Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

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Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby Lakeland Nurse » 05 Oct 2016, 17:30

Hi,
I am a nurse. I have two disabled patients who use powerchairs. One has had hoverounds in the past (I think these are classified as scooters) and they were very reliable. Both of the patients are now in Pride powerchairs. One of these is a Pride Quantum Q6 Edge. I do not know the model for the other. If any of you have owned these, do you have any concerns with them? Is there a comparably-priced pwc that may be more suitable?

The issues my patients have had:
1) Frequent battery replacement
2) Frequent tire replacement
3) Has to constantly tighten screws on joystick as it loosens very frequently.
4) Feels it is unsafe. At least part of the reason for this is because it has a quick take-off. There are 5 speeds. Take-off is quick & jerks you forward unless you are in speed 1 or 2, which are very slow. You can start slowly (1 or 2) to avoid the jerking, and then increase the speed, and it will be smoother.
5) joystick works like a gas pedal and is very touchy. This contributes to the take-off burst.
6) Motor went out after a year & a half with one of the patients. A patient of a co-worker had the motor go out after 1 month.

Any insights would be appreciated!
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Re: Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby Burgerman » 05 Oct 2016, 18:36

You see many such problems.

Pride in particular, but most are much the same.

Edge, battery is too small. No real fix for that. Small battery gets used harder, and it fails faster. But use best quality MK gel and a good charger nightly.

Motors and reliability are a pride thing. You hear lots of this.

Fast take off? Most want it faster! Mine is programmed to go as hard as poss. The joystick is proportional, you wouldn't get in your car in traffic and mash the pedals to the floor, or steer with full lock all the time? But again this is why programmers exist. You can choose whatever kind of response suits the user. You need to get them correctly programmed.
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Re: Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby hobie1dog » 06 Oct 2016, 00:43

I believe that Pride recently removed their Internet forum site as it was getting consumed with complaints from owners . Do you know why they were steered into getting Pride chairs?
Earth: The Insane Asylum of the Universe-nowhere else could things be more screwed up.

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Quickie S636- 3.00-4 tires, Chevy seat
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Re: Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby Sully » 06 Oct 2016, 15:14

Lakeland Nurse; Where in the world are you located? As a nurse you should understand my analugy; thaos small batterues supplied with that chair are similar to placing a baby's heart in a long distance runner.

Getting PRIDE vendors/tech's to make some basic changes to the controller programming is a very difficult, if not an impossible chore. But go ahead and try it's worth a try.

Now the motors; It is my own belief that the PRIDE designed chairs you were speced, with the minimally design engineered motor that will propel it, for the designated dead weight it must move from a dead start, as well as minimally sized wires that supply the electric power to them so they starve for power when starting (maximum torque required) This eventually is what kills most electric motors. (Asking an electric motor to time after time supply more torque with less available power than it was designed to supply)

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Re: Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby F3Head » 10 Oct 2016, 22:33

As a nurse, maybe your hospital manager/purchasing agent may have some sway with the dealer who set your patients up
with their power chairs. This is especially true if the hospital or rehab facility purchases numerous chairs or DME supplies
from the same vendor. If the Quantum Edge has Group 24 battery boxes and it's the older style chair, not the Edge 2, you need to
make sure the batteries are not Group 22 batteries or worse a scooter battery. Often times they are Group 22 batteries in chairs because they are much cheaper than the Group 24 batteries. You may also want to ask for quality MK batteries or a equivalent as mentioned and not Chinese junk batteries. The vendor of the wheelchairs should also as mentioned elsewhere here be able to adjust the speed and sensitivity of the joystick. Yes it's probably limited to minor adjustments but some adjustments should be available to them if they have the basic programming tools and they are so inclined to help. In the states most wheelchairs are purchased through a wheelchair evaluation with a physical therapist and a seating clinic along with a ATP therapist. Both of these people should be able to help you with your patients's power wheelchairs. They are typically in constant contact with the vendor and they should be able to pressure them to help you.

As for your other issues, such as loose bolts and screws try Loctite. It's available at pretty much every hardware store
or auto parts or Home Depot type store. It's easy to apply and should lock down your screws. Read the bottle carefully for the right
Loctite application. The color of the Loctite usually tells you what specific type application it is for by just looking at it. After you understand the different properties and applications of Loctite, you may want to use removable Loctite so that bolts can be loosened and retightened. Of course you'll need new Loctite applications with each removal. Black wheelchair tires are typically a little bit more durable than the gray tires which in my experience have been softer. But black tires can sometimes leave skidmarks so there is a trade-off to them.
If they are not solid or foam insert tires make sure they are inflated properly and use a good tire gauge not a cheap one to check them.

