My mother whom is turning 92 next month is handing her licence in (thank god!!) and getting rid of her car.
I am just looking for information regarding Gophers as I need to purchase one for her to replace the car to get her around her retirement village.
What to buy, what not to buy etc. I am thinking a few others may have been down this road previously.
Thanks for any thoughts.
AL
Sahara05 said
02:21 PM Nov 13, 2017
Hi Al
shoprider model are very good,they are stable and easy to operate.
what ever you get stay away from 3 wheelers
Jeff
Tony Bev said
02:28 PM Nov 13, 2017
My father had one
It appears that the wider, the better, as they give more stability
As Jeff above has said, stay away from the 3 wheelers
Aussie1 said
03:32 PM Nov 13, 2017
Yep, very much agree with the above comments re 3 wheelers, stay well away from them. Fantastic equipment for people to maintain independence and mobility.
sandgrooper1 said
03:54 PM Nov 13, 2017
Thank you,
No 3 wheelers then at all.
regards Alan.
Possum3 said
06:39 PM Nov 13, 2017
One would imagine that their would be a large amount of the "Granny Gophers" on second-hand sites like Gumtree, etc - The indicators of wear would be Tyres and age of Battery.
Keith P said
08:54 PM Nov 13, 2017
How long is a piece of string then ???/
I was a mechanic for these machines for a couple of years ....and I guess I learnt a few things.
Buy slightly bigger than you need.. coz you will grow into it ....and it is better than out of it. Buy Quality...CTM ...Shoprider ... Invacare....and a few others that I cant think of right now. Forget looking at any of those "specials " we all see advertised...more trouble than they are worth. Get one with bigger wheels and tyres....better ride ....but more important better stability and safety ...... also try to buy one with decent battery capacity.....and as close as possible to "common " sizes..ie.....100 amp hour AGM or deep cycle ....and NEVER run automotive batteries...they just don't cut it. And as mentioned...NEVER buy or use a 3 wheeled one....the shop I worked in had a policy of not even working on them ....selling them ...or even letting them in the door ...THEY ARE VERY BLOODY DANGEROUS !!!!. Make sure there is a decent Charger with the unit ...and use it!! . I have seen people use their scooter battery like a fuel tank ...ie...charge it when its as flat as...and then wonder why they are up for 500 bux worth of batteries after 18 months or so. Put it on the charger every night at least ....and when your not using it ...like watching telly...anytime. Properly treated scooter batteries have been known to last in excess of 6 years
Price is not always a good indicater of quality ....so go into this exercise with as much knowledge as you can muster.
HTH.
Cheers Keith
elliemike said
09:41 PM Nov 13, 2017
Excellent Advice Keith P.
I have had experience with two aged members of my family having to use them.
Mike
madaboutled said
10:03 PM Nov 13, 2017
I would have to agree Excellent Advice from Keith P.
I would add to to look for something with suspension, the rigid types tend to jar you when you hit a bump.
Desert Dweller said
04:54 AM Nov 14, 2017
Get one with a speed limiter fitted. We've seen plenty of ''accidents'' where pedestrians have been hit by them in our local shopping strip. We've had some near misses with them.
KevinC said
08:39 AM Nov 14, 2017
Try it yourself before allowing your Mum to try it. I have one that I use as a boat mover. It has an issue that the direction control levers aren't speed sensitive. That is, they're either on or off. The speed is controlled by a separate knob. Bad idea for me moving the boat around, so really bad if someone is moving around other people.
banjo said
11:30 AM Nov 14, 2017
Look out for a good quality second hand model maybe, my neighbour has a Tesla model, 2 years old but only used twice before his stroke, and then he felt too scared to use it, it's like brand new, kept fully charged and under a cover, cost $4.5k and she (his wife) is struggling to sell it at $2k !
In Mandurah WA.
If I was a bit older I'd buy it myself ! but at 69 I've got a bit of a way to go hopefully before resorting to one.
