Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

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Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 29 Dec 2014, 20:38

I received my new Foldawheel PW-1000XL travel wheelchair a few days before Christmas, so I thought I'd share my first impressions. I'll also add to this thread as I learn more about the chair over the coming weeks and months.

But first a caveat: this is my first power chair (or wheelchair of any kind, for that matter), so I don't have a first-hand basis of comparison with any other product. Hopefully, the more experienced members of the forum can read between the lines and set me straight if I start rabbiting on about some "amazing innovation" that's actually available in every other chair on the market. With that said, here goes:

Delivery: It took about eleven days to receive the chair from the Malaysian manufacturer (http://www.wheelchair88.com) - five days for them to prep the chair and six days for DHL to deliver it to me. Manufacturer email support was fast and very helpful, right up to the point at which I started asking technical questions about the motors, batteries and controller. Then they went conspicuously silent. Things picked up again after I ordered the chair, with the support rep promising to expedite the order so it would reach me before Christmas. It spent an inordinate time clearing customs in Cincinnati, but then arrived at my doorstep in L.A. the next afternoon.

Documentation: The handbook arrived in digital form along with the DHL tracking number. The book is pretty light on detail, concentrating on getting the chair set up and operational. There is no documentation on the batteries, which is puzzling since the chair offers an interconnect system that allows three to be chained together for a claimed 30 km range. The set up of the interconnect cables isn't particularly obvious, but this wasn't a problem in my case, since the batteries were installed and wired up at the factory. I made a note of the configuration of the cables for future reference, but it would be easy for a novice user to get confused.

Packaging: The 100XL came fully assembled in a large cardboard box, with a piece of soft moulded foam protecting the top and bottom. It arrived in excellent condition.

Weight: The chair is advertised as weighing just over 50 lbs with one battery installed. With the full battery complement, it's about 55 lbs. While light by wheelchair standards, this is by no means a "fold it and stow it" product for people with anything but the mildest of disabilities. It's a solid weight and a somewhat cumbersome one, too, but should be easier to manage with a small ramp or car-mounted hoist.

Set up: The chair folds and unfolds much like a pram. Once erected, a sturdy plastic clip at the rear of the seat locks everything into place. The footplate folds down and the joystick can be quickly positioned and locked. A couple of wheelie wheels came in the box, but I found they weren't really necessary. That's it. The whole process is very simple and the chair feels extremely sturdy. On the negative side, I'm hoping the fold/unfold mechanism relaxes over time, because it's currently pretty hard for my feeble arms to make it work. Even my fit and able wife struggles with it. Again, I'll keep an eye on this and report back if the situation improves.

Fit and Finish: The chair feels extremely solid and stable. Fit and finish are excellent and everything works with a satisfying mechanical precision. The wheelie wheels I mentioned earlier aren't really necessary; so much so that there's no mention of them in the manual. I found on my outdoor excursions that the mounts they attach to are easily bent through contact with the ground. They are easy to realign with the included hex wrench, but it doesn't give me much confidence that the wheelie wheels would be able to provide much support if required. The batteries slot neatly into three dedicated bays under the chair (no aftermarket replacements, I fear) and connect together with dedicated interconnect leads. In operation, the chair feels like it's made from a single piece: no rattling or clanking. The motors give off a quiet whir and there are few clicks from the controller (only a rapid sequence of directional changes will make it produce clicking sounds).

Seating Position: Another caveat here: I have muscular dystrophy, but don't require any specific rehab seating and don't suffer chronic pain, so I'm pretty easy to please from a seating standpoint. The seat base is fixed and made of a reasonably supportive fabric-covered foam-like material (no instructions for care or cleaning were provided). The seat back is height-adjustable. The armrests, aluminum with a soft plastic upper surface attached, are narrow but reasonably comfortable. This is a travel chair not intended for long term occupancy, so it skimps on the creature comforts of a more fully-featured chair. Even so, I spent an entire day in the chair as a test and found it to be a perfectly pleasant experience. My only complaint is with the legroom. The 1000XL is sold as the model for larger people. I'm 6'1" and 11.5 Stones (160 lbs); unfortunately I find that my knees are pitched a little too high when using the footrest, with the result that my legs splay widely (due to the lack of functional inner-thigh muscles). This, in turn, brings them into painful contact with the parts of the chair frame that connect to the front casters. I've remedied the problem by using a strap to hold my legs together, but a little bit of seat-height adjustability would have been nice. Again, this is a travel chair, so I'm willing to make this compromise for the portability of the product.

