VEHICLES ONLY MENU:
Accessible Vehicles ONLY menu

• My Home Built TRUE IN + OUTDOOR PowerChair 1 | 2 | 3
  After looking for many years for a good Compact PowerChair with really tight / small dimensions & True "Indoor Capability" and Great Manoeuvrability, I gave up!  And I also wanted the ability to give me a truly smooth spasm and shake free outdoor ride with big all day range. No way Jose. They just don't make one. Or even get close. 
  
  
  
  And I also wanted: Good Speed. Tons of Power (TORQUE) for Ramps + Hills and Wheelies (for fun and curbs & great control),   Accurate Precise Control. Fast 1 Hour Top Up Charge Capability (I have a life).  Long Lasting Detailed Finish and Quality that doesn't deteriorate with one miserable salty winter, Reasonable Off Road Capability and smooth ride (Sandy beach, Mud, Snow etc ) Be able to use it in my van so I could drive while sat in it.  And also look cool
  I gave up all hope of finding one and just built my own. Good job I can because you can't actually buy a decent powerchair. You could do the same, but it does involve a lot of fabrication and some skills. Its still very cheap though!
  
  
• Other Indoor/Outdoor All Terrain/Off Road PowerChairs 
  These chairs are all supposed to be Powerchairs that can be used in the pub, in your house, in your van to drive from etc like mine above.
  
  In other words a true INDOOR small footprint all day full sized powerchair with great OUTDOOR capability as well as some off road and all terrain/beach/mud capability. There are very few of these so far!!! They all have issues one way or another.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Off Road Only PowerChairs 1  2 These are powerchairs or conveyances that are not all day indoor / outdoor solutions. They are generally too big or don't turn tight enough.
  
  You will need to be able to transfer from one wheelchair to another or not be "that" disabled to use most of these. More to be added soon. 
  
  You will need a trailer or other transport device to take them to your venue. These are real all terrain or Off Road Powerchairs. They will not fit in my house, the pub or my van. But some are fun!  If you can handle transfers and transport or want to swap about from one wheelchair to another.
  
  
  
   
• My Home Built Indoor/Outdoor PowerChair (No Off Road Capability) 1 2 3 4 5 6
  I built 2 of these, before I built the Off Road Version above here. They are pretty similar and the only real difference is that they use more "normal" tyres. And are MUCH easier to build with only simple fabrication skills and some attention to detail needed. This is great if you don't go off road much and this powerchair has MANY drastic improvements that should be incorporated into all powerchairs. This was way better than any bought powerchair up until I improved it again above... These pages should be read completely before the Off Road Version if you design or build powerchairs or are just interested in the details and the "why's" of it all.
  
  
• Why ALL Powerchairs Should be Off Road Capable
  What I discovered after building my latest powerchair... There are simply no downsides at all. They need not be any bigger. Why make them uncomfortable with small hard tyres unless they are JUST for indoors? And no, "suspension" isn't the answer because that does not deform around objects, curbs etc like fat balloon tyres do. In a slow powerchair it just isn't effective.
  
  
• Portable Wheelchair Ramp
  Do you have a powerchair? Do you leave the house? Then you NEED one of these in your car or van! No excuses. Saved my bacon many times.
  
  
  
• Powerchair Tyres
  A page discussing the types of powerchair tyres we have, can get, and which are best and why. Advantages and disadvantages of each type. So you know what to look for or to swap over to!
  
  
  
  
• Powerchair Tyres Solids or Pneumatic?
  Advantages and disadvantages of each type. Which should you fit?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• What Goes Wrong - Power Wheelchairs
  Things that fail. Or have failed me over the years. And others.
  But only the things that can leave you stranded. A sudden stop. Broken down. And how to avoid that happening to you.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Powerchairs & Range
  The things that effect the Range of a Powerchair. The differences speed or gearing make, user weight, terrain etc. What to realistically expect and why.  You wont make India!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Drive Your Powerchair by Radio Control
  How I do it and why I do it. And why you would want to do it! Its very useful for a number of reasons. It should be offered as an option on all powerchairs. Its safe, reliable and makes a number of jobs really easy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Manual or Powered (Electric) Wheelchair? Advantages and disadvantages of each and why you will see there are seldom any disadvantages with a powered wheelchair. Contrary to popular opinion!
  
