E-Wheels EW-38 High Power Fast 3 Wheel Heavy Duty Mobility Scooter (Red)

My last review was 5 months ago. Finding the motivation to write reviews on paper clips, rubber bands, toothpicks and foam bowls is difficult. Besides, folks who are searching for reviews on such items need more help than I’m able to give.My concern here is that buyers be fully aware of what to expect, especially seniors. They are special.Seniors need to stick together and their safety and well-being is of primary concern in this review.IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT RIDERS HAVE A SANE AWARENESS OF THE LIMITATIONS AND TOLERANCES INVOLVED WHEN THEY ARE OPERATING ANY 3-WHEEL SCOOTER.The scooter and rider become one unit. Different riders create unique units that respond differently.The federal government banned the sale of 3-wheel ATVs in 1988 because so many kids were getting killed and injured on them.I have two Honda 3-wheel ATVs that were purchased new in 1985. They still run like new and I ride them daily. They have never been flipped or wrecked and I don’t allow kids to ride them.Anybody who would put a kid on this E-Wheels should be arrested for child endangerment. I’m a 72-year old limping Namvet who has had more orthopedic operations than some professional bull riders and I have to restrain my impulses to “gun it.”On with the review.The E-Wheels is stunning. It is far more brilliant and eye-catching than any picture I saw on the Internet during my two months of research. The sparkling front with the lightening bolt insignia and beautiful blue LED running lights on the edges looks like the shield of a superhero on steroids prepared to do battle with the evil Emperor of the Empire.It is very QUIET.The ideal outdoor travel surface would be a smooth lawn, park or golf course. It is NOT designed for indoor operation with limited or confined space.OPERATE OUTDOORS ONLY IN DRY WEATHER. ELECTRIC MOTORS HATE WATER.The ideal indoor travel surface would be a large manufacturing complex where individuals must walk great distances on foot and their parking space is limited to the size of a broom closet.We needed a scooter for my 105-pound wife to travel back and forth a few times a day across a 200-yard, 18-degree sloped lawn caring for her elderly mother. The travel surface is more like a mowed cow pasture sans the piles. Most scooters have a maximum climb of 15 degrees. Ours needed to be small enough to easily park between the cars in our garage for instant access when needed. Golf carts and electric ATVs were too big. The E-Wheels was the best hybrid we could find and at half the cost of a golf cart.I weigh 175 pounds. In the “fast setting” the E-Wheels carries me up the 18-degree slope with ease. I’ll explain “speed settings” later.I hate reviews that claim, “It broke the first time I used it,” without giving specific details regarding how, why, where and when. What caused it to break? How much do you weigh? What were the surface conditions? How fast were you going? Was the neighbor’s kid trying to ramp-jump a commercial trash can overflowing with empty bottles of Boost and Ensure or what?The back and arms of the seat easily adjust for personal comfort. It reminds me of a nice captain’s chair in a bass boat. If you want the seat to swivel, just make a SLOW turn on a level surface to face another direction. Fast turns will flip you upside-down, especially on a slope.And this vehicle is FAST! It will fly. It will do 15 mph on a smooth paved surface in a heartbeat.It has running lights, headlights, high and low beam, turn signals, horn, brake lights activated by the brake levers and a place for a tag. Even so, there’s NO WAY I’d put the baby out on a public street in today’s crazy traffic.Operators should have a keen awareness of what pain is all about and avoid stupid acts that cause it. In my case, that’s impossible.The speed-control switch, located directly under the accelerator handle, is marked, I, II, III. Regardless of what the owner’s manual tells you, III is the slowest speed and where you need to begin. The owner’s manual says there are only 2 speeds. That’s probably correct because I can’t tell any difference between speed-I and speed-II.For me, fast speed (I) works better traveling uphill. Slow speed (III) is smoother and less jerky going downhill.Do me a favor. Keep it in slow speed (III) for the first few days of operation.After 3 days of trying to achieve a smooth 15˚ downhill run while maintaining a steady speed without the jerking, it finally occurred to me to just coast. Push the key IN and turn it to the left. This is the PUSH or freewheeling position. It is clearly marked. The scooter glides like the