I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for use 
in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not been used 
except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled  and confused 
to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road users.all the 
roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might sell it.I would 
be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely charges it up. the 
buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought that batteries should 
be on trickle charge all the time when not in use other wise tbe battery 
could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what would you advise thank 
you...cas

"cas"  wrote in message 
news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
>large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for use 
>in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not been 
>used except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled  and 
>confused to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road 
>users.all the roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might 
>sell it.I would be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely 
>charges it up. the buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought 
>that batteries should be on trickle charge all the time when not in use 
>other wise tbe battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what 
>would you advise thank you...cas
>

Hi cas,

I don't have any experience of buggies. etc - but the lead-acid battery 
types most commonly used do need to be kept charged, as you suggest. 
Trickle charging is the ideal, coupled with never 'pancaking' this battery 
type.

Two years of poor conditioning could have wrecked the cells, longterm.  I 
suggest you find out how much a new battery set will cost  and assume that 
you'll need to spend that amount sooner or later.  I wouldn't let that one 
issue stop you from buying what might be a pristine scooter - but for the 
batteries!  Check if there is any transferrable warranty remaining - and if 
so, what level of recovery is included.  That could be a valuable 'extra'.

Good luck with your deliberations!  I was lucky enough to pick-up a 
similarly aged CCTV magnifier for very little money - which is being held as 
a back-up for when My 10-year-old one 'retires' itself :-/

Cheers,

Pete.

"Peter V Rawlings"  wrote in message 
news:4qAvi.17562$S91.11182@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
>
> "cas"  wrote in message 
> news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>>I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
>>large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for 
>>use in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not 
>>been used except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled 
>>and confused to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road 
>>users.all the roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might 
>>sell it.I would be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely 
>>charges it up. the buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought 
>>that batteries should be on trickle charge all the time when not in use 
>>other wise tbe battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what 
>>would you advise thank you...cas
>>
>
> Hi cas,
>
> I don't have any experience of buggies. etc - but the lead-acid battery 
> types most commonly used do need to be kept charged, as you suggest. 
> Trickle charging is the ideal, coupled with never 'pancaking' this battery 
> type.
>
> Two years of poor conditioning could have wrecked the cells, longterm.  I 
> suggest you find out how much a new battery set will cost  and assume that 
> you'll need to spend that amount sooner or later.  I wouldn't let that one 
> issue stop you from buying what might be a pristine scooter - but for the 
> batteries!  Check if there is any transferrable warranty remaining - and 
> if so, what level of recovery is included.  That could be a valuable 
> 'extra'.
>
> Good luck with your deliberations!  I was lucky enough to pick-up a 
> similarly aged CCTV magnifier for very little money - which is being held 
> as a back-up for when My 10-year-old one 'retires' itself :-/
>
> Cheers,
>
> Pete.
>
Hi Cas,
    a good set of batteries can cost anywhere from £90 to £160 depending on 
size. If he is willing to sell, have a look at the batteries and note the AH 
number, such as 25AH, 30AH, 35AH. This is the amp hours. Also check if the 
batteries are specifically made for that scooter (as mine are unfortunately) 
or if a general scooter battery would fit, if the latter check prices on 
ebay they are usually cheaper. Plus have the charger itself looked at 
because they can cost anywhere up to £140 also.