Sahara05 said
11:55 AM Nov 14, 2017
Hi Al
would be worthwhile hiring one for a bit to see if she is comfortable using one,
some people are not.may save a few hassles and a couple of grand.
Jeff
sandgrooper1 said
01:31 PM Nov 14, 2017
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your advice on this subject. My mother actually has to get one to be able to attend the community centre, friends houses within the village as she cannot walk that far anymore.
Brian/Banjo does the machine you are referring too have a cover/roof that can be used when ridden in either hot or cold weather? Probably more important in the hot weather so as to keep the sun off her. She lives in the Ravenswood/Mandurah area.
Thanks AL
banjo said
04:27 PM Nov 14, 2017
Al
No sunroof but unsure if one could be fitted or not.
PeterD said
04:37 PM Nov 14, 2017
Sahara05 wrote:
would be worthwhile hiring one for a bit to see if she is comfortable using one, some people are not.may save a few hassles and a couple of grand.
The cheapest way of doing that is to spend half a day in a Westfield shopping center. Their scooters are governed to 6 km/h so that would be a ssafety feature for some training runs.
Mobi Condo said
06:03 PM Nov 14, 2017
OK! Other than 3 wheelers being "expletive" dangerous, please elaborate on why they are not recommended.
We have three locals with 3 wheelers and we watch them with great interest as they are the seemingly most stable at intersection islands etc. All people have nothing but great praise for them for stability, ease of use 80k range of battery power and comfort.
Chhers
PeterD said
06:41 PM Nov 14, 2017
Mobi Condo wrote:
OK! Other than 3 wheelers being "expletive" dangerous, please elaborate on why they are not recommended.
They are OK on flat ground. If you are on sloping groud they tip more easily. I have picked up some who have tipped their gopher.
Keith P said
10:15 PM Nov 14, 2017
madaboutled wrote:
I would have to agree Excellent Advice from Keith P.
I would add to to look for something with suspension, the rigid types tend to jar you when you hit a bump.
To the best of my Knowledge ....amongst the better Quality brands there are very few ...if any....that don't have a suspension of some sort,,,and any of the bigger wheeled one do have quite a good suspension setup. But it was about 4 years ago that I worked on them ....and maybe the market has been flooded with second quality stuff from overseas to our north-west hey.
Cheers Keith
Keith P said
10:24 PM Nov 14, 2017
Mobi Condo wrote:
OK! Other than 3 wheelers being "expletive" dangerous, please elaborate on why they are not recommended.
We have three locals with 3 wheelers and we watch them with great interest as they are the seemingly most stable at intersection islands etc. All people have nothing but great praise for them for stability, ease of use 80k range of battery power and comfort. Chhers
Pretty much the same reason that 3 wheeled off-road motorbikes fell out of favour real quick.....because they are most unstable especially in turns. It only takes a dip in the pavement or a bump of some sort to connect with the rear wheels in a turn and over they go ....and once they start to topple ...it is very hard to stop it. also starting off or stopping at turn is fraught with consequences too. My mother had one....and she couldn't understand what I was on about ....until it toppled in the garden one day while she was home alone. Luckily someone walking past saw her and helped right the thing....but she got rid of it soon after.
Cheers Keith
Wizardofoz said
06:48 AM Nov 15, 2017
Sahara05 wrote:
Hi Al
would be worthwhile hiring one for a bit to see if she is comfortable using one,
some people are not.may save a few hassles and a couple of grand.
Jeff
Al, just go to a large shopping centre and book a free scooter for an hour or so and have good long ride around the centre, driving in and manoeuvring around the shops will give her a free test run, then you both will have an answer.
-- Edited by Wizardofoz on Wednesday 15th of November 2017 06:49:44 AM
Jaahn said
08:27 AM Nov 15, 2017
Hi
I have one that I use for a bit of shopping and the library etc. Works OK and I keep the batteries full by charging it every time I use it. Now 6 or 7 years old.
I inherited mine from a relative who passed on. He was a bit frightened of it and he was a heavy equipment driver for work. That is a problem as they are very poor quality things to drive IMHO. I suggest you follow the suggestion of trying some out first as your mother may not feel safe driving one !
