Otto Bock B400 review

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Otto Bock B400 review

Postby smithy2389 » 14 Mar 2016, 13:32

I have had my B400 for 2 years. I use a smaller caps two seating system which was designed to be firm and supportive for when I throw a Boccia ball. My chair has
[*]4 pole motors
[*]MK-Power Gel batteries, Model M24SLDGFT 12v 73AH batteries.
[*]Penny and Giles VR2 controller
[*]6km/h top speed
[*]caps 2 interface board.
[*]reverse mounted wheel breaks
[*]small front casters
[*]12 hole ball holder mounted on back rest
[*]Seat mounted 3" further forward
First thought were of surprise as I didn't expect much. The responsiveness of the controls forward and back is very sharp. Turn is sluggish. Ride is basic. Seems to be happy carrying 4kg ball case on the back and has plenty of power up hills. Very low to the floor and doesn't rock with brakes on when I swing my arm.

heres a pic of me playing in it
Last 16.jpg


In two years, I have had to change tires once and motors once. My only issue was warn out left motor because I ran over my balls to soften them when I first got them. It is very reliable! Excellent for flying as it comes with removable fuse so I don't need to unplug controller. The range of the chair is 12miles maybe more! The charger it comes with is 13amps so charges much quicker usually 3 hours. The good range and excellent german reliability mean I would rate this much better then the Invacare chairs (spectra plus/harrier plus) the NHS try to give us. Plus its more cost effective at only £2500.

Verdict:
Does what it says on the tin.
Speed 6km/h
Range 20km
Reliability 5 out of 5
Maneuverability 2 out of 5 (but I sacrificed it for being further forward in my chair so I could overhang my playing box more)
Curb climbing up 2.5"
Curb climbing down 2.5"
Off road 2 out of 5
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby Burgerman » 14 Mar 2016, 16:08

The charger it comes with is 13amps so charges much quicker usually 3 hours.


The MK battery is not the best battery for a sports chair. But more worrying is this statement above.

It takes at least 10 hours up to 16 hours to fully charge an MK gel battery. If your charger is telling you its done in 3 hours then you need to understand what this means. Because its far from fully charged at this point regardless of what the green light is telling you.

I refer you again to the How to choose a battery at the top of the forum.
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby smithy2389 » 14 Mar 2016, 17:56

The MK battery is not the best battery for a sports chair.

It depends on the sport. In Boccia the chair does very little moving around. On a competition I turn up in my day chair transfer into my B400 warm up drive round to call room then onto court. At home it has to drive 1.6 miles to and from my training venue in the middle of Swansea again not exactly taxing.

Regarding the charging thing I leave it on for at least 12 hours at a time just saying stage 1 and 2 don't take so long as its a decent charger (which I have used to boost my Jive and its helped marginally).

I'm reviewing the B400 as an indoor/outdoor chair and therefore I'm praising it for not hyping itself and being reliable.
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby B400 user » 15 Aug 2016, 22:27

That sounds ok, I am getting my B400 delivered tomorrow. I thought I had bought a pile of scrap after reading on here but your review gives me hope :) I still have some mobility so won't be in it full time, just to go to the shops or out for the day or whatever. I try to get out most days even if it's just up town or whatever to get some fresh air. I'll post how I get on once I've had time to try it out. Are they comfy for riding about town?
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby B400 user » 26 Aug 2016, 21:45

Well I've had my chair for over a week now and find it ok to run about in. It's much quicker and loads more torque than my last chair. Although that was a given as my 1st chair was an Energi Enigma! I find my new chair does all I need it for quite well and is quite comfy doing it. One thing I was wondering about is the tyres are rock solid so would it be ok to let the pressure out the tyres a wee bit just to lessen the bumps without damaging them or anything else on my chair. So far the B400 gets a thumbs up from me even though I know it's not even on the same page as one of BM's machines!
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby Burgerman » 26 Aug 2016, 22:54

Yes let some air out! The only downside is that it wastes some battery power, and wears out the tyres faster if you go too far. Correct amount to let out is up to you.
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby B400 user » 27 Aug 2016, 23:00

Cool, i'll just let a wee bit out at a time till there is a bit play in them. Right now they are rock hard, there's hardly any give at all in the side wall no matter how hard I squeeze. I'll do it when i'm going out tomorrow.

