golf carts?

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2001

I'm starting to search for a used golf cart or something like a golf cart. I don't have much to spend on one, so I leaning toward a golf cart instead of something like a john deere gator. My problem is that I know nothing about them other than they have gas powered and electric carts. I'm clueless. I'm hoping maybe with the wide range of knowledge on the TBN that I can shorten the learning curve and maybe find out what I need to look for in a used cart, kind of like shopping for a used car, I'd like to do more than just kick the tires.

My plans for the cart are mostly light duty stuff. Like hauling a couple of 5 gal buckets and a shovel & rake. Maybe attach the 700 ft. of garden hose to the back to drag it around for watering. Or drag around a small trailer. It's going to be used mostly by my dad, he has trouble getting around, but likes coming out to the country on the weekends and helping me out and I hoping a cart will make it a little easy on him.

It seems there are more used elec. than gas powered carts around. Would the electric cart do the job?

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2001

I am a superintendent,we use Club car carts,they are the best out there.Electric is Ok,but very heavy,and if you get it stuck,itll takle a tractor or 4x4 to free it.I preffer gas power,only because i need constant power for pulling hoses,and drag mats for hours on end-an electric cart cant do that for long,itll need recharging often if you tow or drag with it.Stay away from the old 2 cycles,they are very cold blooded,and you really stink after driving one.

cowboydoc · Jun 5, 2001

The batteries on the electric ones are also extremely expensive.

FarmerBob · Jun 5, 2001

I don't own a golf cart, but I spend a whole lot of time in them on the golf course. I just can't seem to ever remember seeing a golf cart with a trailer hitch /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif. I suppose you could fabricate something that would allow you to hook up a trailer, but the slick turf-tires on the cart aren't going to give you much traction. Most of the courses I play use Gator type vehicles for general grounds maintenance. But... if a cart's what you've decided on, I'll hafta agree with John D and say go for a gas powered vs an electric.

FarmerBob

Boondox · Jun 5, 2001

Shorty -- Not sure what sort of terrain you have, but my invalid neighbor uses a little gas golf cart to get around her hillside property and it seems I'm constantly having to fire up my ATV to pull her up hills when the grass is wet, out of soft spots, when she overloads it (doesn't take much), etc. Seems like half her problem is poor traction and the other half is low ground clearance. What's your land like?

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

TxBilly · Jun 5, 2001

You might check out golf cart "dealers" in your area. There is one close to me that makes modifications - knobby tires, trailer hitch, etc. They take carts and change them for parking lot security carts and the like. Might find that one could modify one exactly to your liking.

If you were interested in a "gator" type, check out a Pug.

Bill

Branch · Jun 5, 2001

I've been using a golf cart on my property for 2 years now. It's used every day up and down our driveway for our business. Weekends I hitch up a little trailer with chainsaws tools, shovels, etc. for work around the property. In my application it's the perfect vehicle.
Good points:
1. Never need to remember to keep gas for it, just plug it in at night, when I remember.
2. Never wait to warm up a cold engine. Important to me because I'm a stickler about that.
3. Never needs a tune up, no plugs, air filters, fuel filters, or oil. Just add water to the batteries occasionally.
4. Regenerative breaking (automatically slows the vehicle down and recharges the batteries). Simple and safe enough for kids.
5. Sooooo quiet.
6. Just about maintenance free. With all the motors in all the vehicles, saws, mowers, etc. etc. it's a pleasure to just go out and flog the cart. The'r designed for use on courses where they just get abused by people that don't own them.
Bad points:
1. Poor ground clearance.
2. Dog leg rear-end that tends to spin a tire when it can't get traction. Aggresive tires solved this for the most part.
I paid $1,700 for one that was 3 years old and turned in on a lease from a big course in Hawaii. They ship them over by the container full and a local dealer re-furbishes them for about $500 over what I paid for mine. I chose one that had a few scratches and needed tires for the discount.
As others have mentioned, traction can be a problem but the safety features and simplicity of the cart make it a great vehicle for me.

Branch

Anonymous Poster · Jun 5, 2001

Thanks for the help. I'll try to find a gas powered cart.

John, what kind of problems do you have with the carts you use? Things that wear out or break, if any? Is there anything to look for that would be signs of abuse other than looks? I found a web site that listed prices of used carts and the Clubs are at the top of the list in price and probably quality. If I have a choice I'll pick the Club.