  
• Choosing a Suitable Powerchair Powerchair dynamics, size, types and what to look for in a powered wheelchair when looking for one.
  
  
• Fast Charge YOUR Powerchair in Around 1 Hour There really is NO REASON not to.
  
  If you are the type of person that actually uses your powerchair a LOT and has a struggle lasting the day then boost charge your powerchair to 95 percent fully charged while you check your email at say 5pm ready to go out in the evening. Contrary to what many manufacturers and self appointed "experts" will tell you its perfectly safe to charge MOST deep cycle batteries at a much faster rate. As long as you use a separate direct battery connection lead and a powerful voltage controlled multi stage charger. Even the battery manufacturers say so!  I have been doing this daily for 25 months now without an issue and my batteries never lasted as long as this before.
  
  
• Batteries for Both Vans & Power Wheelchairs Do you drive or own a power wheelchair or scooter? Or a Disabled converted vehicle? You really should read and understand this piece on batteries!
  
  
  
• Inverters & Chargers Want to run your computer from your powerchair? Want to use power tools from your powerchair? Want to charge your powerchair while driving inside your car? Want to have mains electricity available wherever you go in your powerchair or scooter?
  
  Want to charge a powerchair FROM a powerchair or scooter? Its all easy... What works and what doesn't and what's available. I have all of these gadgets...
  
  
• Which Batteries to Buy or not to buy and why. I have tested many to destruction because that's the kind of guy I am... Really!  And measured their destruction too. I even cut them open to see why they die...  A sort of post mortem.
  
  
  
  
  
• Puncture Proof Tyres I mean real puncture proof, like the military use. NOT solid, foam filled, inserts or and of the other  "mobility solutions" that jar your spine every few feet outdoors. There are better ways.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Tyre Weld Aerosol Punctures. We just love those! At least get et a can of tyre repair foam today!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Fuses! Unknown to most people FUSES (or sometimes breakers) can even stop your powerchair dead in the street. They really do not pop off often but it is not completely unknown. You do have a spare one ready stored in your battery box don't you?  Well get one then!  Today preferably or that will be when it leaves you out in the cold and rain at 2am.  Much better to be safe than sorry.
  
  
• Wheelchair Width what not to do. What to avoid and why.
  
   
• Cheap, Fast Powerchair Charging Directly from your Car or Van!  Its easy and safe if you understand what you are doing... If not skip this!
  
  
• Fitting Anderson Connectors to Your Powerchair to allow fast charging or the connection of many varied devices, including inverters and the power to run many mains powered items or to charge your chairs batteries (individually) from your cars battery/engine.
  
  
  
• Very Flexible Charger! This thing can charge your Powerchair or scooter from your car, your car from your powerchair, and charge every single type of battery currently available! It can also graph and test your chairs batteries in detail over time. For the guy who wants to know what's happening...
  
  
  
  
  
• Lithium Ion Batteries for Powerchairs and Scooters Now you CAN have high performance, range, and a small light powerchair!  The manufacturers are too slow to do any of this stuff but its all available and possible now!
  
  
  
  
  
• Power Add On for manual Wheelchairs. E.g.  Max-e, JW1, Alber e-Motion & E-fix, Viamobil, DAKA add on, Independence Technology iGlide & DeltaGlide, Roll-Aid and Swiss-Trak etc.  A discussion about these devices and why they are mostly a bad idea!
  
  
• Extend the range of YOUR Powerchair!   Get 90km or 40 miles from an average top end power wheelchair. Seriously!  Some have been doing this for years.
  
  
• Powerchairs & Snow (or Soft Surfaces like Sand / Mud) What works, what doesn't and why! And why I did it my way...
  
  
• Powerchair Tyre Pressures  What should they be and why?
   
• Powerchairs and Rain!  What happens.
   
• Power Wheelchair TOP END Control Systems.  Looking for ramp climbing, wheelies, off road power, etc? Which is best. Dynamic or Penny and Giles? And why? There are big differences...
  