However I would suggest that you do not buy one new. They are very expensive new and the value when resold is very low. There are lots of them for sale, barely used, that work 100%. People buy them for their rellies as a solution but they never use them much. There is a lesson here ! You can save several thousand dollars, instead of wasting that amount, by buying second hand.
Cheers Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Wednesday 15th of November 2017 08:34:40 AM
Mobi Condo said
03:47 PM Nov 15, 2017
Ah! Thanks for the responses. We live in Adelaide, in a very flat suburb, hence seemingly safe use.
Aussie said
07:37 PM Nov 15, 2017
Sandgroper if you are lucky enough to live in West Aust, ring Lottery West and try your luck. About a year ago I said to a friend, "I was going to start checking the prices". About an hour later she rang back and said "don't do anything until I get back to you". She rang back and "said go into Lottery West and see so and so. I did that the next day, got the keys to a brand new one and drove it the 5 Kms to home. I wasn't all that easy, as I had to sign a piece of paper.
Good luck mate.
sandgrooper1 said
01:25 PM Nov 16, 2017
Hi Everyone,
Thanks to all who have offered thoughts and opinions.
Despite the low resale potential we(dear old mum and I) have decided to purchase a new machine 4 wheel with roof type arrangement for her as affordability is not an issue so hence the decision to go this way.
Thanks again.
AL
Desert Dweller said
03:27 PM Nov 16, 2017
sandgrooper1 wrote:
Hi Everyone,
Thanks to all who have offered thoughts and opinions.
Despite the low resale potential we(dear old mum and I) have decided to purchase a new machine 4 wheel with roof type arrangement for her as affordability is not an issue so hence the decision to go this way.
Thanks again.
AL
Does it come with alloys, a bull bar & a snorkel?
sandgrooper1 said
05:15 PM Nov 16, 2017
Hi DD,
It will have by the time I am finished!!!
Cheers AL
Mobi Condo said
06:12 PM Nov 16, 2017
Rarely have three inputs to a thread, however I hope the pic works. It is the 3 wheelers we see about our suburb.
Hello,
My mother whom is turning 92 next month is handing her licence in (thank god!!) and getting rid of her car.
I am just looking for information regarding Gophers as I need to purchase one for her to replace the car to get her around her retirement village.
What to buy, what not to buy etc. I am thinking a few others may have been down this road previously.
Thanks for any thoughts.
AL
Hi Al
shoprider model are very good,they are stable and easy to operate.
what ever you get stay away from 3 wheelers
Jeff
It appears that the wider, the better, as they give more stability
As Jeff above has said, stay away from the 3 wheelers
Thank you,
No 3 wheelers then at all.
regards Alan.
One would imagine that their would be a large amount of the "Granny Gophers" on second-hand sites like Gumtree, etc - The indicators of wear would be Tyres and age of Battery.
How long is a piece of string then ???/
I was a mechanic for these machines for a couple of years ....and I guess I learnt a few things.
Buy slightly bigger than you need.. coz you will grow into it ....and it is better than out of it. Buy Quality...CTM ...Shoprider ... Invacare....and a few others that I cant think of right now. Forget looking at any of those "specials " we all see advertised...more trouble than they are worth. Get one with bigger wheels and tyres....better ride ....but more important better stability and safety ...... also try to buy one with decent battery capacity.....and as close as possible to "common " sizes..ie.....100 amp hour AGM or deep cycle ....and NEVER run automotive batteries...they just don't cut it. And as mentioned...NEVER buy or use a 3 wheeled one....the shop I worked in had a policy of not even working on them ....selling them ...or even letting them in the door ...THEY ARE VERY BLOODY DANGEROUS !!!!. Make sure there is a decent Charger with the unit ...and use it!! . I have seen people use their scooter battery like a fuel tank ...ie...charge it when its as flat as...and then wonder why they are up for 500 bux worth of batteries after 18 months or so. Put it on the charger every night at least ....and when your not using it ...like watching telly...anytime. Properly treated scooter batteries have been known to last in excess of 6 years
Price is not always a good indicater of quality ....so go into this exercise with as much knowledge as you can muster.
