Spitfire Scout 3 Compact Travel Scooter, 3-wheel, Red/Blue

I bought this for my mother a few weeks ago. I am in Kansas and taking it to her in Pennsylvania next week. I have assembled and disassembled it three times and found that after the learning curve, I can do so in 30-45 seconds. According to specs the heaviest part is 39 pounds. I test drove it several times to be sure it was suitable for my 86 year old mother. It goes like a champ, but with the solid wheels, bumps must be taken at a reduced speed. I probably drove about half a mile and all four battery lights remained on. I am very impressed with the scooter and what it does for the price. There are scooters and powered wheelchairs that cost 2-3 times as much and I find it hard to believe that they deliver the value that this unit does. Stability was a major concern with three wheels. I saw one of the reviews on Amazon that said it could tip on a turn with an uphill grade. That is possible, but even with such conditions, there will not be a tip if the scooter is going slow enough. I do not see my mother turning on a grade at speed. In one of the videos it shows the scooter stationary with an older woman standing on the platform in front of the seat and the platform does not move. I chose the three wheel scooter over the four wheel one because of maneuverability-turning radius. Here are two excellent videos. There is no hype. This scooter delivers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjQnpQxnJl8 NOTE: Video is for Deluxe version. I purchase the standard version. The differences are interchangeable shrouds with a high gloss finish, two tone seat and chrome wheels. Nothing to affect performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CczAq0T8m98 NOTE: This is for the four wheel spitfire. Same process.

My dad loves this thing and I find it pretty easy to dismantle into parts to transport it. In truth, we don't break it down to the 6 or 7 pieces every time. I have a minivan and we simply remove the battery and pick the scooter up and place it in the van. It's a bit awkward but it's not heavy. Further, Dad can handled the front half of the scooter in spite of his disabilities and so it gives him a sense of independence that he can "help" me loading it and unloading it. I have no doubt that my dad could break it down into it's parts and load it himself if he needed to. It just takes a bit of practice to put the parts back together. The scooter does well on non-paved surfaces, too, although it's a bumpy ride. We chose the 3 wheeler for a smaller turning radius because dad's head doesn't turn very well for backing up, but the seat swivels and that has made the difference for him. If you are worried about the stability of the three wheeler (dad has had no problems with stability although I did stress to him the proper way to minimize those problems while riding) then get the four wheeler. Also, when it's first delivered you'll need to turn the front knob to get the front to unlock. That's not mentioned in the directions. My dad came to live with me in March of 2014 and this is one of the best purchases we've made since he did so. No more worry that there won't be a scooter at the store, no more worry that store scooter batteries will die, now he can go to places he couldn't go before because it was too far for him to walk even with his rollator. I can't recommend this scooter enough. <~~~~That was written Oct. 21, 2016 ************************************** UPDATE February 27, 2018 We still love this thing. We love it so much that we decided to purchase a lift for the vehicle so anyone can get it in and out of the van with ease. If you add the price of the scooter purchased here with our costs to have installed a simple electric lift then we spent about 200.00 more than we would have spent just on the scooter had we purchased it at our local retailer. STILL HAPPY. :D Dad spends his days running around a senior center or shopping and doing things with me. He still gets a week to 10 days on a charge and he's only ever run the battery into the red (which should leave him several miles of battery remaining) perhaps twice. Still very much happy with this purchase. ************************************************* UPDATE July 4, 2019 We still love it! We are beginning to see just a little bit of battery life degradation but I still only charge it once a week or so. It does get well into the red now, however. I imagine in a year or so I'll need to replace the wheels which are starting to show some wear, and the internal battery. For someone who weighs less than 200 pounds, and who doesn't need something that can deal with rough terrain, this is still the perfect purchase, in my opinion. In fact I took it to pick up my brother from the hospital and he was able to ride himself out of the hospital instead of being rolled out. This is still the best purchase I've made since my father came to live with me.

It is difficult to rate scooters because it depends entirely on what you use them for. I give this scooter four stars because it seems to live up to manufacturer claims in every aspect, but it is a 3 wheeler and that inherently makes it less stable. All 3 wheel scooters will tip if you aren't careful and the smaller and lighter they are, the more likely they are to tip. If you avoid driving them on slopes and avoid making sharp corners at higher speeds you should be perfectly safe, just be aware that that little front wheel doesn't offer you the stability that two front wheels can offer This is my second scooter. I have a bigger one for longer distance travel over rougher terrain and this one for more portability and travel inside stores and clinics. The clearance from ground to deck is low, so if you hit many obstacles you could easily find yourself hung up. My bigger scooter has a five inch clearance, this one is probably a couple of inches less. Also, the small wheels make it more difficult to maneuver in grass or sand. If you plan on using your scooter outside the home and around neighborhoods or to visit places like Disney World be aware that the lack of clearance could be a huge problem especially if you are alone. A good rule of thumb is this, if there are no curb cuts where you are going it is likely your Scout will get hung up somewhere. Recently we took our Scout on a Caribbean cruise and it was great for getting around the ship. When we went ashore we got around fine unless there were bumps, potholes or uneven ground. I would reserve driving this or any other scooter with less than 5 inches of clearance to malls, and other venues that have flat, unobstructed surfaces for you to ride on. It is highly portable, easy to assemble and disassemble and faster by far than those supermarket carts. It is solidly built and my few experiences driving it (I've only had it a week) have been excellent. It is amazingly powerful for such a small scooter. If you plan on using it in the evening you should know it has no lights and one small reflector in the rear. Also, the front basket is small, so don't plan on carrying a whole lot. Bottom line is this. If you are going to use it to shop, to travel around Disney World or on a cruise ship it should be fine. If you plan heavier use you might be disappointed because that's' not what it was built for. I like this scooter and plan to keep it for a long time. I can enthusiastically endorse it if used for the purposes I suggested. Post Script. It is now several months postp purchase and I can stand by my original review. This scooter is an exceptional buy for a small vehicle. I am a senior citizen who visits the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida often. It is a huge, sprawling facility and often appointments can be a couple of blocks away. This scooter eliminates the need to find a wheelchair, someone to push it and the stress of trying to be on time for appointments. Furthermore, we don't have to park in disabled parking because the scooter will take me any distance and we can leave the disabled parking space open for those who really need to be close to the door. My wife can easily lift the individual pieces of the scooter out of our mini-van and assemble it in no more than two minutes and we are on our way. We've taken it many places since the original purchase and still believe it was the absolute right buy. Just remember, if you are going to use it on perfectly flat surfaces, floors, sidewalks etc it will be fine, if there are any obstacles like curbs (even small ones) you likely will get hung up. If you plan on driving your scooter on uneven surfaces then I would opt for one with at least a 5 inch clearance between the deck of the scooter and the road surface. Anything less will be a problem.

It comes apart, and goes together No tools needed. Gives her freedom now, as where before she didn't leave house due to mobility issues. The Turtle mode nice safe speed. Rabbit mode, 80 year old zooming around block. I'm seriously considering getting crash helmet, She turns into grandma evil knivel, at times. But this was perfect mobility scooter besides the need for speed granny.

Love it, small and compact, I need one that I could carry round in my vehicle and this one is perfect.

very easy to dismantle, great for my wife and easy to move around

Works as expected it is very light and easy to handle