Wheelchair attachment

Has anybody got or know anything about a EMPULSE F55
which attaches to a normal wheelchair as an extra powered wheel at the front? I’ve seen this

and wonder what anyone thinks. TIA

I got a Klaxon Click a couple of years ago. It’s been brilliant for me. My wheelchair is a folding one, so I need an extra attachment to effectively make my chair a “fixed” one. This attachment is a bit fiddly and needs adjusting occasionally. Thankfully I have a good friend who easily makes these adjustments, which are well beyond me. The Klaxon has been great for me and has given me a great deal of freedom. Hope you find something that works for you.

Derek

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Hi Derek, Thanks for your reply. I’ve had a look at it and it looks amazing (but very expensive). I would really love something like this to get me out, in parks and along tow paths etc. I’m saving up :slight_smile:

Hi, got one of these about a year ago but returned it within a month. It was well made but I couldn’t use it, it was difficult to get in the wheelchair when it was attached and difficult to attach when you were already in the chair. I also found it difficult to move as it didn’t lift the front wheels of the wheelchair off the ground so, as a result, it didn’t run smoothly.But, your mobility might be a lot better than mine and it’s possible I just got a faulty model, so it may well work out for you.

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Agree with both comments above, ie, it is expensive and it can be difficult to attach. I chose the Klaxon because my wheelchair is a folding one and is carbon fibre and the attachments available to meet both requirements were extremely limited. However, I would still thoroughly recommend buying an attachment of some sort if you can find one that is suitable for your needs and is within your budget.

Derek

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Thanks, I was wondering about the ease of getting in and out of the wheelchair because it has ‘arms’ at either side. I couldn’t climb over them so it would have to come off before I got out. The videos make it look easy to attach, but the person probably practised for ages before filming. I can get a home demo, so things like that would be fairly easy to spot then. I’m not sure about it though, but something like it would be great. I’ve seen replacement wheels that help give your arms a rest as well - they cost even more money! I think they just charge what they like because they know we need them and there’s so little choice, it really annoys me :grimacing:

Derek, the Klaxon looks like it has one bar in the middle to attach it to the wheelchair, rather than two on the outsides. If so does that make it easier to get in and out of the wheelchair?

Yeah, the demonstration film makes it look a doddle. My problem was that the actual drive wheel wouldn’t lift the chair and front wheels and it doesn’t function with all four wheels on the ground. It is a lot harder to get the arms into the attachments on the side of the wheelchair than it seems in the demo. No harm in getting them in for a demo, I found them really good to deal with, although I had a bit of a battle to get my money back. I would add that I also bought a wheelchair and when it arrived it was too narrow for me to fit my fat a**e into.

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Hopeful, my Klaxon listed the small front caster wheels off the ground by quite a bit. See photo. I find attaching the wheel quite easy and main chrome attachment too. My difficulty is in attaching the crossbeam (not clearly shown in the photo) which effectively makes my folding chair a fixed one - I can no longer do this on my own and need someone to do this for me.

Derek

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Derek, I’ve wondered about the tilt of the wheelchair seat with this type of power add on. Does it make the sitting position less comfortable? I’ve had spinal surgery and still have a lot of back pain and just wondered whether sitting with knees higher than bum wouldn’t help. I’ve seen other power add-ons that attach under the wheelchair and need a crossbeam, here’s a couple of links…

They are all silly money, and like you I wouldn’t be able to fix/unfix the crossbar either. But maybe prices will come down (I’m ever the optimist) :slight_smile:
I love the look of your Klaxon though.

As well as being a folding chair, mine is carbon fibre, which severely restricted the availability of suitable attachments. As for price, I got mine in 2019 and the prices haven’t changed much unfortunately. My advice would be to keep looking and keep asking questions. Hope you find something suitable at a reasonable price.

Derek

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