Why meet a Motobility Product Specialist?

Our consultants are mobility experts with years of experience in equipment prescription and rehabilitation. By talking with you, they will be able to understand your requirements and recommend the solutions that best with your lifestyle needs. As an added convenience for you, our Mobile Equipment Showroom allows us to bring our products to you for a free trial and demonstration of your desired piece of equipment. So call us today for a free consultation and no-obligation quote.

Why Folding Scooter ?

Our consultants are mobility experts with years of experience in equipment prescription and rehabilitation. By talking with you, they will be able to understand your requirements and recommend the solutions that best with your lifestyle needs.

How often will I need to replace batteries?

Batteries should last you between 3-5 years depending on usage.

How long does it take to get a stairlift?

Motobility stocks straight stairlifts, which means we can install your stairlift as soon as we can book it in with our installation team, usually within a few business days. Because the rails for the curved stairlifts are made especially to your stairs in the UK, these can take up to 30days from when the final plans have been signed off.

Are there any second-hand options?

If you are trying to save a little bit of cash, it’s best to enquire with your Mobility consultant regarding second-hand or reconditions chairlifts and their current availability. If you require a straight stairlift, you may get lucky and find a secondhand rail, carriage and chair. Our curved stairlifts are all made to order. Hence the rail will need to be custom-made to suit your stairs. However, you may be able to use a reconditioned carriage and chair, depending on availability.

Will a measure and quote commit me to purchase?

Absolutely not. Motobility will come to your home, assess your stairs, talk to you about your needs and wants and discuss the best options for you and your home. Once all the required information has been specified and all your questions and concerns addressed, our trained consultant will leave you with a written quote. You won’t be under any obligation to go ahead with the purchase just because you received a written quote.

Why do I need a custom-fitted sports mouthguard?

A custom-fitted sports mouthguard provides the best possible protection for your teeth, gums and jaw while playing contact sports. While more expensive than over-the-counter types, the cost of treating a dental injury far outweighs the cost of a custom-fitted mouthguard.

How often do I need to charge my chairlift?

You would not the curved rail is designed, so the stairlift is continuously charging. Curved stairlifts have charge points at the top and bottom of the stairs and can also have additional charge points on landings or other convenient locations. While the stairlift is parked, it is charging. If it isn’t on a charging point, it will emit a beeping sound to let you know that it needs to be moved to a charging location.

What if someone uses the lift and takes it downstairs, will I be stuck at the top?

Every stairlift comes with “call buttons” like air conditioning remotes they sit in small brackets, which are mounted to the wall at the top and bottom of the stairs, allowing you to “call” or “send” the stairlift up or down the stairs. We recommend keeping the call buttons in their brackets to avoid misplacing them or taking them with you up/down the stairs.

Will other people still be able to use the stairs

Oto stairlifts and Stannah Lifts are both compact and designed to fold up when not in use, allowing for additional room for other stair users. The rail itself is slim and designed to fit snuggly against the wall or balustrade, allowing for ample room.

Will my home get damaged?

No, all stairlifts supplied by Motobility (Stannah & Oto) are attached to the stairs, not the walls. This means no structural damage to your home, just a few screws in the treads of your stairs.

How long does the installation take?

Depending on the style of stairlift and size of your staircase, the installation usually takes between 2 and 6 hours.

What is the best stairlift available in Australia?

Motobility prides itself in only providing products that have been well designed and manufactured by reputable suppliers to the highest of quality standards. Both Stannah Stairlifts and OtoLifts have a long-running history of excellence, and we feel confident about providing you with the solution that is best for you. Because everyone's need is different and all staircases are unique, it is hard to say what the best stairlift is in Australia as we believe it is about finding the best possible solution for you while choosing from the best products currently available.

What happens during a power outage?

Each stair-lift is fitted with batteries, which are continuously being charged while the stairlift is at it’s “charging points” these are usually located at the top and bottom of your stairs, but can also be located in turns or areas, where the chair causes the least amount of disruption to the stairs. During a power outage, the battery will continue to power the chair for 6-8 return journeys, depending on the length of your stairs and the condition of the batteries.

Will the stairlift be noisy?

