INVACARE STORM 3 TRUE TRACK

(Review kindly sent in by user disabled_tim@zen.co.uk)

Cost new - £8600 (With all the gizmo’s) although you can get it cheaper.

Mine is the one with all the gizmo’s, a Storm 3 true track. There are cheaper versions. (Thought I would treat myself) A true track is a top of the range version that is gearless/brushless, if you go across a slope, the chair senses this & delivers different amounts of power to the drive wheels, so you don’t have to make any adjustments with your steering, you just steer where you want to go. Obviously you pay top end for this, but I really couldn’t imagine life without it.

The first time I got this, you couldn’t hear it come in the room. It is silent, (My version) apart from the “Click” of the automatic brakes coming on. It can scare the bejuzus out of some people as you creep up behind them. Luckily it has a very loud “Beep” which again, can scare the bejuzus out of people as they have no idea you have crept up behind them.

Mine does 12kph (8mph) which is great to get you from A to B. There are slower versions. It has suspension which can cause you to “Kangaroo” a bit when you are in the 5^th & final setting “Stop starting” so 4^th does the job, (I guess it’s about 6mph)  leaving 5^th just for places that are smoothish & you can blast along & then the suspension can give you a smooth ride. In my opinion, the suspension is a great idea, but it could be a little firmer.

The joy stick gets more & more sensitive as you increase the speeds, so it is best set to “1” for negotiating tight spaces. The chair is very responsive, especially in the town, weaving round people, negotiating “Cramped” shops is a doddle & I feel much safer negotiating roads, as I can get over them much quicker. My old chair (An eclipse) apart from being a bone shaker, seemed to me, to go so slow. (4mph) Admittedly, the control seems very, very sensitive, (Which can all be electronically adjusted by the engineer) but you will get used to it.

The “Storm” has chunky tyres all round & along with the suspension makes “Off road” tracks a possibility. You can certainly go more places than the “Solid” wheel type of chair, making this a “Cautious” off roader. Tyre pressures are recommended to be 40psi, but I have found that you get a much smoother ride at 30 – 35psi. As the front wheels are so chunky & the chair is a little wider anyway, it is a bit tight in my car & ramps prove to be a problem, as once you are on them, you cannot go back, as the front wheels attempt a 180, trying to turn, but because the chair is wider, the chunky wheels have no room to turn & therefore catch, causing you to stop as you are now well & truly wedged. You then have to lean the chair back, so the front wheels are clear of the ramp & “Manually” turn the wheels. This could be eliminated if it was possible to “Lock” the front wheels just for that manoeuvre. This is possible if you are willing to do a minor alteration.

It has lights, the back ones being built in to the “Cowling” which covers the batteries & the motor & keeps the chairs appearance very neat. The front lights are on separate “Pull out stalks” this makes the chair slightly wider again, which it is anyway. I kept breaking these, so I had them removed. (When do you use lights on your chair anyway)

I have a kerb climber so most kerbs are not a problem, but because of the minimal ground clearance, the underside of the chair catches on the kerb & sometimes lifts the drive wheels off the ground, it says with a kerb climber it can cope with kerbs up to 10cm, although I am unable to get out of the chair & physically measure each kerb, I would say, 6cm is more comfortable.

The ground clearance is very minimal, as I have said, which “CAN” cause a problem when going up some “Steep” ramps, as the solid underbelly can catch on them, or the pavement your coming from, especially 2 piece ramps. This could be eliminated if there was another half inch of clearance.

It does nearly 30 miles between charges, so there is never any need to worry about running out of juice.

It comes with a vast choice of seating options & footplate options. I chose a “Gel seat” which is so, so comfortable. I have slept in it, twice & have been fine. (It reclines) I wasn’t longing to be taken out of it the next day.

It has the option of an electric seat riser, which I took, which is great. I can access more shelves in shops & more recently I went to a party & I felt much more confident to be on other peoples level instead of constantly looking at everybody’s waist, having drinks spilt on you and people constantly bumping in to you saying “I’m sorry, but I didn’t see you down there”

I also went to an air display & it was so busy, I am sure I would have been constantly bumped & walked into if it wasn’t for the chair riser.

I had a few issues when I first got it, but they were eventually rectified.

All in all, I think this is one of the comfiest, fastest, toughest/rugged, adaptable chairs on the market.

Any further queries, feel free to email me.