Performance: Wheelchair88's website is a little confused, claiming a top speed of 6.8 mph on the main product page, but 6.2 mph in the specs. The owner's manual confirms the 6.2 mph number. In any case, the chair feels plenty fast, give its relatively diminutive size. The joystick module allows four speed settings. Setting 1 is fine around (at least for my novice skills) the house and Setting 3 is perfect for keeping pace with friends on a walk outdoors. Setting 4 feels very brisk and it's easy to get into a bit of trouble if you try to change direction at full gallop (I ended up in the middle of a neighbour's lawn, grinning sheepishly). Joystick control comes with a 1/2 second delay on first input from standstill, but subsequent inputs seem to be reasonably immediate. Releasing or centering the joystick activates the brakes, which activate very firmly. From top speed, this can result in an abrupt pitch-forward, which people with poor upper body control may find problematic. More progressive joystick inputs alleviate the issue, however. At lower speeds, the joystick is reasonably accurate and able to make small quick corrections smoothly (I haven't been able to determine the make or model of the joystick or controller yet, as both lack any external labeling). At high speeds, it tends to make the chair lurch more than steer, loading up the outside wheel and risking pitch-over. I wasn't thrown out at any time, but did get a couple of surprises trying to turn at speed. The preferred approach is definitely: speed, slow, turn, speed. Wheelchair88 claims the 1000xl can handle 15° inclines and I can confirm that it does so with aplomb. My driveway happens to have an exactly 15° slope (according to my iPhone's inclinometer), and the chair powered straight up and down it from a standing start, with no appreciable strain on the motors. Going downhill, I let it brake several times and it did so quickly and positively.

Comfort: A travel chair is never going to approach the comfort levels of it's bigger cousins, but the 1000XL isn't bad. My local pavements are pretty broken up, with cracks and abrupt elevation changes due to tree roots and subsidence (your L.A. County tax dollars at work), but the chair powered over them without complaint. I was bumped and buffeted a bit, but nothing to write home about. On the slightly soft ground of our local park, the chair again performed extremely well, handling bumps, cambers and mushy parts without complaint. At no time was I uncomfortable, in spite of the solid rear wheels (the two "suspension" springs under the rear of the seat may have helped, but only minimally as they are pretty stiff and short travel). In toto, I was very pleased that such a small chair could be so pleasant in the (admittedly suburban) outdoors.

Summary: At this early juncture, I strongly recommend the 1000XL for people of average, to slightly above average, height who want a travel chair that performs well and doesn't shake their bones to powder. It doesn't offer the adjustability and support that a rehab chair does, but if your needs align with its capabilities, it's a great companion for a trip that mostly involves urban environments. While light, it isn't a one-person job to fold or unfold, unless the user has good upper body strength, but adding a cheap ramp or hoist to your existing vehicle solves that problem and is a lot cheaper than a full conversion (I'm still working out how to get the chair in and out of my Smart car.) Performance is good and, while the joystick suffers from some of the programming quirkiness endemic to the breed, it isn't too off-putting. I can maneuver around the house with reasonable precision (haven't hit a door frame yet) and get up a good head of steam outdoors. Turning at speed needs caution, but I suspect that's more to do with the driver than the chair.

I'll update this thread as I experience more with the 1000XL. It's looking good so far, but time will tell.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby Burgerman » 29 Dec 2014, 22:39

The turning at speed thing is a programming issue. But there's probably little you can do to fix it.

A cushion in the seat will sort out your leg position issue?
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 29 Dec 2014, 23:17

Burgerman wrote:The turning at speed thing is a programming issue. But there's probably little you can do to fix it.

A cushion in the seat will sort out your leg position issue?


Yeah, I'm guessing there isn't much accessible programmability in the control box. Well, none unless I can figure out what the generic little bugger actually is. I'm hankering to take it apart and see if there are any clues inside, but that'll have to wait until the wife is out of the house. She has an unreasonable dislike of my little "projects" just because they're strewn around the house in various stages of broken. Women!

