by swalker » 19 Jan 2021, 21:57
I like the Permobil F5 and would not hesitate to buy one.
In the US, wheelchair prices are skewed by our peculiar health insurance system. You will find that a new Permobil f5 will cost around $25,000 (if you pay cash and negotiate). A used F5 (not a VS) in good condition with low miles will cost $4,000 to $5,000. You can pay more or less, but that is the range I typically see them going for.
Essentially, the used power wheelchair market seems to track the price folks pay out of pocket for a new wheelchair. The market is influenced a bit by supply and demand. So, used standing wheelchairs, which are scarcer, seem to go for more than the initial buyer's out of pocket costs. Because most folks pay $4,000 or so out of pocket for a new wheelchair, that kind of sets the price for used wheelchairs.
If I were to buy a used f5 with known issues, I would reduce the price I paid by the amount I estimated it would take to fix it along with some reserve in case I estimated poorly.
Used Permobil parts are readily available on ebay. I have bought actuators, esp module, ICS general module, joystick module, swing away joystick mount, backrest shell, seat plate, arm rests, thigh supports, lateral thoracic supports, wheels, etc. on ebay. They are readily available, but sometimes I have to be patient until the right flavor of a part shows up at a price I am willing to pay.
I purchase new tires, seat cushions, etc. from other vendors, such as Spin Life.
I can also get all these new parts from NuMotion, but the prices are outrageous. For example, I needed new snow tires for a Permobil C500. They quoted me a price of just under $1,000! It turns out they wanted to sell me the wheels and the rims as an assembly. I can buy a pair of tires elsewhere for about $100 and a pair of rims for about $100 on ebay. I have had similarly outrageous quotes for backrest shells, cushions, actuators, etc. from NuMotion.
If I were buying a used F5 with 120 miles and, power legrests, tilt, recline, and seat elevate that had the actuator error you report, I would pay $3,000 or less in Colorado. I might go up a bit if I had been searching and had not found a better deal within several months.
Be sure to budget for new batteries ($500 for MK Group 24 Gels) and various bits and pieces to have it fit you right. This has been around $1,500 for the used wheelchairs I have bought.
Based on my experience buying new (2 wheelchairs) and buying used (4 wheelchairs), I never want to buy new again. The reason is that I am pretty much done with DMEs like NuMotion. The cost to me is about the same (after insurance pays most for a new wheelchair), but the transaction is just so much faster and smoother when I buy used.
As for having the wheelchair inspected by a DME, go ahead, if you want. If I had done so 2 years ago at my local NuMotion, I would have had capable folks looking at it (and likely the same folks who had been maintaining the wheelchair). But, over the last 2 years all the experienced repair techs have left, so I would have no confidence in what anyone there says now.
A sobering thing I found when I first became a wheelchair user is that often folks selling wheelchairs and wheelchair adapted vehicles are doing so because of someone's death. In hindsight, I have rationalized that I am doing them a favor by taking the item off their hands and paying what I believe is a fair price for it. They have the comfort of knowing that the medical device will be going to someone that has a legitimate need for it.
Steve
Permobil F5 Corpus 3G
Permobil C500s VS
Permobil C500 Corpus 3G
Permobil C350 Corpus 3G
Magic Mobility X4 with 176 Ah LiFePO4
