Pride Mobility Q6000

Many thanks to Tim from Wheelchairjunkie for this excellent review.....

I would like to share with you my recent test drive of the Quantum Q6000.

I have been very happy with the increased mobility my Blast 850 has provided for me, but with changes in my home environment, and the availability of new technology, I decided to see if there might be something out there that could improve my mobility even more.

After reading a few threads about the new Q6000 on WCJ, I contacted Mark Smith with a few questions. Mark answered all my questions, and then he arranged for rep. Rebecca Hombs to deliver a Q6000 to my home so I could test drive it. A few days later, Rebecca dropped off a new Q6000 at my home. The Q6000 was equipped with a Synergy TRU-Balance Power Recline and Tilt seat, and foot platform. This Q6000 also had airless drive tires.

We all have unique needs. That’s why there are so many different styles of powerchairs. My home environment is an old farm house with narrow hallways and doors. There are very few level places on my property, and the surface is everything from asphalt, concrete, sand, rocks, to twigs. My work environment varies from modern ADA equipped buildings to old office buildings with small elevators. I live in the country and work in downtown San Diego.

First impressions:

Fit and finish, as well as overall design, looked very good.

I immediately took it for a spin around the property. I took it up the dirt driveway and intentionally spun the drive wheels to get it stuck. With my Blast I would have had to phone my son and have him pull me out at that point. With the Q6000 I was able to back right out of the holes. I did the same thing again, only this time I turned it 180 degrees in place and drove right out of it. I think a Q6000 with inflatable tires would do even better.

Next I checked to see how well it maneuvered in my VMI and IMS Dodge minivans. Entry and exit were easy. To my surprise, I found it easier to get the Q6000 all the way against the left side in driving position than the Blast. Better still; backing it up without having the front left caster jam against the left side was a real surprise. More about the casters later.

I like to drive directly from my powerchair. As a T-4/5 triplegic, I don’t have any abdominal muscle control. My body leans a bit when I drive. The Q6000 I was testing came equipped with some little stabilizing pads on the sides of the seat back. They provided comfortable support to my sides, and made driving much more enjoyable and safe.

On to the killer hill behind my house:

One thing I learned (painfully) about rear wheel drive and casters is that when you are going down hill and start to lose traction with the drive wheels, the front of the chair will uncontrollably turn towards the steepest slope, and you will slide that direction, usually into a curb or ditch.

The 6-wheel configuration provides a very sure-footed feeling when I went up, down and sideways on hills. I did not have to fight to keep the front from turning down grade, as I do with my Blast. This makes sense. With rear wheel drive the majority of weight is forward of the drive wheels. Since the casters are free to rotate, they do not resist gravity’s pull on all that front-end weight. But with the 6-wheel configuration and middle wheel drive, the weight is equally balanced over the drive wheels. I think this is a much safer configuration than RWD. I drove the Q6000 through a patch of sand over the asphalt on killer hill with my son standing by as a spotter. I tried it numerous times from different angles and never lost directional control.

The rear wheels seem to hang way out there. But then, with the foot rest and close-in front wheels, the front corners protrude less. I had to learn to approach corners differently. With a little practice I was able to master all the tight spaces in my house and at work, and best of all, I could spin it around in the old elevator, instead of having to back out.

Recline and Tilt:

My Blast is equipped with a flat pan seat and cloth back; nothing fancy like tilt. I was sitting in front of the TV the first evening with the Q6000 and thought I would test the seat’s recline and tilt features. What a pleasure having a reclining/tilt seat with a molded back. I could feel the pressure relief from my butt immediately. It was so nice to watch TV with the family without my butt aching.

About those cool nylon casters:

Unlike on a car, where traction on all wheels is important, traction on the caster wheels of a wheelchair is a disadvantage. Have you ever pulled into a narrow spot with your wheelchair only to find that you could not back out because the casters were jammed against the side walls? Well, the more weight you have on those casters, and the more traction you have from the caster tires, the harder it is to back up straight without having the front end whip to the side when your casters reposition themselves. On the Q6000 this problem has almost disappeared. Because of the center wheel drive there is very little weight on the caster wheels, unless you are on a grade. This way the casters float over the ground instead of digging in. The nylon composition of the tires provides very little resistance when you back up and they reposition themselves.

In Conclusion:

Thanks Mark for working so hard to provide us with mobility. Thanks Rebecca for loaning me the Q6000 over Christmas. The few days I spent with the Q6000 really made me appreciate its features and the increased mobility it provided. I plan on doing a little more investigating into the seating options before I start working with my nurse to submit a request to my insurance company.

Tim

Q6000 Specifications

Turning Radius22" W/O FOOT RIGGINGS; 25.5" W/ SWING AWAY LEGRESTS

Maximum SpeedUP TO 6.5 MPH

BrakesINTELLIGENT BRAKING

Weight Capacity300 LBS.; 160 LBS. (with Synergy Manual Tilt)

Overall Length38" W/O FOOT RIGGINGS; 46" W/ SWING AWAY LEGRESTS

Overall Width25.75"

Ground Clearance3"

Drive Wheels14" PNEUMATIC (std.) OR 14" SOLID (opt.)

Caster Wheels6" SOLID OMNI-CASTERS REAR/5" SOLID OMNI-CASTERS FRONT

Drive TrainDUAL 4-POLE HAMMER MOTORS, MID-WHEEL 6

SuspensionFRONT AND REAR

Synergy Seat Allowable SizesWIDTH: 10" - 22" DEPTH: 10" - 20"

Synergy Seat STF Height17" - 19"

Tru Balance Power Tilt Allowable SizesWIDTH: 14" - 20" DEPTH: 14" - 20"

Tru Balance Power Tilt Seat STF Height16.625" - 18.375"

Tru Balance Power Recline Allowable SizesWIDTH: 14" - 20" DEPTH: 14" - 20"

Synergy with Manual Tilt Allowable SizesWIDTH: 18" DEPTH: 18"

Synergy with Manual Recline Allowable SizesWIDTH: 10" - 22" DEPTH: 10" - 20"

Accepts Specialty ControlsYES

Standard Electronics100 AMP PG REMOTE PLUS

BatteryTWO 12-VOLT, GROUP 24; GROUP 34 (Required with Super-low Tilt)

Standard Battery Charger8 AMP OFF-BOARD

Range Per ChargeUP TO 25 MILES

Battery Weight53.5 LBS. each (Group 24); 43 LBS. (Group 34)

Base Weight157.5 LBS.

Standard SeatSPECIALTY SEAT

Standard Seat Weight37 LBS.

Color OptionsMETALLIC RED, BLUE, SILVER, OR SUNBURST ORANGE PAINTED FRAME RAILS WITH BLACK SHROUDS

WarrantyLIFE TIME LIMITED ON FRAME; 2-YEAR ON ELECTRONICS; 18-MONTH ON MOTORS

The information contained herein is correct at the time of publication; we reserve the right to alter specifications without prior notice.

*Speed & range vary with user weight, terrain type, battery charge, battery condition and tire pressure.