Re. the seat, I'm going to try out different cushion configurations, but the armrests aren't adjustable (they lift up for access, but only have one "locked" setting), so I might be trading off one form of discomfort for another. If all else fails, the leg strap is a relatively small price to pay.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby ex-Gooserider » 30 Dec 2014, 03:59

Nice writeup...

As a possible help on the leg splaying problem (I have it as well) it might be worth looking at adding some padded "limit stops" on the seat - either on the top edge or the front. They make some that pivot so you can move them out of the way when transferring, or you could probably design / make your own (or have it done) I believe they are technically referred to as "Adductor pads" or something like that....

On my current piece of junk chair, I actually took the center footrest platform off and put on the dreaded "swing-away" rests becuase they way those fit on my chair they go just outside my calves and keep my legs from splaying - I had to pad them a bit so that the corners didn't give me a sore on my leg at the most notable point of contact. (Economy padding - foam pipe insulation, secured w/ tie-wraps and wrapped in duct-tape)

My manual sort of does the same thing, as my feet go inbetween the front down-tubes.

IMHO having some sort of physical stop on the chair is a LOT better for comfort than having to use a leg strap.

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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 30 Dec 2014, 04:20

ex-Gooserider wrote:Nice writeup...

As a possible help on the leg splaying problem (I have it as well) it might be worth looking at adding some padded "limit stops" on the seat - either on the top edge or the front. They make some that pivot so you can move them out of the way when transferring, or you could probably design / make your own (or have it done) I believe they are technically referred to as "Adductor pads" or something like that....

IMHO having some sort of physical stop on the chair is a LOT better for comfort than having to use a leg strap.

ex-Gooserider


Thanks, ex-G, I'll definitely look into adductor pads. I'll also look into padding the uprights that my legs bang against, but I'm wary of adding anything to the chair that will make it more difficult to fold up and get stowed away on an aircraft, before the inevitable hoard of ables swarms down the jetway and bowls me over. On international flights, you usually get a reasonable "pre-boarding" window. On domestic, you get about as much time as the mechanical hare does in a dog race.

Thanks again!
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby motorcycle jack » 04 Jan 2015, 20:35

Gimpy -

I love my PW-1000XL ! I took it to Disneyland and it did around 14 miles on two batteries fully charged before I had to recharge it. A couple of things you mentioned - first, the clip is aluminum not plastic. I carry a pair of lock jaw pliers, clamp on the clip and pull. The added leverage works enough to unhook the clip. For your leg problem; there is a similar unit on the internet sold in Australia, http://lightestelectricwheelchair.com/ that if you look in their accessories drop down you will find add on leg lifts. I spoke with the gentleman who has this site and I think they should fit on our chair with minimal adaptation or modification. He will ship to the US.

This too is my first chair and I too suffer from MD (Inclusion Body Myositis). Eventually I will need a full function powered wheel chair but for a portable to use when traveling, hitting the shopping mall or enjoying the local park, it's a great unit to be able to take with you.


John
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 05 Jan 2015, 19:07

motorcycle jack wrote:Gimpy -

I love my PW-1000XL ! I took it to Disneyland and it did around 14 miles on two batteries fully charged before I had to recharge it. A couple of things you mentioned - first, the clip is aluminum not plastic. I carry a pair of lock jaw pliers, clamp on the clip and pull. The added leverage works enough to unhook the clip. For your leg problem; there is a similar unit on the internet sold in Australia, http://lightestelectricwheelchair.com/ that if you look in their accessories drop down you will find add on leg lifts. I spoke with the gentleman who has this site and I think they should fit on our chair with minimal adaptation or modification. He will ship to the US.

This too is my first chair and I too suffer from MD (Inclusion Body Myositis). Eventually I will need a full function powered wheel chair but for a portable to use when traveling, hitting the shopping mall or enjoying the local park, it's a great unit to be able to take with you.


John


Thanks for the tip about the leg lifts. I'll definitely check them out.

Thanks also for the correction on the clip. It felt like a hunk of sturdy plastic to me, but I looked again after reading your post and it is indeed aluminum. That's a lot more confidence inspiring for such an important part.

I'm very pleasantly surprised by the range, too. I've been pooltling around my neighborhood daily since I got it and am still at an indicated half-charge (though I take note of BM's warning about the accuracy of onboard battery displays).