Stairlifts have a battery-powered motor; this means they are near to silent. They emit a mechanical noise as they move, but it wouldn’t be loud enough to disrupt any other occupants. The chairlifts don’t beep unless there is a fault or they haven’t been returned to their charging points.

Will a chairlift fit into narrow hallways?

Both Stannah and Oto lifts offer solutions for narrow stairs. So far we haven’t come across a staircase that we couldn’t fit.

Can stairlifts go around bends, landings and corners?

Yes, both Stannah Stairlifts and OtoLifts offer bespoke curved rail options. Include one rail and two rail solutions. These are custom-made to suit your stairs for a snug fit and additional room on the stairs for other users.

How safe are Stairlifts?

Both Oto Lifts and Stannah only produce products that comply with the latest European and British quality standards. They are tested rigorously and continuously to ensure a safe product. Motobility employs a team of qualified and trained technicians that will ensure your chairlift has been installed in a manner that complies with the manufacturer's guidelines.

Will I need to modify my mobility device to use a vehicle hoist?

Dependent on the style of hoist you are looking at and the type of product you are wanting to lift, you may need to make minor modifications to your mobility device. If the hoist system you are looking at uses a spreader bar, you will need to add some lifting brackets to your mobility scooter, electric wheelchair or powerchair. These brackets are all different, they either attach under a seat, on the frame or on a Seatpost allowing you to easily attach the spreader bar and lift the product into your car. The LM hoist is an exception to the rule, as it comes with a lifting strap. Small folding mobility scooters, such as the Solax Transformer or Luggie Elite, can easily be lifted into the car, without having to add any lifting brackets.

How does a stairlift swivel?

Depending on the brand and model of stairlift you have decided on, you will find either a manual Swivel or a powered swivel.

Can a Carer drive an Electric Wheelchair?

YES! There are many different options for a carer or attendant to take control of an electric wheelchair. 1. Use the joystick instead of the user. While this can be a bit tricky, there is no reason why a carer or attendant can't take control of the users joystick, (if the user permits this) and maneuver the electric wheelchair through tricky situations 2. Use an attendant controller. If the Electric Wheelchair usually needs to be controlled by an attendant, we can easily fit an attendant controller to the back of the chair to make it easier to maneuver for the carer. 3. Put the chair in manual mode. Simply unlock the castors at the back and manually push the chair. Keep in mind, this also switches of the breaks, so ensure you only do this on level ground and gentle inclines.

What is the difference between a regular cane and a quad cane?

A regular cane and a quad cane serve the same primary purpose of providing support and stability for individuals with mobility challenges, but they differ significantly in design and functionality. A regular cane is typically a single, straight shaft with a handle at the top and a rubber tip at the bottom to prevent slipping. These canes, are also available as folding canes, making it even easier to take them with you wherever you go. It offers basic support and is lightweight, making it easy to use and carry. Regular canes are suitable for individuals who need minimal assistance with balance or walking due to minor mobility issues or temporary injuries. In contrast, a quad cane features a base with four small legs or feet, providing a larger surface area for stability. This design makes quad canes more stable and less likely to tip over compared to regular canes. The enhanced stability of a quad cane is particularly beneficial for individuals with significant balance issues, muscle weakness, or those recovering from a stroke or surgery. Quad canes are generally heavier than regular canes, but the added weight contributes to their sturdiness. Additionally, the wider base allows for a more even distribution of weight, reducing the strain on the user's hand and wrist. The choice between a regular cane and a quad cane depends on the user's specific needs and level of mobility assistance required.

What Items are included in the 12-months free Roadside Assistance?

Any Scooter, Powerchair and Electric Wheelchair purchased after 1st April 2023 is covered by 12 months free roadside assistance through 24/7 RoadServices Australia, including secondhand products. Electric Rollators are excluded from this offer.

How can I find my Free Road side Insurance Policy Number

Your 12-month Free Roadside Insurance Policy number is your Invoice number with the MOB prefix. So if your Motobility Invoice number for your scooter purchase is INV-12345 your policy number will be MOB12345.

What happens to my free Roadside assistance when the 12-months are over

When you purchase your eligible mobility equipment your policy gets forwarded to 24/7 Roadservices Australia we include your contact details (Phone, Mobile, Email), when the term of your policy is about to expire. 24/7 Roadservices Australia will reach out to you to give you the optin to extend your policy. You can also set a reminder, for you to reach out to them, simply quote your Invoice Number with a MOB prefix, for example MOB12345 and advise that you would like to extend your policy.

