Anyone have any experience with fold-up, portable mobility scooters?
I bought myself a Velectrix fold-up electric bike (love it). Wife is losing mobility but cannot ride a bike and missed a few good walks last big trip that a mobility scooter would have worked.
It depends on what type of scooter you require, I have the one listed below find it fantastic, it is light and very manouverable with terrific foldability, there is a manual version as welll which is about $500 cheaper. They are not cheap being $5000 but I negotiated mine to $4500.
It is a great machine but there are plenty of choices out there...
If time is not an issue and you do not need it urgently then I would look around for a second hand unit.
We purchased a quality unit for my mother in law some time ago and it cost around $4000 at the time.
It was two years on when we had to sell it and we could get virtually nothing for it...around $400 was the best we could get and the unit was like new.
I could not even get $1000 for it even after offering new batteries in the sale.
I cant help you with the quality of the eBay unit.
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The 2nd hand option is a good one too...I did a lot of research before I bought mine as my wife has dementia and is not that stable on her feet so the choice of a 4 wheel cross (narrower front wheels) became a mandatory choice. There is no question that the 3 Wheel versions have less stablility but they are cheaper and a bit lighter on both the pocket and weight.
at the end of the day, the choice is yours, however, I strongly suggest that you have your wife test drive a few that you select as suitable, that way you should not be disappointed with the end purchase, the purchase is not a cheap throw away item, so judicious trial and selection is very worthwhile.
Good luck, with the right choice, a mobility scooter is a terrific boon to the older less moble person.
-- Edited by Wizardofoz on Sunday 21st of October 2018 01:22:33 PM
Hopefully, I'll be getting a small inheritance soon, and have decided to get a "Rabbit" 4. At the moment, [just checked,] they are under $3,000. new. You can take them apart, and put them in the boot of your car. There is another brand that does the same, but I can't remember the name offhand.
The heaviest part only weighs 10 KG. Ideal for me. Just Google "Rabbit Mobility Scooters."
Cheers,
Sheba.
-- Edited by Sheba on Sunday 21st of October 2018 08:12:20 PM
I have had a Luggie brand mobility scooter for six years, it is very portable. Folds up in a jiffy, lightweight with Lithium batter.
It comes with the option of purchasing a poly carbonite suitcase to fit it in for transportation. We have taken it overseas to Singapore and Hong Kong, run about these cities all day with out any hassles including tackling escalators ( a quick half fold up and your on the escalator)
They are not cheap, but you get what you pay for and when you compare the build quality and engineering that has gone into these, there is no comparison on the market.
The airlines carry them for free.
Google Luggie for further info or you may want to contact me.
Cheers
-- Edited by Landfall on Sunday 21st of October 2018 09:31:38 PM
The Luggie came up on may radar. A guy nearby me had one of these travelscootaustralia.com.au to take on a plane. He used it a bit but never got to try in before he passed away,
the Luggie is a popular machine and reports are good on it, if your wife/partner has any stability issues make sure that she does a test run on any single front wheel scooter as they can be prone to overturn if gutters and slopes are not driven at the correct approach/depart angle.
They are definitely lighter and cheaper if teh balance issue is no problem.
-- Edited by Wizardofoz on Monday 22nd of October 2018 10:56:56 AM
I have a TravelScoot, it's a 3 wheeler and stability over uneven surfaces, up curbs etc can be a bit hairy but with care easy enough. It's very portable weighing only 15Kg including the battery and takes less than 10 minutes to assemble with no tools required. The manual states the battery range is up to 16K's. The most I've used it was about 5K's and the battery level was showing just over halfway. I've only had it now for less than 6 months and its been a godsend enabling me to take in some sights that I would otherwise opt out of due to my walking limitations. Without it I wouldn't have been able to do the Canyon Dinosaur Tour at Winton.
A word of advice if you are taking any portable mobility scooter on an airline..... Get CASA approval before you go to the airport. Despite the manufactures saying they are Airline approved, you still need approval from CASA. I almost didn't make my Quantas flight from Perth to Townsville recently despite allowing 3 hours for the red tape. But that's another long winded story.
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