One question: have you found that the folding stiffness eases up over time? To be honest, I've only folded and unfolded it a couple of times so far, so it's still "factory fresh," but I'd like to be able to set the thing up unassisted.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby LROBBINS » 05 Jan 2015, 19:51

If the folding mechanism has a positive rather than using friction to hold things folded/open, but just too much friction to move things easily, you might consider spraying thoroughly with a DRY teflon lubricant (it sprays on wet, let it dry before using). It might not make enough of a difference, but then again it might and as the teflon itself is quite inert it won't damage anything.
Ciao,
Lenny
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 05 Jan 2015, 20:04

LROBBINS wrote:If the folding mechanism has a positive rather than using friction to hold things folded/open, but just too much friction to move things easily, you might consider spraying thoroughly with a DRY teflon lubricant (it sprays on wet, let it dry before using). It might not make enough of a difference, but then again it might and as the teflon itself is quite inert it won't damage anything.
Ciao,
Lenny


Thanks, Lenny. It definitely looks like the designer intended the locking clip to hold everything in place, so reducing overall friction should be OK. I'll give it a try and report back.

Cheers,

Gimpy
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 06 Jan 2015, 19:14

motorcycle jack wrote:I spoke with the gentleman who has this site and I think they should fit on our chair with minimal adaptation or modification. He will ship to the US.


From the pics and videos on the vendor's site, it looks like he's selling as similar chair to what Wheelchair88 calls the PW-999UL. It's got the tubular framework at the front, which looks a lot different from the apparently cast aluminum structures on the PW-1000XL. The PW-999UL offers the option of a footplate extender (which the PW-1000XL doesn't), and it looks like the Portashopper guy is using the mount points for that to attach his adjustable footrests. Without similar attachment points on the PW-1000XL, I think it might take a lot of tinkering to make the footrests work. I'll send him an email, though, and see what he says.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby motorcycle jack » 17 Jan 2015, 23:34

MenCallMeGimpy wrote: The PW-999UL offers the option of a footplate extender (which the PW-1000XL doesn't), and it looks like the Portashopper guy is using the mount points for that to attach his adjustable footrests. Without similar attachment points on the PW-1000XL, I think it might take a lot of tinkering to make the footrests work. I'll send him an email, though, and see what he says.


It looks like the extension legs just drop into some tubing mounts on the front of the down tubes to the foot plate. It would be a very simple operation to have someone weld on two short tubes for the adjustable legs to drop into on the inside of the large frame member you mentioned. I'm really considering doing it as I use my chair more - maybe by the summer.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 20 Jan 2015, 21:34

motorcycle jack wrote:It looks like the extension legs just drop into some tubing mounts on the front of the down tubes to the foot plate. It would be a very simple operation to have someone weld on two short tubes for the adjustable legs to drop into on the inside of the large frame member you mentioned. I'm really considering doing it as I use my chair more - maybe by the summer.


I believe those frame members are aluminum, so it might be tricky welding the tubes to them. Also, they have a raised elliptical ring on the inside that looks like it would need to be ground off, at least in part. Way beyond my skills, but I take your point that a specialist might be up to the job.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 21 May 2015, 20:18

UPDATE:

It's been a few months since I posted my initial review of the PW-1000XL, so I thought it was time to add a few more observations from a recent trip.

I took the chair on a five day wine tasting trip to Paso Robles earlier this week. It performed admirably on a mix of small down streets and pavements (highly accessible), wineries (generally accessible) and nature trails (variably accessible).

Around town: The town of Paso Robles is very accessible. I was able to visit shops, restaurants, galleries, museums without once worrying about being able to get in. Curbs are low and generously equipped with cutouts and high-friction ramps. Pavements are smooth and unbroken. I was able to bomb around in my chair unimpeded, enjoying the sunshine, chatting with the friendly locals, and sampling far more wine than was probably good for me.

Wineries: The Paso Robles area is much less developed than Napa/Sonoma or even Santa Barbara/Solvang. Many wineries are family-run and operate much smaller averages. That said, the quality of the wine I tasted was first rate. Accessibility was generally very good. Most of the wineries had ample disabled parking, well located and properly sloped ramps, and wide doorways. The larger wineries had low-energy power doors, enabling people with little upper body strength to enter without assistance. The smaller vineyards lacked a few of these amenities and several had gravel parking lots, but none of them were inaccessible. Again, this was hardly a major challenge for any power chair, but the PW-1000XL handled gravel, ruts and slopes with aplomb.

