If your child has used both a Maclaren Major and a basic NHS wheelchair...

[Saracen]

could you please tell me your opinion of the pros and cons of each, practically speaking?

My dd is now 7.5 and has nearly worn out her Mac Major, so we either need a new one or a wheelchair.

She has an odd, inefficient gait, is generally weak, and tires easily when out. Her strength is improving recently and now we occasionally venture out without the buggy. But even at this rate of progress I expect that until she is over ten, maybe older, she will need wheels of some sort, for longer outings at least.

The problem is tiredness, so she wouldn't be self-propelling. She's quite slouchy in the buggy. (Well, everywhere really!) I don't feel she needs any more support than she gets in the buggy, but she's likely to be unhappy if she has to sit very upright, cos she'll just slump over sideways - are basic wheelchairs quite upright?

There are no behavioural issues to consider. Dd is tall and skinny and doesn't look to be outgrowing the Maclaren Major any time soon.

Our estate car has a big boot but I want it to go easily in there. I need to carry it through the house easily. And being able to fold it well for when the bus is crowded would be good.

Which is easier to push? It's all city streets, up and down kerbs etc. No fell walking for me

I don't think I am too bothered what any busybodies in the street may think of a child in a buggy or wheelchair, and dd is pretty oblivious to that sort of thing, so I'm really just thinking about practical considerations.

Thanks!!

Can you try any out at your local wheelchair services?
The OT there should be able to advise you and even book some demo's with reps from different companies if you need anything more specialist then their standard stock.
We opted for a wheelchair rather than the buggy type as I felt it was more age appropriate and also seemed more solid and robust but that was just personal preference.

Thanks 5Hundred! Yes, I will definitely ask them for advice and see if I can try some out.

Thought I'd get some more people's views too though. So often when I get a new product of any sort I don't notice a key flaw until I've had it for a while, so I always find other people's reviews really helpful!

Can I jump in 5Hundred and ask if you use the wheelchair outdoors a lot. DS1's walk to school is 1km long some very rough paths, with 9 roads to cross. It can be hard going in his major, as he's getting quite heavy (and the bloody wheels constantly seize up with all the dust and muck and need greasing). How does the wheelchair do in lousy weather? I can't push the major at all in more than an inch of snow (we get a lot of that, sometimes!) and I'm dreading days like tomorrow when it's going to be raining, so will need the rain cover, but there will be 60mph gusts so I'll be struggling to prevent it from tipping over.

dd3 (7) has an invacare action 3 junior self propelling wheelchair. To be honest I find it a lot easier to push than the major we had before, we push most of the time but it gives her a little independence when out and about if she can steer her own way to what she wants to see and has taken to wandering off whenever we look away the downside is that she also puts the brakes on when she's not happy, the equivalent to a child sitting on the floor and refusing to move which isn't so great but at least she feels she has some control which is important for her.

it folds together width ways really easily so will take up more space on a bus than a major but is fine for the car as the big wheels come off easily too which makes it easier to lift and the back folds down.

support wise dd3 finds it better than the major despite being upright as the seat size is basically her width so no room to lean sideways plus the arm rests help too. She can't sleep in the wheelchair like she did the major which she's not too keen on but as she gets older is becoming less of an issue.

ouryve have you considered the baby jogger range, wheelchair may well give you the same problems because of the small front wheels, they're not that great on rough ground although at a push I've pulled dd3's wheelchair backwards because the big wheels are easier on uneven ground but it's really not a regular thing.

Oooh - the liberty looks good - too many curved kerbs, on a slope for 3 wheelers to work, as they just tip up. The price is eye-watering though

Just popped on to say that although that liberty is expensive, could you not wangle some discount off from wheelchair services saying the major isn't suiting all your needs? Worth a try if the major is not your brand new item. I know ours said Major or voucher towards something else. Just wondered if you could negotiate something?

Ds has his first basic NHS wheelchair and my goodness it makes me miss the Major! I hate it, it's practically impossible to push on uneven ground and I've got to try and do something about the handles because they make my hands sore. Ds can reach down and put the brake on or off as he pleases which is annoying or dangerous depending on which way he does it! Wheelchair services were helpful when we got it, I can't blame them. They measured ds and made sure we got brakes on the handles (like bike ones) as we live at the the top of a steep hill, it's just so awkward for anything besides flat pavements, and I haven't even tried it in 'weather'.
It does fold up quite small to fit in the car boot but you have to have a strong back and when you lift it out again all the bits (footrests etc) drop off. It takes up loads of room in our hallway. You can't put any shopping/coats underneath it either. Major is definitely better IMO for as long as you can get away with it (or unless you can afford a better wheelchair I guess).

they also come up on ebay so worth keeping an eye out but they do recommend the 3 wheelers for off road, it's a fixed front wheel so a lot more stable than the 3 wheeler pushchairs they say

Well, we bought the Major ourselves, since it was preferable to waiting an eternity then having to trail half way across the county, which would have used up DH's annual leave, which is already in short supply.

And I'm crossing my fingers that DS2 being back in his major is a temporary blip. Which reminds me - I need to order a sledge for when I can't use it!

Basic NHS chairs (usually a Invacare Blade or similar) are very upright..my DS2 is a slumper and has always found the w/c very uncomfy after a while, even tho he hasn't slept in one for years..they HAVE to sit upright. I massively preferred the major for the slight recline.

