Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Anybody have a Big Bounder?

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
    #1

    Anybody have a Big Bounder?

    I was checking one out yesterday, and the motors are HUGE. In me search for a more powerful off-road chair, who has experience with this chair? Are the motors as strong as they look? I'd put off-tires on the rear, and make some other mods since it would be used 95% as a hunting/outdoor chair.

    Anyone have experience with this chair?
    "It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." - Albert Einstein
    Tags: None
    #2
    I bought one in 2004. The bounder plus. Mine's yaller It is a tank of a chair. STEEL frame, 450 lbs all by it's lonesome. Mine doesn't have a suspension, so I run the tires low offroad to keep from boncing me to death. They make them with suspension now, definitely get that mod!

    If you want to get in the woods, put REAL offroad tires on it first thing. I still use the flat knobbies and they can get stuck quick spinning in the woods proper. Wider tires with aggressive tread would solve most problems. It can climb good, not as good as you would think, looking at the motors. They are designed well.

    For what they cost, I'd buy 4 or 5 atv's instead, now. In my opinion, no electric motor will do what me and you expect from them in the woods. It just ain't happening. Watch going downhill, remember it is a rear wheel drive wheelchair. That means, either tilt way back to get some weight on the back wheels or be prepared for the little slips here and there. You will go in the direction the hill points until you get traction or hit a tree, lol.

    I, so far, have not modded any of my chairs. I try not to get too far off the beaten path with them. I go alone. I am either going to sell my Bounder, or do some mods on it.

    I paid 5 grand for it off ebay in early 2004. It was in new condition though manufactured in 2000 or 2001, I forget.An older gent had it, rode it indoors for about a week and passed away, the story I got. I believe him. It's the best deal I ever got, if you consider they charge about 25 grand for them.
    Personally, I think wc prices are WAY overblown.

    If you can get a test drive for a few days, do it, before you spend the money. First, try to climb as steep a hill as you expect to go up hunting. If it makes it, then that is 60% of the question answered. Another 20% is how ya going to transport it and does it bother you to take the time to load and unload it. I bought a 10 ft trailer from home depot for 500 bucks and welded an extension on the back gate/ramp so I could drive it up and down w/o falling thru.
    The other 20% is do ya like it's style/fit for you. Self explanatory. They built it well. Good electronics, The seat riser is SUPER, it's why I bought it vs a permobile half it's price. That 13 inces of lift is handy as all get up. Got lights and a horn for scaring folks, lol. If you can bend that frame, you are HULK. The drive belts are industrial, VERY tough. I have only replaced one. I kept getting big sticks and such between it and the pulleys. If ya are gonna use it hunting, make guards to prevent that.
    I can't think of anything else offhand, feel free to ask any questions. I have needed to replace the tilt switch since last year, but it still works when I smack it, so I'll wait I also need to replace the front bearings.

    All in all, I'd call these normal maintenance items, not faults. I also use a hose and sometimes a pressure washer to clean the mud and cow crap off. One other thing that is a big difference with it vs other pc types. When you let off the stick, it coasts, be careful, I almost hit the ground unloading it from the back of my truck via ramp day one. I had the semi unload it to my truck bed, the only way. I then put my ramps on the tailgate and reached up to drive it down. I let off the js halfway down to reposition my manual chair and it rolled right on down, split the ramps apart and stopped with 3 wheels on, one dangling in the middle at a precarious angle/balance. After I shook my pant leg out, I drove it and it took a bit of getting used to without the instant slow down/stop of other pc's.

    The electronics have a bunch or preprogrammed settings for the motors, you choose which you want stored at any given time with the js and swithches used to set it. It's in the manual. Pretty smart. Mine does 9.5 mph on top end. That is cool on paved roads. You won't do that in the woods, lol.

    Ok, nuff rambling, fire away. Remember, get them to let you use it for a few days. 26 grand, if I couldn't test drive a car on the lot, I'd go somewhere else. For the record, I bought mine sight unseen off ebay. I had read Mark's stories about his back in 99. Swore I'd get one first opportunity.

    https://www.facebook.com/john.baxter.1213986

    Comment

      #3
      Thanks for the info. I'm heading out Cap't. and will respond more when I have time. It's a like-new chair that I can get for under a grand. NEVER would I pay $26K for any chair
      "It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." - Albert Einstein

      Comment

        #4
        Buy it, post-haste!!

        https://www.facebook.com/john.baxter.1213986

        Comment

          #5
          Here are the motors that run that sucker.

          http://www.planetmobility.com/store/...ain/index.html



          I've been looking for strong motors because if I ever have the spare money I'm going to build my own off road wheeler. These look good.

          Comment

            #6
            Originally posted by CapnGimp
            Buy it, post-haste!!
            My thoughts too when I looked at the size of those motors.

            Dave, it uses two of the big motors on the left on it and I said...Dayyymmmnnn! They said a 600 lb woman owned it and never hardly used it. I figure if it'll carry her around, my 190 will be a breeze.

            First thing I'll need to do is cut it in half. The damn thing has a 40+ inch wide seat on it. Wheelchair built for two! I have a friend that owns a machine shop so that won't be a problem. I'll trash the seat and put a nice lightweight reclining bucket on it. Put a permanent gunrest mout on it and I'll be ready.

            I'm going to test drive it next week at a place where we hunt. I'll be able to tell pretty quickly what it'll do.

            Cap't, I know they're not meant for off-road but I've had my three RWD Invacare's in some hellacious spots in the woods. Hopefully this Bounder will give me a lot more torque. We'll see next week.
            "It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." - Albert Einstein

            Comment

              #7
              If it's a hunting chair, leave the base wide and just put your seat on top of it, it'll be more stable on hillsides and you can straddle more ruts.
              Mine has the big motors too. You can get spare belts at a lawnmower shop. I had ordered two for about 40 bucks back when I first got it. I broke one early and just stuck the other on last year.
              My best offroadong was in mt Ranger 2 with 4 pole motors. I use the quicke 525 now for most stuff. It's fast and pulls well. I have a quickie 424 that does granny duty as it's a 6 wheel. Rides like a Cadillac though. You can get stuck on flat ground in it, downside. I have mod plans for them eventually. Got the two quickies as a gift, a friend was owed money by a dme in AL. He went to get it and his buddy was cleaning out a storage building, about to throw away the 2 Qs that they said were non-repairable. My buddy said I'll ask my friend, bet he'll fix them and use them. I did.

              One thing you will want to do, make the electronics box a bit more watertight and watch the wiring connectors/junctions, they can get water in them and make ya dry them out. I'm liberal with my pressure washing Should be no problem in rain.

              https://www.facebook.com/john.baxter.1213986

              Comment

                #8
                Big doesn't mean Strong... compare actual horsepower to conventional chair motors and they aren't that great... Not bad, but more show than go...

                ex-Gooserider
                T-5 ASIA-B para, currently working on building own power chair, as being in a manual is an EXTRA handicap.

                Comment

                Previous template Next
                Working...
                X