FarmerBob, I think I have the trailer hitch,5 gal bucket holders and of course the cup holder/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif under control. A stick welder and cutting torch works wonders.

Boondox, my property is flat and I'm slowly getting it smoothed out. The low ground clearance maybe a problem right now. I'll mention a little demo on my property to the seller, but with my budget, that is not likely.

Bill, my problem is $$$./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif If I could, I'd looked for a Gator, Mule, or Pug( I did a search for Pug Golf carts and they pop right up). I've seen those lifted.. nobby tire... winch.. roll bar.. assult golf vehicles/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. I think I should have added a "Tim Allen... arggg"... they're just out of my price range. I don't really need this cart it's more or less just something for my dad to cruise around on.

Wingnut · Jun 5, 2001

Shorty,
I can only comment on what I have ... but we're happy with it. I bought my first wife an electric golf cart so that she could get around the place and, after she passed away, I didn't think of selling it as I used if for my annual (when I can find the time) golf game.
Now my second wife uses it summer and winter for transportation to the barn. It hauls water when needed ... a few tools now and then ... is VERY quiet so it bothers the animals not at all. In 6 years, all I've had to do is fill the batteries (actually top them up) and replace 2 corroded cables.
argggghhh ... just hit the wrong button and trashed 80% of the message .... Muhammad ... an undelete command, please? ha!
Anyway ... I've offered to get rid of it and buy a Gator or Mule but she bit my head off.
We used it for one winter with a golf cart driving cover to keep the cold out, but $95 was a lot for one season ... it shredded in a strong wind (read gale) at the end of winter. The last 2 winters, it made every trip out to the barn (i.e. no problems) with the addition of tire chains in the back ... through light snow and over the plowed trail.
Comfortable for 2 ... useful on the course (yeah, I wish), carries one and tools, water, feed, etc with no problems. Runs for an entire day on the course or 2 weeks of driving to the barn several times a day on one charge ... definitely cheaper than fuel.
I'd still trade it in for a Mule or a Gator ... but it's a guy thing - image .... the wife is happy just like it is. Turns the key, presses the pedal ... and it moves. No noise, no maintenance, no uge investment.
Bottom line ... I paid $2000 (Canadian) for it 6 or 7 years ago and spent $40 US for tire chains and $10 for 2 cables .... can't beat that with a willow switch!

too bad that common sense ain't

Anonymous Poster · Jun 5, 2001

Branch, I was typing my last post before you posted.

Sounds like you are doing the same thing I was planning on using a cart for. Do find the cart has enough power and battery life to work around the property for a few hours dragging a trailer? Did the more aggressive tires help the ground clearance? Do you remeber what a set of tires cost?

Anonymous Poster · Jun 5, 2001

Couple of my neighbors use golf carts, or so I thought till I got a closer look at one of them. It had six wheels and R E A L wide tires (short but wide) nice surrey top. They were using it as a work vehicle had t-posts, wire, etc. and two riders. No trouble going up and down grassy slopes.

Patrick

Anonymous Poster · Jun 5, 2001

Wingnut, you guys are killing me/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif just got through "hunting and pecking" (read as typing)out my post to Branch, only to come back and see yours.

One of my concerns is that... I know almost nothing about carts... I'm learning though.. and I may buy a piece of junk, that I could have avoided if I knew what to look for. I'm glad to hear that you've had such good luck maintanance wise with yours. Maybe there tougher than I thought they would be. I was guessing golf courses get rid of them before they become a maintanance nightmare, and that's what was out there for sale. Maybe it's not such a roll of the dice.

Wingnut · Jun 5, 2001

Shorty ... based on my Club Car ... they don't get much simpler .... couple of electric traction motors for the back wheels and then a bank of batteries. I've even seen the batteries lately at Sam's so I'm not concerned about replacing them ... but they seems to last a long time based on what I have. Maintenace ... well, keep tires inflated, clean the gunk off the batteries .... grease the places that have zerks ... very few. So .. can't get much lower maintenance.
My brother-in-law and sister are real golf nuts ... all summer long and then golf vacations ... he tells me (and it makes sense) that the courses prefer gas ... since they only make money when the cart is rented .... not on the charger.
For our use ... can't be beat ... wide tires make good floaters ... don't ruin the "road" or the pasture ... haven't needed traction tires yet ... although the only times I've used it on hills is on the golf courses.
There's little to break on the electric ones ... and they also have the advantage of the weight ... which is why chains on the back end in the winter work ... so much weight available that the chains bite real well.
She hasn't wanted a cart behind it but it would be no big deal to put a simple hitch on. As it is ... the club tray in the back hold a gang of tools ... and the bag straps keep shovels and other implements of destruction in place and immobile.
I mounted lights on the front so it's useful after dark .... all around I'd say ... don't immediately rule out electric ... might be cheaper to buy and run if your situation will benefit form electric. Unless you plan to use it constantly for a 12 hour day, I'm sure a change will last just fine.

