PWC frustration (Quantum Q6 Edge)

[dkcarl62]

I have recently received my PWC thru University of Michigan seating clinic. It has the independently adjustable recline back and power lift feet pedals. I purchased the seat lift feature out of pocket.

So far, I've had two difference wheelchair tech out to make adjustments. Its getting better, but I'm still very frustrated with this chair. This machine is not nimble. The caster wheels (front mostly) are "squirrely"! Backing up is especially difficult. I move the joystick in the correct direction, but the wheels have a mind of their own. The chair also "surges" and "lurches" when I'm trying to make slow, tight maneuvers. It also doesn't stop immediately (in even the slowest speed) when I let off the joystick. Now, after the last adjustment, I can't get up the ramp of the van. The drive wheels just spin (and the caster wheels lurch!)

So what I've found with the chair so far is that I can go flying across the mall parking lot, but can't maneuver thru the clothing racks in a store. I can probably take on some light trail riding, but can't back up in a tight space, like a public restaurant.

I know I'm a new user, but can someone who owns one of these beasts give me encouragement that I have really been fitted with the right machine for me and that there is more that can be done to solve the problems I'm experiencing? It shouldn't be this hard!

Deb

 

[Diane H]

I hate to have to tell you this, but I had a Quantum Q6 Edge and had exactly the same problems. My Invacare rear wheel drive chair was so old that replacement parts weren't available so it was time for a new chair. A Q6 Edge was ordered with the assurance that I would have no difficulty adjusting to the mid-wheel drive. But it wasn't a matter of my adjusting, it was that the chair had "caster jerk" so bad that it was impossible in small spaces. I couldn't get up to my computer desk, into the bathroom and up to the sink, or into position in my big Sprinter van -- things which had been no problem with my old power chair. The chair would lurch sideways as it stopped, and bashed walls, doorways, and anything nearby including ankles and shins. And it wasn't a gentle tug to the side, it was hard and dangerous. Repeated adjustments by the local tech and eventually by the area rep from Quantum failed to fix it. They even tried moving the entire seating unit forward on the base. The only thing that helped even slightly was decreasing the power and speed of the turning mechanism which, as you found, made the chair less powerful without correcting the jerking.

Adding to that was the fact that the tilt/recline mechanism was smack in the middle of the back of the seat so the only way to mount a vent or BiPAP was by extending way out over the tilt/recline mechanism. That made the chair several inches longer and even hard to maneuver in small spaces.

I hated the damn thing and was furious that my new chair was so inferior to my 11 year old Invacare. How could the wheelchair provider, National Seating, not have known of the problems with the Quantum Q6 Edge? After months of failure to correct the problems, I demanded a different chair. Because I had the chair for so long by then (months went by between appointments) and even though I had gone back to using my battered old Invacare and the Quantum sat unused in the corner in disgrace, getting a different chair was a battle with National Seating. Eventually I got a Permobil C350 rear-wheel drive and all the problems were resolved.

Don't waste another day trying to fix the Quantum. Demand a different brand of chair and make it a rear wheel drive. Ignore their stalling. Threaten legal action, complain to Medicare and insurance, write to Quantum and demand action. They cannot claim that they never had this problem with their chair because they heard my complaining beginning in 2013.

This process is not fun and if you are uncomfortable with confrontation as I am, put it in writing. Not only does this give you records of your complaints, but I found it much easier to express my demands in writing rather than face to face. Don't let this go on or they will insist on staring from scratch with new evals and application to Medicare/insurance. That will take a year or more because they will have difficulty justifying the need for a different chair so soon.

I was furious that they wanted Medicare to pay for a different chair when the fault for ordering the wrong chair was theirs. I wanted to be a whistle blower and report what I believed to be defrauding Medicare, but I needed the different chair so they had me caught. I had no idea how long things would take that way or if there was any evidence that National Seating made a habit of using Medicare to fix their bad decisions on what chair to order.

Sorry to ramble on, but the whole mess was so upsetting. Get on it ASAP while the swap for a different chair is possible without all the hassle!

 

[affected]

Maybe Diane could write you a letter of support stating she had the same problems and her previous pwc did not, nor does her replacement one.

That would go well with your own letters.

If you are uncomfortable writing the letter, write out your complaint, then think about whether or not you have a friend that is good at this stuff. I am sure anyone good at writing would be more than happy to do something practical and help with the wording and phrasing.

Pretty much once you get one good letter you can send it to everyone involved.

 

[lgelb]

Enter your safety-related incidents into the FDA database on line. At least others searching can see them.

The first DME guy the clinic sent us wanted to put Larry in a Q6, ostensibly because we were in a somewhat petite apartment. It was new then and I think the rebate structure was good as it usually is for a launch. I looked at the Q6 specs and Larry, who was at the very top of its weight range. The guy said, no prob.

So we got a different DME who recommended the M300. Larry ended up in a 20x22" cushion that I doubt would have worked well on the Q6, even before the weight issue. In fairness, both are mid-wheel drives.

 

[dkcarl62]

Wow, Diane, thanks for sharing your (sadly, bad) experience! I'm glad you finally got a chair that works for you! Thanks for the link, lgelb. I did try to search on "Quantum" and got no hits (regarding user experiences) Is there a moderator in the house? Can I post this same question on the PLS side of the house? I'm hoping to get more input from Quantim users. Still searching for the positives.

Deb

 

[GregK]

I'm not a mod but general forum etiquette is to post a question in one place. If it gets no answer or runs out of steam it's then ok to repost. You seem to feel this falls in the latter category.

So, go for it. Do bear in mind that the PLS folks can see this string too.

