yes8s Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Ok so I saw an EU online in a video last week and I had to get one. I started searching around and quickly got overwhelmed by the choices. I am in Australia so there are not many options. There are a couple of local distributors charging a 300-400% markup - No thanks! Today, I impulsively placed an order for a TG-T3 version from a chinese online seller I've used previously after finding a really good coupon. This EU has a 350W motor, with a 132Wh Samsung battery. The coupon was for $70USD off so I got it for a total of $267USD ($334AUD) inclusive of shipping. Other options considered: TG-F3 - Same motor, 264Wh battery, ~$500AUD Airwheel x8 - 800W motor, 170Wh battery, $729AUD (Local supplier 2-3days shipping vs 10-14days) Gotway 14 - Could not find any way of buying this reliably from here (not many supplier online or info) Now, I am not sure about the purchase. I know the deal is pretty good but I am 180cm, 85kgs and am worried that this thing won't have enough power, be laggy and and have useless range due to the small battery. Can anyone who has one of these or has some knowledge of these things please give me some advice and some first hand feedback: Did I do OK for a first EU? Will I be able to get to top speed? Will it stall when there is any incline? Can I get about 10-12 kms range from this? I can live with somewhere around 10km range for now but if I only get to the end of my street and it's dead, then it'll be useless to me - I might as well just onsell it unopened and get something else without loosing any money. And advice would be appreciated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I'll try to get Mimoza to respond to you as she had a TG-T3. It's the green one in this video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Your concerns are valid. It is not as powerful as some other wheels. As a starter unit I think it is fine. You can learn about limitations so that when you get a more powerful and faster unit in the future you are aware of what is dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Wow, I did not expect such a fast reply... Thank You I've seen that video and a few others on youtube, they seem quite usuable but the people using them are a little smaller and lighter than me One guy has said he usually gets about 1h 20min of continuous use on it but doesn't know what that equates to in terms of distance. I look forward to any other feeeback. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Your concerns are valid. It is not as powerful as some other wheels. As a starter unit I think it is fine. You can learn about limitations so that when you get a more powerful and faster unit in the future you are aware of what is dangerous. Yep, I had considered this also. Maybe it's ok as a starter. Also, being in Australia (what we call a "nanny" state) I don't know the legal status of riding one of these - It's quite possible that they will be banned soon if not already so I don't want to invest too much only to be told there is nowhere these can be ridden. They haven't really hit popularity here yet. I live in the near centre of Melbourne and I haven't seen one in person. If they do get popular, all it will take is one idiot to get hurt doing something stupid and thats it - full ban everywhere for everone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Did I do OK for a first EU?Will I be able to get to top speed? Will it stall when there is any incline? Can I get about 10-12 kms range from this? 1) Yes as mentioned in my previous reply. 2) Top speed on that is probably around 16 km/h. I believe it has a pedal tilt-back feature on it to let you know when you're approaching the top speed of the unit. 3) I think it would do fine up to 15 degree slopes but probably not much higher. 4) Probably 10 km on flats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimoza Veljanovska Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Hi I was using the TG T3 for a month , it an ok wheel for the money don't expect much ... But it's a great wheel to start with , I was mainly annoyed by the battery life , speed was fine since I do not enjoy fast rides anyway ... Other than that can't say much since I used the wheel 10 times within that month ... Enjoy ur wheel :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Thanks arbee, Mimoza - I feel better about the purchase. Now the waiting game Regarding speed, does it still cruise at 12km/h like all others in this group with short bursts possible up to 16-18km/hr? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Regarding the 350W motor, with a 132Wh battery combination that most of the cheap Chinese imports seem to share including my EYU, they seem to be reasonably capable and fine for learning. I have managed to get mine to carry my 95Kg weight up the 18% hill (measured with a spirit level on the steepest section)that runs past my house but only by going very slowly, if you try to go too fast it fails. And it can't quite make it up my 19% driveway entrance. The main problem with them is the very limited range, especially in hilly terrain such as mine. Having said that the extra manoeuvrability you get with a 14" wheel over a 16" such as my IPS means that I still use it for playing around in confined spaces and practicing new tricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Regarding the 350W motor, with a 132Wh battery combination that most of the cheap Chinese imports seem to share including my EYU, they seem to be reasonably capable and fine for learning. Good to hear. I've confirmed with the supplier that the battery is genuine samsung so the rated capacity should be somewhat accurate in comparisson to a chinese battery.I have managed to get mine to carry my 95Kg weight up the 18% hill (measured with a spirit level on the steepest section)that runs past my house but only by going very slowly, if you try to go too fast it fails. And it can't quite make it up my 19% driveway entrance. I don't expect it to be able to climb like a much higher powered motor but I also don't want it to stall on the slightest of inclines. Where I live, it's relatively flat so if it can get up 15% then I think that'll be fine. The main problem with them is the very limited range, especially in hilly terrain such as mine. Having said that the extra manoeuvrability you get with a 14" wheel over a 16" such as my IPS means that I still use it for playing around in confined spaces and practicing new tricks. I've been doing some research about the battery and the battery pack is made up of 16 x 18650 cells and a charging circuit that manages charging, cell balancing and over/under voltage protection etc. The samsung 132Wh cells are rated at 2200mAh each. To upgrade the range it may be possible to do one of the following: - Change the whole pack with a 170Wh pack (some airwheel versions use this). This pack also has 16 cells but with ~2800mA rating. Not sure about the physical size but it could fit without modifications. - Change the whole pack with a 264Wh pack. This pack has double the number of cells and is clearly bigger so I don't think it will fit without a lot of modifications. - Change the individual cells with high capacity panasonic cells. These can be rated up to 3400mAh so could effectively increase the capacity