Do I want an Electric or Gas golf cart?

[Sydwayz]

I am in the market for a used non-fancy Golf Cart for use around the house. It will not be towing, nor will it be off-roading unless you consider a gravel driveway and the lawn off-road. My Toy Box (barn) is about 600 feet from the house and I walk back and forth all the time with tools and stuff. I'll probably get fat with the acquisition of a golf cart; however that's a risk/challenge that I am willing to tackle.

I just sold a 6.5HP 4-stroke go-kart that was a PITA to keep running right. I was always dorking around with the spark plug, stator, fuel, choke, carb/bowl/float, etc. etc. to get it to run at it's full potential.

I don't want the same issue with a Golf Cart. I know the Electric models are pretty much press the pedal and go; BUT you have to make sure you maintain the batteries and when they do go south, they are not cheap to replace; often exceeding the value of the cart itself.

Thoughts & input from folks who have experience with both are welcomed; and thank you in advance.

 

[Sydwayz]

Here are examples of what I am considering:

http://richmond.craigslist.org/grd/1429837181.html
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11421

 

[Chris]

Running out of gas is an easy fix. Running out of juice...

It depends where you're using it. If you're never far from home the electric is a good way to go. But most aren't as powerful as the gas versions. And keeping it charged is going to run the electric bill up somewhat- just running the charger in maintenance mode alone.

Take a look at a unit called a Taylor-Dunn. I see them on Ebay all the time. They're an industrial-duty cart, made to work, not haul chubby middle-aged men. You'd have to put turf tires on it, but I'm sure what you sacrificed in style you'd make up for in capability and service life. They make different versions and some are 48 volt.

 

[rschap1]

Get a Rhino or side by side deal...

Extra power and traction....just in case!

 

[Chris]

Always an option, but a few dimes more than that used bare-bones $1500 cart.

For around the house, the ideal thing to have would be a Gator. Tough, dependable, carries a nice load, will push snow, etc. But they bring a decent buck.

 

[Ted]

I opted for an electric because I only do short trips to the community marina and what not. If this is you the gas one will never warm up. And that means they tend to foul plugs and go through all the other crap with small engines. Batteries need to be topped with distilled water about once every 6 months. I can pull my boat trailer empty and most other trailer loaded on flat ground and minor hills. They say figure 9 miles is about the limit for distance before a recharge.

 

[JupiterSunsation]

Electric is a lot less hassle than gas, particularly when they get old. They are quiet also, gas carts even at the nicest golf courses are annoying

 

[OldSchool]

Always an option, but a few dimes more than that used bare-bones $1500 cart.

For around the house, the ideal thing to have would be a Gator. Tough, dependable, carries a nice load, will push snow, etc. But they bring a decent buck.

We love ours!!! Nothing runs like a Deere!!!

I got this one for $2500 from a friend.

 

[Offshoredrillin]

gas.

 

[glassdave]

. . . . But most aren't as powerful as the gas versions.

no necessarily, when i was with Club Car the elec ones would out pull any gas car out there. Very torque-ee, golf cart wise I've never seen a gas version out pull their elec counterpart. Speed however is always greater and easier to come by with a gas car, although i do have a trick to just about double the speed of an elec car with just some simple wiring mods. For yard work and around the house/neighborhood its tough to beat an elec car for ease and dependability. Stick with Club Car, you'd be fine with either they are both very reliable.

 

[OldSchool]

Here are examples of what I am considering:

http://richmond.craigslist.org/grd/1429837181.html
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11421

What does it really matter Brian.....By the time that you are done "accessorizing" it, you'll have 5G's tied up in it!!!!:sifone::sifone:

Ted's electric model is very nice, but I don't have a picture. He got the bare-bones cart, lifted it and put some BlingBling wheels and knobbies on it. Very cool rig for not a ton of $$$!!

 

[Perlmudder]

a 4 person electric cart will not go up a steep hill with 8 drunkys on it. but thats just what i have heard...

 

[Chris]

We were just at a resort. Their 4 person cart barely got us up a moderate hotel driveway. maybe it was low on juice...

 

[Chris]

We love ours!!! Nothing runs like a Deere!!!

I got this one for $2500 from a friend.

You stole that one.

 

[glassdave]

guess i should clarify. . . . properly charged and functioning the elec cars are pretty tough to out pull. I pull started an old manual trans 1978 Ford F-350 with one once

 

[Chris]

That's not an easy task. And I can see you doing it too

 

[JupiterSunsation]

We were just at a resort. Their 4 person cart barely got us up a moderate hotel driveway. maybe it was low on juice...

Or that it was OVER WEIGHT limits.......:sifone:

 

[JupiterSunsation]

no necessarily, when i was with Club Car the elec ones would out pull any gas car out there. Very torque-ee, golf cart wise I've never seen a gas version out pull their elec counterpart. Speed however is always greater and easier to come by with a gas car, although i do have a trick to just about double the speed of an elec car with just some simple wiring mods. For yard work and around the house/neighborhood its tough to beat an elec car for ease and dependability. Stick with Club Car, you'd be fine with either they are both very reliable.

Club cars used to have the rear ends go bad, they would howl real loud. As far as mods, on a 4 post motor if you linked the 1st and 3rd post the carts got real fast (going off memory/ 20+ years ago).

 

[glassdave]

Club cars used to have the rear ends go bad, they would howl real loud. As far as mods, on a 4 post motor if you linked the 1st and 3rd post the carts got real fast (going off memory/ 20+ years ago).

yep, wake's 'em right up. Kills the batteries twice as fast to though. We played around with extra batteries as well. The system can handle 48 volts no prob just need a 48 volt solenoid. I put all the batteries in the bag well on a three wheel E-Z-Go once and it turned into a cool wheelie machine

I worked in the biz back in the late eighties early nineties. Remember a few bad CC rear ends but not any more then any other manufacturer. I would guess cars out of the mid nineties and later would have that resolved. They were pretty quality conscious. Fun job while i was in high school. My yard car was a Go-Fore with a 340 Scorpion snowmobile engine. If you want something real cool find an old Cushman Golfster with the 22hp Onan in it. We had one with a three speed truckster trans conversion in it that went like sixty five

 

[glassdave]

That's not an easy task. And I can see you doing it too

It was a straight six standard cab with no bed. Surplus type yard truck picked up an from an auction from some kinda nuclear regulatory commission thing. Not sure what they had on the back but they had this huge stack of springs on the rear axle. We all had 'em, they were cheap course they were all tan colored to (thats when i started painting lol). When your that age and you schit dont run you improvise . . . .