 

[dkcarl62]

Thanks for the prompt feedback, GregK. I know PLSer's can see the post, as I am one myself, but I also know from my own experience that I tend to only follow "my side" of the MND spectrum. So, I'll go for it!

 

[Tractor Boy]

My Quantum Q6 Edge is my very first PWC..it SUCKS! I just didn't know any better.

 

[swalker]

After reading this thread, I am feeling very fortunate that I had the wheelchair buying experience I did.

The salesperson was very knowledgeable and had great insight to what might and might not work for me.

I think the most significant thing that I experienced is something I recommend to everyone. When I went wheelchair shopping, I went to a place with a large warehouse (hundreds of power and manual wheelchairs). They had a fleet of about 30+ demo chairs and scooters. I got to try a wide variety. I was in chairs for over 4 hours that day. I drove all over the warehouse, down hallways, through doorways, up ramps, into the parking lot, over curbs, etc. Much of this was unsupervised.

My salesperson talked to me about the pros and cons of each design (rear wheel, mid wheel, and front wheel drive), as well as their experience in the reliability of each brand and model I was interested in. We talked about the control mechanisms and the seating and support systems offered. We talked about a whole bunch of stuff.

I never felt pushed to go with a particular brand, model, or style. The decision was mine, but it was based on a whole bunch of information. Note that I had also done a lot of research before I talked to them.

In the end, I picked a Permobil C500 VS. It has leg elevate, recline, tilt, seat elevate, and stand. It is an expensive, but very impressive wheelchair. I have done amazing things with it.

I did punch a hole in the drywall as I was learning to use it, but after the first week or two, I became much less of a one-man-wrecking crew.

Here are a couple of pictures of me and "The Beast" in Yellowstone.

Steve

 

[davbo49]

i love my chair. it's been good for me. had one thing go wrong with it but that was on me and nredo.

 

[Diane H]

Read these user reviews of the Quantum Q6 Edge. People tend to only take the time to submit reviews if they don't like a product, but the number of complaints here about the jerky steering is surprising. I don't know if all mid-wheel drive chairs have the same problem or if it is mainly Quantum chairs.
Pride Mobility Quantum Q6 Edge (Power Wheelchairs) - USA Techguide

 

[Tractor Boy]

My biggest complaint on my Q6 Edge, like Deb, is the unpredictability of the caster wheels when changing directions (forward to reverse or visa versa). I've tried and tried to master this maneuver without success. You never know which direction the unit will "lurch" to when the front wheels "swivel."

It makes it impossible to back-up straight, and my gouged door frames can attest to that! This issue becomes a real problem inside the home where there are close quarters. This appears to be a design flaw.

The wheelchair seating specialists will tell you "they all do that," but I wonder if they all do it this bad...

Disappointed, TB

 

[JimInVA]

Deb,

My wife, Darcey, has the same chair. She has used hers for the better part of a year and a half. We have had all of the same complaints as others have stated. The best I can offer is that as far as movement, you'll never love it... but you will come to terms with it. In tight spaces, I'll take the chair off its motor and manually push the chair. Particularly for small doctors offices, I'll manually back into a room so that I don't have to turn fully around once inside. We have a wheelchair accessible van whose ramp comes out of the passenger side sliding door area. Darcey will drive up to it and turn. I then use the hand control at the back of the chair to drive her backwards into the van... far enough that I can then turn her 90 degrees to the left to slide into the locking mechanism. Getting her out of the car is a bit more of a challenge. And that challenge comes from the fact that you will NEVER know which way the chair is actually going to move... even if you CAN see how the back wheels are pointed. It is as if it has a mind of its own. I've just come to recognize that I can't control it... so I take it slow until I know where it decides it wants to go this time. I then adjust accordingly. Sometimes, when backing into the van, the drive wheels slip. I either rock it until they catch hold... or I try to get a bit of movement on the flat pavement before I get to the incline of the ramp.

We don't notice all of the things that have been described a whole lot any more. Realizing we were stuck with what we had, we just worked at trying to anticipate how it would react each time we did some certain thing. We have, also, found some things that we really like. In the mornings, she comes downstairs with a stair lift. I then bear hug her off the stair lift and into the PWC. We then move to the family room and she leans her chair back... so far as to have her head lower than her butt. I'm then able to reach under her midsection and pull her backwards so that she's as far back in the chair as is possible. Because it leans so far back, gravity helps with the re-positioning.

One other item that we've recently come to dislike and are told there is nothing that can be done. Her seat now wobbles. Apparently, something wears out and gets loose (where the seat shaft connects with whatever holds it to the chair). We are told that it happens... and there is nothing that we can do about it. Poor engineering if you ask me.

Anyway... don't know that I've done much more than to discourage you... but Darcey spends so much time in this chair that she appreciates how comfortable it is... even with all of its other issues.

Jim

 

[dkcarl62]

Steve, what a cool story! I can't imagine being able to go to a warehouse and getting to pick out my own chair! Where is such a warehouse located? Can I ask if your chair was private pay? As Tractor Boy said, first chair, didn't know any better. Mine was a health insurance claim, and in order to go that route, there had to be a letter of medical necessary written. Who better then to address this need than University of Michigan, an ALS Center of Excellence, right? So I thought.....
So I see your chair is also a mid wheel drive. The front casters don't lurch on this model?

 

[dkcarl62]

Steve, what a cool story! I can't imagine being able to go to a warehouse and getting to pick out my own chair! Where is such a warehouse located? Can I ask if your chair was private pay? As Tractor Boy said, first chair, didn't know any better. Mine was a health insurance claim, and in order to go that route, there had to be a letter of medical necessary written. Who better then to address this need than University of Michigan, an ALS Center of Excellence, right? So I thought.....
So I see your chair is also a mid wheel drive. The front casters don't lurch on this model?

Deb