Gas or Electric Golf Cart for a Run-About?

[Gale Hawkins]

I've had my '99 Club for ten years. Replaced batteries and cables once and just had to put new brake shoes on it. Other than that I just water the batteries once a month, charge it every Sunday night, and work the snot out of it.

Is that a lift kit and larger tires or just larger tires? I had no idea a golf cart could pull a loaded trailer like that. It looks very nice too. Do you have head or tail lights?

 

[HickoryNut]

6" A-arm type lift and 22" tires, stock motor, controller, and gearing. LOTS of torque.

*edit* someday I'll get some HD rear springs, I had some cheezy lights but never used them

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I have had an eazy go electric for 5 years. Just top off the water and charge every couple of days. I have never been stranded by lack of battery.

Electric= more torque, quiet running, fewer parts to fail:thumbsup:

From having deep cycle batteries in the old motor home I have read where they need to brough back up to full charge as soon as possible the keep the batteries healthy and ready to go.

I guess if the batteries really start getting discharged you are going to know it and can head back the the charging port. What kind of repairs have you had to do over the past 5 years with your EZGO? Was it new when you got it?

Do you have lights? The dealer has a $100 kit and $60 for installing because they cut holes into the body. I saw on Buggies Unlimited they have OEM like kits but they are over $200 just for the kit but seem to leave the body uncut.

Here is a photo of the second seat/bed $400 option that I want that was added to the same lot of carts I am looking at. For another $75 they will have a shop weld on a receiver hitch under the rear foot rest. Golf Cart Detail

Here is an example of the $160 (installed) head/tail light option that is 'cut-in' installed. For rough environment really do not know about how this lighting kit would stand up. Cart Detail

 

[Gale Hawkins]

6" A-arm type lift and 22" tires, stock motor, controller, and gearing. LOTS of torque.

*edit* someday I'll get some HD rear springs, I had some cheezy lights but never used them

Thanks. I was wondering if the larger tires (effectively higher gearing) would cut the torque too much when trying to move a heavy load.

 

[milkman]

Is that a lift kit and larger tires or just larger tires? I had no idea a golf cart could pull a loaded trailer like that. It looks very nice too. Do you have head or tail lights?

From what I have read, 20" tires are the largest that will fit the Club Car, anything larger requires a lift kit. I hesitated buying a cart for a long time because I wanted something that I could use for work and I thought the cart would be weak. Boy was I fooled, I have even pulled my 4 wheeled wagon loaded with yard debris.

 

[grunewald]

This past July, bought a used 2005 EZ-GO MPT. It is 48 volts, dump bed rated at 600 lbs. if I remember right. Charge it maybe once a week, or when battery gauge goes down to half. My wife and I love it for many reasons. Turn the key on and go. Don't have to buy gas or oil. Starts every time, lol. Quiet, can drive around early in morning if wife still asleep, drive around at night and not disturb neighbors, or they don't even know I'm out there. This cart is not a regular golf cart, more of an electric truck. And it has power, can run forever up and down tank dam, steep grade. Mine is pure stock, but did add a cigarette plug outlet to it to plug in my 25 gal. sprayer. Still has the stock tires and sits low. When tire wear out, probably will get some knobbys and a lift kit. Needs no warmup on cold mornings. Use it on 11 acres, top speed a 13mph, plenty for me. Very happy with it. It is not good if you want to go mudding, but I don't care about that, I just stay on the grass out in the pasture. Headlights very good, we bought a soft enclosure for 80 bucks for cold or rainy, windy days, even put a portable propane heater (Coleman) in it, cylinder fits in the cup holder, so in south Texas when we get these unbearably cold days of 30 degrees, lol, heater will keep the inside with the enclosure at 70. If I took a cart to a hunting lease or somewhere away from the house on a regular basis, definitely would go gas, but to keep it at the house for a run around, tool hauler,feed hauler, electric is great.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

grunewald that sounds like one nice machine. 13 MPH is fine for my use but not sure the speed of the 2007 PDS stock electric cart but I have been told the gas versions do run faster but in my area they also cost more. Some on Buggies Gone Wild forum move add two more batteries and a 48v controller but that is not for me even though the 36v motor will be fine. Now if I had and OEM 48v cart I would be very pleased.:thumbsup:

milkman I am going to have to look at the most tire I can get on the EZGO I posted about if (expect I will) I go electric. I read tonight the pre 2009 PDS EZGO controllers have a shorter life due to being 275 amp if larger tires are installed due to an increase in current draw to move the higher gear setup. Moving to an 400 amp version ($500+)and 4 gauge wire is best for those building speed carts with the PDS vs Series type carts. Series production stopped in 2009 I read.

If I have a traction issue I guess I would just move to a more agressive tread on the same wheels. It sounds like some guys could have bought a nice mule for what they have in a golf cart.

I just want one that will pull like a :tractor: and last until I am 110 years old.

 

[gwjd]

i worked at a large park 1800 acres

we had a golf cart and utvs

we had a gas cart

they are 2wd and probably open diff if you find a mud hole you will get stuck but on grass or not mud they are great

i would go gas

batts are expensive and they take a lot longer to charge than filling a gas tank

also we drove this thing all day every day 7 days a week

and only had to fill it once maybe 1.5 times a week held about +/-5 gallons
ide say we esally drove 100 miles a week

also we over loaded it and ran it on trails no break downs even now that i know of

 

[kidr]

Google golf cart fires. More of an issue with electric. Check the forums, seems more problems with elec. I guess good maintenanance is the key . It's easy to let an electric slide until there's a problem.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Google golf cart fires. More of an issue with electric. Check the forums, seems more problems with elec. I guess good maintenanance is the key . It's easy to let an electric slide until there's a problem.

I can see the problem with letting upkeep slide. The MH has a bank of two and the UPS at work had a bank for 4 and it is a pain. The lower buying price for electric when matching the same year models is a plus but I do not know if electric will be cheaper long term and they are one less source for gas in the storage building.