Nature trails: Around beautiful (if rapidly drying-out) Lake Naciemento, The PW-1000XL performed pretty well on mildly-graded gravel trails. It worked fine on moderate inclines (up to about 15°) and handled ruts and dips well. Grassy areas and tree roots were no problem. The hub motors driving the two rear wheels never felt taxed and I got about fifteen miles out of the three soft pack Li-on batteries, before my nerve gave out (against an advertised range of 18.6).

Summary: I wouldn't use this chair for an assault on the North Face of the Eiger, but it's definitely a great little chair for general touring and getting around gentle countryside. It comes with no frills in the seating department, so if you have rehab needs, you'll unfortunately need to look elsewhere. But, as an easy-to-transport travel chair with decent - if not mind bending - speed (7mph) that'll last all day on a full charge (which takes about 4 hours using the optional high-capacity charger), it's hard to beat.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby violasrbest » 31 May 2015, 12:42

Hi

Thanks for the review and the update. I am interested in the Foldawheel PW-1000XL. What is the maximum width? Will it go up a two inch kerb? Is it suitable for a work environment?

This would be my first wheelchair. I have a balance issue but I am 6 ft, 260 lbs and reasonably strong, so would I be able to lift the chair in and out of the car?

Thanks

Richard
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 01 Jun 2015, 19:19

violasrbest wrote:Hi

Thanks for the review and the update. I am interested in the Foldawheel PW-1000XL. What is the maximum width? Will it go up a two inch kerb? Is it suitable for a work environment?

This would be my first wheelchair. I have a balance issue but I am 6 ft, 260 lbs and reasonably strong, so would I be able to lift the chair in and out of the car?

Thanks

Richard


The chair is quite narrow at an advertised 23.6". In daily use, it easily fits through the standard width doors in my house.

2" kerbs are no problem, but I wouldn't try much higher than that. The anti-tip wheels are connected by two curving arms to the back of the chair, but the brackets that hold them in place aren't very sturdy. They don't break, but they do allow the wheels to bend to the side. For this reason, I removed them from the chair. Better to know they're not there and behave accordingly than to rely on them and find yourself staring at the sky.

I'm 6'1", which is probably a little tall for the chair. My legs splay to the sides unless I cross my ankles (due to having poor control of my inside thigh muscles). A higher cushion or aftermarket shin restraints can potentially help, but I haven't got around to solving this (fairly minor) problem yet. The only other issue I have is the backrest. It's too low for me in the default position (the cross bar clatters against my spine on rough terrain), so I have to manually adjust it to push the bar to shoulder-height. This is easily done by twisting two knobs and sliding the backrest, but it's a bit of a pain to have to do every time the chair is being stowed in my van. Depending on your car setup, you might just be able to leave the backrest extended.

You should have no problem lifting the chair. My wife is 5'3" and 118 lbs and has little trouble lifting the chair in and out of the car. I'm weak as a kitten, however, so I have a power lift to get it in and out of my van. The chair weighs about 52 lbs with no batteries; each battery (up to a maximum of 3) adds 3 lbs to the weight, so it tops out at around 60 lbs. Folded, you can lean the top edge against the car trunk and lift the other end, making it much easier to handle. It's not exactly 50% lighter, because you're lifting the end with the batteries in it, but it does make a difference.

Talking about the batteries, they're mounted under the chair, accessible from the rear. Each battery slides into one of three snug bays. A restraining strap then holds them securely in place. Connecting the batteries requires using proprietary connectors (supplied with the chair and any additional batteries purchased) to wire them in series. While fairly straightforward, I could see it being a bit of a hassle uninstalling and reinstalling three batteries at the airport, so I'd recommend just using one in the chair and carrying any extras as carry-on. You can then install them when you get to your destination (one battery is good for about 6-7 miles). By way of contrast, the PW-999UL puts its (2) batteries in the side members of the chair, making it much easier for the occupant to remove and install them unassisted while remaining in the chair. Unfortunately, that chair is just a bit too small for the likes of us.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby violasrbest » 02 Jun 2015, 09:27

Hi Gimpy

Thanks very much for your detailed reply.