Cyberwraith wrote:
> "Peter V Rawlings"  wrote in
> message news:4qAvi.17562$S91.11182@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
>>
>> "cas"  wrote in message
>> news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>>> I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice
>>> buggy large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel
>>> chair for use in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor
>>> buggy has not been used except the other day in the car park. he is
>>> realy to disabled and confused to control it and would be a danger
>>> to himself and other road users.all the roads around here are all
>>> steep his.the warden said he might sell it.I would be interested
>>> but ,as far as I know he very   rarely charges it up. the buggy is
>>> out side of my door in the hallway. I thought that batteries should
>>> be on trickle charge all the time when not in use other wise tbe
>>> battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what would you
>>> advise thank you...cas
>>
>> Hi cas,
>>
>> I don't have any experience of buggies. etc - but the lead-acid
>> battery types most commonly used do need to be kept charged, as you
>> suggest. Trickle charging is the ideal, coupled with never
>> 'pancaking' this battery type.
>>
>> Two years of poor conditioning could have wrecked the cells,
>> longterm.  I suggest you find out how much a new battery set will
>> cost  and assume that you'll need to spend that amount sooner or
>> later.  I wouldn't let that one issue stop you from buying what
>> might be a pristine scooter - but for the batteries!  Check if there
>> is any transferrable warranty remaining - and if so, what level of
>> recovery is included.  That could be a valuable 'extra'.
>>
>> Good luck with your deliberations!  I was lucky enough to pick-up a
>> similarly aged CCTV magnifier for very little money - which is being
>> held as a back-up for when My 10-year-old one 'retires' itself :-/
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Pete.
>>
> Hi Cas,
>    a good set of batteries can cost anywhere from £90 to £160
> depending on size. If he is willing to sell, have a look at the
> batteries and note the AH number, such as 25AH, 30AH, 35AH. This is
> the amp hours. Also check if the batteries are specifically made for
> that scooter (as mine are unfortunately) or if a general scooter
> battery would fit, if the latter check prices on ebay they are
> usually cheaper. Plus have the charger itself looked at because they
> can cost anywhere up to £140 also.

Bear in mind that the batteries may look specific and mobility shops may 
charge a fortune for them because they appear custom designed for the 
scooter with their fancy casing.
But often, you can open up the casing by undoing a few screws, and inside 
you'll find a battery resembling a very small car battery. If you unclip the 
cables from this, you can replace it with one bought from Maplins or 
somewhere similar, and save yourself a lot of money.
I did a lot of running repairs on my wifes last mobility scooter, nursing it 
along for a good few years after most people would have binned it. This was 
because we couldn't afford to replace it, and she couldn't manage without 
it. So I learned quite a few money-saving mainenance tricks.

Fat Sam wrote:
> Cyberwraith wrote:
>> "Peter V Rawlings"  wrote in
>> message news:4qAvi.17562$S91.11182@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
>>>
>>> "cas"  wrote in message
>>> news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>>>> I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice
>>>> buggy large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel
>>>> chair for use in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor
>>>> buggy has not been used except the other day in the car park. he is
>>>> realy to disabled and confused to control it and would be a danger
>>>> to himself and other road users.all the roads around here are all
>>>> steep his.the warden said he might sell it.I would be interested
>>>> but ,as far as I know he very   rarely charges it up. the buggy is
>>>> out side of my door in the hallway. I thought that batteries should
>>>> be on trickle charge all the time when not in use other wise tbe
>>>> battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what would you
>>>> advise thank you...cas
>>>
>>> Hi cas,
>>>
>>> I don't have any experience of buggies. etc - but the lead-acid
>>> battery types most commonly used do need to be kept charged, as you
>>> suggest. Trickle charging is the ideal, coupled with never
>>> 'pancaking' this battery type.
>>>
>>> Two years of poor conditioning could have wrecked the cells,
>>> longterm.  I suggest you find out how much a new battery set will
>>> cost  and assume that you'll need to spend that amount sooner or
>>> later.  I wouldn't let that one issue stop you from buying what
>>> might be a pristine scooter - but for the batteries!  Check if there
>>> is any transferrable warranty remaining - and if so, what level of
>>> recovery is included.  That could be a valuable 'extra'.
>>>
>>> Good luck with your deliberations!  I was lucky enough to pick-up a
>>> similarly aged CCTV magnifier for very little money - which is being
>>> held as a back-up for when My 10-year-old one 'retires' itself :-/
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Pete.
>>>
>> Hi Cas,
>>    a good set of batteries can cost anywhere from £90 to £160
>> depending on size. If he is willing to sell, have a look at the
>> batteries and note the AH number, such as 25AH, 30AH, 35AH. This is
>> the amp hours. Also check if the batteries are specifically made for
>> that scooter (as mine are unfortunately) or if a general scooter
>> battery would fit, if the latter check prices on ebay they are
>> usually cheaper. Plus have the charger itself looked at because they
>> can cost anywhere up to £140 also.
>
> Bear in mind that the batteries may look specific and mobility shops
> may charge a fortune for them because they appear custom designed for
> the scooter with their fancy casing.
> But often, you can open up the casing by undoing a few screws, and
> inside you'll find a battery resembling a very small car battery. If
> you unclip the cables from this, you can replace it with one bought
> from Maplins or somewhere similar, and save yourself a lot of money.
> I did a lot of running repairs on my wifes last mobility scooter,
> nursing it along for a good few years after most people would have
> binned it. This was because we couldn't afford to replace it, and she
> couldn't manage without it. So I learned quite a few money-saving
> mainenance tricks.

