I agree with the points you've listed, I have been using the 360 for a few months now. One thing that I miss about the original roller ball is a minor complaint, but it's something I keep having to deal with... I can't lean the cane against a wall without the 360 rolling away. It will often cause the cane to slip away from me when I am paying for something, stopping to read a message on my phone, or if I am looking for a wall to lean the cane on when in the bathroom. I have found that I have to almost wedge the main shaft of the white cane in between a corner and some other item or fold it completely which both can take some time to achieve. And, some people may worry about this: Although the size of the ball is similar to the roller ball, I almost always make contact with the 360 when wrapping the cords around it after folding the stick. It can be gross knowing you just touched that right after washing you hands...
Nice review. Well done. I have this tip. I concur with your observations. One other factor for me is that the tip is substantially heavier than most of my other tips and extended use is fatiguing for me. My frequent use case in my rural location is on unevent terrain. While this tip is good at not getting hung up in those situations I find that the lack of sensitivity is too much of a drawback. Also, for that use case I can find myself in situations that challenge my balance. While I realize we should not rely on most mobility canes for support it is difficult to tell your body and brain not to bear down on the cane a bit when your balance is challenged. Doing so with a cane with this free-wheeling tip with multiple degrees of freedom can put you in a dicey situation as the tip will roll when you lean on it a bit and providing no support what-so-ever. For these reasons I tend to only use this cane tip in situations less prone to balance challenges.
Great review! I like how it works on rough terrain, the noise level is quite high however. I didn’t realize how loud it was until I went to an art museum! The roller also didn’t work well on the museum floors - this roller does not roll on smooth surfaces, just slides!
The pathfinder 360 tip isn’t good in thick sand, for example, in the woods or on the beach. I like that its louder the more acoustics there are, for example, in a covered car park or a built up area such as your local high street shops/stores or a mall, which is called a shopping centre or precinct where I live in the UK. The audible feedback is brilliant when you can use echo location as I do when I’m navigating public places. The loud noise of some of the cane tips is very helpful for me locating moving or stationary people, buildings, , benches, trees, moving or stationary vehicles Etc. I’m partially deaf as well as totally/legally blind.
Hi Mike! I really appreciate you doing review videos like this, they’re super helpful. Would you say the weight of the Path Finder is comparable to the roller ball? I find the roller ball can really weigh down a lighter cane such as a graphite. Is the pathfinder loud enough for echo location? Thanks
Hi Mike Mulligan,the new Pathfinder 360 cane tip is interesting but will it be easy to use during the winter months.What white cane tip can be used during the winter months when there is snow on the sidewalks or on the road or in parking lots areas?Are there cane tips that lasts longer than 6 months?I am legally blind with limited vision and I use a white cane Every 6 months I have to replace my cane tip and I have had a couple of cane tips that broke on me.I am now in the process of buying another white cane tip from the Calgary cnib foundation in December of this year in 2024
I have this cane tip. It rolls in 2 of 3 dimensions / degrees of freedom. The rub off is less than other plastic cane tips, but there is still rub off. If dirt gets between the both halfes, I found no way, to clean it, so it started to smell putrid and a lot of hairs where collectet in the bearings and I did not get them out. This cane tip was rub off after one month. If I want to lean on my cane on a wall, me or other objects, the cane tip let the cane roll away. This was very annoying.
I always get so excited when these reviews come out :)
I agree with the points you've listed, I have been using the 360 for a few months now.
One thing that I miss about the original roller ball is a minor complaint, but it's something I keep having to deal with... I can't lean the cane against a wall without the 360 rolling away. It will often cause the cane to slip away from me when I am paying for something, stopping to read a message on my phone, or if I am looking for a wall to lean the cane on when in the bathroom.
I have found that I have to almost wedge the main shaft of the white cane in between a corner and some other item or fold it completely which both can take some time to achieve.
And, some people may worry about this: Although the size of the ball is similar to the roller ball, I almost always make contact with the 360 when wrapping the cords around it after folding the stick. It can be gross knowing you just touched that right after washing you hands...
The roll away is always a problem for me; even with my other tips - I wish there was a way to retract the tip easier for these times.
These outdoor demos are beyond helpful - thank you so much for these videos!
Nice review. Well done. I have this tip. I concur with your observations. One other factor for me is that the tip is substantially heavier than most of my other tips and extended use is fatiguing for me. My frequent use case in my rural location is on unevent terrain. While this tip is good at not getting hung up in those situations I find that the lack of sensitivity is too much of a drawback. Also, for that use case I can find myself in situations that challenge my balance. While I realize we should not rely on most mobility canes for support it is difficult to tell your body and brain not to bear down on the cane a bit when your balance is challenged. Doing so with a cane with this free-wheeling tip with multiple degrees of freedom can put you in a dicey situation as the tip will roll when you lean on it a bit and providing no support what-so-ever. For these reasons I tend to only use this cane tip in situations less prone to balance challenges.
Great review! I like how it works on rough terrain, the noise level is quite high however. I didn’t realize how loud it was until I went to an art museum! The roller also didn’t work well on the museum floors - this roller does not roll on smooth surfaces, just slides!
Babe wake up, new cane tip just dropped
The pathfinder 360 tip isn’t good in thick sand, for example, in the woods or on the beach. I like that its louder the more acoustics there are, for example, in a covered car park or a built up area such as your local high street shops/stores or a mall, which is called a shopping centre or precinct where I live in the UK. The audible feedback is brilliant when you can use echo location as I do when I’m navigating public places. The loud noise of some of the cane tips is very helpful for me locating moving or stationary people, buildings, , benches, trees, moving or stationary vehicles Etc. I’m partially deaf as well as totally/legally blind.
Hi Mike! I really appreciate you doing review videos like this, they’re super helpful. Would you say the weight of the Path Finder is comparable to the roller ball? I find the roller ball can really weigh down a lighter cane such as a graphite.
Is the pathfinder loud enough for echo location?
Thanks
I've had both, I would say the 360 is lighter since the plastic halves of the ball are hollow
Hi Mike Mulligan,the new Pathfinder 360 cane tip is interesting but will it be easy to use during the winter months.What white cane tip can be used during the winter months when there is snow on the sidewalks or on the road or in parking lots areas?Are there cane tips that lasts longer than 6 months?I am legally blind with limited vision and I use a white cane Every 6 months I have to replace my cane tip and I have had a couple of cane tips that broke on me.I am now in the process of buying another white cane tip from the Calgary cnib foundation in December of this year in 2024
Congrats on 291 views !
Just got mine today, it's a nice idea however it's extremely heavy and it doesn't roll in ALL directions like I thought it would.
Any news on the first ever eye transplant?
Handsome man
I have this cane tip. It rolls in 2 of 3 dimensions / degrees of freedom. The rub off is less than other plastic cane tips, but there is still rub off. If dirt gets between the both halfes, I found no way, to clean it, so it started to smell putrid and a lot of hairs where collectet in the bearings and I did not get them out. This cane tip was rub off after one month.
If I want to lean on my cane on a wall, me or other objects, the cane tip let the cane roll away. This was very annoying.