Intruducing Big Earl

[Big Earl]

Hi. I am Big Earl. I am new to power chairs. I just purchased my first one, a pronto 51, I gave $100.00 and then $120 for new batteries. I am a self trained mechanic, welder and machinist. I worked in that field for several years. I still have my personal shop. ( no milling machine) I do some inventing/fabricating as my health will let me. My power chair interests include off road and heavy duty. As my name suggests I am not a small man. I am located in a small village in south central Nebraska. I look forward to both learning and teaching as a member of this community.

[Burgerman]

$120 for new batteries

And not a small man...

Means you are going to be doing that a lot!

The best batteries you can buy at a lot more money than that are still pretty much rubbish. Cheap batteries are pretty much guaranteed to offer little torque (voltage drop under load) and last less than a year used hard.

[Big Earl]

There are 2 facts that you are unaware of that come into play. 1. I did not have any more money available when I purchased the batteries. and 2 My current health is such that I will use the chair one or two days a month and distances of less than 5 miles a day. I have access to an ATV and an electric golf cart that gets the bulk of use. The electric golf cart gets the bulk of the use between my home and shop and around the yard at my shop. The ATV gets used when we are moving cattle or checking on stuff at the farm. My power chair will be used on shopping trips to stores that do not have power carts. I have no doubt that you are correct that in the long run top of the line batteries pay out. I am toying with the idea of building a do all power chair in the future. But as for now I am blessed in that I do not need a power chair inside my home or even on a daily basis. I value your input and agree that you are correct, but sometimes the wrong choice is the only option that is viable.

[Burgerman]

Very true!

Most of us need a powerchair about 16 hours a day, every day!