For example
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=27088&doy=12m8

cas wrote:
> I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
> large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for use 
> in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not been used 
> except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled  and confused 
> to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road users.all the 
> roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might sell it.I would 
> be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely charges it up. the 
> buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought that batteries should 
> be on trickle charge all the time when not in use other wise tbe battery 
> could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what would you advise thank 
> you...cas 
> 
> 
The biggest worry about these sorts of batteries is if they have been 
allowed to fully discharge and then left in that state. Even if not 
used, they will self discharge and so even a fully charged battery left 
unused will be at risk in a few months. A battery that has been used and 
  run flat is at risk immediately and can suffer irreperable damage if 
left like that.

If it has always been fully recharged after every use and if it has been 
charged every couple of months otherwise, that will probably be fine.

Replacement batteries vary by orders of magnitude in cost, depending on 
make and model.

The good news is that it is fairly easy to see if the batteries need 
replacing - fully charge them and then see how long it can be used until 
the low battery alarm is triggered..

If you only want to use it for 5 mile round trips, then the fact that 
the batteries have been damaged and are down to 50% is not a worry, if 
its range with good batteries is 15 miles..

-- 
Sue

"cas"  wrote in message 
news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
>large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for use 
>in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not been 
>used except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled  and 
>confused to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road 
>users.all the roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might 
>sell it.I would be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely 
>charges it up. the buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought 
>that batteries should be on trickle charge all the time when not in use 
>other wise tbe battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what 
>would you advise thank you...cas
>
You are right that lead acid batteries should be stored fully charged but 
trickle charging, (if it is not done correctly), could do more damage than 
good.
Most buggies/wheelchairs use either Sealed Lead Acid, (SLA), Valve Regulated 
Lead Acid, (VRLA) or Gel Batteries. The Absorbed Glass Mat type are more 
expensive, still so not so usual on wheelchairs.
There are four stage chargers that can be left on all the time but your 
average cheap and nasty charger will overcharge them and kill them off.
My best advice is to make sure the charger supplied is the right one for the 
job but better still is to get something like the, "Ring SmartCharge 8". 
This not only senses the battery and charges it correctly but it can 
actually renovate some batteries that have been allowed to discharge below a 
safe level. It can charge at up to 8AMPS but it is far better to charge at 
as low a current as you can get away with.

Many chairs/buggies charge at 24 volts but they are just two 12 volts 
batteries connected in series. They can be charged at 12 volts if connected 
in parallel.  To explain the dangers of those cheap chargers - they do not 
regulate the charging voltage and when this goes too high the battery will 
gas. Sealed batteries cannot stand gassing. What happens to a battery that 
is not kept fully charged is that the chemical reaction of the discharged 
battery causes sulphating and this builds up on hard layer on the plates - 
it is an insulator - so the high resistance it forms prevents the battery 
from being recharged.  If the battery in question was not being used but 
topped up with a charge about every 3 months it should be in reasonable 
health. The three things never to do with a lead acid battery are -
Do not overcharge.
Do not leave in discharged state.
Do not allow to it to be too far discharged.

One thing to keep in mind is that caravan shops and even Halford's sell 
leisure batteries a lot cheaper than the Disabled Aids Shops do.
-- 

Robert Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).