08 9242 7333

How to Choose the right Portable Mobility Scooter Hoist?

Hoists

08 March 2022

How to Choose the right Portable Mobility Scooter Hoist?

Home HoistSmart Lifter

The Problem

If you rely on your mobility scooter, electric wheelchair or powerchair, it is only natural that you want to take it with you everywhere you go. Unfortunately, this can often be a problem. While smaller travel scooters and folding electric wheelchairs fold up for convenient transport, 90% of the time, they are still too heavy for the user to lift independently.

Slightly larger portable or pull-apart models allow for easier lifting and/or loading as each piece is lighter. However, bending low and dismantling a product can often be challenging.

Furthermore, the smaller portable mobility aids, while very handy and cleverly designed, don't offer the same comfort features as larger scooters or powerchairs.

Portable Hoist Solutions

This is where scooter hoists or wheelchair hoists come into play. Three possible solutions will solve the above problems.

1. Quingo Flyte & Docking Station

An innovative product that loads/unloads in less than 60seconds. The Quingo Flyte is a medium scooter that folds down and drives up a telescopic ramp, which is fitted in the car via the docking station. The Quingo Flyte and Dockingstation come as a set and are not suitable to be used with other products. Some bending and lifting are required.

2. Portable Hoists

These are separate products that use different lifting techniques such as strap lifting or scissor lifting to assist in lifting products to reach your boot. These products will get transported in the boot of your car along with your mobility aid. The Solax portable hoist requires to be loaded/unloaded from the boot and set up before it can be operated. The maximum lifting weight is 30kg.

3 Installed Hoists

As the name suggests, these hoists get installed in the boot of your car. Both the business and technicians must complete a registration process and be licensed to perform this work under Western Australian law. These vehicle hoists come in different sizes and lifting capacities and offers a strap lifting design and a lifting arm. They can be installed in most makes and models. However, they are not compatible with

Utes
Sedans
Vehicles that have split tailgates
Products that weigh over 200kg

How to choose your mobility scooter hoist

Your decision of which mobility Scooter hoist or Wheelchair hoist is right for you will often be governed by the size, dimensions, and type of product you want to lift, your abilities and the kind of car you want to lift it into.

If a portable choice is the best solution for you, click here to view our current range of mobile scooter hoists available, including videos on how they work.

If a Vehicle Hoist is a better option, continue through the below flowchart to narrow down your selection. Or you can click here to read through Vehicle hoists in more detail.

If you have multiple mobility devices that you would like to lift with the installed boot hoist. Use the larger and heavier one when your work through the below.

how to choose your portalbe scooter mobility hoist

What happens next

While the above guide gives you a good indication of which product would best suit you, your vehicle and your needs, we highly recommend you get in touch with us to discuss this in more detail. If possible, visit one of our showrooms to allow us to measure your car and understand your needs thoroughly.

Information that we will require to perform a thorough measure and quote includes

Make, Model and Year of your Vehicle. Please inform us of any extras that your vehicle may have. This will allow us to quote more accurately.
The Make and Model of all products you wish to lift with your SmartLifter boot-hoist

We will create a drawing of your vehicle and how the hoist would fit your car boot based on the above information. We will supply you with detailed measurements and a schematic drawing similar to the example below of a Toyota Land Cruiser 2009-2013.

Boot Hoist - Smart Lifter Specifications

Further, we will supply you with some installation instructions. This will allow you to see what work will be performed on your car and ensure you are comfortable with this. Below is an example of what these would look like

We will also talk to you about retraining options (optional extras) timeframes and leave you with a written quote for your consideration.

Turn Around times

To avoid any unnecessary modifications to your vehicle, we like to use vehicle specific fitting kits when available. These have to be ordered in from AutoChair, the manufacturer in the UK. These get airfreighted to us, but turnaround times can vary, given the current situation worldwide. Currently, we ask to allow up to 8 weeks from the order until installation. We hope to speed up this process as the world returns to a more normal situation.

Installation Timeframe

Timeframes for installations can vary. While we can perform most installations in about half a day at our workshop, some more complex installations can take a whole day.