In the previous thread john mentioned he's demo'ed at least one of these because the threshold was too high. A lot of people don't realize how incredibly difficult even a few inches can be, when you're disabled. Many houses don't always have the room to install a no-threshold shower, especially one that has sufficient aisle space for walkers, let alone wheelchairs.

I also had personal experience with disability issues. I broke my leg with a compound fracture when I was 54, and was dismayed to find in those early days I could not even manage even a four-inch step without difficulty. It was amazing how much strength one loses, especially with the weight of a cast dragging your leg down. The fracture badly damaged the nerves in my ankle, and to this day I have to be careful going down any stairs, because I can't be sure that ankle will always hold up under me.

So......
Has anyone actually installed these walk-in tubs? Are there any installation issues people should be aware of? Salesmen are always reassuring customers that "it's easy!" but as we all know, one can't always rely on their salespitch for accuracy.

What brands have you installed/used? And what has been the feedback after some real usage?

Do the rubber seals deteriorate over time, causing any leakage problems?

How comfortable is it to wash one's hair? I assume a sliding shower bar would be a good addition.

Anything else that would be useful, please add it in!

The one that went into the house was a walk-in, it had a narrow in-swing door and the seat was located away from the door. It still had a curb to step up and over to get into the tub, I dropped the unit into the floor a few inches to get around that, essentially eliminating the curb. The tub was an American Standard tub, I don't recall which model. The homeowners sourced it themselves, they were at a home show and bought it off the floor as a demo. The bathroom wasn't designed for the tub from the get-go, it was a change order of sorts. The only modification I made was the drain system.

The apartment got a wheelchair accessible tub. A wider door with the seat located right at the door. The door was twice as wide and was out-swinging. For accessibility, out-swinging is easier.

Personally I tried them both, I preferred the wheelchair accessible unit with the out-swinging door.

Both had jets, I installed an in-line aftermarket heater in the wheelchair unit. Cost about $250 for the heater.

For the outswinging door unit I made the entire room a wetroom.

If safety is an issue, then the outswinging door is the way to go.

I still socialize with the couple that has the narrow-door unit. If they were having problems with it they'd let me know, even after all these years.

I sold the apartment building a few years ago but at inspection the tub with the outswinging door was still in pristine shape. I don't recall for sure the brand of it, but "Handi-Tub" or something like that comes to mind. There was space under the tub for the legs of a lift to slide into so a lift could be used to lift someone out of a wheelchair and insert them into the tub.

Both were pretty darn expensive by the time you got through adding the accessories. One was 8K and the other was 9K, without the labor to install. You want the Quick Drain and the heater added at minimum. Otherwise, draining the tub takes a LONG time and you there cooling off and shivering because you can't get out until the water is out of the tub because of the inswinging door. THe inline heater is also a necessity for anything other than a 5 minute soak.

While these are great options for people who really love a tub bath and aren't able to utilize a standard tub anymore, the cost of the product and the install is prohibitive for most. Most people would much prefer the ability to have a barrier free shower with bench, and the costs would be lower as well unless a significant redesign of the space is needed.