too bad that common sense ain't

Anonymous Poster · Jun 6, 2001

Check out cartparts.com for an idea of what parts cost. Club Car and EZ Go make excellent utility vehicles on a golf cart base.If a fellow was short on cash he could make a nice utility vehicle out of a gas powered cart.they all have some type of hitch on the back. I'm a mechanic at a golf course.

Branch · Jun 6, 2001

Shorty,
I didn't want one originally because it seemed like a fragile mode of transportation, nothing could be further from the truth. The first one I bought was a 72' Taylor Dunn with a Ford 9" rear end that would pull stumps if it could get traction. I paid $500 for it and used it for the first year but it needed a re-build on the motor after 27 years and the metal body was rotting through from sitting outside for so many years. A charge on it would be good for constant use all day long and that was on a cart with ancient technology. The Club Car I bought last year is a huge leap forward in technology. The batteries should last 5 years,replacements are about $40 each and you need 6 of them. As others have said, grease it and water it and flog it. They just keep on running.
The tires I bought were $90 or so for 4. I used my FEL to break the bead on the old ones and re-mounted new with a couple big screw drivers. Took me about 45 minutes start to finish.
Ground clearance isn't really a problem for me since I use my box scraper a lot for trail work.
The amount of power out of it is more than adequate. Unlike a gas motor that's 30-40% efficient and uses belts or chains, the electric motor is in the 70% range and is attached directly to the rear end. Power loss is fractional compared to a gas motor.
My brother in law held the worlds speed record for electric vehicles at Bonneville with a 219mph pass. His motor is rated at 15hp but puts out 100hp at 312 volts. He puts 770 amps to it for 90 seconds. As I remeber it fries the tires at 150mph. Electric vehicles are sorely under appreciated in potential.

Branch

cowboydoc · Jun 6, 2001

Shorty,
I bought my Mule 500 used, about four years old, for $3200. You cannot beat that thing. It's automatic, four wheel brakes, trailer hitch, dump bed, posi or no posi traction with the flip of a lever, real tires, excellent clearance, roll cage, etc. The one I bought was just like brand new. For any kind of a decent golf cart you are going to pay $2000 or better. The Mule is ten times the vehicle that a golf cart is.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 6, 2001

patrick that six wheel cart might be something like a John Deere gator.

Wingnut and Branch, your experiences with the carts sure do help. I looked at a couple of carts today, one was a very used elec cart, and the other a nice 1997 ez-go elec. I drove both and there was not much difference in how they drive(on pavement) The power seemed equal and no noticable noises. I'm going to look at a couple of gas powered carts tomorrow or Friday. One is a 1992 ez-go for $1300. and the other is a 1990 w/rebuilt engine for $1500. What I've found is newer Elec carts(1996-1998) are around $1700-2000.

Thanks Kioti, I bookmarked that site. Mabe I'll change my name to "Shortoncash". Any tips on what I should be looking for in a used cart?

Cowboydoc, I did a quick search on traderonline.com(i'll look a little better tonight) and the few I found were $3500. on up. I'd like to find something along the lines of a mule or gator but they seem to be more than I can spend.

RobertN · Jun 6, 2001

Northern has them used, in thier latest, just got it in the mail, "Master" catalog. Might be worth taking a peak on-line...

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

Wingnut · Jun 6, 2001

don't disagree with you at all, CowboyDoc .... I'd love to trade in my ATV and the golf cart and move up to a Mule 700 .... but ... like the wife says ... everything we've got is paid off and works .... Can't complain though ... when I was shopping for 'botas and looking at the 2500 to keep costs down, she talked me into the 3710 "if that was what I really wanted"

too bad that common sense ain't