Light Weight Electric Wheel Chair Advice required

PeterInSa · Guru

Light Weight Electric Wheel Chair Advice required

Are We Lost · Guru

PeterInSa wrote:
Have been asked by a Fem pensioner friend (who is not flushed with $) my advice on a light weight electric wheel chair that she can put in her car

The second one weighs 25kg without the battery. Who is going to lift it in/out. That site is an international one, and if support is needed, could be difficult.

I know nothing about wheelchairs but there were some things in the specs that troubled me:

Obstacle climbing ability 1" ... does that mean a driveway entry could be too much of an obstacle and it will come to a sudden stop or break something? Pneumatic tyres would help here. The ebay one with small front wheels may be worse.

Braking distance at 6kph - 39" (or 59" on a 3 degree slope). How could it be that poor?

Stability - 6 degrees static and 3 degrees dynamic. Does not sound very safe. 3 degrees is only a mild hill. Specs say it can ascend 8 degrees so a bit of mismatch.

My suggestion would be to go to a shop and look at all on display. Sitting, lifting and using will narrow down some choices. Ask questions. Then if prices there are too high, get a used one. After some time and learning what works best for her, buy what suits and sell the used one for not much loss .... or keep it if it does the job.

-- Edited by Are We Lost on Sunday 24th of May 2026 07:40:37 PM

Rodsvan · Senior Member

My wife uses an electric wheelchair, and previously used an electric scooter. We now have a wheelchair accessible vehicle, but previously she used an appropriate sized station wagon which had an electric hoist (another big cost for us) to lift the scooter in and out.

The following are just my impressions; in both these ads the claims of the distances and capacity on slopes and uneven ground seem very dubious to me. I would be extremely surprised if the ones in these ads get even 20% of the distance claimed. I have also never seen one with gears before and it seems very unusual as well as adding more weight (and more to fail) if it has some form of gearbox. The second chair seems to be of a type which is generally used inside the home and may not be able to negotiate uneven paving, kerbs etc.

This is just my opinion, but I'd think your friend might want to consider seeking a used electric wheelchair (or mobility scooter) of a known brand and budgeting for battery replacement. I'd also recommend buying batteries of a known brand/supplier as the cheapies can often under-perform or fail prematurely. We have had a couple of Pride scooters and powerchairs both new and used, and there are plenty of other 'known' brands
www.pridemobility.com.au

Your friend might also want to consider an electric mobility scooter as these can often be bought used for a more modest sum. Again, it might be worth budgeting for replacement batteries. As with the wheelchair, lifting it in and out of cars is something to consider.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

G'day Peter,

Personally, I think you or her or both go speak to a Mobility Aid shop. They are the experts in the field and have warranty and back up service etc. You don't have to buy then and there but go away and think about it then maybe look around for secondhand ones. No warranty or back up service though, unless the shop has second hand available.

Naturally, if the price was OK at the shop buy from them as they have to back up service etc.

I wouldn't like to think your friend or anyone else for that matter gets a few KM's away from home and gets stranded. That said, many moons and suns back my dad in Victoria had a mobility scooter and went everywhere on it the battery would take him and had RACV cover for mobility scooters.

Keep Safe on the roads and out there.

Burt65 · Senior Member

PeterInSa wrote:
Have been asked by a Fem pensioner friend (who is not flushed with $) my advice on a light weight electric wheel chair that she can put in her car and use at shopping centres and outings. Have no experience in this area and appreciate comments in Forum or via PM
Thanks Peter

Option 1 $899, 30KM Travel, 16Kg without Battery with Brush Motors
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/358537878628

Option 2, $2099 22.5KM with one Battery 25Kg without battery with Brushless motors ( probably need another battery at $500)
https://easwe.com.au/product/easwe-L10/

or.

Don't know anything about EWC yet (as far as brand and/or options), and I hope I get there as late as possible, but I can definitely give you advice on the motor... You definitely want BrushLESS... They are half the size and weight of the brushed and offer much, much higher performance, with virtually no maintenance whatsoever...

What ever you decide, Brushless motors are the better choice when weight and performance are important...

Also, as Dougwe suggested, look for SH ones.. Plenty of options...

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

PeterInSa wrote:
30KM Travel, 16Kg without Battery
22.5KM with one Battery 25Kg without battery
_____________________________________________________________________________
The battery will more than double those weights, but the battery choice also determines the range. No way she will lift these into a car.
The charger is likely to determine the battery type that is suitable. They typically DON'T use LiFePO4.
Lots of unanswered questions.

Something to make you smile....
My sister and BinL headed off for the day on their gophers. On the way home, one of them ran out of battery power so they called the RAA. The RAA sent a tow truck, picked them both up and took them home.
I wish I had a pic of that.
Cheers,
Peter

-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Monday 25th of May 2026 09:26:50 AM