Anybody convert a golf cart?

[jsec]

Just read the post "Fencing Cart" and was curious whether anyone else has converted a golf cart to a utility vehicle for 'round the farm use. Looks like they're readily available and much cheaper than UTVs.

Anybody add a bed? How about maintenance? Gas vs. electric?

 

[J_J]

Just read the post "Fencing Cart" and was curious whether anyone else has converted a golf cart to a utility vehicle for 'round the farm use. Looks like they're readily available and much cheaper than UTVs.

Anybody add a bed? How about maintenance? Gas vs. electric?

Yes, I built a diamond plate bed with sides for my cart. I put hinges on the bed so it would fold up.

 

[Sherweld]

I live on, and help maintain, a golf course and have owned several golf carts which were used and modified for several and various purposes.

In my opinion they are very useful for transportation and light hauling as well as successfully modified for many specialized tasks.

Regarding type, for mostly golf course, I prefer electric.
For the larger estate, gas. Batteries do require a good deal of maintenance, and are fairly spendy to replace (every 5 years or so) and depending on where you are when the batteries run down, it's not as simple as running back for a can of gas.

My current electric (while not golfing) fitted with a small hitch pulls a filled lawn roller, moves a fairly good sized chipper shredder, cement mixer and small trailer with sacks of ready mix etc. And we use it for traveling around our residential community at times. Gas would do equally well, but I prefer the cleanliness as well as the economy of electric (except for battery replacement cost of course)

If this still appeals to you, you might look for a used utility type golf cart which are factory built for that purpose (but do tend to be a bit more worn than the average used golf cart)

Sherweld

 

[art]

I've got a golf cart that I use at home on the yard as well as on four wheel trails around our area. It will do a lot of work and it will pull well but does go through a belt a year so to speak.. It get's stretched so I loose top speed after the lawn rolling is done. It is a yamaha and it is gas but doesn't burn enough to say so for the fun that it can be. Having the Kubota's and the Cadets to play with I perfer the Kubota for the work, Cadets for in between heavy work and fun(more suspension travel) and the golf cart for just fun. With the larger wheel kit and the gear down the cart can be quite aggressive and it to does about 30 for top speed.

 

[grassroots2323]

I have an old EZGO that I use all the time. Pulls trailers, broke down 4 wheelers and even out of gas pick-up's! The utility bed worked great when we were building our house. Keep the tools in our shop, loaded the cart and went to work. Mine is more of a Texas Redneck Gator, but it gets the job done.

 

[wwalkersd]

We've got a Yamaha electric cart with a bed on it that we use for carrying people and stuff around the stable. Mostly feed. We have a Taylor-Dunn flatbed electric utility vehicle that's used to carry hay and manure. Given that both have to drive through horse barns, we prefer electric to gas for reasons of noise and exhaust emissions. Our stable is only 7 acres, but both have no problem going all day on a charge.

There are tons of parts and accessories out there to turn a golf cart into a utility vehicle. Once place I've bought from is Buggies Unlimited.

 

[CCWKen]

I picked mine up at a scrap yard. A little fixing and paint made a great little cart to run down to the front for the paper and mail. Beats wearing out the vehicles on a short (1/4 mile) run. I made a bracket to mount on the back to hold a tank sprayer. Use it along the drive and fence line to control grass/weeds.

This was taken pre-digital camera. The light stripe is a bad scanner.

 

[foggy1111]

I bought an EZ Go (2002 PDS) this summer. Its alot of fun for ANYONE to drive on trails on our land (grandkids and adults alike)....quiet...easy to drive....fun!!! We tried it out during deer hunting before I put some mods on this fall. Was really nice to take people to stands (no noise, no sweat, no scents) and pick them up. Nice to haul deer too! The windsheild (which came with our cart) is worth its weight in gold during the cold weather here in MN.

Sooooo....after seeing the posibilites, I added some accesssories recently: 5" lift kit, new (22") tires and aluminum wheels (all trail tires with good bite) rear seat, hd rear sprinds and head and tail lights (holding a flashlight in the dark aint too neat) and brush guards etc. Did a few other mods too.....but now I am busy with a tractor.....so......the cart waits further improvements....like a guard for the brakes throttle assy (brush can prevent a stop...etc).

I just tried it in about 8" of snow. Does real good and despite what I heard about steering....seems to handle this rig pretty well. I really like this cart!!!.....and so does anyone who has operated it....from kids to adults. My wife likes it too....as she can haul tools and equipment around our land and do her thing with brushing and such (what a girl )

You can read all about carts by googling buggies forum . com

 

[foggy1111]

Ohhh....and I did consider a side by side UTV. I really like the cart as a better alternative for my purposes (NO noise, easy for anyone, no odor, cheaper too!! ) I figure I have about $3200 invested in the cart as it stands now....and that is a good deal compared to a UTV. (I paid 2000 for the cart...with almost new bats, and about 1200 in the mods). I would do this again.

 

[J_J]

I picked mine up at a scrap yard. A little fixing and paint made a great little cart to run down to the front for the paper and mail. Beats wearing out the vehicles on a short (1/4 mile) run. I made a bracket to mount on the back to hold a tank sprayer. Use it along the drive and fence line to control grass/weeds.

This was taken pre-digital camera. The light stripe is a bad scanner.

I had a cart just about like yours, purchased it for $350.00, and new batteries were another $350.00, I left it the night before on a timed charge, and the nest morning when I went to use it, and it had caught fire and burned really good , also melting the fiberglass roof that was attached to the shed. The only thing that stopped the fire from burning the rest of the shed, was, that the roof was covered in wet leaves, and they must have dropped on the fire and smothered it.