HTH.
Cheers Keith
Excellent Advice Keith P.
I have had experience with two aged members of my family having to use them.
Mike
I would have to agree Excellent Advice from Keith P.
I would add to to look for something with suspension, the rigid types tend to jar you when you hit a bump.
In Mandurah WA.
If I was a bit older I'd buy it myself ! but at 69 I've got a bit of a way to go hopefully before resorting to one.
Hi Al
would be worthwhile hiring one for a bit to see if she is comfortable using one,
some people are not.may save a few hassles and a couple of grand.
Jeff
Thanks for all your advice on this subject. My mother actually has to get one to be able to attend the community centre, friends houses within the village as she cannot walk that far anymore.
Brian/Banjo does the machine you are referring too have a cover/roof that can be used when ridden in either hot or cold weather? Probably more important in the hot weather so as to keep the sun off her. She lives in the Ravenswood/Mandurah area.
Thanks AL
Al
No sunroof but unsure if one could be fitted or not.
The cheapest way of doing that is to spend half a day in a Westfield shopping center. Their scooters are governed to 6 km/h so that would be a ssafety feature for some training runs.
We have three locals with 3 wheelers and we watch them with great interest as they are the seemingly most stable at intersection islands etc. All people have nothing but great praise for them for stability, ease of use 80k range of battery power and comfort.
Chhers
They are OK on flat ground. If you are on sloping groud they tip more easily. I have picked up some who have tipped their gopher.
To the best of my Knowledge ....amongst the better Quality brands there are very few ...if any....that don't have a suspension of some sort,,,and any of the bigger wheeled one do have quite a good suspension setup. But it was about 4 years ago that I worked on them ....and maybe the market has been flooded with second quality stuff from overseas to our north-west hey.
Cheers Keith
Pretty much the same reason that 3 wheeled off-road motorbikes fell out of favour real quick.....because they are most unstable especially in turns. It only takes a dip in the pavement or a bump of some sort to connect with the rear wheels in a turn and over they go ....and once they start to topple ...it is very hard to stop it. also starting off or stopping at turn is fraught with consequences too. My mother had one....and she couldn't understand what I was on about ....until it toppled in the garden one day while she was home alone. Luckily someone walking past saw her and helped right the thing....but she got rid of it soon after.
Cheers Keith
Al, just go to a large shopping centre and book a free scooter for an hour or so and have good long ride around the centre, driving in and manoeuvring around the shops will give her a free test run, then you both will have an answer.
-- Edited by Wizardofoz on Wednesday 15th of November 2017 06:49:44 AM
Hi
I have one that I use for a bit of shopping and the library etc. Works OK and I keep the batteries full by charging it every time I use it. Now 6 or 7 years old.
I inherited mine from a relative who passed on. He was a bit frightened of it and he was a heavy equipment driver for work. That is a problem as they are very poor quality things to drive IMHO. I suggest you follow the suggestion of trying some out first as your mother may not feel safe driving one !
However I would suggest that you do not buy one new. They are very expensive new and the value when resold is very low. There are lots of them for sale, barely used, that work 100%. People buy them for their rellies as a solution but they never use them much. There is a lesson here
! You can save several thousand dollars, instead of wasting that amount, by buying second hand.
Cheers Jaahn
-- Edited by Jaahn on Wednesday 15th of November 2017 08:34:40 AM
Good luck mate.
Thanks to all who have offered thoughts and opinions.
Despite the low resale potential we(dear old mum and I) have decided to purchase a new machine 4 wheel with roof type arrangement for her as affordability is not an issue so hence the decision to go this way.
Thanks again.
AL
Does it come with alloys, a bull bar & a snorkel?
It will have by the time I am finished!!!
Cheers AL
Rarely have three inputs to a thread, however I hope the pic works. It is the 3 wheelers we see about our suburb.