Thanks ;)
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby woodygb » 28 Aug 2016, 08:37

I suspect that you have run flat / foam inserts in your tyre's... so there may not be any air to let out.
An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby B400 user » 28 Aug 2016, 08:56

Just checked! Air in them WHEW!! :shock:
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby B400 user » 28 Aug 2016, 18:33

Just back from a day out at Edinburgh Zoo and well chuffed with my B400! It's about 2 and a bit miles to the zoo from my house. The zoo is on a decent hill and has a few really steep hills marked "Not For Wheelchairs" and one monster hill that I was up twice, once with a buggy and sleeping kid attached on tow as the mother was done just getting to the "big" hill! I was very surprised how little battery it took to haul my a55 around all day and pull me back up the hills that "weren't for wheelchairs" after a bit sideways fun on the way down 8-) a few times! I kept a check on the controller, power module and motors and only the motors heat up a bit after the big hill with the buggy on tow but cooled again in the time it took me to get fed and watered and have a smoke. The battery indicator dropped 3 of the green lights but one came back on as I was heading home and took a detour into and around the park since it was nice. At an educated guess I would say I drove just over 10 miles today and 4 of them were hard uphill miles and it cost me 2 of my 10 battery indicator lights. I weigh about 70kg and my backpack is around 3kg and I have the tilt and recline fitted and my other cushions and junk prob weigh in at near 75kg so not "heavy" but a fair weight. When all is said and done that'll do me fine!
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby Burgerman » 28 Aug 2016, 21:42

The battery indicator dropped 3 of the green lights but one came back on as I was heading home and took a detour into and around the park since it was nice. At an educated guess I would say I drove just over 10 miles today and 4 of them were hard uphill miles and it cost me 2 of my 10 battery indicator lights.


The only thing the meter showed you was that the battery volts fell a bit due to peukerts law, as you loaded the motors (hill). And over 24 hours that battery voltage will recover. So your lights went off, then after some time elapsed, they came back on. If you park it for a day, they will all come back... But the battery is no more full than it was the day before. The only thing they really tell that's useful is that its all over when they hit the red.

I was very surprised how little battery it took to haul my a55 around all day


Heres the problem. You really have no idea how much it took. The only way to know would be to monitor actual Ah you used. A battery gauge cant tell you. At 10 mile I would expect you have 3 to 6 left. Possibly a bit more if its a 4mph chair.
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Re: Otto Bock B400 review

Postby B400 user » 28 Aug 2016, 23:23

Yes, I drove 2 and a bit miles there. 1 and a half on a very slight downhill the rest a healthy downhill. As soon as I got to the zoo it varied from slight uphill to really uphill and some back down obviously, my chair was skidding about all over coming back down the steep parts to give you an idea how steep. If i'd let the joystick go I would have just skidded and went off the 1st corner it was that steep. I messed about in the zoo for 3 or 4 hours towing a buggy up one of the long steep hills at 1 point! On heading down the last really steep downhill path the 3rd green flicked on and off then came back on going home which was a very slight uphill. Then I went into the park which is pretty level but grit surface not tar. I thought I would have lost another light or 2 heading home as the last 3/4 mile is a fairly steep climb.

That is about the 3rd or 4th decent run out since I got the chair so the batteries should be in pretty good nick but I don't know for sure. I charge my chair soon as I get in even if I've just been out at the shops or whatever. The charger I have now is a cheap chit number (I asked Woody to check for me), i'm saving for the ring 1 just now that you recommend but that'll take me another couple of weeks.

The skidding about sideways was fun! Overall I thought the chair did ok and did what I asked of it well. Also when I was getting proper traction going up hill it did slow a little but nowhere near as much as I expected. I was rather impressed to be honest even as the day got on it still did ok going uphill. It'll do for me just now. OH AYE....once I get my BIG lights project glowing my next project is fitting a nitro pack.....then we'll see!! 8-)
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