We ended up getting a Convaid for DS2 which was much sturdier than the Major Buggy (his fits age 9-14 approx but they come in all sizes) but had a similar set up, bit of recline and nice high handles. I hate the lower w.c handles and the w/c is saved for emergencies only!

Wish I'd come on here before we got ds's wheelchair. It does the job, helps him get from a-b but like someone else said, only on a very flat surface. If its cobbles or gravel you can forget it. It comes apart really easily which is handy to get it in and out the car but them it's a pain in the arse as DH always pulls things off by accident and curses it. There is no suspension so after his nice comfy pushchair that he has sadly outgrown I feel this must be a very bumpy ride for him. I alao cant hang my bag on it as it would rub on the large wheels this seems minor but i have dc2 in a sling so i can push ds in his chair so having to carry a big bag with all tge stuff for 2 dc isnt ideal. But ds seems happy with it and if we go to a resturant it pushes right up to the table which is great as ds struggles to sit on dinning chairs and is too big for high chairs. He can also get in and out of it on his own so that works for him but I do wonder if the maclaren would have been better. We weren't really given an option but if I'd known more I would have asked to see both and compare them.

ds2 has an Invacare action junior, with self propel wheels even though he isn't really able to self propel.
He also has a high back fitted to it that allows him to lean back a little & take some of the strain off of his core muscles which aren't great.
He much prefers it to his mac major as it is more age appropriate & he finds it more comfortable.

Thanks soooo much everybody! This discussion is really helping me tremendously. I'm feeling very inclined to stick with the Maclaren Major for a while longer.

It is a useful thread, we've got a major from Wheelchair services but am so tempted by those big, beautiful 3 wheelers for coastal walks and country park type places. But, such an additional expense and were short on space as it is, never mind storing another vehicle!

We have bought a Weehoo for cycling adventures as DS had way outgrown his bike seat and it is a fabulous thing.

www.amazon.com/weehoo

ds has an omesa clip from wheelchair services after two mac majors broke (the supports bend as a result of the way he struggled to get into the thing.
It's a good cross between a buggy and a wheelchair. yes it is heavier and not as maneuverable as a mac. but it was lighter than the wheelchair and convaid cruiser offered as an alternative. it has now lasted over a year which beats the first major (lasted a year) and the second (lasted a week).

it has a zipped recline option for when ds is really tired. and the sun shade and rain cover (got through family fund) are well designed. it is bigger when folded than the mac but not by massive amount. it is a good solid alternative to the major.

Our Major lasted for about 6 years and was still in good working order when we returned it. We used it over all sorts of terrain as we have horses and do lots of camping, plus day to day walking, carrying shopping etc, so I've always thought it was quite robust. Seems not though. What on earth do you all do with them?

As ds's wheelchair is the type with small wheels (he doesn't need it all the time, we thought it would be easier to fit in the car and weren't sure him being able to propel himself was such a good idea anyway!) I've been wondering if we made a mistake in not asking for one of the ones with big wheels. Are they a lot easier to push?

pixel - if he didn't need to be lifted in, ds clambered in. he did this by kneeling on the seat which put most of his weight through his leg along the centre line of the buggy. because of the design of the folding mechanism, this pulled the two front wheel supports in. if he was lifted in over the front foot plate it was quite a difficult lift.He would most likely be a bit of a dead weight so the same problem would happen as he was "plonked" into the seat. coupled with lots of off road action, eventually the clips would not hold and ds risked the buggy collapsing!

the folding mechanism on the Clip provides for extra strength on the seat. the angle of the front wheel supports (vertical) means when I can lift ds into the buggy when needed and with guidance he can get in backwards.

Wheelchair services were great with us. They gave us about 5 different options and really tried to match our use.

would love an offroad three wheeler as the clip is not great for woodland walks. but I am really impressed with it nonetheless

Pixel - we had DS2's first major for about 18 months. We bought it second hand, pristine. By the end of the 18 months, the tyres were worn right down (I was pushing it 3-4 miles a day, every day), and the frame had bent, to the point that the foot rest no longer fitted. DS2 had a habit of leaning over the side to watch the wheels, which didn't help one bit. As the foot plate came off, he rested his feet on the cross bars, which accelerated the falling apart process.

We bought the second brand new, but sent it back after a week because the wheels were completely locked up. We got it replaced and the wheels were slightly better, but still need greasing lots. Of course, he was out of it, within 6 months, so we moved it into the garage. I fished it out, last winter, to use it, because it was really icy and we got snowed on. It never dried in the garage, despite me wiping it down and ended up going mouldy. Something that makes me reluctant to get an expensive buggy because we have nowhere at all in the house to keep it.

We're much happier with the wheelchair, although the Mac Major served its purpose as well. Although I would really like the handles to be taller - very hard on the back.

we got adjustable handles on dd3's triggles as I'm quite tall, they are available as an extra for some chairs so worth asking wcs

Our Major had to live in the car as there was nowhere indoors where we weren't constantly tripping over it. The fact that the thing won't stand up is a definite disadvantage!

Both buggys have lived (very successfully) in a storage box outside. Currently it resides in the car, but only because it's only me now (no chance of taking the car and leaving DS stranded without buggy) and the box is bust