Other sites have mentioned that the proprietary batteries (or connections) are a potential weakness if the seller ceases trading, so I'll email about that, but otherwise I think all my questions have been answered. We're moving premises at work in August and I haven't seen the new building, but I anticipate purchasing the 1000XL soon after I have checked the new building for suitability.

Richard
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 02 Jun 2015, 18:21

violasrbest wrote:Hi Gimpy

Thanks very much for your detailed reply.

Other sites have mentioned that the proprietary batteries (or connections) are a potential weakness if the seller ceases trading, so I'll email about that, but otherwise I think all my questions have been answered. We're moving premises at work in August and I haven't seen the new building, but I anticipate purchasing the 1000XL soon after I have checked the new building for suitability.

Richard


Wheelchair88 seems to be just a vendor. The chair itself is manufactured by JUN Idea (http://www.junidea.com) in Malaysia. Once you place an order, all communications come from this company, rather than Wheelchair88. I've seen the same chair (and the 999UL) sold under a number of different brand names and model numbers internationally. Wheelchair88 just seems to be the US distributor. Repairs are handled by Wheelchair88's service center in Brea, California (about 40 miles east of downtown L.A.) I live in the L.A. area, so it was a selling point for me that the service center is local. It's likely to be a negative for people living elsewhere, since boxing up and shipping the chair is likely to be a costly hassle.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby Burgerman » 02 Jun 2015, 18:51

Prop. batteries would be an issue for many people. Even if available they take the piss with the price.

But that said it wouldn't concern me much because I would just re-cell or re-engineer the lithium battery at home. As I have done with many devices including my laptop last week. Getting the plastic housings apart is the most frustrating part. But theres usually a way. After all they must have been apart before the batteries got installed!

So I wouldn't worry unduly. Cant be that hard.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 02 Jun 2015, 18:57

Burgerman wrote:Prop. batteries would be an issue for many people. Even if available they take the piss with the price.

But that said it wouldn't concern me much because I would just re-cell or re-engineer the lithium battery at home. As I have done with many devices including my laptop last week. Getting the plastic housings apart is the most frustrating part. But theres usually a way. After all they must have been apart before the batteries got installed!

So I wouldn't worry unduly. Cant be that hard.


They're soft pack Li-Ion in a hard plastic shell, so I agree it shouldn't be too difficult to source the internal components.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 02 Jun 2015, 19:22

One final thing, Violasrbest:

Assuming you're in the US, you should buy the chair directly from Wheelchair88. Apparently, the ones being sold on Amazon and elsewhere are fake (Wheelchair88 even posted a review on Amazon warning about this). The fakes are poor quality and the electronics could be dangerous.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby Burgerman » 02 Jun 2015, 20:14

>>>soft pack Li-Ion

Or polymer? 7S
Or LiFePO4? 8S

All available as soft packs. Either way it doesn't much matter as you can use whatever you want.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 02 Jun 2015, 20:36

Burgerman wrote:>>>soft pack Li-Ion

Or polymer? 7S
Or LiFePO4? 8S

All available as soft packs. Either way it doesn't much matter as you can use whatever you want.


Sorry, they're polymer.

The label on the battery says 24v, 94 Ah.

The link below shows the form-factor of the battery shell.

http://www.wheelchair88.com/wp-content/ ... 00XL-1.jpg
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby Burgerman » 02 Jun 2015, 20:54

Ooh. Lovely. Those go off better than fireworks if faulty, overcharged, charged while unbalanced, punctured or damaged, or if they swell with age. And they have a very short cycle life.

Heres one going off for no particular reason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9mcNvOGKtI Turn volume low.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 02 Jun 2015, 21:08

Burgerman wrote:Ooh. Lovely. Those go off better than fireworks if faulty, overcharged, charged while unbalanced, punctured or damaged, or if they swell with age. And they have a very short cycle life.

Heres one going off for no particular reason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9mcNvOGKtI Turn volume low.


Nice. I may start keeping the chair in the garage rather than the bedroom in future.

On a serious note. How does one go about finding out if the cells are unbalanced? Do you mean unbalanced within a single battery shell or across the three shells (or both)?

