Best mobility scooter to buy?

swilshire

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 26, 2004
My husband and I both have mobility issues that make a full day walking around the parks impossible. We rented a scooter to share for our last visit and it totally saved the trip. We have another trip scheduled before our APs expire, and would also use one from time to time at home, so I think buying one would make sense. Can anyone share their experience regarding a reliable scooter with a good battery life that doesn't have real heavy parts when disassembed and won't take up all the space in our mini-van? Thanks for any suggestions.
 
Scooters can range from 40 pounds to 120 pounds for portable ones. The prices go from $500 to $3000. The lighter the scooter most often will cost more. Having a lithium battery will cost more. Some scooters have two batteries giving you a longer life.

Try to get to a mobility store in your area and they can walk you through the process. You don't have to buy from them, but you get a chance to ride one and take one apart that way.

The weight of the person can also limit the scooter you get. If you are heavier you will need a more substantial scooter.

Most people go with Pride as a brand. Drive is another brand which is cheaper. Do some searches yourself and you will see the ones available.
 
Kaytie,

I thought of buying one while I was in Florida the last time, but don't really want a used one from a rental place. The one we rented from Walker was obviously well used, though it worked fine. I suspect the prices might be lower there due to demand, but just didn't have time to do the research after I tried out the rental.
 
My personal scooter weighs 35 pounds assembled, folds down into a bag the size of a golf bag, and has a lithium-ion battery that will last all day for me at WDW (and I am a 3L: a Large Lovely Lady).

However, it's price tag is off-putting for many; the average price shipped is about $2500. My family and I knew that it would become my legs - and I use it every day now - so we considered it an investment; it is made from aircraft grade aluminum and will probably outlast me. I can drop the handlebars, and put it assembled (with the brakes locked) in the back of my Kia Soul with one of the back seats folded down, and away I go.

There are all kinds of options out there - you have to prioritize what your most important feature is first, and then search for an ECV that has that primary feature. (If it is price, then you won't need the contact info for my scooter manufacturer... LOL.)

The one thing I would caution against if buying a used rental unit is this: Until you know what the actual useful daily life of the battery is, either take along the charger, or consider buying a replacement battery (there are many sites - including Amazon - that sell replacement batteries for ECVs). Additionally, when looking at a used unit, if you see plastic body work that is cracked, damaged or missing, it could indicate that the unit was poorly treated; it may have been driven off a curb, hit by another vehicle or turned over in an accident. Never buy one without riding on it - if it makes weird noises (like a rhythmic "ticking" sound) or if it is missing chunks from the tires, that would also be a red flag for me.

Last but not least, if you find a unit locally, remember it will fly for free as medical equipment if you travel by air. Put out the word on NextDoor and Facebook to let folks in your neighborhood know that you are searching for a good, used ECV; you may be able to find a gently used bargain close to home!
 
If price is of primary concern keep an eye on Amazon. They quite often have “open box” scooters. An open box of my scooter was listed at under $400 a couple of days ago. Of course it was snapped up pretty quickly.

When I bought my scooter a year ago I was still quite mobile. I could shop with a cart for 2-3 hours. So I bought a very basic scooter to use a couple of times a year.

I unfortunately have deteriorated very quickly this past year. I now must use a scooter at the grocery store even for a quick trip. We are getting a car with a lift. I can see myself updating my scooter to a heavier duty one or even a wheelchair.

I love the scooter that mamabunny has but I would not be able to lift 35 pounds.
 



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