"Robert Peffers."  wrote in message 
news:DPudncd-QvzFIyLbRVnysAA@bt.com...
>
> "cas"  wrote in message 
> news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>>I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
>>large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for 
>>use in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not 
>>been used except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled 
>>and confused to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road 
>>users.all the roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might 
>>sell it.I would be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely 
>>charges it up. the buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought 
>>that batteries should be on trickle charge all the time when not in use 
>>other wise tbe battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what 
>>would you advise thank you...cas
>>
> You are right that lead acid batteries should be stored fully charged but 
> trickle charging, (if it is not done correctly), could do more damage than 
> good.
> Most buggies/wheelchairs use either Sealed Lead Acid, (SLA), Valve 
> Regulated Lead Acid, (VRLA) or Gel Batteries. The Absorbed Glass Mat type 
> are more expensive, still so not so usual on wheelchairs.
> There are four stage chargers that can be left on all the time but your 
> average cheap and nasty charger will overcharge them and kill them off.
> My best advice is to make sure the charger supplied is the right one for 
> the job but better still is to get something like the, "Ring SmartCharge 
> 8". This not only senses the battery and charges it correctly but it can 
> actually renovate some batteries that have been allowed to discharge below 
> a safe level. It can charge at up to 8AMPS but it is far better to charge 
> at as low a current as you can get away with.
>
> Many chairs/buggies charge at 24 volts but they are just two 12 volts 
> batteries connected in series. They can be charged at 12 volts if 
> connected in parallel.  To explain the dangers of those cheap chargers - 
> they do not regulate the charging voltage and when this goes too high the 
> battery will gas. Sealed batteries cannot stand gassing. What happens to a 
> battery that is not kept fully charged is that the chemical reaction of 
> the discharged battery causes sulphating and this builds up on hard layer 
> on the plates - it is an insulator - so the high resistance it forms 
> prevents the battery from being recharged.  If the battery in question was 
> not being used but topped up with a charge about every 3 months it should 
> be in reasonable health. The three things never to do with a lead acid 
> battery are -
> Do not overcharge.
> Do not leave in discharged state.
> Do not allow to it to be too far discharged.
>
> One thing to keep in mind is that caravan shops and even Halford's sell 
> leisure batteries a lot cheaper than the Disabled Aids Shops do.
> -- 
>
> Robert Peffers,
> Kelty,
> Fife,
> Scotland, (UK).
>
>
>
    Thank you all for the good advice given..these N/G can be very 
helpful...cas

"cas"  wrote in message 
news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
>large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for use 
>in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not been 
>used except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled  and 
>confused to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road 
>users.all the roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might 
>sell it.I would be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely 
>charges it up. the buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought 
>that batteries should be on trickle charge all the time when not in use 
>other wise tbe battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what 
>would you advise thank you...cas
>

Hi cas,

I don't have any experience of buggies. etc - but the lead-acid battery 
types most commonly used do need to be kept charged, as you suggest. 
Trickle charging is the ideal, coupled with never 'pancaking' this battery 
type.

Two years of poor conditioning could have wrecked the cells, longterm.  I 
suggest you find out how much a new battery set will cost  and assume that 
you'll need to spend that amount sooner or later.  I wouldn't let that one 
issue stop you from buying what might be a pristine scooter - but for the 
batteries!  Check if there is any transferrable warranty remaining - and if 
so, what level of recovery is included.  That could be a valuable 'extra'.

Good luck with your deliberations!  I was lucky enough to pick-up a 
similarly aged CCTV magnifier for very little money - which is being held as 
a back-up for when My 10-year-old one 'retires' itself :-/

Cheers,

Pete.

"Peter V Rawlings"  wrote in message 
news:4qAvi.17562$S91.11182@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
>
> "cas"  wrote in message 
> news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>>I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
>>large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for 
>>use in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not 
>>been used except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled 
>>and confused to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road 
>>users.all the roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might 
>>sell it.I would be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely 
>>charges it up. the buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought 
>>that batteries should be on trickle charge all the time when not in use 
>>other wise tbe battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what 
>>would you advise thank you...cas
>>
>
> Hi cas,
>
> I don't have any experience of buggies. etc - but the lead-acid battery 
> types most commonly used do need to be kept charged, as you suggest. 
> Trickle charging is the ideal, coupled with never 'pancaking' this battery 
> type.
>
> Two years of poor conditioning could have wrecked the cells, longterm.  I 
> suggest you find out how much a new battery set will cost  and assume that 
> you'll need to spend that amount sooner or later.  I wouldn't let that one 
> issue stop you from buying what might be a pristine scooter - but for the 
> batteries!  Check if there is any transferrable warranty remaining - and 
> if so, what level of recovery is included.  That could be a valuable 
> 'extra'.
>
> Good luck with your deliberations!  I was lucky enough to pick-up a 
> similarly aged CCTV magnifier for very little money - which is being held 
> as a back-up for when My 10-year-old one 'retires' itself :-/
>
> Cheers,
>
> Pete.
>
Hi Cas,
    a good set of batteries can cost anywhere from £90 to £160 depending on 
size. If he is willing to sell, have a look at the batteries and note the AH 
number, such as 25AH, 30AH, 35AH. This is the amp hours. Also check if the 
batteries are specifically made for that scooter (as mine are unfortunately) 
or if a general scooter battery would fit, if the latter check prices on 
ebay they are usually cheaper. Plus have the charger itself looked at 
because they can cost anywhere up to £140 also.