The chair arrived fully charged when I bought it in December, with two batteries onboard. I recently bought a third one, which is also fully charged. Should I run the chair with all three batteries onboard until they are fully depleted before charging? Or do I need to get myself a good volt/ammeter and do the balancing properly?
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby Burgerman » 02 Jun 2015, 21:31

I use a super accurate hobby charger that charges each cell of my LiPo batteries to exactly 4.200 volts.

Those batteries rather worryingly will have a BMS on the battery that is supposed to do the same thing and a dumb charger...

Seriously the safest place for those batteries IS the garage.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby violasrbest » 05 Jun 2015, 08:28

I'm in the UK, but Wheelchair88 seem to be the only distributor of the genuine item, so I have to pay for freight in, and hope that I don't need to send it back to Malaysia! There seem to be several very satisfied customers in the UK, who all purchased from Wheelcahir88.

Thanks

Richard
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby bwest21 » 09 Sep 2015, 17:00

I am brand new to this site and looking for a chair for my husband. I think we've narrowed it down to the 1000XL. I've read many of your reviews and they sound encouraging. I have not been able to receive responses to email I've sent to this company. I don't see a "What's in the box" area and although this might sound odd, does a battery come with the chair?. Is it necessary to purchase the charging cable? Where does the battery live? I'm not sure if it's under the seat or elsewhere? Some of these questions are what I've repeatedly sent via email to Wheelchair88 and gotten no response. Any help you can give me would help us make a decision. Does anyone out there use the travel bag?

Also, I noticed a US service location which was encouraging although it is not in my state. When I looked up the address it took me to an optical frame company at that address. This concerns me a bit and I'm just trying to make sure this is a reputable company.
Thanks for any help you all can give me.
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby MenCallMeGimpy » 09 Sep 2015, 21:17

Hi Barb21,

Welcome to the site!

The chair comes with one battery, which is (according to Wheelchair88's marketing info) good for about 6-7 miles of range. I bought an extra one with the chair and then another a few weeks later, so I've got the full complement of three. The claimed range is 21 miles and I got a real world 18-19 out of in on one extended trip with a few hills and some slightly rough ground, so their estimate seems about right.

The batteries live under the seat, in three dedicated (read, you can only use these specific batteries, not generic ones) slots. The batteries slide in from the back and are held in place by a sturdy fabric restraining strap. Interestingly, the third battery I bought shortly after the chair had a plastic clip mechanism that snapped into place in the battery bay, a feature the two batteries that came with the chair lack. I'm guessing this was a design change that didn't make it into existing stock, but it's a good one.

The chair comes with a standard charger, which should charge the batteries overnight (I can't personally attest to this, since I've never used it). I bought the fast charger (which is fairly bulky compared to the standard one), which charges all three batteries in about 5 hours (it'll charge a single one in 2-3). Either charger will fit in the under-seat storage bag, so you can carry it wherever you go.

You only need the charging cable if you intend to charge the batteries when they're out of the chair. If you're happy to charge them in-situ, then the charger itself is all you need.

I haven't had the need to use the US service center in Brea, CA yet, but I share your concern that the address appears to belong to another business. Also, while all the other service centers listed on the Wheelchair88 website have a phone number connected with them, the US center doesn't. I think I'll shoot them an email asking for the number and see who answers when I call. I've found the manufacturer's email address (inquiry@junidea.com) to be far more responsive than Wheelchair88's web form. I think Wheelchair88 are just a distribution subsidiary of JUNIdea, anyway.

Hope this helps!
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby bwest21 » 19 Sep 2015, 16:55

Thank you very much Gimpy, this helps a lot. I would appreciate learning what you find out about the Brea location when you do. I'm thinking that although we don't go much, once he has the mobility issue solved we might and maybe we should just take the plunge and order then third battery from the start. Maybe then they will all have the superior "clip" mechanism you mention. Thanks again for your help.

Barb
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Re: Foldawheel PW-1000XL review

Postby sad_vampire » 19 Sep 2015, 22:12

I also have a PW-1000XL, & I'm using it a lot. I have two batteries but I'm considering adding a BM style powerpack that will fit in the bag under the seat for those extra long days around London, Paris, Turin, when I get carried away. Paris streets eat the batteries because the pavements slope towards the roads & there's a road junction to cross every hundred metres or so, & there are some hills.

Currently at a ski resort called Auron, the PW-1000XL has no problem here.

Nice tomorrow, Turin on Monday.
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