  
• Powerchair Programming   What you need to know and why you need a programmer today!

• Powerchair Error Codes Power wheelchair flashing error codes and programmer error codes lookup!

• Powerchairs and motor Brushes...  All you need to know and how to swap and check them.
   
• Backup Powerchair Why you need one and how to get one and what to look for!
   
• BCI Battery Sizes, Group 22, 24, 34, 27 etc.  What they are, why it matters and the actual physical sizes
   
• My Power Wheelchair or Scooter Will Not Charge - Why your Powerchair wont charge and how to fix it!
   

POWERCHAIR REVIEWS FROM HERE DOWN

1. Full Sized SERIOUS CONTENDERS ONLY for active full time disabled users.

Full size refers to 6mph (or better) with full sized batteries (usually Group 24 and around 70ah). These are generally used by permanently disabled users with Paraplegia, Quadriplegia, or other problems that mean they need a powerchair all day every day.

It has to have indoor Capability as well as True Outdoor Capability, including range and speed. If you cant walk, or change chairs without help, your powerchair better be good at everything! That's why I had to build my own chairs. Here and below:

• My own Indoor/Outdoor/Off Road Powerchair because I can!  Opposite>>>
  
  Developed over many years, ,from a pretty average F55s Sunrise Medical chair with big modifications because I couldn't buy any powerchair that was any damned good!  Now I have 3.of these.
  
  It (they) are truly Indoor and Outdoor capable and does everything well.  Its the chair most full time serious wheelchair users really want and need once they try it and understand it. It is truly a lot superior to any production powerchair I have yet found.  After this as of 2010 the Powerchairs below are the best there is:  (With reviews and descriptions to follow as soon as I can.)
  
• X5 Frontier off road/indoor/outdoor soon! Opposite. (temporarily try this page)
  
• Invacare Arrow / Ranger (Rear Wheel Drive)
• Invacare Storm 3 (Rear Wheel Drive)
• Invacare Storm 4 (Rear Wheel Drive)
• Invacare TDX SP
  
• Otto Bock 600
• Alber Adventure 
  
• Pride Mobility Quantum R4000
• Pride Mobility Quantum R4400
• Pride Athena
• Pride (Quantum) Q6000Z (Mid Wheel Drive)
• Pride (Quantum) Q6000 (Mid Wheel Drive)
• Pride (Quantum) Q6400 (Mid Wheel Drive)
  
• Permobil C300
• Permobil 350 (Rear Wheel Drive)
  
• Sunrise Medical Quickie 626
• Sunrise Medical Quickie 646 (SE or not)
• Sunrise Medical Quickie F55 and F55s
• Sunrise Medical P222 SE
• Sunrise Medical Quickie Groove

• Handicare Puma Powerchair

• Levo C3 Standing Powerchair

• Bounders? (Don't know about these. Big, Old, Heavy?)

Reviews of these serious contenders very soon. If its not on this short list its probably not a serious full time "Powerchair Users" powerchair! This is the best of the best. If there are any that I missed then please  let me know and send a quick review! And some pictures! burgerman@ntlworld.com

2. Small Cheap Lightweight Powerchairs

These are hardly ever a good idea unless you are not very active and don't expect too much. Great for sitting in front of the fire in an old peoples home! Pretty average at everything else. Usually slow, (4mph) and low powered too. Most are very out of their depth outdoors and rattle you about like a pea on a drum. Not really for active users! The only real advantage seems to be cheapness and they are sometimes small enough to perform OK indoors. But NOT necessarily better than a chair from the "full sized" list below.

• Rear Wheel Drive Invacare Spectra Plus Powerchair with Seat Tilt & Rise  I hated doing this review but really had to do it. This relates to the whole class of cheap "small" powerchairs and not just the Invacare Spectra Plus. Its not exactly a glowing review but it is realistic! And a bit more down to earth and blunt than most owners like.
  
• More "small" chairs soon when I if  I can develop any enthusiasm for them. Maybe. They are all much the same. Read the above review and it covers most of the rest!  They have weight and price in their favour but nothing else I can see...

3. Folding Powerchairs, Portable Powerchairs

• To Follow! I am working as fast as I can.