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Re: Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby Sully » 13 Oct 2016, 16:13

F3head You omit that air filled tires at a lower air pressure might be found to give a softer ride. However, the pressure (whatever you find suitable)should be equal on both sides. That reduces unequal steering, one side to the other. This may be too much bother for some users.

Perhaps you have a different take on this issue.



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Re: Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby Rollin Positive » 22 Nov 2016, 18:15

I speak from my personal experience so when people ask what type of chair I gasp when they mention Pride because I have learned from personal experience they have become the Kmart of mobility! Cheap build, low quality, lots of outsourced parts, cheap motors made in China. Breakage is big issue.

Its down played but everyone of my Pride chairs has had major breakage, Pride 6000, two 6000z, Pride Edge 1.0

I did a demo on the Pride Edge 2.0 and it to had a lot of the same issues...cheap plastic joystick, lots of plastic to wear and break, and those small batteries are killer. Not only will they give you minimal running time but they wear down much faster in the big picture. They will need to be replaced sooner.

As someone said the shut down there website forum because they has more complaints then raves.

http://www.pridemobility.com/ownersclub/

Pride is a marketing machine which has turned predatory. They prey on the weak and naive make a lot of promises that your life will suddenly be changed over night with social acceptance blah blah blah.

My Pride experience became so bad that after a trip to New York my Pride Edge so under performed I parked in in my garage after only 3 years and got a used Permobil. I used it for a year and it was so a major difference and piece of mind again that I was able to roll again with confidence.

I have since upgraded to the new F series

Image

The batteries can be upgraded to larger 24 size to improve daily and over all battery performance, joystick is aluminum not cheap plastic so much more durable, tires are strong and durable minimal wear in my 1st year and I am a big users many miles daily.

Its more over all heavy which equals a smoother softer ride, plus I have air filled tires with off road slime for safety from leaks. Air filled tires improves mileage a bit, and can be adjusted to a softer ride.

Hope that helps in your choice and feel free to message me I am more then happy to help.
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Re: Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby Sully » 26 Nov 2016, 16:03

Let us face it; the reality is Pride products have lost any credibility as producers of mobility products for many former users. Their sales pitch ends up being a bunch of hollow promises. and the quality of many if not most of their products are lacking.
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Re: Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby Burgerman » 30 Nov 2016, 15:14

I never had one. So cant comment on quality dropping. But several things really bother me.

1. Far too many very negative posts on the web saying things like replaced motors 3 times... And other electrics, endless repairs, etc. But Curtis controls at least are normally good so not sure about all of that. Maybe ignorant users account for much, and hopeless dealers the rest...
2. Now that they are using the Curtis built, "Q-Logic2" (by pride (!)) there's no way to get access to a OEM programmer that will work with it. Since pride claim one doesn't exist. And hide it from the public. So from this time on, you will never make one steer properly or set it op for you. Or reuse its controller for another project with different motors or anything. And so I will never have one regardless.
3. Endless fancy names and flashy marketing, fancy vids, endless new models to suit whatever the insurers in the US will cover -- all supposedly better. And always with 'new' technology that's all exactly the same as everything else for 10 years at least. Maybe 15.

Those things alone would stop me ever being interested. Other companies are similar in some respects, but far less extreme. And there's always a way to get hold of a suitable OEM level programming tool.
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Re: Recommend PWC brand-Problems w/Pride

Postby CPguy » 01 Dec 2016, 14:27

Copied from Pride (http://www.pridemobility.com/ownersclub/):

Dear Owners Club Member,

On behalf of Pride Mobility Products Corp. and Quantum Rehab, we want to thank you for your interest and participation the Owners Club community.

Through consumer feedback, we found that platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are providing Pride & Quantum product users with an easier way to communicate on more user-friendly platforms, and providing greater functionality through their mobile devices. As a result, the Owners Club was discontinued effective September 2, 2016.

For those still seeking a traditional message board experience, Mark Smith, AKA the WheelchairJunkie, continues running a great forum open to all at wheelchairjunkie.com.
Pride & Quantum Social Media Pages: •facebook.com/pridemobilityproductscorp

•facebook.com/quantumrehab

•twitter.com/quantumrehab

•instagram.com/quantum_rehab

•youtube.com/user/pridemobility

•youtube.com/user/quantumrehab


Please continue to send any customer feedback and suggestions to marketing@pridemobility.com. We would love to continue to hear from you.

Thank you,
The Pride & Quantum Owner’s Club Team


What a joke! Since when is the WCJ open to all? Even the registration is moderated!
My rides:
1 BM2/BM3 with 120 A R-Net and Odessey (Lithium in 2016)
1 SKS Swiss VIVA (spare, as only NF22 size battery)
2 Progeo YOGA (for traveling)
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