homemade contraptions some of us had as kids. Control the speed with the brake handles on both handlebars. When the glide stops, turn the switch to the normal run position and go.Uphill runs are as smooth as spreading melted butter on hot bread. NO jerking.The cargo basket will easily carry 2 days of groceries unless you are feeding a Clydesdale. A brown paper grocery bag sitting in the basket with the cover open will carry a week’s worth. The lid will rattle when riding on rough surface. A basket liner or a couple of plastic cable ties on the bottom rim solves that problem quickly.The trunk opens with the key. The entire seat and cargo basket lifts up. The trunk space is 13” from side to side, 9” deep and 8” from front to back. Plus, another 13” from side to side, 2” deep and 4” from front to back.The parking brake is a 1/2" metal post with a black-vinyl tip protruding from beneath the left handle. It took me 3 days to find it. Squeeze the brake handle and push it up to lock the brake.Rather than using the term negative, I prefer to use CAUTION.Electromagnetic engines are a whole new ballgame for me. The accelerator operates more like a sensitive controller on a quality video game or aircraft simulator. It must be controlled like porcupines make love, very gently. When the speed is reduced, the electromagnetic brakes are applied. In other words, if you’re traveling at 10 mph and quickly reduce the right speed-control handle, which is not hard to do, you simultaneously slam on the brakes coming to an abrupt stop. Coming to a smooth stop takes a lot of practice and a steady hand. I’m still working on it and my hands are steady.I would not recommend this vehicle for someone who has jerky or shaky hands. Steady hands are imperative for maximum enjoyment and safety.Reverse is a nice function. However, the beeper alarm scares the beejeebers out of cats.Be prepared for delivery.The 18-wheeler freight truck delivers “curbside.” The shipping box is huge. I’ve seen entire families in some foreign countries living in houses about this same size.The packaging is very adequate and our E-Wheels arrived in excellent condition.The box is double thickness, laminated, heavy-duty cardboard. It is 63” L, 48” D and 38” W and weighs between 40 and 50 pounds. After cutting the shipping bands, it takes 2 people to carefully lift off the cumbersome box without risking damage to the contents. The E-Wheels is tightly shrink wrapped in clear plastic and secured to a wooden pallet with more nylon shipping bands. Once these bands are removed, a pry-bar is needed to remove the nailed-down chock bracing the front wheel before rolling the E-Wheels off of the wooden pallet.The pallet is 63” L, 36” W and 7” D and weighs approximately 50 pounds.That’s about 100 pounds of packing material the size of a 1970 VW Beetle sitting at the end of your driveway.The E-Wheels is fully charged and ready to run upon delivery. However, it is highly advisable to carefully read the instructions. Sitting at the end of your driveway in the hot sun with cars honking their horns is not my idea of an ideal study location when trying to become acclimated to a new vehicle. Our first charge was Oct 14, 21 days after delivery and we operated it daily.Frankly, every aspect is simple and straight forward. Just relax in the comfortable driver’s seat for 5 minutes and test the switches and you’ll have it. I’m saying this because the instructions might have been written by someone standing on their head or facing East when they should have been facing West.In today’s market, product details and specifications are usually derived based on “ideal” conditions which seldom exist in the real world. That’s common sense. The E-Wheels is rated for 500 pounds. That might be true sitting still. A 350-pound operator might be okay traveling from one end of a basketball court to the other but be careful making a turn, especially if the accelerator handle is turned too briskly. It’s tricky. With only a 27-inch wheel base, a person weighing 250 pounds or more might consider test driving a scooter chair in conditions similar to where they’ll be riding it before buying one. The basic laws of physics apply and require an accurate understanding of the concept of “top heavy.”I have never been a fan of the 5-Star rating system with each star representing 20 points. The old-fashioned 100-point system works better for me. I deducted 5 points...maybe 10 points for the difficulty in achieving a smooth stop without the jerking, albeit minor. That’s a grade of 90. 90 to me is 5-stars instead of 4-Stars but I’ve explained the negative in detail.THINK SAFE. BE SAFE. RIDE SAFE.LIVE LONG AND WELL AND BE HAPPY.