Cyberwraith wrote:
> "Peter V Rawlings"  wrote in
> message news:4qAvi.17562$S91.11182@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
>>
>> "cas"  wrote in message
>> news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>>> I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice
>>> buggy large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel
>>> chair for use in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor
>>> buggy has not been used except the other day in the car park. he is
>>> realy to disabled and confused to control it and would be a danger
>>> to himself and other road users.all the roads around here are all
>>> steep his.the warden said he might sell it.I would be interested
>>> but ,as far as I know he very   rarely charges it up. the buggy is
>>> out side of my door in the hallway. I thought that batteries should
>>> be on trickle charge all the time when not in use other wise tbe
>>> battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what would you
>>> advise thank you...cas
>>
>> Hi cas,
>>
>> I don't have any experience of buggies. etc - but the lead-acid
>> battery types most commonly used do need to be kept charged, as you
>> suggest. Trickle charging is the ideal, coupled with never
>> 'pancaking' this battery type.
>>
>> Two years of poor conditioning could have wrecked the cells,
>> longterm.  I suggest you find out how much a new battery set will
>> cost  and assume that you'll need to spend that amount sooner or
>> later.  I wouldn't let that one issue stop you from buying what
>> might be a pristine scooter - but for the batteries!  Check if there
>> is any transferrable warranty remaining - and if so, what level of
>> recovery is included.  That could be a valuable 'extra'.
>>
>> Good luck with your deliberations!  I was lucky enough to pick-up a
>> similarly aged CCTV magnifier for very little money - which is being
>> held as a back-up for when My 10-year-old one 'retires' itself :-/
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Pete.
>>
> Hi Cas,
>    a good set of batteries can cost anywhere from £90 to £160
> depending on size. If he is willing to sell, have a look at the
> batteries and note the AH number, such as 25AH, 30AH, 35AH. This is
> the amp hours. Also check if the batteries are specifically made for
> that scooter (as mine are unfortunately) or if a general scooter
> battery would fit, if the latter check prices on ebay they are
> usually cheaper. Plus have the charger itself looked at because they
> can cost anywhere up to £140 also.

Bear in mind that the batteries may look specific and mobility shops may 
charge a fortune for them because they appear custom designed for the 
scooter with their fancy casing.
But often, you can open up the casing by undoing a few screws, and inside 
you'll find a battery resembling a very small car battery. If you unclip the 
cables from this, you can replace it with one bought from Maplins or 
somewhere similar, and save yourself a lot of money.
I did a lot of running repairs on my wifes last mobility scooter, nursing it 
along for a good few years after most people would have binned it. This was 
because we couldn't afford to replace it, and she couldn't manage without 
it. So I learned quite a few money-saving mainenance tricks.

