Scooters for Mobility and Freedom [ March 13th, 2010 ] Posted in » Health
Electric mobility scooters come in many brands and models and when researching and reading reviews of what is available it can be rather confusing. A mobility scooter can offer you the freedoms you need without having to depend on family. Mobility scooters come in many makes models and brands such as 4 wheel or 3 wheel. Do your reviews and check out your options before you buy.
Many lightweight mobility scooters have a capacity of 250 pounds. Some of your lightweight scooters can be folded or collapsed to be put in a trunk or car. Many other higher capacity scooters may requires a lift. In many cases the scooter may be covered by insurance but the lift may not. Again always check with your insurer before making that purchase.
Most lightweight scooters are a three wheel design. These electric mobility scooters can get around in the house a little better including tight areas. Four wheel models can consist of more rugged designs and usually have a higher load capacity and are more stable. They are more likely to have a greater range due to design for outdoor use, but range can depend on many factors. Some factors to consider when your buy a mobility scooter is capacity, range and battery charging times.
You should take into account range and charging if you have a short range you may be spending more time charging batteries. After a few years you may need to change batteries. After several years a battery will loose its ability to take a full charge thus reducing you range.
With range on the 3 wheel lightweight mobility scooters you can expect about 10 mile range. On 4 wheel higher capacity models you may be looking at a range of about 25 miles or more. It all depends on the brand and model.
When considering a mobility scooter you will need to analyze your situation and decide what uses you scooter will best be used for. When considering indoor or outdoor use there are many things to consider. Will you be using it for golfing, long dog walks, many errands downtown or around town. If you are carrying extra weight on the scooter it could reduce your range. Things you need to consider is how will you be using your electric mobility scooter.
Tires are another consideration, pneumatic tires may be prone to punctures but are lighter than solid core tires and have more shock absorbency. The solid core tires are heavier and do not have the shock adsorbing ability of air filled tires and may give a stiffer ride but newer electric mobility scooters may have suspensions that compensate and alleviate the knocks and bumps of uneven surfaces. Pneumatic tires will need to be checked more often for the correct air pressure. Regardless at some point depending on how often you travel or use your scooter you will probably need to change tires and of course this will be determined also on the type of surfaces you travel on.
When you buy a mobility scooter there are many issues to consider and review. It is best to check Medicare or you insurance provider to see if your covered. If you have done your research and reviewed your options you will find that shopping for and electric mobility scooter is not that confusing.
Buy mobility scooters or new mobility scooters now.