This is a mobility/recreational scooter for me. I would not recommend it for use in a domestic residence.I have 40% cardiac function. Much of the supporting structure of my left foot was removed in several operations to remove malignant melanoma. I rode motorcycles for 60 years. These facts are important only to help you understand that my perspective may be different than yours.I really don't understand the reviews. It is good to mention problems. It is not helpful to give an F-15 a 2 star rating because you cant land it on your Dad's field.1. This is not appropriate for your frail 84 yr. old mother. It is exactly right for me.2. Single front wheel design has inherent instability when braking while turning. Don't do that. Simple.It has advantage of shorter turning radius, which is very important for negotiating square corners of narrow sidewalks. You take your choice.3. Narrow spacing of rear wheels needed to negotiate narrow sidewalks and get through doors, and height needed to make it comfortable for old and arthritic people is an engineering trade off, not a design flaw.You will not be safe riding on a side to side graded surface or turning at a higher speed Don't do that. Physics is not a soft science.There have probably been some modifications over the years. Mine arrived March 23, 2020.On mine the throttle is VERY gentle and progressive. The Three way switch is properly wired, with 1 being slowest and 0 (center marking) and II being progressively faster. On mine the electromagnetic brakes work perfectly, being more aggressive at higher speeds or when throttle is snapped closed and almost not existent when throttle is modulated downward in a normal manner. There is absolutely no difficulty riding down a hill smoothly. I just drive it without even thinking about the problem others have mentioned. I don't doubt their experience. I just think this must have been dealt with since their purchase.You can park on a sloped surface. Press the "lock" icon on the key fob. This locks the transaxle and sets the alarm.No issue. Alarm is very loud. Back up beeping annoys me. Too many "Yo mama so fat she beeps when she backs up" jokes, I guess.I can't speak to durability. Only have ~30 miles on it. Doesn't seem "flimsy" though. Range is plenty for our town.An hour or so of riding around at variable speeds leaves battery needle still at full charge. It probably isn't progressive, but recharge only takes 2-4 hours for the rides I've taken so far.Originally I was going to buy E-36. E-wheels said in email the E-38 would serve me better at my weight. These reviews had me very worried. I'm happy I got E-38 for my weight. Extra power helps on hills.I don't often do reviews. I thought an update for currently delivered model would be helpful

The EWHEELS 38 is a very "powerful" scooter. It is very similar to the EW36 & 37 however, much more powerful. It has 3 speed levels 1,2,3 along with reverse because of the 700 watt brush motor the lower speed can still get away from you. . Just like several other reviewers of this product I, too ride motorcycles and can better gage the power of this mobility scooter from my experience and, that is why I DO NOT recommend this scooter for the physically challenged or for individuals 80 and up. In my opinion it is suitable for long walking events outdoor recreational adventures such as amusment parks, golf courses, shopping malls, extensive walks downtown, sport stadiums, convention rallies, motorcycle rallies etc. The EW38 is an awesome scooter, the back rest moves foward and backwards however, the seat itself is stationary. The height of the EW38 is perfect for people suffering with arthritis or any leg and knee problem. The height allows easier entry and exit from the scooter and the height also keeps your face from being directly in peoples behinds as you are riding behind them. It comes with a remote that allows you a keyless start and the remote can be use to activate the built-in security alarm system. My experience with both the scooter and the seller was exception. Medical Health Mobility was outstanding via their customer service dept. and very knowledgeable about their product. They were also helpful in making sure that my scooter experience was a priority by going above and beyond expectation with regards to the shipping and handleing process. I am very satisfied with this purchase.