Anyone use auto lifters? Opinions

if you've got the cash and the desire for something pretty - 

google "Tru-Lift-Tonearm-Lifter"

Tru-Lift appears to be the exact same thing as the Audio Technica AT6006R though, only at twice the price.

I did have a lift in the early 80s. It was the same type of mechanism as the Tru Lift. After several years of use the trip wire slot wore to the point that the thing would trip itself intermittently. I would suppose that problem has been designed out by now. 

My first Safety Raiser(AT6006) lasted 30+ years, before it began lifting too quickly(too speedily/not prematurely). That’s a lot of years, in which I enjoyed end-of-record-peace-of-mind, via it’s very gentle lifting habits. Not bad for the $19.95 that I paid, back in 1980. I quickly found a couple NOS/NIB Raisers, for which I(gladly) paid $120 each(2012’s price).  Once properly adjusted, I've found mine 100% reliable.    Now, Audio-Technica has re-released the piece(AT6006R), sans the lock-down wire of the old(no big loss), probably now made in China, with a higher price(of course). https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/accessories/398e4995e9bfe926/index.html

@mijostyn the lift designed around an optical sensor is reality, and it came at a premium on the Technics SL-1700mk2 and SL-1600mk2 turntables. Those were essentially the thinking man’s / audiophile’s variant of the SL-1200mk2 that rap-“DJ”s are so enamoured with.