Secret to Driving Front Wheel?

[Groot]

I’m currently looking at heavy duty powerchairs so that when I MOVE TO FLORIDA (yay!), I can pull all-dayers at the parks without having to recharge the batteries and have a high quality seat without getting uncomfortable near the end of the day. I’ve narrowed my choice of manufacturers down to 3: Permobil, Quickie, and Quantum.

Now, because of my “mock building” of a Permie with all the features I want (aka, pricing out one via filling out the official order form online), my only hope to buy one is to buy a LIGHTLY USED one online from a reputable dealer. (I know that getting insurance to cover one is next to impossible if you can somewhat walk, but they FAIL to hear the part about extremely limited distances.)

The Quickie and the Quantum are easier to pursue in terms of pricing according to my research and “building” one according to each of their order forms.

Now to the main issue at hand: I kinda have Quantum as my current front runner for my future powerchair. They have 3 models available to me: The J4 HD, the Q6 Edge HD, and the newest edition to their HD fleet, the 4Front 2 HD. (All shown below.)

Now, while the first 2 are Midwheels, the 4Front 2 HD is a Frontwheel, which I have no clue on how to drive. Some people take to Frontwheels and can drive them effortlessly, others can’t. My hope is that I can “Test Drive” one to see how I would do on it, (granted, the test drive won’t be on the model that I’m looking at.) But for those of you who can/know someone who drives a Frontwheel style chair, are there any secrets, tips, tricks to it? Or am I in over my head?

 

[SueM in MN]

For the ‘who qualifies’ for a power wheelchair, Medicare has specific guidelines, which most insurance companies also pretty much follow.
The guidelines for getting any device covered include:
• The doctor treating your condition submits a written order stating that you have a medical need for a wheelchair or scooter for use in your home.
• You have limited mobility and meet all of these conditions:
– You have a health condition that causes significant difficulty moving
around in your home.
– You’re unable to do activities of daily living (like bathing, dressing, getting in or out of a bed or chair, or using the bathroom) even with the help of a cane, crutch, or walker.
– You’re able to safely operate and get on and off the wheelchair or scooter, or have someone with you who is always available to help you safely use the device.
– Your doctor who is treating you for the condition that requires a wheelchair or scooter and your supplier are both enrolled in Medicare.
– You can use the equipment within your home (for example, it’s not too big to fit through doorways in your home or blocked by floor surfaces or things in its path).

For the specific type of equipment, there is a hierarchy that is followed:
Manual wheelchair
If you can’t use a cane or walker safely, but you have enough upper body strength or you have someone available to help, you may qualify for a manual wheelchair. You may have to rent the most appropriate manual wheelchair first, even if you eventually plan to buy it.

Power-operated vehicle/scooter
If you can’t use a cane or walker, or can’t operate a manual wheelchair, you may qualify for a power-operated scooter. To qualify, you must be able to get in and out of it safely and strong enough to sit up and safely operate the controls.
Note: If you don’t need a scooter on a long-term basis, you can rent the equipment to lower your costs. Talk to your supplier to find out more about this option.

Power wheelchair
If you can’t use a manual wheelchair in your home, or if you don’t qualify for a power-operated scooter because you aren’t strong enough to sit up or to work the scooter controls safely, you may qualify for a power wheelchair.
Note: Before you get either a power wheelchair or scooter, you must have a face-to-face exam with your doctor. The doctor will review your needs and help you decide if you can safely operate the device. If so, the doctor will submit a written order telling Medicare why you need the device and that you’re able to operate it.

Medicare Wheelchair & Scooter Benefit

 

[SueM in MN]

My daughter is on her 3rd power wheelchair. She has had Quickie manual chairs, but not power. She has not had a Quantum chair - at the time we were looking at her 2nd chair, I was not reading good things about their ability in snow (important for us in a Minnesota), so we stuck Invacare, which we knew was good in snow.

1) Invacare Arrow wheelchair, which is rear wheel drive with 4 powered wheels. The 2 rear set of wheels are powered and the 2 front wheels are unpowered casters that can turn/spin freely in any direction.

2) Invacare TDX, which is mid wheel drive with 6 wheels. The middle set of wheels are powered and the there are 2 unpowered casters in front and 2 in back of the middle powered wheels. The casters can spin freely in any direction.

3) Permobil F5VS. This is her current power chair and is a front wheel drive, with 2 powered wheels in the front, a set of very large casters in the back and a small set of casters in the front. The front ones don‘t actually touch the ground unless the wheelchair is being used to stand - they are for balance.

The biggest difference we’ve seen comparing the rear, mid and front wheel drive chairs is turning. The powered wheels are the point where the wheelchair turns. Because of that, someone who is used to driving one type of chair will need to get used to changing exactly when they start and end their turn.
For my daughter, the mid-wheel was probably the easiest to learn. The powered wheels are directly under you, which feels more natural for some people. Transitioning from mid to front wheel was a bit more difficult and took more practice for her. Until she got used to the new chair, she tended to start her turn too late. She’s really good at this point.

This article has some good general info about the differences.

 

[Groot]

Okay, I read the article that you linked and watched some YouTube videos of people driving frontwheels and can kinda get the idea of how to turn. Now what’s the secret for backing up in a straight line?

 

[KPeveler]

you will be able to back up in a straight line *after* the casters turn around. it will "wiggle" a little bit as you start to back up. It will take practice to back up in a straight line, but it will be possible.

I have a Permobil F3 front wheel drive chair and it DEFINITELY took some getting used to. It can handle rough terrain a little better with the power wheels in the front. But it has a bit of a "caboose" that swings around when you turn.

For the tight spaces I deal with at work, I am thinking about going back to a mid wheel drive chair for my next chair.

 

[mamabunny]

Wouldn’t it be just the opposite of a rear drive chair? Just as the *front* casters on a chair (like the Fold & Go) have to straighten up after either backing or going back forward, so will the *rear* casters on a front drive chair when you back up…