Our New Hobby

Discussion in 'Hobbies & Crafts' started by Ted Richards, Sep 30, 2017.

  1. Ted Richards

    Ted Richards Veteran Member
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    A few years ago we began to realize we were getting old and having some mobility issues so we decided to keep an eye out for a good, used electric mobility scooter. I found a pretty good deal on a near-new small travel scooter from a dealership in Ontario. I bought it through Ebay so it was a pretty safe purchase and the dealer paid the shipping. So, now my disabled wife had a nice little scooter that would fit nicely in our minivan, It was great for her when we visited a ghost town with friends. But what was I to do? I couldn't walk fast enough to keep up and tired pretty quickly so we bought another from the same dealer.

    Now we could roam the neighborhoods together or visit the local malls. We could even fit two in the van. One day we spotted an ad on Facebook for another little travel scooter and bought it too. Our son is also somewhat disabled and we thought he would enjoy it. We found we could easily fit three little scooters in the van and still seat three people.

    You see where this is going don't you? Suddenly this is my new hobby along with detailing them, making repairs, figuring out loading docks and ramps, etc.

    About then we started to yearn for something bigger with pneumatic tires and suspensions. The little travel scooters are nimble and really handy but the hard plastic small-diameter wheels are really rough riding on pavement and sidewalks. Now we wanted comfort.

    We spotted a beautiful, large scooter at an estate sale along with some other mobility equipment but it was too pricey for us but I did buy a walker. A year later the same people had reduced the price from $2,000 to $1,500. Still too high. In the fall they reduced the price to $1,000 so we bought it. While we were there, we noticed they had reduced the price on their new, travel power chair to $500. so we got that too. Shortly after that, we found an ad for another large scooter and looked at it. It wasn't in as good a shape with some cosmetic blemishes but pretty sound overall. I asked the old guy how much he wanted and he said "make an offer". I rather hesitantly offered $500 and he said "make it $400, it needs batteries".

    So that, how I wound up with that hobby. It seems like an expensive hobby but I've found that I can sell them again for about what I bought them for, sometimes a bit more.

    We roam the neighbourhood and attend yard sales in good weather. We call them our Senior Recreation Vehicles (SRV's).
     
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  2. Jeff Tracy

    Jeff Tracy Veteran Member
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    THEY LOOK REAL BEAUTY'S AND SO REASONABLY PRICED TOO ;
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  3. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    It sounds like you found a hobby your whole family can enjoy...and that must be fun for all of you. :)
     
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  4. Ted Richards

    Ted Richards Veteran Member
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    Yes, we enjoy getting out and about on our scooters on nice days. We like to snoop through the neighborhoods to see what's new, sometimes stop and visit with others, sometimes do a bit of shopping. It will all come to an end by early November then we won't get out again until April. I store them inside and spend a bit of time detailing them during winter and repair cosmetic scratches and other maintenance. I like to keep them in showroom condition.
     
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  5. Bill Boggs

    Bill Boggs Supreme Member
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    When I found I could no longer ride a bicycle I thought I might enjoy a scooter but I had dropped my motorcycle license and had to test again to get a license to ride a scooter, I decided to forgo a scooter. I wish I had had the fore thought to plan ahead.
     
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  6. Ted Richards

    Ted Richards Veteran Member
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    Bill, I'm referring to electric 4-wheel mobility scooters that are designed for people with limited mobility and don't ordinarily require a license to operate. I had to give up my mountain bike in my early 70's because of my loss of balance. I was simply afraid of falling and breaking something. That was a hard thing for me to do but we all get old and eventually somewhat limited in our mobility. I'll be 80 in the spring and will have to have my Doctor certify suitability for driving. I may even lose my driving license but we have the mobility scooters for local shopping and recreational use. My son will do the driving for us when necessary.
     
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  7. Ted Richards

    Ted Richards Veteran Member
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    I found a photo of three of our scooters which might help explain what I'm talking about above:

    008 (2).JPG

    As you can see the small wheels and lack of suspension on the travel scooters at left and on the right make them small and lightweight but not very comfortable on rough surfaces. The do come apart very easily into four pieces, the heaviest of which weighs 32 pounds and fit nicely into the trunk of most cars. The big one in center is heavy and does not disassemble easily but is much more comfortable because of the large diameter pneumatic tires and the suspension system.

    There are also two sizes of power chairs, a large size suitable for street use, more powerful, heavier, and faster and the smaller travel chair shown below. The travel chairs also easily come apart into three pieces which will conveniently fit into the trunk of most cars. The rear wheels under the driver are pneumatic. They are intended to be used indoors or limited outdoor usage and are controlled by a joystick on the armrest. 013 (1).JPG
     
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  8. Jeff Tracy

    Jeff Tracy Veteran Member
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    Very impressive ... well done.
     
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