybody reviewing this mount! This is a great mount, that fit perfectly on my 32″ Vizio. It comes will all the necessary bolts/washers you need for various wall types and various TVs. the included instructions are straightforward and easy to understand. It took me about 30 minutes to install the mount on the wall and the brackets on the t.v. br /br /The wall mount is about 20 to 21 inches wide, so IT WILL fit between two standard 16″ wide wall studs…The mount i received has a nice black finish and it is heavy duty. br /br /Also, there is about a 2 1/2 inch leeway to the sides. For example, I moved my Vizio all the way to the left side of the mount as far as it can go. Once in that position, I can move the t.v. 2 1/2 inches to the right. So, if you were to center the t.v. on the mount, you would have about an 1″ or 1 1/4 inches to move each side. This was perfect for me, because i didnt want to see so the mount sticking out behind my t.v. Also, the tilt on this is easy to use and works well. br /br /YOU cannot tell the difference between this mount and a $100/150 mount!! I know this because my brother bought a $125 mount for his Vizio, and they look the same!! I’m definitely glad i went with this product.br /br /I also took one of the reviewers advice and purchased it through ERSE, who is listed under the MORE BUYING CHOICES. After shipping, i paid $42.00 total!!!! And ERSE shipped out the next day, so i got my mount fairly quickly!!!

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