by 150% to about 200Wh. Higher capacity battery cells with higher discharge rates could also increase the effective motor power since the battery voltage will hold up better under load instead of sagging, thereby allowing the motor to utilize it's maximum power more and for longer while keeping the batteries cooler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 18 percent is roughly 10 degrees only. Just curious, do they mostly use "percent" in Europe for angle measurements? I am assuming you guys are in Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^tom^ Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 18 percent is roughly 10 degrees only. Just curious, do they mostly use "percent" in Europe for angle measurements? I am assuming you guys are in Europe. Haha...Yes we do in some way! But usually we know the differenc. We use it for the roads in percent; like this pass has a street with a max. of 22%. All other way (what I know) we us ° like 90° is a right angle, 180° a half turn and 360° haha a full Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I would enjoy it for what it is if I were you. Once you've got the hang of traveling slowly you'll find the hill climbing capabilities quite good and at slower speeds the range increases significantly. Even the bigger more powerful units fail if you push them too hard and fast. Both my IPS 111's have failed suddenly when push too fast on the steep hills around me and their actual range with my weight and hills is about half what they claim. The most awkward is when you are going down steep hills and you hit sudden dips and bumps or try to slow down too suddenly that can easily put the braking of the wheel under too much strain, they just seem to go into freewheel when this happens and shoot out from under you. That's one reason I still wear a leash attached to my belt. If you find you need more range when you are a confident rider then you'll probably be better off getting another wheel, then you can get friend to ride with you which you'll find is much more fun than riding alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Gotways and Rockwheels can climb 35 to 40 degree (70 to 85 percent) inclines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Start at 1:05 to see the climbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I'm sorry my earlier post was made from my phone which has a very restricted keyboard. I should have written degrees as I measured by putting the spirit level on the hill and turning the movable bubble until it was level then reading off the protractor. The hill is very steep and my driveway entrance even steeper. I'll try and get some video of my son going up and down them on the EYU just to show what is possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 18 percent is roughly 10 degrees only. Just curious, do they mostly use "percent" in Europe for angle measurements? I am assuming you guys are in Europe. I actually meant degrees FWIW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 I would enjoy it for what it is if I were you. Once you've got the hang of traveling slowly you'll find the hill climbing capabilities quite good and at slower speeds the range increases significantly. Even the bigger more powerful units fail if you push them too hard and fast. Both my IPS 111's have failed suddenly when push too fast on the steep hills around me and their actual range with my weight and hills is about half what they claim. The most awkward is when you are going down steep hills and you hit sudden dips and bumps or try to slow down too suddenly that can easily put the braking of the wheel under too much strain, they just seem to go into freewheel when this happens and shoot out from under you. That's one reason I still wear a leash attached to my belt. If you find you need more range when you are a confident rider then you'll probably be better off getting another wheel, then you can get friend to ride with you which you'll find is much more fun than riding alone. Good advice. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Gotways and Rockwheels can climb 35 to 40 degree (70 to 85 percent) inclines. Yeah, I saw a bunch of vids of this today. Quite impressive for such a small 'vehicle'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Kho Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I'm in the same boat as yes8. Ordered the TG T3 as well, probably around the same day. Watched a lot of videos and read a bunch of posts. Tried to find how much a Gotway would be to get to Canada, but haven't been able to find an outlet for them. Waiting on the T3 now. Hopefully shipping doesn't take too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Yeah, I saw a bunch of vids of this today. Quite impressive for such a small 'vehicle'. Problem with all the hill climbing vids is that they always seem to feature relatively small framed light weight individuals and never say what they weigh! Not very relevant for me @ 95Kg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castShadow Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Hey, I'm new here. I have the TG-T3 and I like it. I find it very maneuverable and easy to learn on. The body design as you can see is bell-shaped and what I like is the handle is easy to grab. It has much room for fingers compared to let's say my Airwheel X3 which is the same size 14-inch tire. I weight around 160 lbs. I find the pedal position relative to the sides are very comfortable. I also do not need additional padding to ride this normally. I don't ride fast but I like turning, maneuvering, doing loops and figure eights on the parking lot. It does this very well. Obviously you didn't buy this for its speed and not for its power. For a beginner wheel I think this is very good. Don't bet on the pedals tilting back at max speed though because I'm not sure it does that. If it doesn't you may be thrown off if you hit the max speed and it can't keep up anymore. If you imagine any wheel has a maximum speed it can spin and at the end it doesn't have a lot of torque left - this is the motor's top speed unless it is electronically governed. I don't know if this is that because I don't ride it that fast. Regards now, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 I'm in the same boat as yes8. Ordered the TG T3 as well, probably around the same day. Watched a lot of videos and read a bunch of posts. Tried to find how much a Gotway would be to get to Canada, but haven't been able to find an outlet for them. Waiting on the T3 now. Hopefully shipping doesn't take too long. Let me know how you like it when you get it. Mine's been shipped out via singapore EMS. Here's hoping it gets here sometime early-mid next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yes8s Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 Problem with all the hill climbing vids is that they always seem to feature relatively small framed light weight individuals and never say what they weigh! Not very relevant for me @ 95Kg. The closest I've found to a relevant video is one where one 'light weight individual' was piggy-backing another 'light weight individual' whilst riding his EU. The EU was moving ok so that was pleasing to see :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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