Fat Sam wrote:
> Cyberwraith wrote:
>> "Peter V Rawlings"  wrote in
>> message news:4qAvi.17562$S91.11182@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
>>>
>>> "cas"  wrote in message
>>> news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>>>> I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice
>>>> buggy large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel
>>>> chair for use in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor
>>>> buggy has not been used except the other day in the car park. he is
>>>> realy to disabled and confused to control it and would be a danger
>>>> to himself and other road users.all the roads around here are all
>>>> steep his.the warden said he might sell it.I would be interested
>>>> but ,as far as I know he very   rarely charges it up. the buggy is
>>>> out side of my door in the hallway. I thought that batteries should
>>>> be on trickle charge all the time when not in use other wise tbe
>>>> battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what would you
>>>> advise thank you...cas
>>>
>>> Hi cas,
>>>
>>> I don't have any experience of buggies. etc - but the lead-acid
>>> battery types most commonly used do need to be kept charged, as you
>>> suggest. Trickle charging is the ideal, coupled with never
>>> 'pancaking' this battery type.
>>>
>>> Two years of poor conditioning could have wrecked the cells,
>>> longterm.  I suggest you find out how much a new battery set will
>>> cost  and assume that you'll need to spend that amount sooner or
>>> later.  I wouldn't let that one issue stop you from buying what
>>> might be a pristine scooter - but for the batteries!  Check if there
>>> is any transferrable warranty remaining - and if so, what level of
>>> recovery is included.  That could be a valuable 'extra'.
>>>
>>> Good luck with your deliberations!  I was lucky enough to pick-up a
>>> similarly aged CCTV magnifier for very little money - which is being
>>> held as a back-up for when My 10-year-old one 'retires' itself :-/
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Pete.
>>>
>> Hi Cas,
>>    a good set of batteries can cost anywhere from £90 to £160
>> depending on size. If he is willing to sell, have a look at the
>> batteries and note the AH number, such as 25AH, 30AH, 35AH. This is
>> the amp hours. Also check if the batteries are specifically made for
>> that scooter (as mine are unfortunately) or if a general scooter
>> battery would fit, if the latter check prices on ebay they are
>> usually cheaper. Plus have the charger itself looked at because they
>> can cost anywhere up to £140 also.
>
> Bear in mind that the batteries may look specific and mobility shops
> may charge a fortune for them because they appear custom designed for
> the scooter with their fancy casing.
> But often, you can open up the casing by undoing a few screws, and
> inside you'll find a battery resembling a very small car battery. If
> you unclip the cables from this, you can replace it with one bought
> from Maplins or somewhere similar, and save yourself a lot of money.
> I did a lot of running repairs on my wifes last mobility scooter,
> nursing it along for a good few years after most people would have
> binned it. This was because we couldn't afford to replace it, and she
> couldn't manage without it. So I learned quite a few money-saving
> mainenance tricks.

For example
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=27088&doy=12m8

cas wrote:
> I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
> large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for use 
> in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not been used 
> except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled  and confused 
> to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road users.all the 
> roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might sell it.I would 
> be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely charges it up. the 
> buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought that batteries should 
> be on trickle charge all the time when not in use other wise tbe battery 
> could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what would you advise thank 
> you...cas 
> 
> 
The biggest worry about these sorts of batteries is if they have been 
allowed to fully discharge and then left in that state. Even if not 
used, they will self discharge and so even a fully charged battery left 
unused will be at risk in a few months. A battery that has been used and 
  run flat is at risk immediately and can suffer irreperable damage if 
left like that.

If it has always been fully recharged after every use and if it has been 
charged every couple of months otherwise, that will probably be fine.

Replacement batteries vary by orders of magnitude in cost, depending on 
make and model.

The good news is that it is fairly easy to see if the batteries need 
replacing - fully charge them and then see how long it can be used until 
the low battery alarm is triggered..

If you only want to use it for 5 mile round trips, then the fact that 
the batteries have been damaged and are down to 50% is not a worry, if 
its range with good batteries is 15 miles..

-- 
Sue

"cas"  wrote in message 
news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
>large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for use 
>in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not been 
>used except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled  and 
>confused to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road 
>users.all the roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might 
>sell it.I would be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely 
>charges it up. the buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought 
>that batteries should be on trickle charge all the time when not in use 
>other wise tbe battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what 
>would you advise thank you...cas
>
You are right that lead acid batteries should be stored fully charged but 
trickle charging, (if it is not done correctly), could do more damage than 
good.
Most buggies/wheelchairs use either Sealed Lead Acid, (SLA), Valve Regulated 
Lead Acid, (VRLA) or Gel Batteries. The Absorbed Glass Mat type are more 
expensive, still so not so usual on wheelchairs.
There are four stage chargers that can be left on all the time but your 
average cheap and nasty charger will overcharge them and kill them off.
My best advice is to make sure the charger supplied is the right one for the 
job but better still is to get something like the, "Ring SmartCharge 8". 
This not only senses the battery and charges it correctly but it can 
actually renovate some batteries that have been allowed to discharge below a 
safe level. It can charge at up to 8AMPS but it is far better to charge at 
as low a current as you can get away with.

Many chairs/buggies charge at 24 volts but they are just two 12 volts 
batteries connected in series. They can be charged at 12 volts if connected 
in parallel.  To explain the dangers of those cheap chargers - they do not 
regulate the charging voltage and when this goes too high the battery will 
gas. Sealed batteries cannot stand gassing. What happens to a battery that 
is not kept fully charged is that the chemical reaction of the discharged 
battery causes sulphating and this builds up on hard layer on the plates - 
it is an insulator - so the high resistance it forms prevents the battery 
from being recharged.  If the battery in question was not being used but 
topped up with a charge about every 3 months it should be in reasonable 
health. The three things never to do with a lead acid battery are -
Do not overcharge.
Do not leave in discharged state.
Do not allow to it to be too far discharged.

One thing to keep in mind is that caravan shops and even Halford's sell 
leisure batteries a lot cheaper than the Disabled Aids Shops do.
-- 

Robert Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).

"Robert Peffers."  wrote in message 
news:DPudncd-QvzFIyLbRVnysAA@bt.com...
>
> "cas"  wrote in message 
> news:cizvi.34426$sI3.5398@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>>I live in a sheltered flat,and the man above me brought a very nice buggy 
>>large type cost about £3,000.he also brought a electric wheel chair for 
>>use in his flat.this was about 2 x years ago the outdoor buggy has not 
>>been used except the other day in the car park. he is realy to disabled 
>>and confused to control it and would be a danger to himself and other road 
>>users.all the roads around here are all steep his.the warden said he might 
>>sell it.I would be interested but ,as far as I know he very   rarely 
>>charges it up. the buggy is out side of my door in the hallway. I thought 
>>that batteries should be on trickle charge all the time when not in use 
>>other wise tbe battery could be damaged.and they can be expensive.  what 
>>would you advise thank you...cas
>>
> You are right that lead acid batteries should be stored fully charged but 
> trickle charging, (if it is not done correctly), could do more damage than 
> good.
> Most buggies/wheelchairs use either Sealed Lead Acid, (SLA), Valve 
> Regulated Lead Acid, (VRLA) or Gel Batteries. The Absorbed Glass Mat type 
> are more expensive, still so not so usual on wheelchairs.
> There are four stage chargers that can be left on all the time but your 
> average cheap and nasty charger will overcharge them and kill them off.
> My best advice is to make sure the charger supplied is the right one for 
> the job but better still is to get something like the, "Ring SmartCharge 
> 8". This not only senses the battery and charges it correctly but it can 
> actually renovate some batteries that have been allowed to discharge below 
> a safe level. It can charge at up to 8AMPS but it is far better to charge 
> at as low a current as you can get away with.
>
> Many chairs/buggies charge at 24 volts but they are just two 12 volts 
> batteries connected in series. They can be charged at 12 volts if 
> connected in parallel.  To explain the dangers of those cheap chargers - 
> they do not regulate the charging voltage and when this goes too high the 
> battery will gas. Sealed batteries cannot stand gassing. What happens to a 
> battery that is not kept fully charged is that the chemical reaction of 
> the discharged battery causes sulphating and this builds up on hard layer 
> on the plates - it is an insulator - so the high resistance it forms 
> prevents the battery from being recharged.  If the battery in question was 
> not being used but topped up with a charge about every 3 months it should 
> be in reasonable health. The three things never to do with a lead acid 
> battery are -
> Do not overcharge.
> Do not leave in discharged state.
> Do not allow to it to be too far discharged.
>
> One thing to keep in mind is that caravan shops and even Halford's sell 
> leisure batteries a lot cheaper than the Disabled Aids Shops do.
> -- 
>
> Robert Peffers,
> Kelty,
> Fife,
> Scotland, (UK).
>
>
>
    Thank you all for the good advice given..these N/G can be very 
helpful...cas